Chapter Text
Legacy
Katara smiled down at one of her students as they waved goodbye before rushing towards their parents. The group of young waterbenders quickly dispersed when the lesson ended, leaving only Katara's own waterbender behind.
"Mom," Kya said, grabbing her hand. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Katara asked, as she and Kya walked home through the winding streets of the South Pole's main city.
"That you used to be the only waterbender in the South Pole?" Kya said. "One of the other students mentioned it today."
Katara looked closely at her daughter. The young girl was alight with curiosity and the need for answers. Katara knew within her daughter's heart beat a heart like her own, striving to make the world better.
Kya could never imagine the South as Katara had known it. The Southern Tribe without waterbenders just made no sense to the girl. It didn't sound right, because it wasn't right. It was something that never should have been.
It shouldn't have made sense to Katara. Katara should have known a world like the one Kya grew up in, but war made victims of everyone, and the Southern Tribe was one of the worst hit.
Her daughter would always be a pride to Katara. She was her proof. That they had tried to take them, and failed. Kya existed, because they had won over those who tried to destroy them.
"Yes," Katara said, sadly. "I was the only waterbender for a long time."
"So, where'd everyone else come from?" Kya asked.
Katara smiled. "I sent them," Katara said. "My brother and I traveled all the way to the North Pole and reopened the connection with our sister tribe. We went to get training for Aang and I originally but after learning what had happened to the South, the North sent groups to help us."
Katara stopped walking and kneeled down to Kya's level.
"The Southern Tribe grew as more and more northerns, like your great-grandpa, moved here," Katara said, her voice heavy with a melancholy, too painful to name. "It's not the same as it was, but it was re-born in its own way."
Kya frowned. "But where'd they all go?" Kya asked. "The waterbenders from before?"
Katara's mind flashed to deeply painful memories, first of her mother, then of Hama. "They were taken," Katara said. She didn't mention how sometimes they were killed. She'd tell Kya more when she was older.
Kya looked down at the snow and drug her foot through it. "That sounds lonely," Kya said.
"It was," Katara said, "but it's not so lonely anymore. The south is full of waterbenders again and I have you."
Kya smiled brightly. "I won't let you down," Kya promised.
"You never could," Katara said, as her little girl wrapped her arms around her.
Motherhood
Not much surprised Katara anymore, but the arrival of Izumi on the back of Druk without either her parents or husband certainly did.
The Crown Princess of the Fire Nation had very little reason to spontaneously visit the South Pole, which made the fact that she was standing across for Katara all the stranger.
Izumi was out of breath as she panted slightly in front of Katara, and her eyes were filled with worry even as they seemingly begged Katara to let her in.
Katara did, waving the young woman into her house. Izumi paused in the living room.
"I'm sorry," Izumi said.
"Do your parents know you're here?" Katara asked, moving to make tea. It was a sure fire way to calm stressed Fire Royals.
"Sort of," Izumi said. "I told them I had to go somewhere and that I was taking Druk."
Katara gestured for Izumi to sit and joined her when the tea was done. Izumi had always been a headstrong girl and to see her curled protectively in on herself, told Katara more than anything she could say.
Izumi was afraid.
"Aang and Tenzin left yesterday for the Northern Air Temple. Kya's been with her girlfriend for the past three days, so I don't think we will be bothered," Katara said.
Izumi nodded, though she said nothing as she drank her tea.
"I needed to talk to someone but I didn't want to worry my parents or anyone else for that matter," Izumi said.
Katara nodded at her to continue.
Izumi opened her mouth slightly before closing it. Katara allowed her the time.
Izumi's hand slid to her stomach and Katara's eyes widened slightly as she looked back up at the young woman next to her.
"You're pregnant," Katara said.
Izumi's head shot up as her eyes went wide.
"How?" She asked.
"Mother's intuition," Katara said. "You'll pick it up quickly."
Izumi let out a shaky breath.
"If you plan to keep it," Katara corrected.
