4AN: Prompt from Tumblr. Hope you like. Please review.
Sitting with her legs crossed in the centre of the room, Korra stared at the older waterbender, mouth agape.
"W-What?" She finally managed to choke out, not believing what had just been said. "That's the only way?"
"I'm afraid so Korra," Katara replied, studying the young Avatar intently. "This far surpasses my healing abilities, and…" She paused, heart constricting painful at what she was about to do. "…it's the only other thing that I can think of that might have a chance at unlocking the other elements."
Sighing audibly, Korra rubbed at her temples, trying to wrap her mind around what was about to happen.
"You don't have to decide now we can always wai-"
"Just do it," Korra murmured, staring at her hands as she clenched and unclenched them. "I feel as if…part of my soul is missing." She placed one hand over her heart as she looked up at the older woman, tears beginning to blur her vision. "I….feel so…empty. Please…fix me."
Feeling her heartstrings tug at the misery the young Avatar must be feeling, Katara stood and moved so that she was in front of Korra, taking a familiar stance. "I don't know if this will work but I will do my best," She said, voice strong as steel. "After all, you're his legacy. I can't do anything less than the best or I'd be insulting his name."
Scrubbing at her eyes, Korra nodded. "Do it."
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Katara focussed on the young Avatar in front of her, apologising silently before delving into the forbidden art that she had been forced to learn all those years ago. Twisting her arms around she started bending the blood that was within Korra's body, trying to find the block that Amon had placed within her.
As the bending escalated, so did the agonising pain within the young Avatar's body. Letting out a pained gurgle, Korra tried to ignore the rising agony for as long as she could but it was too much and a howl of pain ripped out of her throat. Unable to move, she hung there as the older woman tried her best to try and unlock the other elements.
Tears burned out of her eyes and down her cheeks as pain like no other racked her body. With Amon's power display it had been painful but brief. The agony continued to escalate as the master waterbender tried to find the cause of the problem. Paralyzed where she hung, Korra heard an agony-filled scream before her brain caught up with her and she realised that it was herself screaming.
Feeling her body move of its own accord, the pain abruptly stopped and control was given back. Muscles too traumatised to hold her up, she collapsed on the floor. Sweat soaked through her clothes as she panted for breath, eyes closing as she tried to regain her breath.
"Korra! Are you okay?"
The voice sounded muffled to her ears and she struggled to reopen her eyes. Fighting with herself she eventually managed and saw a blurry outline of the older woman.
"D-Did…it work?" She rasped out, voice quiet.
Katara turned her head away from the young woman on the floor, her own eyes filling with tears. "I tried my best….but I couldn't figure out what he did to you. I'm sorry Korra," She replied, looking at the young Avatar with eyes full of sorrow. "I tried."