White Lotus Compound, South Pole, Friday Night Fandom Time
It was cold in the South Pole, even within the White Lotus compound, colder than Korra ever remembered it being. Though Katara was still using the exact same heater in her workrooms, so she guessed the problem was with her. She didn't know how long they'd been there, the days blurring into each other as Katara worked to no effect.
Eventually, Katara sighed and laid a hand on Korra's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Korra," she said softly. "There's nothing else I can try."
Sitting on the floor rug, Korra hugged her knees to her chest. "Not even bloodbending" she sked, bringing up the camelephant in the room.
"It's been seventy years since the first and last time I bloodbended. Even if it were the full moon, I wouldn't know where to start. Though if I'd known it was capable of this..." Maybe they wouldn't have been in this position in the first place. She squeezed Korra's shoulder. "Do you want me to tell the others?"
Unabled to speak, Korra nodded, not moving as she heard Katara open the door into the waiting room behind her.
Voices drifted through the closed door as Korra finally stood and moved over towards it. "I've tried everything in my power, but I cannot restore Korra's bending."
"But you're the best healer in the world." That was Lin, the deperation in her voice probably not just for Korra. She'd her bending taken too, and if there was no hope for Korra... "You have to keep trying."
"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. Korra can still airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed." Katara sounded tired, old in a way she never had before.
Korra knew she couldn't hide in here forever, much as she might like to. A sea of silent faces greeted her when she opened the door. Katara, Lin, Mom and Dad, Asami, Mako and Bolin, Pema and the kids,and finally Tenzin, who was the one to break the silence. "It's going to be alright, Korra."
He was trying to make her feel, better, she knew that, but Korra couldn't lie to herself, or to them. "No, it's not," she said, walking past them, pulling her parka on as she walked down the steps.
She could hear someone following her as she made her way towards Naga, but she wasn't sure who until they called out to her. "Korra, wait!" Mako, then.
She paused long enough to let him catch up to her. "Go away."
"I will," he said, the same attempts at reassurance in his voice that Tenzin's had had. "But I just want you to know, I'm here for you."
"No," Korra replied flatly, turning to face him. "I mean, go away, back to Republic City, get on with your life."
Mako looked like she'd just slapped him. "What are you talking about?""
"I'm not the Avatar anymore." Korra turned back to Naga, already on her feet. "You don't need to do me any favours."
Mako reached for her, but his hand closed on empty air as she swung herself into Naga's saddle. "I don't care if you're the Avatar or not," he started to say, but Naga was already halfway out the open gate.
Korra didn't really have a destination in mind, she just needed to get away from everything. She let Naga run blindly, the wind whipping the tears away from her eyes. So all in all, it wasn't that surprising she didn't see the portal until they were almost on top of it, by which time it was already too late to stop.
And then everything went dark.
[Establishy! Adapted from Legend of Korra - 1x12 Endgame]