'I'm sorry.
I cannot say it enough.
Writing this makes my heart ache, comrade. Truly. But you must know that this tragedy did not begin with me. It began with an angry little girl who thought far too much of herself. . .'
To End Well
Chapter One
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"I am so proud of you, Avatar Korra," said Tenzin.
And Korra swore that world was absolutely perfect in that moment. She'd never been as happy as she was right then, standing before her loved ones as an Avatar that they could finally be proud of. Everything was gold and bright as the sun set in the east. Never would she forget this feeling, not for as long as she lived.
The moment exploded into whiteness.
Fireworks went off inside her head, blinding her, and she vaguely noted that her knees had buckled beneath her as she felt someone reach into her and yank her from her body.
Everything was spinning, spinning, spinning before it all stopped abruptly.
There was the sensation of falling. Then there was the sensation of pain.
Korra hit the ground so hard that she bounced off it. Disoriented and aching, she rolled onto her stomach with a groan. "What the . . ."
Bird song tinkled all around her, but no matter how beautiful it was, it didn't sooth the nausea that lurched throughout her entire body. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Everything was blurry, blending together like a kaleidoscope.
Eventually, her vision steadied, and she realized that someone was looming above her. While her first instinct was to jump into a defensive position, she didn't quite think her body would appreciate that. So she settled with looking up with what she imagined was the most pitiful look ever. Korra followed cloth shoes up to the bright yellow and orange Air Nomad robes, to the trimmed beard, all the way to the frowning face of Avatar Aang.
"Hello, Avatar Korra," said Aang, leaning over with a knowing smile. "Rough trip?"
"Nghh."
"That bad, huh?"
Light trickled through the thick canopy above Aang's head. Last time she remembered, the sun was setting, and not at its very zenith. With a shake of her head and a revolt from her stomach, Korra lifted herself onto an elbow and looked around.
Gargantuan trees sprung in clusters around her, and giant pools of green water spilled forth, covering almost everything. Korra was surprised that she wasn't lying face down in a dingy water right about now. Not too far away, a sagely looking baboon sat cross-legged on a cluster of gnarled roots. He looked to be meditating . . . wait, what? Korra did a double take. This place is so weird.
It was a marshland; that much she could tell. Though she didn't really know much about the marshlands, being cooped up her whole entire life in the Southern Water Tribe compound and all. The little she did know came from faded picture books and Katara's tales. Two stories she remembered in particular were about the Foggy Swamp Tribe in the Earth Kingdom, and the other was about the . . .
"Oh no," groaned Korra, flopping back onto her stomach.
It would be during the happiest moment of her life that she got dragged into the Spirit World. Nothing, and literally nothing, good happened in the Spirit World. Not according to Katara, at least. Korra had heard about her predecessor's adventures – mostly about the dastardly face stealer named Koh.
Eventually, she knew she'd end up here, but when she was more prepared, and especially not right now. Aang couldn't have waited until she at least caught her breath? She'd just gotten out of damn war. It was only a week long war . . . but still.
Aang began to speak, but her head was so numb that she didn't quite understand what he was saying at first.
" –hink you would take it so badly. I'm sorry, I should've taken your spiritual . . . handicaps into consideration before I called you here," said Aang sheepishly as he scratched his head.
Korra tried to reply, but all that came out was a sluggish "mrghblerghWhat now?" Aang laughed and offered her a hand, which she took gratefully, and slowly sat up. Astonishingly, she did not puke everywhere. However, the headache rioted against the slight movement and her whole body thrummed in pain. "Ugh," she dropped her head into her hands.
"Just give it a moment," Aang said, still smiling. "It'll take you a bit to adjust to the Spirit World. Normally, the Avatar can transcend easily, but I guess since your connection is um, rusty, that it was pretty rough for you."
"You don't say," Korra muttered dryly as the pain finally began to ebb. She massaged her temples, "I feel like something the raccoon-cat dragged in."
"Try meditating more," suggested Aang as he pulled her to her feet. "But I'm sure Tenzin has already told you this."
"He did, but I was kinda busy with probending and . . stuff." Aang threw her a chiding look, but she only shrugged. "Probably should've listened to him. Guess I never expected to be ransacked from my body and thrown into the spirit world . . ."
Korra suddenly remembered the celebratory party that they were going to throw. She was so eager to return back to the mortal world and stuff her face with her mother's seal jerky and best her father at a spar, all the while showing off her home to her friends.
". . . why am I even here, Aang? I think I deserve a break."
Aang chuckled. "Funny. You're the Avatar. You'll hardly ever get a break. And I'm afraid you won't be getting one for a long time."
"What's that supposed to mean!"
"C'mon," Aang said breezily, turning abruptly and walking north, "We have a meeting to catch." Korra almost missed how he glanced at her sadly before striding ahead. Almost.
