Please excuse the late update. Like really late update. I won't bore you with excuses. Please also note there is a bit of a time skip. I skipped passed episode 7 and the beginning of episode 8 because I didn't feel like there was anything I could add to it. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter if anyone is still reading. And leave a review if you can please!

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Korra could hear the yelling coming from the inside of the White Lotus complex. The yelling had begun since one of the White Lotus officials interrupted her firebending training to privately speak with Master Azula. Korra had been doing hot squats for a good twenty minutes since.

As she tried her best to listen in on what they could possibly be arguing about, Korra didn't even notice when Master Katara snuck up on her. "Having fun there, Korra?"

Korra nearly fell over in surprise as she was going down on her hot squat. "MASTER KATARA!" Katara just laughed as Korra pulled herself back together. "I was just…"

"...pretending to do Azula's workout while really eavesdropping?" Katara finished with a sly smile and a lift of her eyebrow. Korra rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Never you mind what it is they're talking about. Rather, come with me. There's something you and I need to discuss."

Korra didn't even question whether or not it would be ok with Master Azula. She fell right into step with Katara. "What is it they're fighting about? I've heard Master Azula argue with the White Lotus before but never to this degree."

Katara sighed. "The White Lotus is worried that you're not making any headway with your firebending training and they're blaming Azula for it."

"WHAT?! That's crazy! I'm doing just fine in my training. I'm getting all the forms right and in case they haven't noticed Master Azula is a hard instructor. She'll keep me on breathing exercises for the rest of my life!" Korra yelled nearly exasperated.

Katara sighed again. "And do you know why Azula trains you so hard on just one exercise?"

Korra never really thought about the why. Just that she had to. "Well no…"

"You've made very good progress in your firebending, Korra. Don't ever doubt that. But Azula trains you so hard in the specifics and the technique because you're not getting it as well as you should."

Korra stopped in her tracks confused. "I don't understand."

Katara stopped as well and turned to look at her. "Like I said, you have made great progress. But you're just short of getting there. You understand it, but you don't know it. You're not yet a firebender. Not like you are a water or earthbender." Korra's shoulders sagged in defeat. And here she thought she was doing great. "Don't take that as a bad thing, little one. Fire is your elemental opposite. It is only natural that you struggle more than you have before. Even Aang struggled with earthbending when he was first learning."

Korra didn't feel any better. "Well then what do I do now when apparently I haven't been making any firebending progress?"

Katara nudged her to get her to start walking again. "Don't worry about that now. That's something you let your master worry about. You'll get there when you're ready and not even the White Lotus can do anything about that." Katara took a deep breath. "Now, back to business. The real reason I took you away from your firebending training. There's something in your waterbending training that I haven't talked to you about and I thought now that you're older it would be an appropriate time to address it."

The curiosity sparked in Korra. "What is it?"

"Tell me, little one. What do you know about bloodbending?"

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Korra knew Tarrlok was corrupt the moment she laid eyes on him. He was no better than what the Equalists were accusing benders of being. The power he had abused, the manipulation he dealt on her...Korra was angry. Arresting her friends for challenging the police force was the last straw for Korra.

When she had come to city hall late that night, in all honesty she really did go just to talk to Tarrlok. Somehow the conversation went from 0 to 100 because now she was in a full on duel with him. Everything she was angry about was coming out full force. Even with her anger at this corrupt man, she still managed to restrain herself when it came to using firebending.

Korra refused to lose control. As much as she disliked Tarrlok, she would not give him a reason to call her another name. She wasn't a half baked avatar, but she wasn't going to let him call her a chaotic one either.

Tarrlok got a few lucky hits on her but Korra finally managed to get the upper hand when she earthbent him out of his office and over the balcony. Tarrlok fell to the lower level and when he came to, Korra was already in front of him. Though she wasn't using her element of fire, he could see there was still fire in her eyes. He could die here if she let him. "Still think I'm a half baked avatar?!"

Korra charged for him ready to strike again and in that moment, Tarrlok realized it was a mistake to have provoked her so far. Just because she was down two elements didn't mean she was handicapped. She was still a formidable fighter with only her water and earth elements. Tarrlok, realizing the situation he had put himself in, reacted on instinct. He lifted his arms and bent the blood in her veins.

Korra stopped mid attack, her eyes widening in surprise. She could feel a strong power coursing through her body. A power she couldn't control. It took her a moment but she realized exactly what was happening. Everything in her body hurt as he contorted and controlled it. She groaned in pain has Tarrlok hardened his grip on her blood.

"You're in my way, Avatar. And you need to be removed" Tarrlok said with malice in his voice.

"You're...you're a...bloodbender?" She almost couldn't say it. She thought back to Master Katara all those years ago.

Katara had sat Korra down in her private quarters. This was a delicate subject, both as a topic on the whole as well as personally for Katara. Katara poured Korra a cup of tea and began speaking. "Bloodbending, like all forms of bending, can be a force of good or a force of evil."

Korra took a sip of her tea and listened intently. Never in her life did she even think about bending the water in a person's body. Never was it brought up. "When used for good, bloodbending has the ability to save lives when used properly through healing. When used for evil…"

Katara couldn't even finish the thought. "Unfortunately, the technique was born from such evils. It was developed for the sole purpose of being able to control others. It's far too dangerous of a skill. Even an amatuer healer could kill with bloodbending should they make one wrong move. No, I knew the dangers far outweighed the benefits. And so when the time came, I had it banned altogether."

Korra looked at her waterbending master confused. "I don't understand. If you had it banned, why are you telling me all of this?"

"As the avatar, you control all four elements," Katara's voice became despondent as she continued. "But I want to help prepare you for the uncontrollable."

Korra didn't say anything more but she could see Katara's eyes went off as if she was thinking of a far off memory. "It is...a great power to overtake someone else's body. It also takes great power to resist it when it's your body." She came back to the present and looked Korra in the eyes. "I hope you never have to feel its pull on you."

Korra nodded and spoke with strength in her voice. "So tell me about it…"

Korra and Katara had talked half the night away just about bloodbending. But somehow, all of Master Katara's teachings couldn't prepare her for this moment. The moment she fell to its grip. Korra looked at Tarrlok, fear finally encompassing her. "How...how are you doing this?" She didn't understand. It wasn't even a full moon.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," were the last words Korra heard before Tarrlok knocked her out.