A great howl thundered from the sky followed by the flaps of massive wings. A large dark colored beast dove from above, landing between the wounded and the Avatar. A young woman landed seconds later, shrouded by a white lotus cloak. The arc left Korra's finger's a fraction of a second later, the woman throwing herself in its path. She slid a few feet before stopping just in front of Asami and Mako, catching the bolt.
She let out a grunt of discomfort, holding the lightning in her body long enough to find a suitable destination. She opened her clinched features revealing calm green eyes to the CEO and downed officer, directing her outstretched right arm to an open area of the sky, releasing the energy.
The girl shook the hand fiercely, "Damn! That was hot!" her other hand now clutching her chest. "Didn't think it would hurt that much."
The groups attention was diverted to their savior, but she refused to let Korra out of her sight. Her long brown hair pulled into a tight pony tail, eyes a dark shade of green and a skin tone that matched The Avatar's. A look of cool determination painted across her face.
Tenzin quickly recognized the girl, "Your one of the defectors." his tone reflecting his inner confusion. "Rya, the young water bender. How did you do that!?"
"Anyone can redirect lightning, as long as you can control the flow your own energy. Only firebenders can create it though." She turned to them and smiled before calmly walking to face the Avatar. "Nala, be a good girl and keep them safe, ok?" The beast seemed to understand perfectly, taking a much broader stance in front of Asami and the downed detective.
Rya approached until she was only a dozen feet from the renegade Avatar. Korra seeming to stand in defiance, wearing a taunting smirk. "Sooo..." her expression flattened. "am I to assume you've been the one I've sensed peering into the-"
"Korra!" the girl yelled, shifting into a more aggressive stance. "I know you can hear me, everything's going to be fine, we're here to help!"
Somehow, her voice managed to reach the drowning Korra, "W-what?"
"Who's we're?" The possessor motioned to the broken ranks of the avatar's allies, "Them? Don't make me laugh."
"Afraid not." The girl seemed to cue an ambush of several other defectors. In an instant, Korra was engulfed by metal cables and a dense stone prison for good measure. Four earthbenders sporting metal bender cop cables emerged from the shadows, one of whom was Jorin.
He was a massive man built like a Rhino-Bear, shaved bald with sky blue eyes, towering over the rest. "Do you remember me Korra?" He spoke softly with a deep baritone voice, "I used to spar with you when you were just a little girl. I taught you the basics of earthbending. You caught on quick too, probably because you were so damn stubborn."
Korra had fond memories of Jorin at the south pole and seeing his name on the list of defectors never seemed right. But the way that girl spoke, seemed to reach her more than anything. We're here to help! Had they known this was going to happen? The waters that were threatening to swallow her whole halted.
Several more White Lotus members soon arrived. A tall, medium build man with light brown eyes and trim black hair approached the group from behind. The firebender, Lee. "Don't worry we brought healers Master Tenzin, they're tending to the wounded."
The airbender stood dumbfounded at his formality. He pondered the situation carefully before replying, "I only want to know one thing... can you help Korra?"
"Yes, Master Xin will be here soon. Until then we hold her off."
"GET BACK!" cried Rya, preceded by a shower of rock and metal shrapnel. The massive wings of Nala shielding Asami from any damage.
Korra stood, arms still outstretched in a T. "I'm not sure how much you know about me, but I assure you," her limbs slowly lowered, hanging loosely by her side. "there's nothing you can do to save her." Only the right corner of her lips perked, showing the overwhelming arrogance of this being.
The avatar launched herself into the crowd and began the attack, striking with a furry reminiscent of her struggle against Zaheer, only this time something else was in the driver seat.
Jorin was first to counter with several quick bursts of stone, precise enough not to cause fatal harm to the woman but fierce enough to force her back. This tactic would have worked on anyone other than the Avatar, who was quicker to counter with rocks of her own.
