Author Notes:

To my dear reviewer and probably many who read this story, it is hard to answer your question without revealing too much, but at this point, I have given small clues of Asami's affection for Korra, but let me say if you enjoy korrasami you will not be disappointed. (well hopefully not *fingers crossed*).

Ok, next on the agenda, there will be some triggers in this chapter. There will be torture scenes, gore, and death, proceed at your own discretion.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

EM ;)


CH. 6 Darkness Revealed


My eyelids feel heavy as I open them. My vision begins to clear and I find myself laying in a bright green meadow. I look up into the sky to see it is filled with flying creatures that varied in colors and sizes. There was a sense of familiarity, but at the same time, I knew I had never been here before.

I sit up and watch as the creatures seem to be running away in panic from the north.

Still confused I look behind me to see a large beam of light reaching high into the sky and wondered where I was, but something seemed to call me to the north.

A feeling of dread enters my soul as I get up and start walking toward the voice that called out to me in distance.

A few steps transported me miles and before I knew it I was standing in front of a desolate land.

The dirt was void of any plant life and even its' color was black with death. The few standing structured looked like they were once trees, but have dead for many years. The dead land seemed to only cover a circular area like a crater and deep down I knew something must have happened here long ago.

Just beyond the crater, the land continued lush and green.

I feel the pull of something calling me in my chest again as I look towards the center of the crater.

My vision blurs and an image seems to go across my mind and the wasteland turns lush again and a giant tree stands in the middle. The trunk of the tree is twisted and the twisting branches reach high into the sky.

As quickly as the vision came it disappeared and the same desolate land stands before me. I begin to walk towards the calling, but a voice stops me.

"Stop."

"Who…?"


The cold water brings me back to the real world and the painful realization, I am still alive.

"Tsk tsk. Now Avatar, what did I tell you about falling asleep during our playtime?"

I barely have the strength to lift my head and stare into those cold amber eyes.

It has been three long days of torture.

She never sleeps, she hardly ate but seems to thrive on the pain she inflicts on me.

I feel the metal claw she wears on her fingers pick up my chin and I try my best to use my own strength to keep my head up because I know if my weight falls onto that finger it will easily slice through my flesh, again.

"I see you are really awake now," she says as she turns towards her table filled with utensils of torture and a bowl of unpitted cherries.

She picks up a small carving knife weighing it in her hand and turns back towards me with a smile. She elegantly walks to the wall that has a black leather apron on a hook and places it around herself. She lightly places the knife into her mouth as she ties her raven hair up and out of her way.

I knew what the apron meant. I knew she only wore it when she was going to make a mess.

I watch her reach into her mouth taking the knife and walking back towards me. She did everything so slowly so that I would agonize over what infliction was coming towards me, and what cruelty would come to her sadistic mind and then she did it.

She began humming her lullaby as she reaches over and grips my face with one hand placing the knife into my mouth with her other.

I shut my eyes tight as I felt the knife fill my mouth and the blade placed against the inside of my check and held there.

I feel my chest begin to rise and fall faster and faster as I imagined the pain it will bring, but she just holds it there. I open my eyes as I feel her move it back hoping she was just messing with my mind, but as soon as I look up the knife is thrust through my cheek exiting the other side.

I hold my breath as I feel the slow pulling of my flesh against the blade.

I wasn't allowed to scream.

If I screamed she would bring in the healers and do it over and over until my screams would stop.

I found myself humming the lullaby with her as my mouth filled with blood and finally felt the flap of cheek rest against my jaw.

I managed to squeeze my eyes shut as my body began to shake from the severe pain, but even then I held in my cries and scream. Suddenly her grip tightens on my jaw and I could feel one of her claws break the skin.

"Look at me."

I try to open my eyes, but they are shut too tightly because of the pain, and then I feel another nail break the skin.

"I said look at me."

In a quick motion, I open my eyes and I know what she sees. Fear.

She smiles as she brushes a strand of hair from my face with the same hand she holds the bloody knife.

"I'm going to let the healers patch you up and I will decide if we are going to continue this today or not. For now, rest my little Avatar."

She places a small kiss on my forehead and releases my jaw. My head immediately falls against my chest and blood pours out of my mouth.

