THE AVATAR'S BIG SISTER .
── ☆ ☆ ☆ ──
"𝐍𝐎𝐖, where do you think you're heading off to?" I sternly questioned Korra as she climbed upon her polar bear dog, Naga. She quickly looked over her shoulder, her crystal blue eyes widened, but they quickly faltered down, realizing that it wasn't one of those pesky guards that was in charge of keeping her put. "Just taking Naga out for a walk."
I folded my arms against my chest as the cold winds of the South ruthlessly thrashed across my cheeks. "You know," I started, leaning against the soft, milky-white beast. "I always wonder when a day will come when those stupid guards will finally realize that you're never actually taking her for a walk."
"Hopefully never," she sung brightly, grabbing the leather leash that was attached to Naga.
I stopped leaning against her and faced Korra with an annoyed sigh. "So, what exactly makes you think Tenzin is going to arrive here this time?"
"I just know he's coming! I can feel it in my stomach!"
"You sure you don't have diarrhea? 'Cause you said that about ten times already and he still hasn't arrived at the South Pole."
"Katrina, my Avatar guts are telling me he's here and I'm pretty sure Aang wouldn't lie to me." She retorts with a pout. I chuckle as she gives me a hand, helping me climb upon Naga. "No offense, but out of all the Avatars, Aang would probably mess with 'ya as a prank."
Even though I was sitting behind her, I could tell she was rolling her eyes. She tightened her grip on the leash, gesturing Naga to move. We moved towards the tall, blue gates that had enclosed us from the outside world since childhood.
"Taking her for a walk?" A White Lotus guard from the tower next to the gates shouted questionably. We both innocently nodded "yes". As usual, he sported a unsure expression on his face, making Korra huff out in annoyance. "Don't worry, we're not going far."
With that false reassurance, he reluctantly opened the gates for us, revealing the bright, white sun that quickly bounced against the cold darkness on the high walls surrounding us. Korra gently tugged on Naga's leash. "C'mon, Naga!"
☆ ☆ ☆
As we reached the Southern Water Tribe, our eyes were glued to the pale sky, scanning every inch for a sign of the monk's arrival. "There!" Korra beamed, pointing to a flying bison amongst the clouds.
"Well, who would've thought?" I breathed out in awe, the excitement that had been forced down by constant disappointments finally buzzing inside my chest.
I chuckled as I heard one of Tenzin's daughter, Ikki, asking billions of questions as usual. "Are we there yet?! Are we there yet?!" Finally, the bison who was carrying the family, landed on the ground with a grunt in front of Master Katara, who was also waiting them.
"Yes, Ikki," Tenzin sighed tiredly, his shoulders slumped down. "We're finally here."
As they all climbed down the bison, Tenzin letted out a relieved sigh as he approached Master Katara. "I'm so happy to see you, Mother. . .please help me." he desperately pleaded as he pried off his youngest son, Meelo, who was strangely chomping on his bald-arrowed head and handed him to her.
"Unhand me you strange woman!' Meelo shouts, waving his arms to get out of her arms.
"That strange woman is your grandmother, Meelo." Tenzin muttered with another tired sigh. A laugh escaped my mouth as I watched the scene unfold. Before I knew it, Meelo and Ikki were all over Korra and I.
"There's my two little monsters!" I beamed as we both kneeled down to tightly hug them back. "How was the trip here?"
"Well," Meelo begun as they both pulled away. "Ikki and Jinora were being annoying, as usual—"
"Hey, no we weren't!" Ikki retorted, turning to Jinora, who stood besides Master Katara. "Jinora, Meelo called us annoying!"
Jinora rolled her eyes, giving the small boy a glare. "You're calling us annoying? That's a bit hypocritical coming from someone who kept tooting the whole flight."
"Okay, okay, that's enough you three," Korra chuckled as we stood back up, already feeling drained out by their arguing. "Tenzin!" she then bubbled as his eyes met ours.
We both ran over and enveloped him into a tight hug. "Look at you two, all big and strong!" he exclaimed proudly as we pulled away.
