Chapter Text
Korra didn't know what she did wrong. Why couldn't she go see her mommy and daddy? Why did the adults keep beating up her to train her? All she learned was how to dodge and maybe defend herself a little bit. No one showed her what she was supposed to do.
And everytime she failed at doing what they wanted they didn't feed her and locked her in the room with the single thin blanket as a bed.
She was so hungry and she was starting to feel so so cold. She never felt cold before. Or hungry like this.
It was worse than when mommy had said no snacks between lunch and dinner.
She was starting to see people too. Strange see through blue glowy people. And she could hear them talking. Was this what an imaginary friend was like?
"What are they thinking?! At this rate they're going to kill her!" A man with a bald head and an arrow on his head was really angry and there was a really really tall lady wearing a fancy headdress that looked like she was trying to break the door down.
"Who are you?" Korra asked and her throat was itchy. She hadn't had any water today... She tried to bend some but she couldn't. Her head swam too much.
"Korra can you see us?" A lady wearing robes and with a really big forehead and blue arrow asked kneeling down to her.
"I can. Is that bad? And how do you know my name?" Korra asked staring up at the lady who did her best to keep a small smile on her face but her hands were shaking. Was she angry?
"Fuck she is so close to death she's half in the spirit world!" A man with a polar Bear-dog coat said and he looked enraged as he hit the wall but his hand didn't make any noise.
"She needs food. And water but she can't focus enough through the hunger to waterbend. We might have to give her some spirit realm food to keep her alive." A really old man wearing red said and he looked furious as he glared at the door.
"I'm fastest. I'll go." The lady with the big forehead said and suddenly she was gone and Korra wondered where she went. Did Korra make her mad and make her leave?
Apparently not cause she was back in a few seconds with a fruit Korra had never seen before in her hands.
"Here little one. Eat this." The lady said and she held it out to Korra who hesitated. She knew this test.
"It's not a test sweetheart. We won't get mad if you take it. We just want you to eat something..." The really tall lady said and suddenly she was beside Korra who could see her really really pale face. Oh she was wearing makeup!
Her stomach grumbled and the lady with the big forehead gently set the fruit down on her blanket and then backed away a bit. She shouldn't eat it. It was a test she knew...
But she was soo hungry.
So she snatched up the fruit and devoured it quickly and then braces herself for her punishment.
"Yangchen you should get her some more. Or we should make her something easy to eat. A soup or broth." The really really tall lady said and and suddenly the man with the polar Bear-dog pelt was gone as was the lady with the forehead.
"Who...are you?" Korra felt like she should know these people but she didn't. They weren't her usual trainers. They didn't glow blue or give her soft smiles like these people were doing or give her food when she failed.
"My name is Kiyoshi. Over there is Roku and that's Aang. You've met Yangchen and Koruk. We're going to help you." The really tall lady said softly and Korra tilted her head as she looked at the bald man.
"I know that name... you're the last avatar...am I dead?" Korra asked staring at the bald man who shook his head at her but he seemed sad.
"No little one. We aren't going to let you die so young. Or like this. Don't worry. We're going to take care of you from now on." Aang said softly to her and she tilted her head.
"You're really trusting me and Koruk and Yangchen with an impressionable child?" Kiyoshi asked in sounding amused and surprised.
"You can't do any worse than those...people." Aang wanted to say a bad word as he nodded towards the door. Just in time for Yangchen to come back with more fruits. Several of them. Each different and Korra had never seen them before.
Was this the kind of things that grew in the outside world?
"Koruk is making her a broth and I found a river to get her some spirit water. It should help heal her." Yangchen said and she held out a skein of water, setting it and the fruits down on Korras blanket.
"Don't worry little one. From now on we'll take care of you. We'll protect you." Roku said gently rubbing the top of Korras head.
"And we'll teach you how to be really strong so that no one else can hurt you." Kiyoshi said and Korra decided she liked the tall lady. And the half bald lady and the guys too. They seemed warm. And safe.
Korra reached for the water and Kiyoshi helped her drink it with gentle hands and Korra...Korra decided she liked them a lot. A lot more than her trainers at least.
After drinking the water she moved to the fruit and began to eat them. She was really hungry and they tasted good but funny and she didn't know how but she found herself in Yangchens lap by the time Koruk returned with a soup for her.
The past avatars helped her eat as much as she could without getting sick and then saw her begin to drift to sleep on Yangchens lap.
They were relieved she was a lot more steady and alive now as Koruk removed his pelt to cover her in it.
"So we're adopting her right?" Roku asked glancing at the others but he kept his voice down to not disturb the child.
"And killing everyone who hurts a hair on her head? Yes." Yangchen agreed without hesitation as she gently ran her fingers through Korras hair.
"Just wait until she can go into the Avatar state and I can help her end these fuckers." Kiyoshi growled as she glared towards the door where she knew there were 'guards' standing there to 'protect' Korra.
"You know what? I agree."
It said something when Aang agreed with Kiyoshi and Yangchen. But no one blamed him.
They all agreed too as they stared at the sleeping toddler.