The very act of breathing is what causes Korra to wake. Slowly opening her eyes, she sees a ceiling, groaning, she rolls onto her side, blinking when she comes face to face with a giant frog spirit, gasping and pulling back, only to wince, "Careful, Korra, you were injured quite badly."
Korra looks to the voice, "You- you recognize me?" She pushes herself to a sitting position, straining her eyes to see the figure the voice was coming from.
"In a manner of speaking, I was good friends with Avatar Aang."
Korra raises her hand, allowing a small flame to light up the room, "I can bend," she smiles, though it doesn't feel quite right, looking up to the man, "Iroh."
"Hello, Korra," he smiles, "Can I interest you in some tea?"
"Yeah," she nods, looking down, her shoulders have deep gashes and she's certain her chest is purple and blue, based on how hard it is to breathe, she's certain her ribs are bruised too, if not broken.
He hands her a small cup, "So what brings you here? Besides visiting an old man."
"My Uncle, he's super spiritual, and he said opening the spirit Portal would restore balance between humans and spirits. That it could undo what Amon did to me and everyone else."
"Your chi is much stronger in the spirit world, able to push through the block, and the weakening may stick into the physical world."
"Great," she sighs, "All this and it won't work." She runs her hand through her hair.
"I'd suggest going to Wan Shi Tong's library, see if he can provide you with some answers." Iron suggests, "Though, you'll need to be careful, the spirits have been much more volatile than usual."
"Do you have any idea why?" She looks down at the gashes that stop just above the polar bear dog tattoo she had gotten just before her 17th birthday.
"I've heard whispers of the great dark spirit awakening, but spirits are horrible gossips." He laughs, taking a drink of tea.
Korra nods, "How do I get to the library?" She sets her tea cup down.
"It's in the forest, if you hit Xai Bau's grove, you've gone too far, if you're still in the Jigme Mountains though, you're not far enough."
Korra nods, before realizing Unalaq will be looking for her soon if he hadn't already, "I need to hurry and return to the physical world." She stands, finding her bag near the door, "Thank you, Iroh."
"Please come visit us again, Korra, an old man can always use the company."
"I will," she nods, "Thank you," she repeats before running out the door
•••••
The spirit world moves. That's the only explanation Korra can come up with easily as she too quickly comes across the library, though it's upside down, hanging from the vines strewn across the forest trees. Taking a few steps back, she runs forward, "Korra!" She trips, groaning as she lands on her ribs.
"Uncle," she groans, pushing herself to her feet, pushing her hand against her ribs, hoping to relieve the pain.
"You didn't come back, I told you I'd come after you."
"Sorry, got a little sidetracked," Korra shrugs, "I need to do something before I go back."
"What's that?" Unalaq asks, raising an eyebrow.
"The great dark spirit," Korra offers, preparing once again to attempt to jump to the lowest opening, "If I'm going to open the portals, let spirits freely enter the human world, I need to know what I could be letting through." She jumps.
"I see," Korra heard him whisper before she's knocked off course by a large spirit, tangling her in the vines, before several smaller dark spirits start attacking. Waving her arms to fend them off, she attacks, allowing fire to almost consume her, burning the vines, causing her to fall to the ground once more but only making the spirits more angry. She's consumed by the shadow as the swarm gets larger and larger. Fighting against the heavy feeling in her chest, she forces her eyes to stay open.
Suddenly a trail of bright light surrounds the shadow, Korra's eyes fall shut as a warm feeling seems to surround her. Taking a deep breath, she falls into the void
•••••
The blackness falls away, Suddenly Korra's not in the void, she can hear and it's cold.
"What happened father?"
"A dark spirit, but the portal is open. We must get her back quickly."
Soft fur under her, "Naga," she murmurs before she falls back into the blackness.
•••••
Much later she feels the void lighten again.
"I'll get a healer."
"Desna, Eska, after the healer leaves, I want you to stand guard, no one goes in and she doesn't leave."
Frowning, Korra attempts to open her eyes.
"Yes father."
Her eyes are too heavy, she'll open them later.
