Chapter Text
It was never easy to be a mother, you need to everything in your power to protect your child. That includes lying to them. That's what Korra had to do to Manami, it was too dangerous for her to meet with Kuri. After all she had learn that fifteen years ago as her insanity started to slip that she wasn't a stable person.
She just didn't want Manami to follow her and had to keep her safe. Asami would be angry at her already for taken Manami to Kuri. Despite all of the rough patches they were going through she missed Asami so much.
Korra wondered if Asami wanted to see her just as desperately? I mean they been apart for over a year and despite their arguing she missed her. It just felt so cold without around, and she meant it not in the literally sense because she was a firebender but her heart had always felt empty.
Korra was traveling on Naga, she wore her coat and had a fur hood up they blazed through the wind and snow. It was more common for this type of weather in the Southern Water Tribe. Going through the icy fields reminded of the day where she first met Kuri.
----------
Korra was visiting the Soutern Water Tribe with her then girlfriend, Asami. Of course, she didn't mind with having no family of her own left since her father, Hiroshi Sato's death. Asami viewed Korra's family as her own and didn't take notice that she wanted to take part of it. Not they haven't discussed marriage but Korra knew it wasn't the time yet. Once she did decide to propose to her, she wanted it to surprising and special. Something that she would never forget. But she was fine with never getting married at all. Only considering it because it would make her lover so happy, that was good enough for her.
She wanted to take a breather from her work at Future Industries and Korra wanted to visit her parents. After all with her Avatar duties it was nice to take a holiday. Take a vacation like they did in the Spirit World. Sure it wouldn't be the same as they were alone as they enjoyed their first date as a romantic couple. They had been together for years, plus it was their anniversary as a couple as well. What could be better than that right?
-----
Korra eventually followed some mute spirits, telling Asami to look after her parents and that she would be back soon. Asami trusted her as she gave her a kiss for good luck before Korra took off. Korra didn't know where they were taking her but the spirits seem to indicate that it was urgent.
Echoes of a young girl crying could be heard as Korra followed the sound through a cave.She beside the young girl who was clutched up hugging her knees. She had olive skin, long hair in pigtails as they drooped down to her elbows, with the darkest blue eyes that could ever be seen. She wore a gray outfit underneath a animal skinned coat.
"Are you all right?!" Korra asked the thirteen year old girl as she sat down beside her. She didn't want to scare the poor girl off or make her feel uncomfortable. She was always good with children though so it wasn't that much of a problem.
"Yes, I am fine." The young girl said, turning her head to the side to cover her eyes so Korra wouldn't notice that she was crying. Which wasn't hard to miss with the tears streaming down her face, the redness in her eyes and her runny nose. She quickly wiped it with the sleeve of her coat.
"I'm Korra." Korra addressed to her with a sweet and warm smile.
"My name is Kuri." The young girl smiles back after she wipes the tears from her eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuri." Korra gently put a hand to Kuri's shoulder to try and give her some comfort.
"You're the Avatar?!" The young girl softly let's out as her eyes widen as she realized who she was talking too. Kuri could feel the twist and turns in her stomach. She was right next to a celebrity. Everyone knew who the Avatar was and it was honor to meet them. The fact she was in her presence only made her feel worse about her situation as she broke into tears again.
"Kuri, I am sorry to ask but why are you here in this cavern?" Korra questioned, gently to Kuri to try to get some answers.
"I ran away from home and I am not going back." Kuri cried out as she tried not to remember what happened to her family. It's not what they did but what SHE did to them. Sure it wasn't her fault but this power she possesses?
"Why did you run away from home?" Korra softly asked the young girl, who looked up at her with a puzzled look on her face.
"I have no family to go home too. The spirits . . ." Kuri became tearful trying to not even think about the matter . . . Was it something that she had caused?
The spirits were not their normal selves as they were different shapes and forms. As each spirit had their own corrupted powers. They however weren't exactly the same as the spirits Vaatu had corrupted. As their centers possessed a bit of light, where their heart would be . . . that is if they had one?