"Meeting? What meeting? You forced me here for a stinkin' meet- Hey, wait up!"
ooo
They chattered about inane things as Aang guided her through the thick forest. In that time Korra learned that Tenzin stuttered as a child, that Aang was incredibly embarrassed by his huge memorial statue in Yue Bay, and that the former Fire Lord's favorite word was "honor" (much to his friends chagrin). Yet when Korra tried to ask him about the so called "meeting" she was to attend, he evaded the topic and switched effortlessly to another.
Korra didn't even realize she was being led around by the nose until they broke through tree line and stepped into a grassy clearing. Waiting in the center of the clearing was a panda busying itself with a stalk of bamboo. "Hei Bei," called Aang as he strode towards the Panda, reaching out to scratch it behind the ears, "meet Avatar Korra."
The Panda peeked out behind Aang and looked directly at Korra, its eyes far too intelligent for any animal. Hesitantly, she stepped forward, waving weakly. "Hey, Mr. Panda."
Aang stepped to the side as Hei Bei rose to its haunches. "Hei Bei will take you the rest of the way, Korra."
"You're not coming with me?"
Aang shook his head as he shuffled backwards. "Unfortunately, this is not something I can assist you with. I'll be near, though – but I'm afraid you'll have to face the council alone," he said solemnly. He stood at the edge of the clearing now, far away from her. Korra moved to follow, but Aang raised a hand. "Stay still."
Korra made a strangled noise. "What council? Is this some heeby-jeeby spirit world test or something! Stop walking away - It would help if you told me something!" She growled.
He sighed and only pointed in front of her. Korra followed slowly.
The adorable little panda from earlier had been replaced by a monstrous black and white beast. Its mouth hung open like an endless cavern, and its teeth, as large and as thick as her arm, dripped with saliva. Korra staggered backwards, almost tripping. She quickly regained her footing and moved into a fighting stance.
"Don't Korra!" Shouted Aang from the side. "Just go with it!"
Warily, she glanced between the two. She lowered her arms just a bit as the monster approached tentatively. "What's going on!" She yelled back, panicking, not taking her eyes off the creature.
"He is your guide!"
Large flecks of light began to gather in the center of Hei Bei's mouth, congealing together until it formed a glowing, solid ball. Steadily, the ball grew larger and larger until it seemed at its breaking point. It pulsed – and then it burst. Hei Bei roared as the light surged forward.
What the hell! Thought Korra frantically as she punched out, fire sparking from her knuckles. Flames met the light, and the light won.
Screaming, Korra threw her arms in front of her and shut her eyes tightly as she was devoured.
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Surprisingly, she wasn't dead when she opened her eyes again.
She blinked owlishly for a moment and began to pat her body, making doubly sure that her limbs were still intact. "Leg, arm, okay, I'm okay," she said breathlessly. There was a snort behind her and Korra whirled around. It was Hei Bei, gnawing stolidly on a bamboo shoot and looking at her as if she was the world's biggest idiot.
"You!" Korra jutted a finger into his blank face."You could've given me a heads up or something! Bad panda!" Hei Bei only grunted. "Ugh, whatever! Where the hell did you even bring me?"
Korra stood in the center of an impossibly large hall. Blank white walls stretched upwards forever and thick, gray clouds blanketed the floor. "Eh . . ." she muttered, not too sure how she felt about not being able to see her feet beneath the stuff. However, that was quickly forgotten. "Oh my-"
At the end of the hall was a door. Korra was sure that it was the largest door to ever be created. It looked to be made from solid gold, and glinted seductively at her. "Ohh, it's so . . . shiny." Korra gingerly walked towards it, stepping lightly on the cloud floor. It was so wide that ten sky bison could lay nose to tail against it and still not reach the edge of the doorway, and so tall that it rivaled the mountains of the Earth Nation. Intricate designs were carved into the gold, all of it in languages and symbols that she had never seen before.
Korra stopped and looked behind her. "Hey, Mr. Panda. Mind telling me what's going on?"
Hei Bei simply looked at her, somehow managing to look annoyed.
"Well, excuse me for being confused!" Korra shot the bear a dirty look of her own. "It's not like I'm getting much information here."
Hei Bei grunted before spitting the leafy shoot from its mouth. Korra watched as it disappeared beneath the clouds. Hei Bei rose to its haunches and began to stride towards the giant gold door, making small, irritated noises the entire way. Korra was sure it was cursing at her in spirit-bear language. Nonetheless, she allowed him to pass her and followed a safe distance behind, all the while gaping at the unnaturally large door.