In a matter of moments, two healers rush to me and release me from the chair. The male healer picks me up in a quick motion and takes me to one of the cells on the far wall while the female healer rushes after us with a bowl of water.

I feel him place me on the bed as he assesses the damage done to me.

"Quickly we need to get started on her face."

The woman reaches towards me, but I try to get away.

"I'm trying to help you. My husband and I are the best healers in empire besides the Emperors personal healers."

I look into her kind eyes, but I don't understand.

She holds up the small bowl of water to me.

"We are water benders and this water is from a spirit oasis. It will heal almost anything so if you let me I can take all this pain away quickly."

I look at the water that seemed to gleam with a small glow and nod my head.

I lay back down and they quickly begin bending the water onto my body. At first, it is cool, but soon a warm light begins to glow from the water and the pain slowly begins to go away.


I don't know when I fell asleep, but I suddenly open my eyes to see the woman is the only one left and she is still working on my cheek.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I am almost done. It doesn't seem like there will be a scar, but you are lucky she saved it for last or I wouldn't have been able to repair it as easily."

She bends the water back into the bowl and begins to leave the cell.

"Wait," I manage to croak out.

She stops and turns towards me.

"What happened to the boy that came with me, Mako?"

I watched as she fidgeted with the soiled water a bit.

"He's fine, but he has been with the Dai Li."

I watched her eyes sadden for a moment.

"Don't expect him to be the same boy you remember. He belongs to her now."

My heart drops what could she be doing to him? He came here because of the Emperor not because he was a traitor or prisoner like me.

I hear her begin to leave the cell and before she locks the cell behind her I speak up quickly.

"Umm. Thank you, you know, for fixing me up."

She smiles kindly.

"There is only one person who can bring balance."

I feel my eyes widen as the whisper leaves my lips.

"The Avatar."

She smiles again.

"Stay strong Korra. It won't be long."


I stand again in front of the crater as the center calls out to me.

"Go back, Korra."

"Who are you?"

The voice sounds so familiar and I answer back so easily to it.

"I am the light inside you, Raava. I am the spirit of peace and light and who allows you to be reborn every lifetime."

I don't argue with the voice inside. I had always felt I was never alone and the answer she gave me felt right.

"What happened here?"

"Centuries ago you and I imprisoned a very powerful spirit using a tree that grew in the middle of this crater and allowed not only the human world but the spirit world to live in peace until one day a very spiritual man was called by the spirit trapped inside the trunk of the tree.

He was in commune with the spirits and as he found the entrance to the spirit world the call of the evil spirit became stronger eventually leading him to the tree.

The spirit spoke through the tree and deceived the man with lies and revealed to the man how to release him from his imprisonment. All that was needed was a bender strong enough to spirit bend the tree which unraveled it allowing him to go free.

It took time for the water bender to learn how to spirit bend and by that time a few spirits had seen what the evil spirit was up to and had gone to inform the Avatar at the time…."

As I listen I feel my vision blur and my mind transported to another time.

I am running through the spirit world and I see what use to be bright colors and peaceful spirits all becoming angry and dark.

"Avatar Chen you must hurry I believe Esk has begun to spirit bend the tree!"

I jump into the air and propel myself forward with fire bursting from my hands and feet and I finally see the great tree in front of me surrounded by a blue stream of glowing water.

I land hard on the ground, but I continue running forward towards the man.

"Stop!"

The bending ceases for a moment as the man turns to face me.

"You do not know what you are doing! Do Not Release Vatuu!"

It seemed that in a blink of an eye a black tentacle escapes from the tree grabbing the man and crushing him instantly.

Blood sprays across my face as I look up at the tree in horror.

I see white cracks in the tree as the tentacle is forced back into the tree, but then the cracks begin to widen.

"You are too late, Avatar! You alone cannot force me to stay in this prison!"

A booming laugh is heard as the tree begins to split down the middle.

I can feel the fear begin to rise inside me, but I know I cannot allow this spirit to go free.

"Raava, is there a way to still imprison him?''

A moment goes by.

"Yes, the tree itself will not hold him you must fuse him to the tree and destroy it shatter him into millions of pieces."

That was all I needed to hear as I ran towards the tree.

I feel a warming sensation take over my body, then a bright light engulfs me completely, and finally I feel my bending power rise beyond I had ever felt.

