chapter 24
Mac furrowed his brow at the name. He had heard it somewhere. Then he remembered the day when he and his sister had taken their element test. Zuko had said he hadn't seen the level of skill Karah had in a long time. Something had upset him and he left, when his father had asked what was wrong, Katara had explained that it was because of his sister, Azula. The little Waterbender clenched his fists at the next memory; his mother had withered in pain at the mention of the name. He knew that girl was dangerous.
"That's impossible," Katara repeated. "Azula has been gone for years now! Since before Korra was born! And this...this is a child."
The girl awoke from her sleep and sat up in bed, wondering why the adults were looking at her with fear. She cocked her head to the side, a confused look on her face. Where was she? How did she get there? The last thing she remembered was coming to the city after escaping the orphanage and then...nothing. She looked at the old man with a scar on the left side of his face. She smiled at him, knowing who he was.
"You're Uncle Zuko!" she cried.
The old Firebender's eyes widened. "Uncle?" he asked in disbelief. The girl nodded."Who are you?"
"I'm Sozi, your niece. Or your grand niece actually," she added thoughtfully.
Katara looked at her long time friend, waiting to see how he would response. He clenched his jaw at the news.
"How did you get here?"
Sozi frowned. She had no idea how she had gotten there. "I...I don't remember. I just remember coming to the city."
"Where is your mother?" Katara asked. The girl's face turned sad.
"She died two years ago. I was taken to an orphanage but I ran away," she replied.
"Are you a Bender?" Karah asked.
The girl nodded a smile on her face. "I'm a Firebender," she said drawing a flame in her hand. Mac immediately stood in front of his sister in a protective stance.
"Mac, what's wrong with you?" his sister asked with a scowl.
Sozi frowned. "I'm sorry, Mac is it? I must have scared you earlier," the girl sincerely apologized. The boy gave her a sharp nod but wouldn't retreat his stance.
"How old are you?" Rohan asked.
"I'm eleven, and you?"
"Twelve. I'm the oldest of the group," he replied with pride.
"And the slowest," the Earthbender commented punching the nonbenders shoulder. The kids laughed while Rohan pouted.
"We should introduce ourselves," the airbender suggested. "I'm Ty. I can airbend, and I can take anyone down if I wanted to."
"Sam, I'm an Earthbender and ty's brother ."
"Rohan , a nonbender."
"Karah, a Firebender, and this is my twin brother, Mac. He's a Waterbender," the little Firebender said pointing at her brother, who still stood in front of her.
Sozi smiled and nodded. Zuko looked the child over. There was no question she was Azula's granddaughter. She was her spitting image.
"Sozi, do you want to stay here?" Katara asked. The old Firebender snapped his head at his friend. Had she lost her mind?
The girl smiled and nodded. "I'd love to. I don't have anywhere else to go," she replied. The elder Waterbender gave her a nod and turned to look at her friend.
"Zuko, I need to talk to you," she whispered. He nodded and they headed out the room, closing the door behind them.
"Are you crazy?" Zuko asked in a harsh whisper. The Waterbender held her hand up, bidding him to calm down.
"She is your niece."
"That doesn't make her my problem," he shot.
"She doesn't have anyone else. Just because she looks like her, doesn't mean she is her," she replied, keeping her voice even.
The Firebender paused for a moment. She had a point, but his grudge against his sister always got the best of him. After a while he sighed in defeat.
"Fine. I'll give her a chance," he muttered. Katara smiled.
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"Where are we going?" Sozi asked.
"To see my Mom," Karah replied. "She's the Avatar." The girl stopped in her tracks.
"Your Mom is the Avatar?"
The Firebender grinned and nodded. "Yup, that's my Mom. She's really nice, so don't be afraid of her." The other children nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, before the twins were born, Korra always took care of me," Rohan added with a smile. "Well, she still does actually."
"Korra would do anything for any of us," sam commented.
"Where's Mac?" Ty asked looking for the missing twin.
Karah sighed. "He's probably with Mom."
"Your brother doesn't like me, huh?" Sozi whispered.
"It's not that, it's just that Mac is like Dad, skeptical about people until he gets to know them."
The girl nodded and followed the rest of the kids into the Avatar's room. She was sitting up in bed with her son. Karah smiled. Everyday her Mom looked a little better than the last. She still couldn't stand up, but she was sure she soon would.
Korra smiled at all the children and looked over to the new addition. She frowned. The face looked really familiar...
"Mom, this is Sozi, our new friend," Karah said. The Waterbender felt her son stiffen at the word 'friend'. She chuckled a bit and rubbed his arm. "Mac, can you get off the bed so that Sozi can greet Mom?"
The little Waterbender hesitated but moved when his mother gave him a nod.
"You're Avatar Korra," the girl said, taking a step forward. The Avatar nodded. "I'm Sozi," she added and stretched out her hand. Korra took it but as soon as she made contact she screamed as flashbacks came to her at full force.
Azula going after Aang.
The battle between Zuko and Azula during Sozin's Comet.
Azula evading Toph and Aang during the Day of Black Sun.
Her sending Lightning at Aang, effectively killing him.
They were the same flashbacks she had had when Zuko had first mentioned Azula's name a few months ago. Korra shook as if a current of energy went through her and her eyes rolled to the back of her head again. Mac ran to the girl and pushed her away from his mother. Sozi looked as horror stricken as the rest of the kids and quickly got up and she ran out the room.
