"Not now Tenzin, I just wanna be left alone."
"But you called me here."
"Aang!"
"You have finally connected with your spiritual self."
"But…how?"
"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."
Hundreds upon thousands of the previous Avatars materialized behind the tattooed man.
"So…are you giving me my bending back?"
"I wish it could, but the spirits wouldn't let me go so easy on you."
"So, I'm not getting my bending back?"
"You will have an opportunity."
"An opportunity?"
"I will send you back in time, somewhere. A broken place, Korra. And you must undo the damage, if you want to get your abilities back."
One by one, the Avatars faded away.
"Wait, Aang, where? How far back? Aang, wait!"
"Make sure no one knows of your Avatar status. It could complicate…things…"
"What? Complicate? What do you mean?"
But before long, he too disappeared, and with a blinding flash of light, a sharp pain in her skull that left as quick as it came, and being unceremoniously thrust up into the air, she was plunged into blackness.
…
A fall to the ground that caused a thud to resound in her entire body.
Yes, she was in the snow. Upon closer inspection, she realized that her parka was thinker than usual, her boots fuzzier, and her armbands longer. Also, there was a heavy weight on her back, and when she looked over her shoulder; she saw a large leather camping bag strapped to herself.
And that was when she saw the partially blue body stirring under what appeared to be a recent avalanche.
She screamed, and rushed over to shovel the snow off the individual (quite a difficult feat with her small, bending-less hands) who appeared to be a young boy, possibly around her age. He was distinctively Water Tribe, and looked quite familiar. Korra ignored that last thing.
She would have used an airbending move to warm him and bring him back to consciousness, but she remembered what Aang told her about not revealing her identity. It was the only thing he had told her, so it had to have been pretty damn important. Even if this boy was unconscious, she would risk anything. Also, she wasn't that advanced.
And even though her duty was to help people, she didn't fancy giving this stranger mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Maybe she could use a firebending move?
Whoops.
She blinked back tears. She was becoming quite the masochist.
The best she could do for now was look at the mysterious bag on her back and find something to start a fire with.
…
When he went out cold (no pun intended), he never expected to come to, much less in a cave illuminated by a warm fire, with the smell of seal jerky, and the sight of a beautiful young woman who looked a lot like him.
Not like he came to the conclusion that she was beautiful, yet. He was too delirious for that.
"Oh, good, you're awake. I thought you'd be dead for sure. You were almost as blue as your coat. I have some questions, but I guess it's best that you get warm and eat up first, huh?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Av—Korra. I was, y'know, trekking, and I found you."
"You were walking about in a blizzard?"
"Weren't you doing the same thing?"
"I was running away," he mumbled.
"From?"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. Women in the tribe have no weight on their shoulders."
Korra wanted to give a verbal (and perhaps physical) beating to this boy, but she held out her self-control.
"I'm sure whatever it is, you can tell me."
"My dad, okay? He's controlling and horrible and I just wanted out of that emotionally abusive life—and, why am I even telling you this?! I don't even know you!"
"Can I have a name at least?"
"Noatak."
…
Could it be? Of course it was. Terrible father, running away, Water Tribe—make no mistake, it was Amon.
Well, Amon before he was Amon, a teenager, also known as Noatak. Son of Yakone, one of Republic City's most notorious crime bosses, and an unnamed woman, and brother of councilman Tarrlok, a manipulative sleaze who helped Korra in the end.
After Noatak had told Korra his name, she just nodded and went back to roasting seal jerky. They ate and then slept. Well, he slept, anyways. Korra gave Noatak the one sleeping bag she had conveniently in her pack, while she slept on the floor draped in her parka. Sure, the sleeping bag would have fit them both easily, but she wasn't too keen on sharing a bed—well, bag with Amon.
Soon, even she fell asleep, but it wasn't like she could get any peace. She had inkling that being transported to the Spirit World right when she fell asleep was more than just a dream.
"Aang! Am I glad to see you! Explain. Now. Why am I with Amon?"
"I was expecting this. I would have spoken with more clarity, but time was running out. See, I have some disturbing news."
"Disturbing enough to send me back in time with Amon? In a cave? During a blizzard? How cliché."
"Look, hear me out. As soon as Amon got away from you and your friend, Mako, he went back to the Island to free his brother from the cell. He promised a new, normal life for them. A second chance. They escaped on a motorboat. Tarrlok, realizing that this is what Yakone did after I took his bending, decided his father's 'legacy' needed to end. He killed himself and his brother."
Korra froze. It couldn't be. Smooth, confident Tarrlok? Commit suicide?
"No," she said, shaking her head. "NO! It can't be…"
"Now you see why you must save them from themselves."
"But can't you just send me back in time to…I dunno, put Yakone in prison, or…"
"Kill him? I suppose you don't have any reservations about that, but I do. Even if I were okay with it, I cannot send you that far back. The Spirit World only yields so much power, Korra. We have been able to send you back in time, to undo many years' worth of damage."
"Wait, wait, years? What happens when I get back?!"
"Relax. Time is an illusion. We are taking that to extreme levels now. The present time—your time—is frozen, and when you get back, the actual date and time will be the same, but the location and situation you are in might change. Is that all, Korra?"
"Okay, one last thing. You said I'm supposed to save them from themselves. How am I gonna get to Tarrlok? He's still enduring life with Yakone."
Aang chuckled. "Now, Korra, I can't keep giving you hints. You'll find a way. The Avatar always does."
He seemed to forget that she wasn't the Avatar anymore. Technically, she was an Air Nomad. But she needn't say it out loud.
It'd make her an even better masochist.