Disconnect and Reconnect (LOK RP)

[Genkai]

All she could do was wait, wait and try not to worry.

Sadly no matter much she tried, Korra would always worry. She didn't show it but even when she started on the Fire Ferrets, she was worried about how well she would do and the first match proved to be a rough reality check for the Avatar. And now with Republic City threatening to be overrun by angry Equalists, she couldn't help but feel utterly useless. She had her bending taken away, Lin had hers taken away and Mako thankfully still had his if it weren't for the random air bending trick she had done in the nick of time. Ever since then, she tried to air bend but nothing would happen and it only made her feel even more defeated. An Avatar was supposed to have four elements mastered, she only had three and now she barely could tap into the last one she had left. In her mind, all four elements were gone, making her a failure. What was worse, was that Katara, her mentor and Tenzin's mother, was dying. While the battle was being fought back in the city, the group traveled to the Southern Water Tribe to see the elderly woman. During the fight to free Tenzin and his family and tell hi the news of his mother's condition, Pema hadn't been found. She was to be presumed dead but without a body, there wasn't anything anyone could say without certainty. Korra was too occupied with the woman laying down to think about Tenzin's wife. She could only assume he was taking the brunt of the drama. His student lost her bending and couldn't even produce a single burst of air when out of danger, his mother was dying and his wife was missing. This was surely too much for one many to bare so she hoped she could be there for him as he had been for her.

The group stayed by Katara's side as she rested and held the hand of her son while her grandchildren stayed close while some, like Meelo looked utterly frightened and confused. When they had left the city, Asami and Iroh were pushing back Amon's forces but Korra had no idea how well they would fare, though it wasn't as if she would be much help to their efforts now that she had lost a big part of herself. All she wanted to do was to learn air bending and protect the city she had come to care deeply for. Now it was under attack and she was useless, having been reckless with confronting Amon and getting her bending taken away. She wouldn't be lying if she said she found her life void of meaning and purpose. Part of her really did wish to throw herself over a cliff and die, giving another Avatar the chance to save the world because clearly Korra was in over her head. As Katara asked for Lin to approach her, the others left and moved into the living room to give the women time to speak. While Tenzin and Lin were no longer together, it was likely that Lin was still close to his mother, as she and Aang had also gotten along just fine. Korra shut the door, as she was the last one out. Now that they were away from the dying water bender, she felt everyone looking at her, as if she were their leader yet there was no more fight in her, she had her passion extinguished and she felt so lost. The one person she could have turned to was too busy with his own loss to deal with hers, nor did she want to bring him anymore pain.

Tenzin had done so much for Korra, and all she brought was trouble and pain. She went to Republic City against his wishes, he then took her in, she messed up his training practice and joined a pro bending team. She distracted herself with Tarrlok and ended up getting kidnapped in the process. He had to hunt her down and then she sparked a revolution which only ended up putting his family in danger. She felt horrible and knew as a student and as the Avatar, she had let him down more than anyone else, even more than herself. Her blue eyes avoiding his direction as she took a seat. Meelo began to approach her but Jinora stopped him. Korra then rose from her seat and headed outside into the cold. She grabbed her jacket on the way out and pulled it on. Naga was waiting by the house as snow began to fall down. "Sorry girl." Korra tried to form a smile. She just didn't want to ride Naga right now, she felt so alone and felt like just taking herself away from the group so she didn't bring them more sorrow. Korra took a seat at the bottom of the steps and looked at her bare hands. Normally thick gloves would be on them but she didn't worry about frostbite at the moment. She tried to water bend or at least fire bend. Nothing. She tried to move the earth in front of her and nothing happened. She shut her eyes tightly and pushed her arms out in front of her, trying to at least air bend. Nothing happened. Nothing was going to happen. Her status was useless and she just wiped her eyes, refusing to cry, refusing to let herself be as weak as she felt.

Katara felt herself slipping in and out of darkness, she would pass on soon and see her family and friends.

First she needed to speak with Lin, who was much like a daughter to her and Aang. While Katara was sad that she and her son didn't work out, she knew it wouldn't happen even now. Tenzin had a family and Lin was busy with her work. Katara smiled sadly as Korra closed the sliding door, leaving her alone with the earth bender. For a while Lin knelt by her bed, waiting for the woman to speak up. Lin had no words to say, as if she would begin to speak, she would fall apart. For Lin, this felt like losing Toph all over again and it was a side of herself she hoped no one would have to witness, not even her old friend Tenzin. Lin was a strong stubborn fool like Korra and wouldn't wish to show weakness even if weakness existed. All Lin could do was watch Katara's chest slowly rise and then slowly fall. Lin opened her mouth to try and question the healer but Katara raised a hand and Lin took it. "I have a request." Katara said. Lin inched a little closer. "My son is far too concerned with the Avatar and my condition to understand he has also lost Pema, I ask that you take it upon yourself to locate her..." Katara was slow to speak, her tone soft and motherly. Lin tightened her grip as she tried to not mention how she had lost her bending as well. Even without, Lin was still a capable leader and fighter but was Katara asking for too much?

