Chapter 7: Into the Abyss
"So, to start." Aang said to Korra. "...what did my son Tenzin teach you?"
"Well…" Korra said in response. "...he taught me to move more lightly on my feet, like a leaf in the wind…"
"Aang nodded approvingly in response to this and gestured for Korra to continue: "And he's been trying to teach me how to better
"Good. Then you're already on the right path. Keeping on it is the challenge. But something my son didn't teach you, is to learn how to loosen up a little. Sometimes just letting go and moving with the flow, much like a leaf in the wind, is the way to go. Here, let me show you."
And then, in a single fluid motion, Aang conjured up an air-scooter, the move that he had created himself and as such had become its first-ever master. Korra had seen Aang's granddaughters ride air-scooters on occasion, but Aang's kept together far longer then theirs did, and not only that, but he rode it ten times better too, all the while laughing that same, light-hearted laugh that brought a smile to Korra's face. She could easily see where Ikki had gotten her boundless energy from. And hers too for that matter.
Finally, Aang concluded his demonstration and Korra couldn't help but applaud, as well as ask: "I thought you said in your journal that when you went to the Spirit World you couldn't airbend?"
"So you read that thing, did you?" Aang chuckled. "Now I'm impressed. Yes, its true that I couldn't airbend in the Spirit World before. But now that I've...'passed on', I and your other past lives are no longer bound by the same restrictions that we were in life, Spirit World or Human World."
"I see…" Korra said before changing the subject: "Well, if I had to name one thing the two of us do have in common, its energy."
Aang nodded. "Yes, we do. But you're also very aggressive. Combative. Quick with your bending but slow to talk things out."
If anyone other then Avatar Aang had said that to her, Korra would have been indignant. But as it was Avatar Aang who was telling it to her, and, in all honesty, he was absolutely right, Korra held her tongue.
"Flexibility and finding the path of least resistance is key to using airbending. When I was growing up in the Southern Air Temple, the monks taught me how to solve my everyday problems by finding peace and freedom. It is far more then just spirituality, Korra. You need to not only learn mindfulness and self-control, you need to embrace it."
Korra hung her head low. "I can't" she said simply.
"And why are you so sure of that?"
"Because I know myself well enough to know that conflict avoidance isn't my thing. I'm not you, Aang."
"You don't need to be to learn how to embrace self-control and mindfulness."
"I'm…" Korra sighed deeply. "Look Aang, you're right: I am aggressive. I'm combative by nature. I like to fight…I don't try to hurt people, I just like bending battles, that's all. And I'm not one for backing down from a challenge either."
Aang chuckled. "You really do remind me of Toph…"
Well, there you go: Toph Bei-Fong definitely wasn't airbender material and if what you're telling me is true, neither am I."
Aang shook his head. "You keep telling yourself that it will come true. Take it from someone who knows that being down on yourself and punishing yourself for perceived failures and things you can't seem to do doesn't work. You have to try. And keep trying. An old friend of mine once told my brother-in-law that you can't give up just because you might fail. The same applies to you. Just tryit, Korra. I'm not telling you to give up Pro-Bending…" Aang's saying that last bit, and in the process revealing just how much he knew about Korra's personal life, caught her off-guard. Aang gave a knowing wink and a smile before continuing: "…but what I am saying is to try handling both problems and life differently. Try not to take the aggressive path first. Remember: just like how air flows wherever it can, there is usually more then one solution to a problem."
"Yeah…" Korra said, "…about that. You know about my pro-bending, so I'm just going to go and assume that you know about what's happening in Republic City right now…"
Aang nodded. "I do. And I think that that is a prime example of putting everything I've just told you to good use. When I was helping stop the Fire Nation, that was one kind of conflict. But Amon and his equalists are a different one. The war they are waging is one of ideals. And trying to crush ideals with brute force won't work."
"So should I just let Amon and his equalists keep attacking and de-bending people?"
Aang shook his head. "No. You have a right and a duty to protect the innocent when they are being attacked. That's one thing. But attempting to silence the voice of dissent won't work. To defeat Amon and his equalists for good, you need to understand their position, and go from there."
"But how do I do that?" Korra pressed.
"Think about it, Korra. Once you understand why Amon does what he does, you will know how to deal with him and his equalists. Until then, you must do what you can to protect innocents, both benders and non-benders, the way you think is best. I can't decide everything for you or tell you what to do. I can only give you my advice and hope you take it."