"That's a lot of gold," she muttered. They were now just a few feet away, and Korra saw that she did recognize a few of the inscriptions in the door. At the very bottom, and incredibly small, was the official symbol of the Southern Water Tribe, and inscribed just an inch away from it was the sigil of the Royal Fire Nation family. It seemed ironic that two of the most important images in her world were nothing but miniscule etchings at the bottom of a door in the Spirit World.
Hei Bei let out a bellow, effectively startling her. Korra jumped back from the door, not realizing that she had been so close to it in the first place. Confused, she looked at her guide who only nodded back at the door. It was opening.
Korra took several haphazard steps back as the gargantuan doors began to creak open, moving fluidly across the cloud-floor despite its seeming heft. White light – Korra was beginning to get sick of white light – spilled from the crack, so bright that she was forced to shield her eyes.
Finally, the doors slammed against the walls so hard that it sent vibrations thundering down the hall. Korra stared up in shock, still shielding her eyes. She glanced towards Hei Bei, who was barely visible in the light, but otherwise unaffected.
Korra praised the Spirits once the light slowly began to fade. However, the more it receded, the more Korra heard chatter. The talking became louder and more boisterous as the light vanished. When it completely faded out, Korra was shocked to find that just beyond the door were a multitude of odd looking creatures who bustled to and fro across what looked to be a throne room – a godly throne room.
There were no walls in the room. Instead, the intricate ceiling was supported by huge, carved columns, exposing the room to the world outside. Sunset colored clouds continued forever outside the room, and a gentle breeze swirled in and about, rustling huge, silken banners that draped beside an elegant marble throne.
For the umpteenth time that day, Korra was speechless.
Hei Bei growled behind her again. Korra ignored him, too caught up in the strangeness of the spirit world to care. It wasn't until he was nudging her forward that she snapped out of her reverie. Cautiously, Korra pushed away from her guide and tip toed over the threshold and into the throne room of weird.
All talking abruptly stopped as hundreds of heads turned towards her.
Korra squeaked.
Hei Bei nudged her again, flicked his ears, and nodded curtly towards the throne at the end of the hall.
Oh, she thought, so I guess I'm meeting the guy in charge. That's fine, nothing to be scared of.
Her stomach churned.
Steeling herself, she began to tread down the long gold carpet that led directly to the white throne. It sat on a dais high above all the creatures, and seemed to emanate importance. Korra stared straight ahead, afraid that if she looked at any one of the spirits that she might just turn around and bolt; keep running until she hit the real world.
Instead, the spirits moved out of her way as a reverent hush settled over them. From the corner of her eye she could see the majority of them staring, making gestures, whispering behind hands and decorative fans.
"Looks like the great Avatar has arrived," said one of the spirits sardonically.
Korra side-eyed the speaker. The spirit look like a rhino-gator, wearing strings upon strings of jade around its long, scaly neck. Korra clenched her fist, and with a good amount of patience managed to ignore the spirit and marched forward until she stood directly before the dais.
She stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. It didn't help that all of the spirits were drilling holes into her back. Tenzin's voice echoed in her head – "Patience, Korra," he said. Korra repeated his words over and over. Unfortunately, her fuse shortened with each passing second as she felt the looks become more intense. Korra looked straight ahead at the throne, attempting to disregard it all. She was doing a fine job of not becoming exponentially violent too, until she heard: "She looks weak."
She turned on them, teeth bared. "Which one of you said I was weak," she snarled into the direction she heard the insult, cracking her knuckles. "I'll show you weak."
Dozens looked back at her, some looked appalled, while others looked amused. It made Korra inordinately furious that they had the gall to laugh at her – the Avatar. Oh, she would show them something funny all right – wait, patience.
She needed patience.
This was the spirit world, she reluctantly reminded herself, and not some random restaurant where she could pick a fight without any real consequences. Huffing, she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths. Violence solved nothing, but it would've made her feel a whole lot better. Just picture punching Tahno in the face . . .
When she opened her eyes again all the spirits were on their knees, foreheads pressed flat against the marble. Even Hei Bei was kneeling. Panicked, Korra whipped back around. A small, almost pixie like being sat in the throne, looking down at her.
Without another thought, Korra unceremoniously dropped to her knees and slid into a crude, formal bow. In her defense, she didn't have much practice in bowing. Most of the time people just bowed to her.
So this is the boss, she thought, sneaking a peek. It's small . . .
The little ruler was no bigger than Meelo, and was ridiculously outsized by the throne it sat cross-legged in. It looked just like a human child, save for its blue hands and feet, and of course its . . . Korra wasn't even sure if she could call it head. Sitting on the ruler's shoulders was a massive lion-turtle head made entirely of wood. If that wasn't odd enough, the head dwarfed the rest of the ruler's body in comparison.
The ruler cocked its large head and looked her directly at her. Korra's eyes shot back to the ground. If her heart hadn't been racing before, it was now. Maybe I'm just dreaming, Korra thought, a little bit flustered. There's no way I could actually be facing my maker right now.