Rya bent from several water skins she stored under her cloak, molding it into domes to protect herself and the injured. She managed to escape the fray with a burst of fire and air from Lee and Tenzin respectively, rolling into a more defensible position by Korra's distraught girlfriend. "Asami," she slipped her arm under Mako's unconscious and tense frame, "you need to talk to her. I think you may be the only one here that can get through to her." She drew water from a skin strapped to her leg, placing it gently on the firebenders shoulder. "I'll take care of Mako."
Asami hesitated, shooting the woman and odd look. The situation was daunting but she was still unclear on whether to trust her friend in her care.
"Please Asami, you have to trust us! I'll take care of him. Your one of the most important people to Korra. Your voice should reach her."
Asami always trusted her gut; whether it was a business deal or first impressions, her instincts never lied. They told her this girl was genuine. She stood, poised to join the others in hopes of getting through to the berserker. "Will this, Xin, be able to help her?"
Rya replied without hesitation, "She's the only one who can, but she needs someone to get through to her first. To keep her from being consumed completely."
Asami chose to trust this stranger, offering her a simple nod in return before leaping into the conflict.
Korra was relentless. This thing had managed to retain all of her fury and prowess for combat, with an added ferocity unlike anything they had ever seen. She had dispatched most of the reinforcements and bodies littered the battlefield. Only a hand full remained; including Jorin, Lee and Tenzin. Jinora, Kai and Opal were all injured in various degrees, non lethal, but enough to keep them out of the fight. Bolin stood over them like a guard dog while the others did their best to keep Korra away.
Tenzin and Jorin were the best at non-lethal combat, the air bender able to push back and cancel out most attacks while the much larger earthbender could block the heavier strikes. Jorin firing the occasional fire blast when necessary to push her back.
Korra could hear their screams as her body laid the white lotus defectors to waste. Her inner strength and force of will being robbed and used against everyone trying to help. The chains of fear wrenched tighter, keeping her well restrained within her own mind. The dark waters of despair were no longer rising, but they had been grew colder. All felt lost until she heard her voice cry out from the chaos.
"KORRA!"
"...Asami." she whimpered.
The fearless woman charged head long into the fray, throwing herself in between the rampaging Avatar and the defenders. Her eyes filled with tears of fear and hurt, "Korra! What's the matter with you!?"
The battle stopped.
"What ever this is, you have to fight it! Don't let it take you!" her voice wavered with emotion. "We're all here for you! We all love you! ...I love you!"
Her words warmed the waters and loosened the chains. Korra felt Asami's strength bleeding into her, filling her with hope and power. She strained against her restraints with this new found vigor. "I-I'm not letting you use me anymore!"
Korra stood still for a moment, her cold dilated eyes scanning the battlefield before stopping on her lover. Her body visibly convulsing and twitching from the resistance, causing her to cringe. But that resistance was quickly squashed.
Korra felt the chains quickly tighten, losing all the footing she just gained. The waters became bone chilling and started to freeze. Her capture spoke to both the spectators and her captor, "Love?" it bore that sinister grin that had been chilling everyone to the core.
Asami took a defiant step forward, "Yes! Korra I know you're in there, you're fighting it as much as you can!" she glanced reluctantly over the bodies of the fallen one last time before continuing, "You can fight this...your the strongest person I've ever met. Not because your the Avatar or a powerful bender," she smiled softly, "but because you have one of the kindest hearts I've ever seen. You truly care for everyone you meet. You even convinced me to forgive Kuvira, the woman who killed my father right in front of me."
Korra heard every word from her girlfriend but try as she might, could not budge the chains, the ice growing denser with each passing second. This thing was far stronger then it was letting on, feeling as though the tiny bit of ground she fought for earlier was nothing more than a sick joke. Like letting a mouse take the cheese from a trap, while holding back the spring.
It politely waited to see if the black haired beauty had anything else to say. "You done?"