I get into a stance and pull all the water around me, from the plants, the trees, every last bit I could find and I begin to slowly bend it rhythmically around the tree. The water quickly begins to glow and begins to wrap around the tentacles that are free.

Suddenly the tree slips open and the large spirit is released and over towering me, but I continue moving and bending even more water.

The booming laugh is ringing in my ears as I continue bending.

"Why are you still trying Avatar the prison can no longer hold me and your weak bending can't hold me here forever."

I can feel my body begin to lose strength.

"Raava, please I need your help," I manage to say through my clenched teeth.

My thoughts go to people that I must save and I feel my love for them overpower the fear I feel for myself and slowly I watch as my arms began to glow and it begins to move over my entire body.

I was one with Raava and the water bending around Vatuu.

I hear the laughs stop as Vatuu notices the change.

I take this chance to tighten the spirit water around Vatuu and crashing him into the trunk and limbs of the tree. I feel his resistance as I force him to fuse.

The yells and cursing echo throughout the spirit world as I finish fusing him to the tree, but I know it cannot hold him long so I must hurry and destroy the tree.

I burst into the air again and I begin to form a ball of lava and fire above my head. I can feel the heat of it radiating against my back as it becomes larger and larger and finally when I see Vatuu trying to release himself I send the molten rock down onto the tree with a crashing boom.

I watch as the explosion bursts the tree into a million pieces and scatters them throughout the spirit world.

I take a sigh of relief as all the colors return to normal and all the spirits begin to revert back to their original selves.

I feel my body lower to the ground and the glowing slowly dims out as I lay against the bright green grass with a smile on my face….

I am back at the crater facing the wasteland as Raava speaks again.

"Even though Vatuu spirit was spread across the spirit world it does not mean he is gone. Feeling this presence again means he has found a way to bring pieces of himself together."

"What must I do to keep him from reappearing?"

"Nothing for the moment. Even if he has somehow put pieces of himself together it is not nearly enough to regain his body and full power, but be watchful Korra."


The sound of my cell door opening wakes me. I see it is the woman from before. I can feel that my joints are stiff as I try to get up to greet her.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Three days."

As the past few days go through my brain I can't help but feel hopeless in my situation. I lift my eyes as she walks towards me lifting my face softly in her hand.

"It healed very nicely."

"When you said it won't be long, what did you mean?"

She slowly looked towards the main door behind us and turned towards me and kneeling down as if inspecting my arm.

"The white lotus has sent me and my husband to get you out. We were told to send them a secure message as soon as we came into contact with you. They will be here to attack the island in a few days and that is when we will get you out. It is very dangerous so I will not talk about this again nor will you ask."

I nod my head.

She gets up again and looks sincerely into my eyes.

"Stay strong, Korra."

I nod again and watch her as she leaves the cell and the torture chamber.

Just I was about to lay down again the door bursts open and my body clenches at the sound of Azula humming the lullaby.

I look towards her and I am shocked to see Mako walking right next to her.

His eyes seemed slightly glazed over, but he wasn't hurt. She turned and faced me with an evil smile.

"My dearest Avatar did you enjoy your rest? I had a few errands to take care of. I hope you didn't miss me too much?"

She and Mako walk over to my cell and she unlocks it, not fearing that I would attacker her.

"Mako be a dear and retrieve the prisoner."

I watch him walk towards me, but his eyes are empty and don't seem to look at me. He picks me up by my arm forcing me to my feet and begins dragging me to Azula.

I look at her and my anger is now over boiling.

"What did you do to him?"

She lets out a chuckle.

"I made him into a more obedient dog. Mako takes her and strap her nice and tight onto the table."

He doesn't even look at me as he bows and forces me out of the cell.

"Mako, look at me. It's me Korra," I whisper to him hoping maybe I can get through.

"You are the Avatar, a demon that brings destruction to this land. I must protect my family from you."

He almost says it mechanically as if he has been repeating the same phrase over and over.

"No, I am your friend I wouldn't hurt you or Bolin."

I watch as something changes in his eyes when I say Bolin's name, but soon the same glazed look takes over.

He stops me in front of a table and with a few cranks of a level the table shifts 90 degrees. He grabs me by my shoulders forcing my back onto that table. He begins tightening the titanium restraints around my wrists and ankles, forcing me into place.