'I am not your maker, little one.'
Korra jumped at the voice inside her head. It was old sounding, and deep, and utterly terrifying.
'I am the child of your maker. I am Lord of the Heavens, Emperor Shangdi.'
Normally, she would've met any lord's gaze head on, but . . . well, she didn't feel all that confident before a spirit who had just proclaimed himself ruler of the heavens and whose father had created the universe. So she said nothing and kept her eyes glued to the floor.
'You may all rise, my friends,' said the Emperor kindly, his voice reverberating throughout the room, though his wooden head remained completely still. Korra briefly wondered how he managed to speak without a moving mouth, but then she remembered he was a demi-god and could probably do anything he wanted. Slowly, all the spirits stood and Korra quickly followed suit. When all in attendance were standing the Emperor began once more, 'You may present your case, Koh.'
Korra inhaled sharply. Who thought it was a good idea to let a face-stealer out in front of a crowd? Not too keen on getting her precious face snatched, Korra bit the inside of her cheek and forced her muscles to relax until she was completely devoid of emotion – just as Katara said Aang had to be on his visit to Koh's realm.
"Thank you, your majesty," came a polite (overly so, if you asked Korra) voice from just behind the dais. A centipede-like creature slinked into sight, bowed lowed before the Emperor before rising and facing the audience. It donned a disturbing Noh mask, one with lips the color of blood.
"My fellow spirits, forgive me for calling this assembly so suddenly – but I assure you, it was for sound reason. Only the most important beings in the spirit world have been gathered today, as well as the mortal Avatar." He looked at her, but Korra avoided his beady black eyes and focused on the stripes of his mask instead. Suddenly, the mask withdrew and the face of a mandrill burst forth. Korra flinched back, but immediately realized her mistake. He's going to take my face, she thought, horrified, ruining her chances even more as her mouth dropped open in terror.
Koh chuckled.
"My reputation precedes me then. How . . . unfortunate," Koh smiled cruelly. Korra bit her lip, running through possible defenses one could use against – wait, how the hell did you even fight a spirit? "Do not worry yourself, girl," interjected Koh, coolly looking her up and down. "I will not take your face. Not yet."
The threat lingered in the air.
"Enough, Koh. Your childish tactics are unnecessary here, as well as uncouth in our lord's presence," came a cultured sounding voice. Korra followed the crowd's gazes across the room to where two spirits made their way through the spirits. Leading the way was an agitated, overgrown owl, and just behind him was a disconcerted looking Aang.
Both the owl and her predecessor climbed up the dais. Aang tossed her a reassured smile as he passed. It helped a bit, but not too much. Korra took it, though, pocketed away and told herself not to quiver in front of the Spirit World's elite. She was strong dammit, and whatever they threw at her she could take and then some.
"Well, well, Wan Shi Tong. I am quite shocked that you are here, friend. You spend far too much time in that sunken library of yours," hissed Koh. Korra glanced between the two as the atmosphere became charged with animosity.
"I was personally invited by the Emperor himself," said Wan Shi Tong curtly. Said Emperor looked on, wooden face still neutrally set.
"Ah, of course. And you've chosen to oppose me, then?"
Wan Shi Tong leveled Koh with a glare, "Not exactly."
"Good." Koh turned to Aang, "What about you, Avatar Aang? Are you here against me?"
Aang said nothing for a long moment. He seemed to be thinking, but Korra caught when he quickly glanced at her. "I am here for the good of the world," he said finally with conviction.
"How noble, I am glad to have you beside me today," said Koh irritably. "Now if you don't mind . . ." He turned back onto the crowd and opened his arms wide before bellowing, "As I was saying, we have gathered today for an important occurrence: the Judgment of Avatar Korra."
Korra blinked. " . . . What."
Koh ignored her and continued. "I, as well as many of you, have noticed that the mortal realm is sinking further and further into peril and disaster. Each day we watch the humans battle each other, kill each other, destroy all that we have worked to accomplish with the very gift we have bestowed upon them. That gift being the ability to bend the elements. Although many of us no longer inhabit that realm, there is still great deal that we care about. Am I correct, friends?"
There was a murmur of agreement throughout the assembly.
"And of course, when this kind gift was first given to the humans by the great Emperor Shangdi, it was known that there was possibility that chaos could occur. It was hope that it wouldn't, but still the chance was still there. Thus, the Avatar was born – the very spirit of the World incarnated into one fragile, small, human body. The Avatar was supposed to be a keeper of balance and peace in the mortal world, a guardian for humans, as well as the spirits who dwelled there and here. For generations upon generation, the Avatar was effective. Until one day I realized that as humanity eroded in honor, so did the Avatar."
Korra clenched her fist. She was plenty honorable.