Korra nodded. "I'll do my best. But one last thing: could you tell me who Amon might be?"
Aang shook his head. "I'm sorry Korra, but I don't know. If I had even the slightest idea I'd give you a warning, but I don't."
"Ah well. Guess I'm back to square one…"
"I wouldn't say that…" Aang said with a smile. Korra smiled back.
"So…" she said, looking around. "I guess it might be time for me to go."
"We'll meet again, Korra."
Korra laughed. "We'll see. I think I got lucky getting here this time."
"You got here through tenacity and perseverance. Those aren't bad qualities to have. And if you follow my advice I know I'll be seeing you again."
Korra nodded. And with this, she got into a Lotus Position, closed her eyes, and began to meditate. Once again, she felt the same odd sensations, and once again, she heard a strange hollow chuckling. But this time, Korra was certain it was not Aang's. She could have, and probably emshould/em have, let it go, but she couldn't. She had to know what it was.
So she focused on it. Focused on it with the same tenacity she had before. And again, the chuckling grew louder, and soon more resembled a dark and soulless laugh. Korra could now hear it quite clearly in her head. Then she opened her eyes.
Sitting in front of Korra, in a lotus position identical to hers, was a figure whose curved body shape was distinctly feminine, but was also most definitely emnot /emhuman. For one thing, she was bald as an egg, but it also looked like her hair had been forcibly ripped off by some unknown force, leaving behind what eerily resembled a bare and injured scalp-line, which was unnerving for Korra to look at, to say the least. All over here bare (and breast-less) chest were strange and unusual markings that Korra didn't recognize for a second, and she had ears that were far too pointy and slanted to belong to a human's. She wore little except a tattered, brown, and thoroughly ruined dress, and a necklace that looked to be made from the bones of small animals. Most unsettling of all, her hands were not human, but rather as black as coal and looking like stone, with sharpened talons in place of human fingers. The thing that Korra could only assume was a spirit just flashed a devilish-looking smile at the young Avatar, as if she knew something Korra didn't.
"Not what you were expecting was I?" the spirit said in a voice that was surprisingly human and average for a being as bizarre-looking as her. It was then that Korra also caught onto the fact that she was not back on Air Temple Island, nor was she were she was before. Looking around, she saw that she and the spirit were on a large floating mass of earth surrounded by an orange sky and clouds. All around her were several other floating masses of earth, some of which had trees on them.
"I'm…I'm still in the Spirit World?"
"Well what do you think, honey?" the Spirit asked with a chuckle. "Yeah, you're still here all right. Truth be told I wasn't expecting you to actually make it here in the first place, what with you not exactly being the spiritual type and all. Personally, I blame your persistence." The Spirit shook her head and smiled. "Or some of your past lives choosing to chip in. Either or."
So the spirit knew about Korra's less-than stellar connection to her spiritual side. Korra was sorely tempted to get annoyed but remembered Tenzin and Aang's lessons to her about mindfulness and self-control, and did her best to restrain herself. Instead, she asked: "Wait. So…my past lives may have helped me get into the Spirit World?"
"Possibly. If so, then that must mean they really wanted you to come here. Wonder why?"
"I have no idea." Korra replied honestly. "Who, or what are you exactly?"
"Ah, so we've gotten to the names already have we?" the Spirit let out a sigh that was composed of both boredom and weary resignation, and the tone in her voice was the same: "Must you humans name everything? Nothing's real to you until you've given it a name…along with some kind of limit."
"That's not true" Korra said. "Its just…things…need names" she finished lamely.
The Spirit shook her head and made a "tsk tsk" noise. "Oh, very well, if you insist. You may call me Zheng Chao."
"Uh…pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, Sugar." Zheng Chao replied. "Don't get many visitors in my neck of the woods nowadays. Always fun to meet someone new…"
"Right…so, how do I get off of this…"
"Oh, this place? Well, you could always leave. As in, leave the Spirit World. But you already tried that and it didn't work out so well the first time did it?"
"Only because I…"
"…because you were so determined to track me down, right?" Zheng Chao chuckled. "I tell you what: I'll make this real simple for you: just grab hold of me and hang on tight, and I'll take you back."
"What, can you fly or something?" Korra asked skeptically.