Then again, she was dying and Lin wasn't about to lie nor deny this woman her last request. "You must take care of Pema and Republic City, my son is stronger than you believe..." She closed her eyes and Lin watched, anticipating her chest to rise soon enough but it just fell and didn't move again. Lin held her breath and moved her thin fingers to the wrist of Katara and felt no pulse. She swallowed and set the arm down across her own chest. Lin rose to her feet and looked at the peaceful face of the water bender who had told many stories over the years about Avatar Aang's adventures and antics. Lin breathed in and moved toward the door, taking her time on purpose. The request made was one between her and Katara, no one else needed to know about the task she had to follow through on. While Lin disliked Pema greatly, Tenzin had to have picked her for a reason other than to give him more air bending children. Katara knew how Lin felt so Lin knew this request was not one to brushed aside nor taken lightly. Her hand slide the door back and she noticed Korra had left somewhere. She looked to Tenzin. "I'm sorry Tenzin but your mother has passed. She's safe and sound now." She said as gently as possible. She stepped off to the side and looked out the window. Now there wasn't much hope for Lin nor Korra to get their bending back but there was greater matters as hand, such as saving the city and finding those who were lost, Pema included. She closed her eyes and could already sense the snow falling outside without needing to watch it.

"We should leave tomorrow and see what we can do." Lin said quietly, turning back to the others who were still in the living room. Soon enough, Korra came back inside and they all tried to get some rest so they could travel tomorrow without too much strain. The next day arrived and they all headed back to the city. The ride on Oogi was silent and tense and when they got back to the harbor, Lin said she had her own agenda and left quickly, not wishing to stay with Tenzin and risk him finding out her secret promise to his mother. She left Korra without a goodbye, which didn't surprise Korra one bit. The Avatar looked to the boat waiting to take the back to the air temple island for the rest of the day. As much as Lin wished Korra could help, she knew Tenzin would never allow it and it was likely something Lin had to do on her own. Maybe it would mend things between her and Pema. As much Lin disliked her, even hated her, she wouldn't want Pema to be harmed or killed in any serious way. The day was almost over now, they had only an hour left of daylight but Lin was ready to do some of her own digging. As she walked the streets, she noticed how serious things were, people were running around, trying to stop the riots in various parts of the town. Lin was defenseless against most but since she had no earth bending, chi blockers were useless against her and Amon was as well. Lin could hold her own in quick hand to hand and had nothing left to lose or fear. The silver haired woman decided to look underground near where Tenzin had been captured, hoping to get some clues about Pema down there. Had she known Pema better, she might have tried to get inside the mother's head and think about where she would escape to.

[Chyoko]

Her feet carried her warily towards the holding cells in the sewers, now deserted after the first infiltration. Lin recalled how Tenzin had said that's where he had been held until the night he was suppose to be de-bended. It was also the night that he saw his wife for the last time. There was a prickle of shame that itched in the back of her mind: she couldn't save them. She was weak, something that her mother had always hated, pushed her not to be. But when it came down to it, it wasn't enough. She hated herself for losing Pema.

It wasn't that she cared for her, or even had a platonic relationship with Tenzin's wife. It was the fact she was gone. Possibly the most important woman in the world, the mother of -as was Katara- the Airbender's. it didn't matter that Jinora, and Ikki, and Meelo were safe. It mattered that Pema and the baby were gone, and as she stared at the steel wall blocking her entrance, felt the loss of her bending like a dull ache that would never go away, she was the failure she was so afraid to be. And nobody would say she wasn't, which is why she'd have to prove them wrong.

-/-/-

Tenzin watched with sad grey eyes as Korra performed the Airbending kata's, only managing to get out slight wisps of air. His children were no where in sight, and it hurt to admit that he felt better when not looking into their downcast expressions. Especially Jinora's, spirits she looked so much like her mother it was nearly unbearable to be near her. She even talked, and made that disapproving face towards her brother when doing something wrong.

It hadn't even been a month, yet Jinora was already taking her place as the woman of the household, the mother. Just like his mother had. He didn't want that for his daughter, but he didn't know what to do. Pema was gone, Katara was gone. There was no one left to act as the mother figure. Certainly not Korra. She was the older sister, the girl - no as times had showed him - the woman who could always be relied on to be fun. His children didn't need fun, but he needed a distraction, and helping Korra to master Airbending, her last and only element, would be that distraction.