The girl said nothing in return hoping this Xin would soon show up to save the day. Nobody else felt the need to retort, opting to save their strength for the inevitable counter attack.
"Do you know what love is?" It asked.
"What!?" Asami replied, unsure on whether or not to take the question seriously.
"It is the strongest emotion one can experience. It gives you happiness, joy, something to look forward to, something to pick you up when your at your lowest. It can even give someone strength they didn't know they had. It can force an ordinary person into the extraordinary." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Unfortunately, it also leaves someone at their most vulnerable."
Everyone, even the seemingly well informed Lotus members were unclear on what she meant. Except Asami. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, having a slight clue as to what it was about to say.
"It makes you drop your guard, even if its subtle, it still happens. Love is the easiest emotion for me to take root in."
It's last statement confirmed the suspicions of all but the Lotus, who offered no real reaction, appearing to have already know about it or simply needing the beasts confirmation. This thing had been dwelling within Korra for a while now, waiting for the right moment to plant itself in her psyche.
"And once my roots have taken hold, it's impossible to tear them out." It looked to Asami, "I must thank you Miss Sato, I could have never taken her had she not fallen head over heels for you." It laughed, jolting it's head towards the downed Mako. "Don't feel to bad, I could have taken her when she was with the boy but I hadn't been around then."
Asami stood shaking almost uncontrollably from anger and disgust. Mostly towards the monster that had taken the woman she loved, but some was directed inward. Could this thing be telling the truth? she thought. Was it her fault?
"I wouldn't take to much of what that thing says to heart Miss Sato." A voice echoed from just out of sight, over the erie silence that blanketed the once noisy war zone. Only the occasional rumble of thunder. "Eventually, this would have happened no matter what." A tan skinned woman climbed the stairs leading to the dock, walking into the courtyard before stopping feet from Asami and the dominated Avatar. "Besides, like she said, your love and the love of her friends is more than just a weakness. It's her greatest strength."
This woman had a strong commanding presence about her, simply the way she climbed the steps showed just how confident she was, never batting an eye while staring down the mountain that lay before her, eyes a lighter shade of blue then the Avatar's. Her hair was draped down her back, tied evenly in three places, the color a sharp contrast to the white lotus uniform she wore loosely like a cloak. A rather large brown satchel hung from her side, with a large leather strap holding it up across her chest. Her expression bore the look of someone with decades of experience, although she looked to be a spry thirty something.
The Avatar looked the woman up and down, thinking hard about what venom it should spray next. "Ahhh, and you must me this Xin I've heard so much about?"
Her reply was rather confusing, "Unfortunately, yes."
"Then YOU must be the one I've sensed peering into the future when I did?"
Her gaze never wavered for a second, "Yep. That would be me."
"Then you must realize how hopeless it is to resist me. I have Korra as my vessel. Your all as good as dead."
Xin reached into the leather bag, pulling the strap over her head letting it fall gently to the ground, pulling out a small glass bottle filled with a bright purple liquid.
"Sorry it took so long, I had to wait for you to show your face before I made this, it's only good for about an hour."
Everyone seemed dumbfounded at the thought that this bright liquid could somehow save Korra. Everyone except her jailer. This was the first time it actually looked worried about anything. But it quickly shook the feeling. "I'm impressed. You've done your research. I wasn't even aware it was written in texts."
"It's not." Xin quickly took a solid stance, holding her free hand out to Korra. She then imposed her will onto the possessed Avatar, bloodbending her into a kneeling position.
Korra winced in pain while reality set in for the others. This was likely the woman bloodbending people to death, including Zaheer.
"Korra!" Tenzin cried out, struggling on whether or not to trust this criminal.
Raya was quick to plea with him, "Tenzin, if we wanted Korra dead, she'd be dead! Please, trust us!"
He looked to the girl healing Mako, then to the others that had been around Korra her whole life. Starting to see things rationally through his emotions. They obviously knew what was going on alot better than anyone else here and likely had a good reason for being so secret. Hopefully, he would soon have the answers they all desired.