"Dark spirits? How is that possible? I thought they vanished when I stopped Vaatu?" Korra confused as she prepared to spiritbend but before she knew it water surrounded all the spirits. She looked on in surprise to see that it was Kuri would had surrounded the beasts with water.
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kuri screams out as she, the water from her water she bended started to glow as the spirit turned back to normal. Naturally being young, it took a lot of her as to survive on her own.
"You can spiritbend the water...I thought only I can do that?" Korra says disbelief as she looks at the young girl who closed her eyes as the spirits didn't turned uncorrupted before they disappeared. Kuri quickly went to her knees as it took a lot out of her.
"Come with me, Kuri. I can help you." Korra softly sat next to her, she was still trying to catch her breath. She knew this girl had something special in her and she had to know the reason these dark spirits were coming back with Vaatu sealed.
"Do you really want a monster like me to tag along with you?" Kuri says out loud as Korra couldn't believe what the girl was calling herself? A thirteen year old calling herself a monster.
"You're no monster Kuri. You're still just a little girl." Korra softly told her. "I can train you, teach you everything I know. Give you a home. A family." The last part she said as she touched her shoulders. Bending down to her eye level as she gave off a smile.
"A family?" Kuri repeated. She took her hand as they headed outside the cavern. Kuri had an innocent, happy smile on her face. As she had a place to go home too.
----------
"She was such a sweet girl . . . I still can't believe this all happened." Korra moved forward, how this girl became lost and confused. She ended up given birth to Manami when she was only seventeen years old.
Korra certainly knew where Kuri was going. After all, they were once friends. She had in fact became her mentor and was a talented waterbender. Kuri was only twelve years old at the time. Korra found her scared and confused due to her special powers. It was beyond the ability to communicate with spirits that came through the portals. As the Avatar it was her job to help anyone she could so she let her travel with her and helped her to control it.
This of course was kept from Asami, who was very nurturing to the young girl. It was partly due to the fact how they both wanted children but it was impossible due to their type of relationship. So they had to look after children they found as if they were their own. The problem was they never stayed for too long.
She was more like a little sister than a daughter to the both of them. So it never really lifted the void in their hearts. By the time Kuri turned sixteen the powers seemed more as if they were influencing her. She started to drift from everyone.
----------------------
Manami was worried about her mother. Korra had been gone for a day already and had stated to her grandmother that she would be back soon. She was the Avatar, so of course she would be okay? It's just she was hearing more stories about her biological mother, Kuri. That she had a special power just like she did? That began to have the unanswered questions she had enter her mind again.
She closed her eyes as she laid on her bed. As if the spirits were guiding her, visions slowly come to pass. She could see darkness cover the spirits and her mother screaming as she went into the Avatar State.
Manami opened her eyes, she breathed heavy as she held her chest. "Mom's in trouble. I can sense it." Manami got up as she looked at the window at the night sky, she felt so helpless and knew she had to something.
--------------------------
Just off side of the mountains was a cavern. It was the same one from twenty years ago where she first met Kuri as a child. She was sure that she would want to go back there before she took off again. Kuri still would act like a child running away from home in her mental state.
As she slowly walked closer she noticed a wall with a arch for a door was made with Kuri's waterbending. It was like a large house, using her advance waterbending that she trained her with to construct it. She certainly come alone way before she touched the wall. She could easily burn it down with her Firebending but she didn't want to use force unless she had too. It had to be a last resort.
"Kuri!" Korra screamed out. As a large dark spirit appeared in the darkness of the night sky. The dark spirit tackled Korra to the ground as Kuri started to laugh manically as used to snow to spiritbend water around the dark spirit as it slowly vanished. Korra laid down as she looked at Kuri, who appeared from outside the cavern. She had waterbend the water around her body as her eyes started to glow. Korra eyes widened in amazement and horror.