•••••
Suddenly the void is bright, too bright, she turns to face "Raava," she breathes.
"Yes, Korra." The spirit's voice echoes through her skull, "You must find me."
"What, where are you?"
"Look within and you'll know." She turns, disappearing from sight
"Wait, don't leave me!" She calls, running towards the spirit, only to run into, "Aang,"
"A great war is approaching, you must awake and fight."
"What? No, Amon and the Equalists were the only major-"
Aang shifts to Roku, "The lotus blooms in all weather, but sprouts best in earth, watered with blood."
"What are you talking about?"
"People are going to question you," now Kyoshi speaks, "Don't let them, stand firm in your decisions. Keep your allies close."
"But be careful in how much you let them change you," Kuruk finishes.
"What are you talking about?" Korra demands again, only for the other Avatar to disappear, "Answer me!" She yells, her own voice echoing back at her.
Sitting down, her body hunched over her knees, "Please, answer me," she begs softly, closing her eyes.
When she opens her eyes, everything hurts, biting back a groan, she quickly realizes what she's looking at, the ceiling of her room at the palace. Unalaq told the twins to keep her there. Pushing herself to a sitting position, she looks around her room, Naga isn't there. She looks outside, it's night, maybe 1, 2 in the morning.
Suddenly the voice that tells her to give it time is silent, with that, she knows she has to try something, starting with the great dark spirit and this approaching war. Pulling out her duffle bag, she puts all the clothes from the closet into her bag, wrapping the radios and figurine in their own shirts to protect them, then she puts the scrolls in, finally, she pulls the pictures and drawings off the walls, binding them together with the letters and putting them all in a side pocket of the bag.
She puts her coat on, grimacing at the pull on her ribs, before pulling the bag over her shoulder, then grabs the small amount of money and throws it in her pocket, she just needs to get her and Naga on a ship and get far enough away to radio Tenzin or Su or someone for help.
Putting the bag down once more, she carefully opens the door looking around, the twins must not have thought she'd be up, because they're not in the hall, nor are any guards.
Grinning, she grabs the bag again, throwing it over her shoulder, fighting back a cough at the pain. Then carefully walks out to the hall, pushing the door to the wing open as silently as possible, closing it just as quietly.
"Korra," the voice is soft.
It still makes her jump, swinging her arm wildly in a circle sweeping the room, "Fuck," she cusses.
"Wow, Korra calm down, it's just me."
"Aunt Malina," she questions, "I'm leaving, don't try to stop me."
The waterbender nods, "I figured you would, there's a ship north of the harbor, it has food and water for about a week, and some medical supplies, should let you and Naga get wherever you're going."
"Why are you helping me? Unalaq doesn't want me to leave." She knows it's a risk to admit this, with her ribs, even with a bending she's more comfortable with she'd be at a disadvantage should Malina choose to fight or call the guards, let alone air, where she's honestly not a master, yet she trusts her aunt knows and still did this.
"I know," the older woman nods, "Your uncle, he's grown cold to me and the kids, always conferring with the spirits. He found something there, it changed him. I think you're the only one who can stop him from doing something terrible."
Korra nods, "I'll try, Aunt Malina, thank you."
"We're blood, Korra," Malina shrugs, "Family. I wonder if you were put in that compound, if you left, too soon to know how important that is in our culture, keeps the tribes a world away from each other together," she shakes her head, "You don't have to thank me, Korra." Korra debates arguing, but then can't say she's totally wrong, sighing she nods. "Naga is waiting for you just outside the courtyard, stick to the side streets."
Nodding once more, Korra crosses the room, pushing the giant doors open, going out one more hallway before stepping out into the cold. Naga is by her side before she can call her, "Come on girl, let's go." She motions her to the north.
Finding the boat was easier then she had feared, tied to the ice, unknotting it, she orders Naga on before jumping on herself. The boat is a small motorboat, plenty of fuel to get where she's planning, and room for both her and Naga, if she looks down below she's sure she'd find there's actually enough room for maybe three or four more people if need be, she steps up to the controls, "Next stop, Kyoshi Island." She murmurs to herself, pulling the boat southward.