"Master Tenzin," Korra started, her excitement evident in her tone. "I'm so happy that you're here! Now, we can finally start my airbending training!"
Tenzin's smile tugged down to a frown, the joyous mood suddenly stopping. "Yes—well—"
"You're going to have to tell her sooner or later," Pema, his wife, approached him with a sorrow expression, a hand placed on her growing baby bump.
Korra eyed Pema tentatively as she asked, "Tell me, what?"
The monk's heavy sigh had confirmed my assumption; "You're not staying, are you?"
Tenzin nodded with pursed lips. "I'm afraid not. We're only visiting for the night, then I have to return to Republic City."
Korra's eyes widened in disbelief, her lips moving into a stammer. "B-But, you're supposed to move here. You're supposed to teach me airbending!"
"I'm so sorry, Korra," he murmured apologetically, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Your airbending training is going to have to be at pause for now."
☆ ☆ ☆
That evening, as Korra, Tenzin, the White Lotus Leader, and I had sat together for dinner. Throughout, Korra had questioned why Tenzin couldn't stay, with him replying that he was one of the leaders in Republic City, whose situation was unstable at the moment.
Then, she suggested that she would go with him back to the City. The idea had angered the White Lotus Leader, retorting that Avatar Aang instructed them to keep her safe, which the busy city was far from. I, on the other hand, wanted Korra to go with Tenzin.
It had always been my dream to leave the Compound, but always was denied. Even after the program was shut down, it apparently wasn't safe for someone like me to live without some protection from the White Lotus, because I was the sister of the Avatar. So, in the meanwhile, I tried to ignore my misery and focus on what was best for my little sister, and make sure that she will never have to go through what I had endured: making regrettable mistakes that could change your life forever. Now, the opportunity to go explore her life had finally appeared and those two elders—mainly the White Lotus Leader, to be honest—were ruining it. Unfortunately, the option was officially turned down.
It was past midnight, a few hours after Tenzin and his family had left, and everyone was asleep. Even with the horrid bloodbending program officially being done months ago, the nightmares never allowed a rewarding rest.
I hysterically gasped for air, struggling to shake off the effects of a familiar nightmare in which I laid numblessly in the same setting where I had killed the man that kidnapped me, staring into his protruding eyes as he lay dead across from me. One by one, a loved one would appear in the distance—my mother, my father, Korra, even Master Katara—running towards me and the man with worry. The moon, which took up the pitch-black sky, glimmered tauntingly as I had to watch my own hand betray me; the motion of my fingers clutching the air in the same way that I took control of the man's blood. There was nothing I could do other than scream frightfully as everyone I loved dropped dead to the snow, their blood splattering and seeping into the white until there was nothing pure left.
In an automatic motion, I shakingly stumbled out of bed and headed outside near the stables where Korra's polar bear-dog, Naga, slept. A sigh of relief was happily released out of me the moment the wind lightly touched my sweaty, bare face. There was no intention of a destination, just the need for the chilling southern wind to cool myself down as it always had. With small controlled breaths, I assured myself that the nightmares weren't real—at least, most of it wasn't real.
I jumped with alarm at the sudden sound of activity, specifically voices, coming from the stables near where I was. Wanting to desperately distract myself, I quietly approached the entrance when I heard what seemed to be my sister. "—thank you, Master Katara,"
Moments passed before she stepped out of the stables with a tired sigh.
"Korra?" I whispered softly, not wanting to alert any of the guards that may have been out on watch. "Spirits, what are you doing out here at this time?"
"I'd ask the same thing for you," she quipped, although a sorrowful expression lingered told me she was too busy with her own thoughts. Korra took in a sharp intake of air and looked at me with sternness; a look you don't see much often. "I need to leave, Katrina. To Republic City. I need to find my own path as the Avatar."
"Korra—" I stopped and stared at her for quite a time, not entirely sure I heard her right. Leave? Leave?