Zheng Chao's devilish smile widened a great deal as she replied: "Oh, I can do far more than just that, but yes, I can fly. Observe." Standing up, Zheng Chao sprouted a pair of brown-feathered wings. She then held out a taloned hand to Korra.
"Well, sugar? Yea or nay?"
Korra hesitated for a moment, not sure if she trusted Zheng Chao. She tried to exit the Spirit World the way she came, but after several minutes of meditating and trying to calm her mind, she came up dry. She was still sitting on the same floating land mass in the Spirit World, with Zheng Chao standing there impatiently waiting for her to make up her mind.
Seeing that she seemed unable to leave the Spirit World on her own, Korra resigned herself to her fate and decided to finally accept a ride from this bizarre spirit. And so Korra took Zheng Chao's taloned hand, and the Spirit held Korra close to her, wrapping her gaunt arms over the young Avatar's waist.
And then they were off.
Korra instinctively shut her eyes in anticipation of whatever was to happen, and felt a rush of air hit her face and her heart pound fiercely in her chest, both things causing her to close her eyes more tightly. But then, as Korra felt the air around her calm, she dared to open her eyes.
She saw staring her down sights that were simply impossible to describe. The rest was a seemingly never-ending torrent of colors, structures, and landscapes, all presented before her in a never-ending tide. Seas of browns gave way to greens and then to reds and golds as the landscape also changed, from forests to jungles to plains and then back again. And there were other things too; flashes of light that came in too many colors to name, and creatures that defied rationality and instead embraced imagination.
"Lovely view, huh? Bit more then you expected, honey?"
"It…its amazing…even more than Republic City…"
"Everything you see before you has been around for a millennia before the first of your world's cities and villages even had their first homes, and it'll all be here a millennia after your "Republic City" is a pile of dust and debris in the middle of nowhere."
Zheng Chao's ominous prediction of what Republic City's final fate would be unnerved Korra, but she also wondered if maybe Zheng Chao wasn't right. After all, how many things lasted forever?
So long as it doesn't happen in my lifetime. Korra decided.
Finally, the pairs flight took them past the rest of the Spirit World. Suddenly, the skies became a drab grayish color, and the clouds grew thin. Looking down, Korra saw only emptiness in the form of a grayish void. It was an unsettling sight, and it increased Korra's fears of falling, so she chose to just look straight ahead from there on out.
"Uh…where exactly are you taking me?" Korra asked.
Zheng Chao chuckled again, which unnerved Korra. She hoped that she hadn't made a huge mistake in trusting this strange and eccentric spirit to take her out of the Spirit World.
"You'll see" she said simply. "I'm going to show you something you might be interested in." Then, she added: "You may want to close your eyes and hold on tight now, sugar"
And then, without any kind of warning, Zheng Chao did a dive-bomb and as she sped through the air, Korra looked out to see what they were flying towards. It was a purple mass that looked like a swirling whirpool, or the yawning maw of a tornado, but also looking like the never-ending void of a great black pit. None of the comparisons were inviting ones.
And yet Zheng Chao flew right through it with Korra still clinging on. The resulting experience was many different kinds of sensations wracking Korra's entire body, and none of them were good. For one, she felt cold. Very, very, cold, as if she were entombed in layers of ice. That this was her spirit feeling this only made it all the more unsettling. She also felt dizzy and nauseous in equal measure, and as everything in front became more and more distorted, she had no way of knowing if it was really changing before her eyes, or if it was her own growing vertigo that was brutally assaulting her senses at that moment. Between it all, Korra felt just as helpless as she had when at Amon's mercy. She was in an excruciatingly uncomfortable position and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.
Then, mercifully, it came to an end. Korra's nausea and dizziness quickly began to fade, and soon it was as if it had never even been present. As things came back into focus, Korra was confronted with an utterly bizarre landscape:
She was standing on rock as black as coal, and all around her the landscape was utterly barren and lifeless. The black rock seemed to be floating amidst a void, with the land-mass leading off into several long thin, black stone bridges that led to a massive mountain, of which a bright bluish-white light shone in the center of the mountain. It was this world's only source of light. Everywhere else there was naught but darkness. When Korra looked to see if there was anything behind her, she saw nothing. Off in the distance in front of her, however, was what looked to her eyes like a small black dot way off in the distance, somehow managing to stand out even amidst the rest of the darkness.
"See anything you like?"