"Please, Mako, you promised." I manage to croak out.

I can't take another few days of torture. I can't do it. I'll go insane.

I look up and see that his eyes are fluttering and the glazed look is gone and I see a tear begin to fall as he stared into my eyes, but then Azula appears right next to him and whispers to him as she caresses his hair.

"Who is she, Mako?"

"The Avatar," he replies automatically.

"What is the Avatar?"

"A demon that brings destruction to this land and whom I must protect my family from."

"And if you don't control the Avatar what will happen?"

"It will kill my family and friends."

"So what must you do?"

"Control the Avatar."

"Exactly," she purrs into his ear.

I look into Mako's eyes as I try to find the real Mako, but he is gone again and walks away from me.

"Oh, Avatar what strong connections you have managed to make even in the small prison you were held in."

A maid walks into the torture chamber with a glass of what looks like wine and the bowl of unpitted cherries Azula loves to eat as she tortures me.

Azula walks over drinking the whole glass as she hands it back to the maid and gestures her to place the cherries near her instruments of torture.

"I feel ready for a little more fun aren't you?"

I glare at her as she walks over to the table. Her fingers grazing each tool, but quickly snatches it up.

"On second thought maybe it would be more fun to just watch."

She snaps her fingers and two butlers quickly come in carrying a heavy chair. She walks over to it and sits comfortably as she crosses her leg over the other.

"Mako?"

Mako walks over to her from beside me and bows to her.

"Yes, Mistress Azula."

"Beat her."

Without a second thought, he turns to her and with a look of raging anger comes to me backhanding me with all his strength.

My head twisted so quickly the room begins to fade away, but I am quickly brought back when a sharp pain hits my stomach causing me to gasp for air.

He doesn't stop or slow down. Hit after hit I can't help, but stare at the empty amber eyes as he beats me. The boy who promised to protect me is gone.

Suddenly he stops and I look up to see Azula holding her hand up.

"What do you feel Avatar? Do you feel angry? Angry at your parents for giving you life? Angry at your friends for easily abandoning you? Angry at the universe for choosing you to be the Avatar?"

I did feel angry. I felt angry because of all those things, but no matter how angry I was I wouldn't let it take control of me, I still had hope.

I turn to look at the boy covered in my blood and his bruised hand.

"I forgive you, Mako," I managed to whisper.

Suddenly Azula bursts out laughing.

"After all that you still care about him?!"

"When I get out of here I swear I am going to make you pay for everything you have done."

She smiles and walks towards me.

"That sounds a little vengeful for an Avatar? If you ever do get out of here, you will call me teacher."

She starts laughing again but is cut short when the door opens abruptly.

A thin man with glasses and green clothing walks in. Azula's eyes widen in excitement.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, ma'am the ray gun is done."

"Thank you, Baatar, you will return to your family soon."

He bows and leaves the room.

"It seems we have run out of time Avatar and you still need to learn to let go of hopeless desires and learn to find your strength in anger and chaos."

She snaps her fingers again and guards bring in the healer and her husband.

She walks over to them as they are forced to kneel.

"Now, Avatar I hope you did not think I was stupid enough not to know these two were traitors."

I can feel my body tense. The last hope I had was that the white lotus would arrive, that they would save me.

"Tell me Avatar, who do I kill first?"

A crackling sound is heard from her hand as lightning sparks between her fingers.

Was she serious? Was she really going to make me choose?

I stand there unable to answer with my mouth open as I look at the husband and wife.

The woman speaks first.

"We are both willing to die, don't worry Korra."

With another laugh, Azula grabs her head into her palm and I watch as the healer's eye roll back and her teeth clench in agony, but unable to scream.

"They are prepared to die, but are they prepared to be tortured?"

Azula lets go of the healer and she begins to gasp and twitch on the floor but was still alive.

"I'll make it easier on you, Avatar, to save the other who should I kill?"

My thoughts are so clouded with confusion. Am I really that weak that I can't save the two people who have been helping me? The two people who risked everything to come to this place to rescue me? I don't want either of them to die.

Suddenly Azula is back at the wife side and has her claw against the healer's neck.

"Time is ticking."