"My friends, I'm sure all of you have seen how far the mortal realm has fallen. Lawlessness runs rampant, and it is perpetrated by benders. Yet no one stands against these tyrants. Why, you ask? Because the strongest force on the planet, the Avatar, is siding with those who destroy and kill instead of doing what she was meant to – to protect all!"
"Hey!" Korra snapped. "How the hell do you fig-"
"Silence, girl!" Koh whipped around on her, face shifting to a snarling bear.
Admittedly, she did flinch, but she wasn't frightened enough to let this vain spirit bad mouth her. Especially when she'd just come out of a war, and lost her bending attempting to maintain the freaking balance he was wailing on about. Korra was completely prepared to start an all out yelling match with Koh when she caught Aang's eye.
'Stop,' he mouthed. 'Calm down!'
Small, strangled noises escaped her throat as she went through a myriad of expressions before finally settling on resignation. Fine, she thought mutinously. She would stay quiet for now. Korra bit the inside of her cheek, thinking of colorful ways to bend the centipede creep into submission later.
"Good little Avatar," cooed Koh condescendingly. His face switched back to the creepy Noh mask.
'I so want to punch you in the face,' is what Korra hoped to convey as she narrowed her eyes at him. Koh only chuckled.
"So, you have all been gathered here on this day to take a vote; A vote on whether or not to destroy our supposed protector of the earth. Now, my friends, the only way to maintain balance in the mortal realm is to rid the world of the Avatar. Forever."
Korra's jaw dropped open. There were no words. Did they really think – No, were they stupid enough to . . .
Then thunderous applause erupted. Korra wildly looked around, absolutely flabbergasted at the cheering spirits. And then her heart began to swell with fear. She was going to have her bending taken away again. No, no, she couldn't go back. It took all her strength to not start hyperventilating on the spot.
Koh watched her with a small smile, giving a small bow as he returned to his spot just before the throne. The crowd finally quieted when the owl, Wan Shi Tong, and Aang stepped forward.
Wan Shi Tong surveyed the assembly coolly. "I am one who knows 10,000 things. I know all that is right, and I know all that is wrong. Knowledge is my forte, and in my knowledge I know that Koh is wrong," he said loudly.
Koh huffed indignantly.
"What he suggests would not help the mortal realm, but destroy it." Wan Shi Tong began to pace the stage, meeting the eyes of the crowd. "He says that the scales of the world have been completely obliterated with the irresponsibility of the Avatar. I disagree. Balance is still kept in the mortal world, though barely. However, to take away the Avatar would upset this fragile balance completely."
"You worry about the oppression against non-benders now. Ha! Just wait until you take away the Avatar – she is the only thing standing from all out civil war between the two factions. And in that war the benders will win. Blood will be shed, and everything we consider precious in that world will be destroyed."
All eyes were on him, listening intently. Korra however was momentarily sucked back into her memories. She'd seen firsthand how close to the brink of chaos people had been during the Purge of Republic City. Hell, she didn't think she could ever forget it.
"At the moment the scales still stand, they are just . . . uneven," said Wan Shi Tong diplomatically. "The weight is simply unbalanced. Yet, that can be easily changed. To simply even the scales once more, all one would have to do is balance the two factions. We must give equal power to both sides."
"AND how do you propose we do that," interjected Koh waspishly.
Wan Shi Tong turned to her. Korra gulped.
He said lowly, "We give the non-benders a leader. We give them Amon."
There was a collective gasp from the assembly's part, and a shriek of outrage from Korra. "What!" She spluttered. Here she was thinking that they were out to help her, not bring back her worst nightmare.
The owl was completely indifferent to the scandalized outburst. Instead, he continued to speak directly to her.
"You have failed in your sole duty, Avatar Korra, and there is only one way to counteract this – Amon, formerly known as Noatak of the Northern Water Tribe, must seal the gap between benders and non-benders and bring balance to world once more."
He paused.
" And you must be the one to ensure his success."
" . . . Are you fucking kidding me," said Korra flatly.
Affronted gasps were heard from all around the room, but Korra ignored them. She had no time for stupid, prissy spirits, not with the growing pressure building in her head. Her blood raced in her veins, and she was sure that her face had shifted through eight shades of red by now. Adrenaline and pure anger were her masters now, and Korra had no problem letting them take control.
Korra shook her head incredulously. "Saying I even knew where to find Amon, who's to say that the guy won't bloodbend me on the spot? Oh, And I'm pretty sure if he had another chance he'd, I don't know, kill me. He's not the nicest freaking guy in the world!"
Wan Shi Tong took a step down on the dais and said, "I've been in the mortal realm for a centuries, and with each passing decade, the humans grow more and more out of balance. Amon is the only foreseeable solution. By bringing the conflict between benders and non-benders to end, the world can once again find peace."
