~Celestial Bodies~

4.3

[4.3]

Poison

"That was terrible," exclaimed Korra as they walked through the swamp.

Rae was strolling behind her grandmother and the Avatar, a small trail of spirit following her every step. She held a small smile on her face, from the fact that she managed to come down to a tie in her spar with Toph. Her strong connection to the spirits made more of them gather around and cheer as they watched the three women fight, and when they were done, many of them continued to follow Rae. But the woman didn't mind as she was already used to behaving like a mother to the spirits.

"Ha, maybe for you," exclaimed Toph sitting down on a fallen tree, "I had a great time."

The Guardian pushed past Korra, careful not to hit her left forearm against Korra's body, not wanting to anger the small dragon spirit that slept around her forearm. She sat in front of her grandmother, the Avatar still standing on her feet between them. The small spirits all sat down around the trio as they watched the Avatar and the Guardian with wide eyes.

"I never realized how much I missed tormenting the Avatar," said Toph, bringing her feet closer to her and starting to pick the dirt from between her toes, "I wish you were putting up more of a fight. But it was still fun."

"You were tossing me around like a rag doll all day long," said Korra sadly.

"I know!" exclaimed the older bender in a happy tone, "And I'm an old lady. Imagine me at my prime. I would have destroyed you!"

Korra sighed at Toph's happy tone and her laughter while Rae pursed her lips. Her grandmother's words amused her to an extent, but she did feel bad for Korra. The young Avatar was clearly in pain, mental and physical pain, and Rae didn't know what to do.

"I just don't understand why I can't get back to my former self," started Korra following Toph who got to her feet and started walking away, "It's like... I'm a step slower. I'm tentative. I'm out of sync. I just can't get back in the groove."

"Probably carrying around that metal doesn't help," said Toph bluntly, and Korra's eyes widened.

"What metal?"

"The little bits of metal poison stuck in your body. Are you trying to tell me that you can't feel metal in your own body? You really are the worst Avatar ever."

"She is also the first metalbending Avatar, grandma," said Rae as she walked to Korra and put a hand around her shoulder, "give her some credit for it."

"I thought Su and Rae got it all out," said Korra, her own hand coming to rest upon Rae's on her shoulder.

"No," started Toph, "my girls never really picked up metalbending as well as Rae did, if you ask me. And let's just say Rae's method of getting rid of the small pieces was risky and... controversial. She did everything she could to not damage your body then."