The twins tried to calm their mother down, as she became covered with a thin sheet of sweat and continued to shake.
"I'm getting Gran Gran," Rohan said running out the room.
"We'll check on Sozi," Sam stated and Ty nodded in approval. Katara walked in a few minutes later with Mako. She walked over to her student and pulled water into her hand, checking what was wrong with her.
"What's happening?" Mako asked as he held his wife's hand. Korra tried to look at him but he was blurry, as was Katara. She tried to talk too but darkness came and the last thing she heard was him screaming her name.
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Korra groaned as she sat up, rubbing her head. She was in the Spirit world. Great, she thought, and stood up to look for her past life. The Avatar didn't have to walk far before she spotted a familiar Airbender.
"Hello Korra," he greeted. The Avatar nodded and sat down in front of him.
"Look, this flashback thing is getting old and it freaks out my family and me every time it happens, so why don't you just cut to the chase and tell me what's going," she said, a bit annoyed of her past life's lack of directness. He chuckled.
"I actually have no idea why you keep getting these flashbacks. There is an evil coming. At first I thought it was Amon, but it isn't. It's someone linked to a past evil," he explained thoughtfully. "An evil I must have faced..." he added.
Korra cringed at the masked man's name."Well this happened when I touched that girl's hand. My son doesn't get a good vibe off her and right now, neither am I," she grumbled. Aang chuckled again.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired," she replied. "Wait, why?"
"We'll talk again when you're stronger," he simply said, and with that she was out of the Spirit world.
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"Korra?" she heard a familiar voice say. She groaned as she opened her eyes to find her husband sitting on the bed next to her, holding her hand.
"What happened? How long have I been out?" she asked, a bit disoriented.
"That's what I'd like to know," Mako replied.
"It was her," Mac said getting closer to the bed. "She did that to you."
"Mac, she just shook Mom's hand," Karah argued.
"She isn't good for Mom or the rest of us."
"Sozi is just a kid like us."
"You saw what she did!" the little Waterbender shot at his sister. The little Firebender looked at her mother and sighed, she was beginning to think that maybe her brother's was right.
"Don't fight," Korra said in a tired voice. The twins looked at their mother and threw their arms around her. She smiled and held them tight for a bit.
"Sleep Korra," Mako whispered. The Avatar gave him and her children a tired smile before closing her eyes.
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When the Avatar woke up it was past midday. She groaned as she realized she must have slept at least for an entire day. Korra looked down and found her son curled up next to her. She smiled and gently rubbed his back. The little Waterbender stretched and looked at his mother, a smile on his face.
"Mom, you're awake!" he said.
Korra chuckled. "How long have I been asleep for?" she asked.
"Just a day." She groaned loudly again.
"Are you ok, Mom? Does anything hurt?" he quickly asked. She gave him a tender smile and landed a soft kiss on his head.
"Stop worrying so much! I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired," she replied. Mac frowned. She laughed. "You're your father's son alright," she added with a grin.
Mac rolled his eyes and smiled. Korra gave him a mischievous smile and started to tickle him.
"Mom!" he said as he giggled, trying to get away from his mother. Korra laughed and pulled him closer to her again.
"I say we should take a nap. What do you think?" she asked. The little Waterbender nodded and snuggled closer to her. The Avatar sighed and closed her eyes once again.
Mako walked in later that afternoon to check up on his wife. He smiled as he saw his two Waterbenders sleeping soundly. Korra had her arm around Mac protectively, as she used to when their children were infants. He walked over and kissed them both on their foreheads and decided to let them sleep.
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"Mac, are you really not going to apologize?" Karah asked. The little Waterbender leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"I don't see why I have to," he replied. His sister sighed heavily.
"Look, I know she hurts Mom, but it's not like she meant it. She can't help being related to that..." she trailed off. Mac sighed.
"Fine," he grumbled and headed over to the girls room.
"Hey," Sozi greeted with a nervous smile.
"Hi," Mac replied. "Look, I just came to apologize for how I've been acting."
The girl smiled in understanding. "No need. I know it's hard to trust someone you've just met. But I hope maybe one day we can be friends," she replied sincerely.
The little Waterbender nodded and smiled. "Just give me some time."
Sozi laughed. "Will do. Truce?" she said holding out her hand. Mac hesitated but stretched out his. Nothing happened when they touched and they shook hands.
"Truce," he replied. "Good night."
"Night," she said and went to bed. It was the middle of the night when she woke up, drenched in sweat. She looked out the window and saw the moon at its highest point. Her head began to hurt and she got off bed only to stumble to the ground, but she managed to get up again. The little Firebender made her way to the beach landing on her knees, panting.
She looked at her reflection in water. "No," she gasped as she saw it turn to a familiar face. Her head throbbed again and she cried out in pain. Soon the cries were replaced by a very familiar cynical laughed and she stood up, glaring up to the main house.
"So, the Avatar is within my grasp," she said. The Firebender looked down to her reflection. "Oh my dear Granddaughter, who would have thought you would have made it this far? I still have unfinished business to tend to. I will end the Avatar's life, Zu-Zu's and that old peasant hag of a Waterbender Katara."
She turned around and frowned. "Now, where were we?" she asked herself. "Ah, yes, I have to visit an old acquaintance," she added getting on a boat and heading towards the city.
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*in the next chapter *
Where is suzi heading??? How will this affect korra ???
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