I keep shaking my head no. I don't want this to happen and that when the screams started.

I look up as her claw begins to glow red and is being pressed against the wife's neck.

"Kill me!" I scream.

"That's not a choice, Avatar. Choose someone to die and save the other or they both die."

Again I am shaking my head almost insanely as I try to get out of my restraints.

"Korra pick me!"

I turn to the husband as he kneels there, crying.

"Korra chose me and save her," he begs.

I can't. I can't.

He then stands up and rushes me only to be stopped by the guards.

"TELL HER YOU CHOSE ME! DAMMIT KORRA SAY IT!"

The screaming intensifies as Azula engulfs her hand in flames by the healer's face.

"Last chance, Avatar."

"KORRA PLEASE!"

Before a word can come out of my mouth the wife is engulfed in flames and her screams pierce my ears.

I stand there crying as I watch her body slowly stop moving and the fire consumes everything that made her look remotely human.

I look at the husband who is as shocked as I am and hear as he whispers, "kill me instead."

Azula begins humming again as she walks over the shocked husband taking his head into her hands. His eyes looked empty as he whispers again, "kill me instead."

With a swift movement, she breaks his neck and his body slumps onto the floor.

"My patience ran out," she says as she wipes her hands.

"If you thought that by not talking you could save them you were wrong. You killed both of them Avatar."

My eyes are glued to the bodies as the guards begin to remove them from the chamber.

"If your hope hasn't been completely shattered by killing those two, maybe I should kill one more person."

My eyes face Azula and look into the direction she is facing, Mako.

With another snap of her fingers, a large machine is brought in, a weapon of some kind and the thin man comes in with it and begins to set it up. Slowly it begins to glow green and hum with power.

"This is a new invention my dearest friend has made for me. It will blast spirit energy in whatever lies before it and completely destroy it. I plan to test run it on your beloved Mako."

I look towards him and I see him unfazed by her revelation.

"Mako please stand here."

As she says it he walks in the path of the ray gun.

I begin to fight against my restraints. I cannot allow someone else to die.

I watch as Azula goes behind the ray gun with Baatar and the humming and glowing begins to intensify.

I pull against my restraints again, but it is useless I cannot break free.

"It's ready ma'am," I hear Baatar say to Azula.

She looks at me with a smile.

"Fire it at him."

As the weapons begins to charge I feel my body begin to lighten. I watch as a glow begins to cover my body and I feel my soul become one with Raava as I had felt in the vision of the past and I knew I would be able to save him.

I pull against my restraint again and pull them free from the table freeing myself. I rush in front of him as beam begins to fire.

Instinctively, I point my left hand to the incoming beam as my right hand comes across my chest and point it in a different direction.

The beam enters my body through my left hand and is released in bolts of lightning through my right hand. I had somehow managed to redirect the beam away from him.

I scream in agony as the heat of the beam burns through my body and spirit. I could only imagine I was still alive because of Raava's spiritual power.

Even in all that pain, I try to see passed the electrifying pain and look towards Mako.

I see his eyes wide in shock as he stares at me. The fog gone from his eyes and suddenly see his eyes change direction. I turn slowly to see Azula smiling as she comes towards me with a wooden dagger. Unable to move from my position as the beam holds me in place I watch as Mako tackles her, but is quickly thrown aside with a bolt of lightning hitting him through his shoulder.

I watch in horror as Azula stands in front of me and raises the dagger high and stabs it directly into my chest.

I scream in a harmony of voices as I feel something pulsate from the wound. I look down to see a darkness begin to emerge.

I feel my soul ripping apart and everything around me changing between red and white. I begin to hear voices in my head among my screaming and one suddenly vanishes.

The beam stops and my body falls to the ground.

I hear about 5 or 6 guards trying to pick me up, but something is wrong.

The calmness I once felt was gone and anger fueled me.

I begin to hear a thick laugh echo throughout the dungeon and soon realize it is me, but not me.

I stand up and realize I am not in control of my own body and with a sweep of my hand all the guards are turned into a mist of blood covering Azula and me.

"Azula my beautiful princess I am extremely proud of you. You manage to do this perfectly."

I watch as she bows to me.

"It was my pleasure Master Vaatu."


End of Chapter Notes:

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Hope you liked the new chapter!

EM ;)