My heart rate became excited as my mind finally caught up, a dry laugh escaping with realization. "You want to leave this place?" I whispered eagerly before dropping my grin, suddenly more aware of our surroundings. Who knew who could be eavesdropping?
Right at that moment, Master Katara appeared out of the stables and noticed the two of us. Her lips parted open for a moment, as if she was going to say something, but she simply sent a knowing smile to Korra before leaving.
Korra had noticed my confused expression because she explained, "I was planning on getting Naga ready for when we escape until she caught me. She believes in me, you know? That I can be the best Avatar I can be in Republic City."
The excited grin I tried to hide reappeared shamelessly, disregarding anyone that may have been watching or hearing us. "I agree wholeheartedly with her; there's no way you can do that being stuck in here."
Korra's composure relaxed and matched my excitement. "I was scared that you wouldn't understand—after all, barely anyone, except Katara, has emotions around here—but I knew you'd get me when you backed me up with that conversation with Tenzin and that stupid White Lotus leader."
"You know I always want the best for you," I chuckled brightly, bringing her into an extremely tight hug that she always was embarrassed by since she was a teenager. She groaned, although I could tell her smile was still plastered on there. "I've always dreamed of going out to explore the world and living it up, and now you have the chance!"
She pulled away with an eyebrow raised. "You mean, we have the chance."
"We?" I repeated, bewildered at this sudden suggestion of doing this together.
"Did you not hear what I just said about me planning our escape until Katara caught me—Crap, maybe I should've said you, me, and Naga's escape." Korra clarified sheepishly, rubbing her neck after her realization.
Surely my squeal could've alerted any guards, but I couldn't have cared less as I hugged Korra again with all my might. She groaned once more and murmured, "Okay, okay, okay—I get it!"
Tears were prickling the edges of my eyes, but for the first time, they were with pure joy. I could finally leave my horrid past behind in exchange for a new one in Republic City. I could actually live a normal, White Lotus-free life. My life was finally putting itself back together.
☆ ☆ ☆
Korra and I went to say one last farewell to our loved ones before we embarked on our journey. "We love you both so much." Mom murmured with misty eyes that had radiated brightly against the light emitted from the night's crescent moon, cupping both of our faces with a soft kiss on each forehead.
"C'mon, Katrina!" Korra urged excitedly as she runned over and climbed upon Naga. Before I could follow behind, a hand gripped on my shoulder made me look back, finding it belonged to Dad, who had seem very concerned.
"Please, promise me you take immense care of your little sister. If anything happens—"
"Nothing will happen to her, Dad." I reassured him with a softened smile, putting my hand over his to let him know my words were sincere. I really couldn't blame his hesitance; after all he had always been protective of his youngest daughter who had been targeted twice by dangerous criminals because she was the Avatar, hence secluding her inside a White Lotus-protected Compound for all her life.
His eyes momentarily flickered with disinclination before breaking into a warm smile, enveloping me into a comforting hug. "And also promise me you take care of yourself, okay? I know you had to deal with hell ever since that incident and you know, I'm proud that you kept fighting."
I rested my head on his shoulder, fighting back emotional tears as Mom sent me a similar smile. He pulled back and ruffled my hair, the forlorn mood quickly changing into a contented one. "Knowing that, I'm confident you can handle anything that comes in your way. Stay safe, Katrina."
Wiping away a rogue teardrop that fell, I slowly backed away while waving them a final goodbye before climbing onto the polar bear-dog behind Korra.
With a determined nod, I cracked into a bright smile as I signaled my little sister. "Naga, go!"
[ author update time ]
hey everyone!! i'm so sorry for not posting in like, FOREVER, but I'm back with a brand new chapter. If you wanna know why i haven't been updating was because I have school things and stuff which take up most of my time and let's just say I got sucked in the beautiful world of. . .
wait for it. . .
yup, that's right.
KPOP.
now, my life is complete garbage! 😍
I mean, I only wanted to know what BTS member's names were, but now I'm BTS trash :D
anyways, thanks to everyone who waited patiently for the new chapter and remember to vote, comment and follow! bye!