Chapter 2: Restart the journey

Korra and Lin ran deep into the woods. The metalbender grew tired and stopped to rest. Korra stopped as well and wait for Lin to catch her breathe. "Are you alright, Lin?"

The police chief asked her again. "Tell me. How did you know that woman? Who is she?"

"She's Yuuka." Korra told her the details. "She's a loyal officer of Commander Mori in the Rogue Division. She's a special firebender that the division created in their labs."

"So, she's an enhanced bender. Just like Xun."

"Yes." Korra clarified. "She's also the very first bender who can bend light."

"A Light Bender? That's impossible." Lin tried to understand how someone can manipulate light. These people defies the laws of nature and defile its creation. They are facing a bigger threat here. "Has she killed anyone yet?"

Korra answered. "Yes. A lot. Including you, Lin."

The police chief did not expect that kind of answer. "Explain, Korra. From the very beginning... if you really are from the future and you came back to fix things, can you please tell what really happened. I want to know everything by detail."

"Alright." The Avatar said. "But we must find shelter first."

The Rogue Division have two test subjects in their cryo-chamber. But they only opened one. The test subject gasped as he was defrosted from his deep cold slumber. He looked up and saw Commander Mori, Xun and the other scientists and engineers working in the division. "Where am I?" asked Samir. "Why did you wake me? Is it time?"

"Yes." Xun answered. "I move the schedule early."

Samir was confused. He wondered why Xun is in charge. "Are you the leader now, Xun? The one who escaped..."

"I'm not the Xun you used to know."

"Yeah. The code they put inside your head finally took control. I see that." Samir got up and received a towel from Xun. "Now that you're back and almost everyone's here, that means the Avatar is dead."

"Not dead." Commander Mori showed Samir an image of Korra in a news article. "It appears someone leaked out intel and the Avatar is here to investigate." Then added completely bizarre. "And Xun came from the future."

Samir turned to the earthbender with disbelief. "For real? Or did you just asked a fortuneteller." He laughed.

Xun kept his strict expression. "I don't care if you believe me or not. But I know what's the Avatar's next move."

The man was not convinced. However, the commander was convinced and so he plays along. "Alright. Now tell us what the Avatar is going to do next."

"She saved Lin from Yuuka. Now she's going to go back to Republic City and tell everyone about it." Xun gave them a command. "Now we stop her from leaving this place. She has our jade and we need it for this project." Everybody nodded.

Then Samir noticed that they have not awaken the last test subject. "How about her? Don't you want to wake her up?"

Xun gave him the details of the test subject. "She's too powerful. I'll need her for something else." Xun remembered the future. Her future. Her dark future. The earthbender still get the chills when he saw her face again. "Too powerful."

Night came, Korra and Lin found a cave to hide. At the same time, it started to rain. They are safe for now. Korra made fire to keep themselves warm. "So, tell me everything that happened to you, Korra." Lin said.

"Why are we in the Fire Nation, Lin?" Korra changed the topic. "I thought we are going to the Earth Kingdom."

"You were from the future and yet you don't remember the past?" Lin explained. "This is part of the Earth Kingdom but it's the Fire Nation's territory now. Remember how Republic City started? There are still lands that the Earth Kingdom wanted to reclaim but the Fire Nation wouldn't allow it... because of natural resources. It's all about business anyway. I'm not really into that."

"Makes sense. I got a little confused." Korra sighed. "A lot has happened. Death and destruction. I couldn't stop them."

"Now tell me what happened."

Korra said clearly. "Everything turned upside when they got the jade. You do have it, right?"

Lin pointed at Korra's pocket. "You have it already."

"Oh, right." The Avatar reached down to her pocket and pulled out the glowing jade. "This is what they want. The Rogue Division wanted this to power up their machines."

"Machines?"

"The Spirit Breakers. They are machines. Soulless machines." Korra remembered those hallow black armors. "They are indestructible. Hard to kill. Immortal. They are sentient too. They think."

Lin was not surprised or shocked. She will believe everything Korra said if she sees it. "Well, they don't have the jade and those machines will not walk or... live."

"Yes. That is why we need to get back to Republic City! Or maybe... find a place to hide it. I don't want the Rogue Division get their hands on it."

"I understand. But without transportation, we have to walk our way back."

Korra tried to think of another way to escape the place.

Then Lin got an idea. "How about we steal a ship from the Rogue Division? I bet that have harbors here."

The Avatar objected. "No. There's a slight chance we can get away! I can't take that risk!"

"We can try." Lin said.

"NO! I've spent three years surviving those dark days! One mistake gave me three years of hell! I don't want to live through it all over again!" Lin said Korra's eyes filled with fear and distress.

Lin had no idea what to do next. "Then we are going to walk. There's no other way. What else do you need to tell me? The Rogue Division? The jade?"

Korra added, "Oh, yeah. The jade... this damn thing." The Avatar looked at the jade again and saw the engravings. "This is one of the six."

"Six?"

Korra did not explain that part but she discussed only how she acquired the knowledge. "Jinora and I found the abandoned Wan Shi Tong's Library. We discovered old books all about this jade and its secrets. It is hard to comprehend at first but you'll give in to the truth."

"What is it then?"

"It leads back to the creation of our world." Korra looked directly to Lin's eyes. She cannot decide if she will tell her everything she and Jinora learned from the library. "Are you prepared to know the origin of our world?"

Lin wanted to change the topic. "How is this connected to those Spirit Breakers?"

Korra can only say this. "This jade is our Beginning... and our End, Lin. It's the Alpha and the Omega of our world. And if this falls to the wrong hands, our world will die."

With all those dramatic tension about the end, Lin was not frightened. She only knows that Korra is having a rough day and taking the responsibility as the Avatar the protect of the world is stressful. It is like putting the world on her shoulders. Lin has no idea what to do next but to calm the Avatar down. "Alright, Korra. You need some rest. They will be after us soon. I'm not sure when but we need to prepare."

"I'm telling you, Lin! This gem will kill us all!"

Lin took the gem and hid it in her pocket. "And I'll keep it safe no matter what. Now, you must rest. We are going to have a long walk tomorrow." No pillows or blankets. All of their stuff were destroyed. They had to make do with the surroundings. Korra lied down and rest her head on a rock while Lin leaned on to the cold cave walls. Lin can hear the night noises began to make sound. It is a sign of peace... for now.

TO BE CONTINUED