"No!" Izumi shouted. "I mean yes, I want them. I want them badly, but there's so much. The whole nation will be watching and my dad's going to freak out and my husband's military and mom's sick and-"
"Zumi," Katara said, grabbing the younger woman's arm as she started hyperventilating. "Calm down. It'll all be okay. You'll be a wonderful mother. The Fire Nation will love your child, just as they loved you. Zuko's going to be ecstatic over the baby, even if he does freak out at first. I can't say much about the military family thing but as someone whose husband travels a lot you can make it work. As for your mom she's strong Izumi, she'll be fine."
Izumi nodded even as she started crying.
Katara pulled her into a hug. "Everything will be fine, and if it isn't you have me in your corner," Katara said.
Izumi nodded into her shoulder.
"Can you come with me?" Izumi asked. "To tell my parents and well -"
Izumi trailed off but Katara knew who she was referring to.
"Let's go," Katara said, "I'll be behind you every step of the way."
Heartache
Katara watched as Lin kicked up a storm at the dock leading to Republic City. She had missed the ferry and Katara could tell that was the last string holding the younger woman together.
"It'll be back within the hour and you'll be on your way back to Republic City in no time," Katara said. "Breathe Lin."
Lin huffed. "I'm breathing just fine," she said. "Why don't you go worry about your stupid kid?"
"Tenzin's old enough to take care of himself," Katara said. "While I don't appreciate you calling him stupid, I know you're the one hurting most from this right now."
Lin looked away and Katara rested her hand on her arm.
"Let's sit on the dock," she said. "You have a bit of a wait ahead of you."
Lin frowned but allowed Katara to direct her to the dock.
"You're allowed to hurt, Lin," Katara said. "I know you like to bottle up your emotions, like your mother, but what just happened is allowed to hurt."
Lin looked away but Katara had still seen the blotchiness of her face.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Katara asked.
"What's there to talk about?" Lin snapped. "Tenzin's moved on to a younger, easier woman."
"Lin," Katara said, staring the younger woman down reproachfully. "That's not right and you know it."
"Well what else does she have that I don't?" Lin demanded.
"Nothing," Katara said. "There's nothing either of you has that the other doesn't. Tenzin didn't break up with you to date Pema because one of you was better or easier or prettier."
"Then why'd he do it?" Lin asked. Her voice broke and she refused to look at Katara.
Katara sighed. "Lin," she said. "Sometimes in this world, as much as we might wish otherwise, love isn't enough. You and Tenzin have walked the same road for a long time, but now your paths are diverging and no amount of loving each other will change the fact that you both have different wants in life. Tenzin wants a family, and not just because of duty to the air nomads. You want a career that's not hindered by children. There's nothing wrong with either of those things, they just don't match up."
There was a ripple in the water that broke apart Lin's reflection and Katara didn't mention the source of the water droplet that caused it.
"We could make it work," she said, softly.
"It would have made you both miserable to do so," Katara said.
"I'm miserable now," Lin muttered.
"That's okay," Katara said, hugging the young woman to her side. "You can be miserable for now, and one day you'll feel better later. Now, I do believe your ship is here."
Lin looked up. "Finally," she said, standing.
"Don't be a stranger, Lin," Katara said. "You're still family."
"Sure," Lin said. She walked towards the ferry before running back to hug Katara. Katara held her tightly, worried she wouldn't see Lin for a long time, before letting her go.
She watched the ship pull away with Lin on board and hoped the young woman would be okay.
Revival
Katara watched as her granddaughter paced around the hall outside her mother's room.
Katara herself was glaring at the door and if one more pain filled scream echoed from behind it, she was pushing the air acolytes out of the way and delivering the baby herself.
She was distracted from her determined glare by a very deep sigh from a rather small body.
"Jinora," Katara asked. "Are you okay?"
"Gran Gran," Jinora said. "I don't want a sibling."
Katara paused and wondered if Tenzin and Pema were aware of Jinora's thoughts.