Zheng Chao's voice recaptured Korra's attention. She turned to see the Spirit once again sitting in a lotus position, her wings now nowhere to be seen. She had a remarkably smug grin on her face.
"Where did you take me?" Korra demanded.
"This place?" Zheng Chao shrugged. "Oh, just a place. One of many."
"Don't be cryptic" Korra said, losing her patience. "Where are we?"
"Well, if you must know, we're still in the Spirit World."
"I figured as much" Korra replied in a deadpan, not amused or satisfied with the response. "But where in the Spirit World? This doesn't look anything like the rest of it…"
"Oh, there's far more to the Spirit World then just what you saw, little Avatar. Far more. And in any event, the question is not where, but when. To be specific, we are in the Spirit World…at the end of time."
"Wha…what?"
"This is the Spirit World after the end of days: when my world and yours both burned to a crisp. Every living thing on your world perished, and as for mine, well, the results are what you see before you…"
Zheng Chao held out a taloned hand at the scene before her and Korra as she continued: "The Spirit World a charred, barren ruin, careening helplessly and inexorably into a black void. How the mighty have fallen…"
Korra found her heart and mind both racing. There was no way any of this could be real…
"I don't believe you" Korra said simply. "What kind of sick joke is this?"
Zheng Chao chuckled. "Oh, its no joke. This is what awaits our worlds. Both of them…you see, there is far more to the universe then just what you think, little Avatar. To put it in terms you can understand, there is a storm coming. One that will sweep aside everything and anything in your world. There will be nothing left."
"Why…" Korra asked, absorbing the prophecy that had just been said to her. It was impossible to believe, and yet the evidence was right in front of her. This was the Spirit World in the future: as dark and lifeless as a black pit.
"Why am I showing you this?" Zheng Chao asked. She chuckled. "Oh, lets just say that I emlive /emfor the unease to be found, and created, in all living things. I'm something of a trouble-maker like that...and besides, there's a reason my sisters and I dragged you into the Spirit World in the first place…"
At the mention of sisters, Korra turned around and was confronted by two new figures, just as bizarre in appearance as Zheng Chao. One vaguely resembled a human female, but with a long, coiling serpent-like body in place of legs and long hair that transitioned into what resembled blackened roots as they continued down past her humanoid back. She wore a blindfold over her eyes, and when she opened her hands Korra could see in the center of each of her palms a reptilian eye staring at her, a sight that caused Korra to recoil in revulsion.
The other one also resembled a human female, but with a body (complete with multiple sets of legs), vaguely resembling a Canyon Crawler in place of human legs. She also had multiple pairs of eyes and no nose on her face. A long, thin, green wormlike appendage came out of her mouth in place of a tongue, and she had hands as black as night with eight sharpened fingers on each one. Finally, both of them had the same odd markings on their chests as Zheng Chao.
They were the most revolting and nightmarish looking things Korra had ever seen in her life, making even Amon and his eerie mask look almost innocent by comparison.
"The one with the eyes in her hands is Bu He, and the one with lots of legs, eyes, and fingers is Qing Shi. We're sort of a trio. And the reason we dragged you down in here? Because everything you see in front of you, all of it, well, lets just say that your death was a key ingredient in this recipe. So now, my sisters and I are going to tear your sad little soul apart!"
And with that, Zheng Chao transformed, her talons growing longer and sharper, her wings once again appearing, and her body taking on an avian form. Her eyes whited out completely, becoming two pupil-less orbs, her nose disappeared, and all of her teeth became as sharp as her talons.
And then the three all came at Korra.
Korra instinctively created a sweeping ring of fire to keep the three Spirits at bay, but they pushed past it unharmed. Panicking, Korra resorted to Earthbending, tearing up chunks of the blackened rock and hurling it at her three attackers. But Bu He and Qing Shi were both surprisingly agile in spite of their cumbersome-looking substitutes for human legs. They both effortlessly moved out of the way of the blackened pieces of rock and continued to move towards Korra. From behind the young Avatar, Zheng Chao flew towards her, talons extended. Korra barely moved out of the way of the avian Spirit, narrowly dodging the slashes of her claws. Unfortunately, this left her open to Bu He, who swung her snake-like tail at her. The large coiling appendage hit Korra hard in the face and knocked her back. Qing Shi scurried towards her next on her multiple legs as Korra shot out several fire balls mixed with several chunks of the black rock at the three malevolent spirits. The barrage managed to keep the three back long enough for Korra to shoot a quick look around the barren landscape. Escape seemed unlikely, but there were several bridges leading off to the mountain with the glowing light.
