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Literature Text
"Ironic, isn't it, Tonraq?" Zaheer asked. "That after I would discover Guru Laghima's secret of flight, I am chained to the ground?"
Tonraq silently glared at Zaheer's hovering, meditating form. The Red Lotus member had been in this prison for about a year now, convicted of assassinating the Earth Queen and attempted murder against Korra. Along with a number of other charges and convictions, of course, most of which were the ones that he was imprisoned for in the first place. "You chained others up," said Tonraq. Am I supposed to care?"
"Then why did you come, Tonraq?" Zaheer asked. "To discuss my sentence?"
"I'm not here to discuss you, Zaheer," Tonraq said. "I'm here to discuss my daughter."
"Avatar Korra," Zaheer breathed. "How is she doing?"
"She is suffering, no thanks to you," Tonraq replied. "I realize that with her being the Avatar, I'd expect her to get into trouble, but watching her come so close to death last year frightened me."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said Zaheer. "But you—"
"And hearing you laughing was like a knife to my chest," Tonraq interrupted. "Had I been a lesser man, I would have killed you right then and there."
"Then why didn't you?" Zaheer asked, peering down at the chief of the Southern Water Tribe.
"As I said," Tonraq replied, "I wasn't the lesser man."
"So you're here to gloat to me," Zaher said. "You'd rather present yourself as the better man in this, even though you confessed that you wanted to kill me. How fitting is it that—"
"BE QUIET!" Tonraq roared. "You broke out of prison. You manipulated others. You threw the world out of balance in the name of 'freedom'. You threatened to destroy the Air Nation. You nearly killed the Avatar. She's a shell of her former self—traumatized and paralyzed. And you laughed at her pain right in front of me. If you think you can present yourself as the better man, you're a worse comedian than Varrick is."
"So why did you come here?" Zaheer asked.
"While Korra can't confront you herself just yet, I might as well," said Tonraq. "Just imagine if Korra had died, Zaheer."
"You did this for yourself?"
"In a way, yes," said Tonraq. "But knowing you're chained up like this is more than enough to give me peace of mind. But—"
"But what?"
"I'm not going to gloat," Tonraq replied. "In all honesty, I'm here because you've been haunting me as well. I've said it before, but you nearly killed my daughter. I know everyone looks up to her, but to me, she's my little girl. And I want you to know just what you did could have had lasting consequences for Senna and I."
"So you want me to live with that?" Zaheer asked.
"And everything else you've done," Tonraq replied. He turned his back to Zaheer. "I hope you have a good day." He walked out of Zaheer's custom prison, leaving the Red Lotus member alone.
Tonraq silently glared at Zaheer's hovering, meditating form. The Red Lotus member had been in this prison for about a year now, convicted of assassinating the Earth Queen and attempted murder against Korra. Along with a number of other charges and convictions, of course, most of which were the ones that he was imprisoned for in the first place. "You chained others up," said Tonraq. Am I supposed to care?"
"Then why did you come, Tonraq?" Zaheer asked. "To discuss my sentence?"
"I'm not here to discuss you, Zaheer," Tonraq said. "I'm here to discuss my daughter."
"Avatar Korra," Zaheer breathed. "How is she doing?"
"She is suffering, no thanks to you," Tonraq replied. "I realize that with her being the Avatar, I'd expect her to get into trouble, but watching her come so close to death last year frightened me."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said Zaheer. "But you—"
"And hearing you laughing was like a knife to my chest," Tonraq interrupted. "Had I been a lesser man, I would have killed you right then and there."
"Then why didn't you?" Zaheer asked, peering down at the chief of the Southern Water Tribe.
"As I said," Tonraq replied, "I wasn't the lesser man."
"So you're here to gloat to me," Zaher said. "You'd rather present yourself as the better man in this, even though you confessed that you wanted to kill me. How fitting is it that—"
"BE QUIET!" Tonraq roared. "You broke out of prison. You manipulated others. You threw the world out of balance in the name of 'freedom'. You threatened to destroy the Air Nation. You nearly killed the Avatar. She's a shell of her former self—traumatized and paralyzed. And you laughed at her pain right in front of me. If you think you can present yourself as the better man, you're a worse comedian than Varrick is."
"So why did you come here?" Zaheer asked.
"While Korra can't confront you herself just yet, I might as well," said Tonraq. "Just imagine if Korra had died, Zaheer."
"You did this for yourself?"
"In a way, yes," said Tonraq. "But knowing you're chained up like this is more than enough to give me peace of mind. But—"
"But what?"
"I'm not going to gloat," Tonraq replied. "In all honesty, I'm here because you've been haunting me as well. I've said it before, but you nearly killed my daughter. I know everyone looks up to her, but to me, she's my little girl. And I want you to know just what you did could have had lasting consequences for Senna and I."
"So you want me to live with that?" Zaheer asked.
"And everything else you've done," Tonraq replied. He turned his back to Zaheer. "I hope you have a good day." He walked out of Zaheer's custom prison, leaving the Red Lotus member alone.
For Day 5 of Avatar Week. The idea for a scenario like this came to mind watching "Venom of the Red Lotus". Of all the reactions to Korra's near-death, I felt more empathy with Tonraq (even though we saw Asami's expression). Why? The man was watching his daughter die in his arms and he was helpless to do anything about it. If I was in Tonraq's shoes, I would've told Zaheer to shut up myself. But Tonraq was more concerned with Korra right then and there, like the good father he is. So because of the theme for today, I thought this would be a good one-shot. Tell me what you think!
© 2015 - 2024 BigD1987
Comments4
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Nice little piece here. It speaks well to how these two must view one another. I always thought Tonraq had a lot more character we never really got to see. Something like this...
Incidentally, its always been headcanon to me, since learning how the Red Lotus was captured, that it was Tonraq who gave Zaheer that small scar over his eye.
Incidentally, its always been headcanon to me, since learning how the Red Lotus was captured, that it was Tonraq who gave Zaheer that small scar over his eye.