Korra could feel the affects of the bloodbending, even while being held captive in her own mind. The sensation brought back terrible memories of Amon and the equalists. She had heard everything transpiring but was still unable to resist.
Xin approach with care, unsure on how much longer her hold would last.
"You think this can stop me!? Don't make me laugh!" It howled, pushing hard against the bloodbenders will, forcing more power from the woman. Korra's veins grew darker as the specter rose to face this new challenger. "I know what that is human! To bad you didn't know it requires another compound to be present in the body for at least two years to be affective!" It sneered with joy.
Xin drew a deep breath before giving the crew something else to be confused about. She clinched her eyes for a moment, drawing power from deep within her core. Then, her eyes tore open, glowing a radiant shade of teal. Her voice echoed through the open air, another, more gentle voice could be heard speaking in tandem. "Actually, I did."
She pushed hard against the Avatar as she approached, forcing her back down into a kneel. Everyone close to Korra stood silent as this woman bore glowing eyes much like that of their friend. Only the Lotus members seemed to understand this woman's power.
Xin stood over the girl placing her palm on her forehead, speaking with a gentle grace that could calm a raging moose-lion. "Korra, I know you can hear me." She popped the cork off the small glass bottle, bending it out while letting it fall to the ground. She split the liquid into two equal amounts, positioning them on opposite sides of her neck. "I know what you've seen...I've seen it too."
Korra couldn't believe what she was hearing. This woman's words seemed to loosen the chains. Xin somehow reached the Avatar when the others couldn't, not even Asami could chip away at her icy prison.
"Nooo!" the impostor struggled, but with no luck. The tide had turned.
"Korra, I'm going to help you but I need you do break free first."
"I-I can't."
"Yes you can, or have you forgotten?"
She paused for a moment to search her thoughts, "I-I don't know what your talking about."
"Yes you do. You were the first person in 10,000 years to awaken their inner spirit and transcend the physical plane. Did you forget how you defeated Vaatu on harmonic convergence and restored Raava?"
Her eye's ripped open.
"Remember that feeling. Raava may be lost for the time being but you don't need her to do this."
She thought back to harmonic convergence, when all felt lost. But after a pep talk from Tenzin, Korra was able to do the impossible and regain Raava. It started in her core then erupted outward, the force shattering both chains and ice. Her eyes radiated a light blue, but not from Raava's presence. Rather than being one solid color, the outlines could be seen clear as day.
"No! No! NOOOOO!" It screamed.
Korra was free from it's grasp but still didn't have control of her body.
Xin smiled, "Good, Korra."
"Now what!?" she asked, eager to be free.
"This next part is going to hurt for a few seconds, and it's going to bring back some hard memories. But, I promise you, I'll explain everything when your free."
It was difficult to trust her, even though she just helped Korra break free from this monsters grasp and offered a full explanation. But the fact remained, she had brutally killed all those Red Lotus members and the grand Lotus himself. She debated and decided it was a risk worth taking if it meant an explanation along with freedom.
"Ok... go for it."
A second later Xin force the liquid through Korra's skin, into the veins in her neck. The terrible memories of that day came racing back; Zaheer, the poison, the rage. All overwhelming.
"AHHHHH!" Both Korra and her captor cried out in unison. The burning was unreal, but she could feel herself regaining control and the dark presence faded.
"Korra!" Asami yelled in fear, rushing to her side. The others quickly fallowing suit.
The whole ordeal only lasted a few seconds.
Korra collapsed, unconscious, into the arms of her savior. "Easy, rest now."
Asami knelt beside Korra, "Thank you."
"No problem." Xin stood, bringing Korra up with the assistance of her companions.
The others approached, Tenzin leading the pack. "Is she alright?!"
"She'll be fine...for now. She just needs rest." Xin replied. "I'll explain everything when Korra wakes up."