Korra snapped.
"HE'S A TERRORIST!"
"To benders, yes," continued Wan Shi Tong calmly, "but to non-benders he is a hope. I'm sure those who cannot bend would consider you a terrorist, child." He then turned to Aang, who up to this point had yet to say a word. "What do you have to say on the matter, Avatar Aang?"
Aang did not hesitate: "Amon must be returned to the world to maintain balance."
Korra was now completely flabbergasted. ". . . Aang! But why! You've seen what he's done! It's my job, mine," she beat her chest, "as the Avatar to save the world, not some – some liar!"
"Listen, Korra. I understand," Aang said soothingly (though it just made Korra want to punch him), "but the world has arrived at a time where the Avatar is no longer enough. Every day I watch the mortal world from here, and all I see are the tragedies being done against non-benders by benders. I know you don't agree-"
"Damn straight!" she shouted.
"- but it is necessary. We are trying to do what's best with the world. This is the better option. Trust me, Korra."
"Yeah! And what are the other options then? Because any one of them would be a hell of a lot better than letting Amon take the reins."
Koh piped up, "We can just kill you."
Momentarily, Korra forgot her fear of him and bared her teeth.
Wan Shi Tong intervened just as Korra took a threatening step forward, "It is either this or ridding the world of the Avatar completely, child."
Korra blanched. Death did not sound like a good option.
"Can I have some time think over this?" said Korra quietly, suddenly struck by how serious the situation was. Any world without Amon was a better world - Avatar or not. However, she did like being alive and hoped to stay that way for as long as possible.
"No," said Koh viciously. "It is not your choice to make, but ours, little Avatar."
Korra turned away from him, feeling sick. She faced the assembly, and dozens of stares met her own. She wasn't quite sure how to gauge them – many of them didn't even have faces – but could feel the air in the room. It felt a lot like Amon's final equalist rally. No matter how much she had screamed the truth at his supporters, they were still set against not trusting her. To them, she was the wrong one. The only difference this time was that it was spirits instead of non-benders.
I just can't do anything right, can I?
Tears gathered in her eyes, but Korra quickly wiped them away. She said nothing and reluctantly yielded. Koh let out a bark of laughter. Korra flushed in humiliation. Aang stepped down from the dais and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she curtly pulled away. He was a traitor as far as she was concerned.
"We will vote now," said Koh in a slow drawl, walking forth. "All in favor of my far better suggestion, raise your hand."
Several hands, paws, and claws shot into the air. They remained there as Koh counted them off, "One . . . five . . . eleven . . fifteen . . eighteen. Eighteen in favor for doing away with the Avatar. That looks to be a fine number, does it not, Wan Shi Tong?" Koh smiled deviously at the owl.
Korra was about to have heart attack, though neither of the spirits seemed to care, busy with staring each other down. Apparently, the only person who cared about her welfare in this room was herself.
"Hmph. Step aside, thief," said Wan Shi Tong finally. "You are all wise and ancient souls so do not be fooled by Koh's ploy. He is known throughout all realms as a liar and a deceiver."
Koh sniffed, "How rude."
"Please understand that in order for balance to be kept in both our realm and the mortal one, that the Avatar must remain." Wan Shi Tong nodded respectfully before stepping back. Hands tentatively began to rise, and Korra counted them one by one. Eighteen votes.
"Count them again, owl," hissed Koh.
"I've counted enough," Wan Shi Tong shot back. "It is even. The final decision resides with his highness."
All eyes turned to the tiny ruler. Korra thought it was strange that her fate lied with a diminutive demi-god with blue skin and a head far too large for his body. He was as small as a toddler, swallowed in bright swaths of clothing in an outlandish style that Korra couldn't even place. He was an odd looking god. Nonetheless, her heart pounded in her chest as she awaited her verdict.
'Wan Shi Tong of Ten Thousand Things, and Koh of a Thousand Faces, you have both spoken truth on this day. The mortal realm is in a fragile state, unbalanced, and crumbling and action must be taken.'
Emperor Shangdi turned to her then, face as still as stone. 'I have watched you Avatar Korra. I have seen your downfalls, your failures. Countless times you have abused the privilege that your bending allows you – and in times that you were needed most, you simply ignored the call. You are not the Avatar the world deserves . . .'
Hundreds of ways to apologize flitted through Korra's mind. But not a single one slipped out of her mouth, unlike the tears that fell freely down her face. Please, she thought, I'll do anything. She glanced beside her, Wan Shi Tong looked disappointed, but Aang looked absolutely devastated. Predictably, Koh was smiling.
'However, you are still a child. An impetuous and spoiled child, yet a child who has attempted to outgrow her flaws. Perhaps you are not the Avatar the world deserves now, but that does not mean you cannot become one. Yes, you have failed, but you have also risen . . . And that is why I will allow the Avatar Cycle to continue for the time being.'