"Why not?" Katara asked gently. "Siblings are great. You'll never be alone again."
"I like being alone," Jinora said. Her tiny face was scrunched up in displeasure.
"Being alone isn't all it's cracked up to be," Katara said, gently lowering herself to the floor. She hoped she'd be able to get back up. "What's going on?"
Jinora shrugged and tapped her hand on her shoe. "They will forget me," she said.
"Who told you that?" Katara asked, concerned that Jinora had reached such a conclusion.
"No one," Jinora lied, before correcting herself. "Uncle Bumi."
Katara closed her eyes, knowing her eldest had likely meant it as a passing joke or in a context Jinora hadn't understood. Bumi was often a bit off the cuff but he was too soft hearted like his father to ever be intentionally cruel.
"Bumi likely didn't mean it like that," Katara said. "Babies just take a lot of attention in the first few months is all. They won't love you less."
Jinora made another face. "Will they have more?" She asked.
"Likely, yes," Katara said. "You won't fully understand until you're older but you and your future siblings are important. You're a revitalization the world desperately needs and you Jinora, you'll lead that charge. I know you will, and your siblings, however many there are, will be at you back the whole way."
Jinora looked at her in question. "What's revialashun?" She asked.
Katara laughed. Sometimes when talking to Jinora, Katara forgot how young she was.
"Nevermind," she said. "Just know it means you'll make the world a better place."
The sounds behind the door stopped before Tenzin pushed it open and gestured them in.
Katara stood, her knees popping and picked Jinora up.
"Let's go meet our family's newest member," Katara said.
Pema looked tired. A small bundle was wrapped in her arms. Katara placed Jinora on the bed and watched apprehensively as she looked down at the baby.
"What did you name them?" Katara asked.
"Her name is Ikki," Pema said, brushing her hand over Ikki's soft hair.
Jinora remained silent as she stared at her new sister. "Hi, Ikki," Jinora said. "Don't worry. I'll lead the way for you."
Pema and Tenzin traded a confused look as Katara fought down a smile.
Strength
She was strong.
The girl, given as her husband was taken away, had a fight to her that Katara found all too familiar.
Sometimes it was hard to imagine the energetic and proud young woman that young girl grew into was once her soft-hearted husband.
Korra had a soft-heart too though, filled with love for those the world would leave behind. Her polar bear dog Naga was proof of that.
When it had come time to train her, too early, far too early, Katara refused the idea that anyone would teach the young girl but her. Katara had trained one Avatar and she would train the next.
Now she had to train Korra again, in a new way. Physical therapy took a lot out of both of them, leaving them emotionally and physically drained at the end.
Korra growled as she hit the ground again and Katara could see the sheen of tears in her eyes as she tried to stand.
"Come on Korra, let's take a break," Katara said, gesturing for the woman to sit with her a moment. "You've made good progress today."
"I made no progress today," Korra bit out.
"Really?" Katara said. "And when was the last time you made it from one side of those bars to the other without falling before you made it? I do believe this was the first. Sometimes the wins are small, but that's no reason to not celebrate them."
Korra sighed as she slowly pulled herself into her wheelchair and joined Katara.
"It's hard," Korra said. "It's so hard to see anything worth celebrating. I'm not getting better fast enough."
Katara grabbed Korra's hand. "It's not a race," Katara said. "You are getting better at the pace you can. No one should expect more for you than that."
"But they do," Korra muttered.
Katara frowned. "Korra, the world may need the Avatar, and it may make demands for your return, but I'm not concerned with the Avatar getting better. I want Korra to get better,” she said, pointedly.
Korra looked up at her, something she hadn't done since she was fifteen and started to get taller than the older woman.
"I want that too," Korra whispered.
"Then rest, and we'll start again later," Katara said.
Korra nodded but her eyes burned with a heat she had lost when her recovery started seeming impossible.
Katara looked into determined blue eyes, so much like her own, and knew one day Avatar Korra would return to save the world, but for now, Katara would help her save herself.