Deciding to take her chances and make a break for it there, Korra unleashed as much fire and earth power as she could to keep the three Spirits back as she made a mad dash to the blackened bridges.
Deep down, Korra knew this was all a pointless endeavor. She was still hopelessly trapped in the Spirit World, and she had no way of beating one spirit, let alone three. She was doomed, simple at that. But right now, Korra wasn't thinking about any of that. Her mind was in total survival mode, even though survival in this scenario was not possible.
Korra wondered what it would be like to die in the Spirit World, and in a dead Spirit World no less. Somehow she suspected that there would be nothing for her after the death blow was dealt, just darkness not a whole lot different from where she was now. It wasn't the most comforting final fate Korra could think of, at least not when it was coming so soon…
Here's hoping it will be eternal peace and not hell...
But as Zheng Chao and Qing Shi both closed in on Korra, the two spirits were suddenly blasted back by the most powerful gust of wind Korra had ever seen in her life. Qing Shi went tumbling like a ball, and Zheng Chao wasn't much better off. Turning around, Korra saw a man who looked remarkably similar to Tenzin and Aang, only with hair. And he wasn't alone.
With him were a giant of a man wearing dirtied and damaged armor, with an expression of cold rage spread across his scarred face that was missing an eye. Next to him was a sad-looking and even older-looking Katara, who's face was lined and grim.
Finally, there was the last figure, dressed in imposing black armor and cape that had both seen better days, and with an old Hundred-Year War-era firebender helmet with skull visor covering his face. Korra also noted the tattered, hole-filled, and ruined red scarf he wore around him.
Korra had only a fraction of a second to take in the sight before the four leaped into action against the three spirits, with Korra choosing to join them. In the end, it made little difference. As she looked on, all of these newcomers all expertly wielded one of the four elements against the three spirits, landing a merciless torrent of blows against the three walking horrors. The one-eyed man slung black boulders left and right, and the black armored one unleashed blasts of fire so powerful they nearly forced Qing Shi right off the edge of the rock, but the abomination held on with her many sharpened fingers long enough for her sister Bu He to help her up.
As this happened, Katara and the Air Nomad gave an impressive display of wind and water that tossed Zheng Chao around like a rag-doll. Bu He charged towards them, and Korra pitched in with her own earthbending. Bu He smashed the small boulders that came her way to pieces with her spent tail only to receive a torrent of punishing fire balls to the back from the man in black. Another blast of fire from Korra herself managed to down the spirit.
Qing Shi surged forward and forced herself on top of Katara, attempting to maul her with her many legs, only for Katara to blast her off by with a powerful jet of water and then entering the Octopus Stance, striking Qing Shi with water tentacle after water tentacle, forcing her back before then catching all of her many legs in water whips and tossing her to the side. Fire balls from the man in black and Korra and strikes of wind from the Air Nomad and small boulders from the one-eyed man all forced her back even more until finally Qing Shi collapsed, falling over on her side.
Korra couldn't believe it. They were actually winning. Three Sprits attacking them and Korra and her new allies were still getting the upper hand.
And then she felt something slash her back, and it was as if the entire world had come crashing down on her.
Korra screamed in agony and fell over, crashing into the blackened ground as Zheng Chao floated over her. Her claws were untainted by a single drop of blood due to Korra's being in Spirit form. But to Korra, it still felt as though her flesh had been torn open. However, Zheng Chao's victory was short-lived. The second Korra fell, the man in black engaged in a rapid series of motions, and suddenly bolts of lightning shot out of his finger-tips, all of them striking Zheng Chao simultaneously before the sadistic Spirit could react.
Zheng Chao unleashed an inhuman wail of pain and agony before the combined power and force of all of the lightning bolts blasted Zheng Chao back and into the inky blackness, which swallowed her whole.
The second this was done, the four benders rushed to Korra's side, Katara getting there first and applying waterbending healing to the claw-marks Zheng Chao had left on Korra's back.
"Heal her quickly, Katara." The Air Nomad said. "A spirit injured like that will not last long"
"I'm going as fast as I can, Kuzon." Katara shot back. After a few moments more, Korra's agony ceased and her Spiritual form returned to its previous lightness.