Korra's head snapped up just as Koh let out an outraged gasp. Whispers sprung up all around her and the assembly buzzed with excitement. Korra, on the other hand, simply felt relieved. She released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.
"Your majesty!" Shouted Koh, approaching the emperor angrily. "This is not-"
'Quiet!'
And just like that, the entire room became deadly silent.
'Koh, I understand you have doubts concerning my decision. We shall speak later.' Koh, still scowling, bowed quickly and stepped back beside a smirking Wan Shi Tong. The Emperor turned back to Korra, 'And you, Avatar, will do all in your power to protect the man known as Amon.'
She must've looked like a fish with her mouth gaping open and close. Fire curled in her throat, but she didn't dare speak. A pissed off demi-god would not help her cause at all.
'Avatar Aang will aid you on your quest. It is up to you, girl, to protect Amon at all costs. If you truly love your bending, and your status, and your world then you will find a way to overcome your hatred. If not . . . well, you are aware of the consequences. You will have one chance, Avatar. Make do.'
And much to her chagrin, everything went white. Again.
ooo
She woke knowing two things:
A) The spirit world sucked
B) Bolin really needed to get out of her face
"Hey, kinda need some space here," she mumbled heatedly. Bolin backed up hastily, looking perturbed at the furious glint in her eyes. Korra gave him no explanation as she sprung to her feet and snarled, "Tenzin!"
Everyone in the vicinity jumped, including Tenzin. He stood barely ten feet away with Master Katara, eying Korra warily as she stomped down the steps and towards him.
"Korra," he said, rounding on her, "I'm glad you are awake. Your trip to the spirit world went well, I hope."
She didn't even bother to ask how he knew she was there. "It went . . . well," she lowered her voice conspiratorially and leaned in. "Look, we need to talk."
"Yes, yes, of course," he said concernedly. "Are you all right?"
She looked at him, but didn't answer.
Korra didn't miss the suspicious glances cast her way as the group trekked back to the compound. Surprisingly, no one asked her of her trip. It was probably because she looked so angry that she could kick Pabu in the face. Said fire-ferret kept his distance and rode on the tip of Naga's nose.
It was dark by the time Korra managed to get Tenzin alone. Her friends and family had taken to celebrating the victory of the war, as well as the victory of Korra. She, however, sat beside the wall, thinking dark thoughts before finally getting sick of it all and plucking Tenzin from his food and dragging him to the connected dining room. No one seemed to notice, too busy having a good time.
ooo
Korra told Tenzin everything.
Everything except that little tidbit where she had to keep Amon alive.
Now, Tenzin was the most patient and caring man that Korra had ever met, however, even he would go after Amon with a vengeance. Korra supposed it was a testament to Amon's unpopularity - even a complete pacifist like Tenzin wanted the man dead. And that wasn't an assumption; Korra had actually heard him in a rage after the showdown at Amon's final rally. Apparently, kidnapping a man's children, wife, and new born baby didn't earn you brownie points.
Normally, she wouldn't have had any problem confiding in her mentor, but the situation was anything but normal. Korra had yet to make up her mind about protecting Amon, but she still wanted to leave the option open and obstacle free. Said obstacle being an airbender father with a personal vendetta against her probable protectee.
So she kept it to herself, skirting around Emperor Shangdi's requirement. Instead, she told him that the spirits wanted her to travel to different cities to see the true imbalances of the world or some crap like that. It wasn't a very good excuse, but then again she did make it up in five minutes. Her rant was convincing enough, though. She was still very angry that the spirits thought she was a lousy Avatar.
Yet Tenzin managed to piss her off about the whole thing, too, despite not knowing the entire story.
"Perhaps you should heed their warning, Korra."
. . .
It took a moment for her face to become completely red.
"What."
"Now, Korra, you have to understand that this is not only about you. It's about the balance of the world, and I'm afraid to say that if this is the only way for the spirits to right our world, then you must yield."
"I'm. The. Avatar." She said slowly, as if it was an explanation for everything.
Tenzin clearly did not think so, and instead looked at her as if she were a spoiled child. Korra was really beginning to hate that look. Not only did she get it from him, but she got it from nearly every person older than her. She knew that she had a lot of responsibility, but no one took into consideration that she was trying her best to be a good Avatar. But it was always easy to blame her, to criticize her . . .
A vision flashed into her head.
.
.
.
She was floating above the ocean. The sea was so calm, so flat that it was eerie. No waves crashing, no seagulls cawing. Just a simple silence as the water lulled back and forth beneath the full moon.
"Look, Korra," said a gentle voice from beside her.
Aang.
He was translucent and pale, but even then the gray of his eyes stood out starkly. They were angry, disappointed, but still gentle. She could understand the gentleness (Aang was always gentle), but she did not understand why he looked at her so . . . sadly. "Look, Korra," he repeated again, this time pointing to his right.
At first, she saw nothing, just the simple ocean, bathed in moonlight. And then her eye caught it – a bulky thing, way far off at the very edge of the sea. It looked to be a man, but she couldn't tell from so far away –
Suddenly, she was swept across the miles of the sea until she abruptly stopped directly in front of the figure. Aang was nowhere to be seen now, and Korra was left alone with this pale man in the middle of the ocean.
She leaned in close, but his entire face was covered by his sopping, tattered hood. "He looks fine to me . . ." muttered Korra as she reached to pull the fabric away from his face. Instead, her hand slipped straight through him. She wrenched it back. This is a vision, she reminded herself, and a bit embarrassed that she had even tried to touch him.
"He doesn't have much time left," said Aang thoughtfully, though he was still out of sight. His voice echoed irritatingly around her.
Korra stared at his body dispassionately. She noticed that his fingers were blue, almost purple, and the skins of his hands were so pale that they rivaled the moon. ". . .and why should I help him?" The words sounded colder than she meant them to be.
"Because it is your duty," admonished Aang, and Korra could actually feel his anger.
In a blink of an eye, Korra was slammed back into her own body.
She blinked, disoriented, and was once again greeted with a face far too close to her own. Tenzin looked on worriedly and quietly asked, "Again?"
"Yeah," she said, rubbing at her head. " . . . I think your dad's mad at me." I'm mad at him too.
Tenzin snorted as he handed her a cup of tea, which she accepted gratefully. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was. Why, you could make a boulder lose its patience. You're the most stubborn person that I know."
"Even more stubborn than the chief?"
"Even more than Lin." That was saying something. Korra cringed into her cup. Thankfully, Tenzin remained silent, obviously mulling over something intensely in his head. Korra drank her tea in needy gulps, desperate for any sort of comfort. It must've been something that Katara had brewed because she instantly felt her headache begin to ebb.
"You have to listen to them," Tenzin said finally.
Korra sighed. "It's not that easy," she said, setting her cup on the table and staring into it blankly. Amon's mask glared back up at her in the form of tea dredges. For her to care for him was like asking a beaver-pig to fly. Impossible. And it's not that she wanted to deliberately piss of the spirits, but if she did as they said . . .
"Are you all right, Korra?"
She looked him directly in the eyes. If I take Amon in, then I'll be the one to end him.
" . . . do you think it would hard for me to kill someone?" She asked quietly.
"I don't think you're capable of that Korra," said Tenzin immediately, alarmed.
"But I am. I really am, Tenzin. . . And it scares me. I could really kill this person." Tenzin gave her a look she couldn't quite decipher. "But there's only one person," she added hastily.
"Where is this coming from? Killing? Korra, you are not that type of person."
Oh, but I am.
They were quiet for a long moment. Korra wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but she was mulling over the fact that she felt no guilt about wanting to kill Amon. None whatsoever. She wasn't sure if that made her a bad person, even after learning about Amon's terrible past – but she didn't really care either. All she knew for sure was that she hated Amon. Tenzin broke the silence, jarring her out of her thoughts.
"You have to at least try, Korra."
It took a second for Korra to process that he was talking about her fake journey around the world.
"B-but I ca-"
"Stop, Korra. I have learned many things from my father, and one of them was that the Avatar must separate themselves from their wants and needs to uphold what is right. And although I don't necessarily agree with the spirits in sending you across the globe, I don't mistrust them. It's up to you to go beyond your personal feelings, to do your duty and restore peace in the world."
Korra bit her lip as she fiddled with the cup. If only he knew . . .
Even if he didn't fully realize what he was advising her to do, Tenzin was still right. He was always right, annoyingly enough. However, there was a side to her screaming to turn and run away, reminding her that even being in the same vicinity as Amon made her tremble. Yet the other side of her was viciously clawing at her conscience, telling her that she needed to grow up and evolve into something more.
Into an Avatar the world deserved.
"Y-yeah," she said finally, though unhappily. "I have to try."
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ooo
So this is my newest project. If you've read any of my other work then you would know that I usually write one-shots. Short one-shots. Meaning that this CHAPTER ALMOST KILLED ME!
No, seriously, I almost died. Christ. When I write I have to go over a chapter at least three times until I'm satisfied, meaning that I re-wrote this one about eight times . . . I can't even. Anyways, sorry for the wait. Also, those of you who read this when I first published it may have noticed that I changed the prologue. Not that it really matters all that much, but it just felt like the previous edition of that chapter revealed more than I wanted it to.
Thanks for reading! Please review! Constructive criticism is always appreciated.