"There. Good as new"
"You've done well, Katara." The man in black said.
"What's going on?" Korra asked. "Who were those…those, spirits, and why did they try to kill me?"
"Those monstrosities are no spirits" Kuzon said, his voice dripping with anger and disgust.
"What are you doing here Korra?" the one-eyed man asked. "You're supposed to be dead."
"What? What are you..." Korra paused as she remembered that she was in the future. Apparently, she had been one of the many casualties of the living hell the worlds had become.
"I...I was in the Spirit World, learning from Avatar Aang. When I tried to leave I…I was drawn to Zheng Chao's chuckling. I…wanted to track it down, and when I did, I was somewhere else in the Spirit World with her and I couldn't leave…"
"Zheng Chao may have blocked Korra's attempts to leave the Spirit World" Katara pointed out.
"In that case her curiosity nearly cost her" The one-eyed man said harshly.
"Zheng Chao likely subtly influenced her, like a moth to a flame. It is unfair to blame Korra." Katara said, coming to her old student's defense.
"Why not? She's the reason all of this happened!" The one-eyed man said angrily and accusingly. Korra frowned in the face of such a stinging remark, but as she looked more closely at the man's face, she thought he looked familiar. The loss of one eye and the passage of time (plus the harshness of circumstance) all made it impossible for Korra to say for sure who it was though.
"Why did they try to kill me?" Korra demanded. "What are they, what are you all doing here, and where is this?"
The four benders all exchanged silent looks before Katara sighed and told Korra: "You must understand, Korra: what you see here, this nightmare, it has not yet come to pass. The Fennu were attempting to kill you to help ensure the continued existence of this future. A future where all life has perished and they and their masters have their wish."
"Which is?"
"A void. One completely devoid of life save for the creatures that now inhabit the charred ruin of the Spirit World. And the remaining Spirits who are now enslaved."
"But what happened?" Korra asked horrified. "How did all of this happen?"
Katara returned Korra's terror with a look of sadness. "A series of events led to this. You were the Avatar in the Human World when they happened, but when you died you were in the Avatar State. Because of that the cycle ceased to exist and your Spirit did not come to the Spirit World, so we still do not know what exactly transpired. Just that you died trying to stop it."
The man in black continued: "By the time we even knew what was happening, we were far too late. The Fennu's masters brought total ruin to the Spirit World and our world, turning both into the lifeless landscape you see before you. Most people in both worlds were killed, including many Spirits, with the Fennu's masters enslaving the few who survived. Only a handful of us remain to oppose the Fennu's masters."
Korra gulped as she realized then she felt cold, and not just because of where she was. "What...what about Tenzin? And his family? My friends?"
"I am Tenzin's son." Kuzon explained, looking Korra dead in the eye. "I'm the last of my family."
"Korra, I do not know what transpired in the human world to set these events into motion, but I know this: if you die while in the Avatar State, the Avatar Cycle will not only be broken, but it will condemn both worlds. That, I am certain, is the catalyst behind this nightmare."
"But if you don't know how any of this happened, how will I know how to stop it?" Korra asked Katara, her horror and revulsion at what was before her bringing her on the verge of tears.
"You must not die for one thing" The man in black said. "If I were you, I would keep those you call friends close at hand. You will last longer that way."
"In the meantime," Kuzon said, "...we will continue to resist the Fennu's masters. If any of us get even the slightest piece of insight into what transpired to bring about this end of days, I give you my word we will tell you. That's the one advantage to being here; we can commune with you through the Spirit World. But beyond that, we are all in agreement that you not return to the Spirit World until this is over."
"What? But…if I can never come back here, how will Aang help me with my airbending?"
"You'll have to try and commune with his spirit while in the physical realm. It is difficult to do, but possible." Katara said. "Aang communicated with past Avatars several times that way."
"You guys know that if I change the future you all will never have existed right?"
"Nothing would make us happier" The one-eyed man said simply.
"We will exist, Korra." Katara re-assured her. "Just not in this nightmare."
Korra smiled. "Just making sure."
The mann in black stepped forward. "It is time for you to leave, before the Fennu regain their strength and attempt another attack. An old friend of the Avatars will be sending you home…"
At this, a large black and white bear appeared out of nowhere. He was Hei-Bai, the Nature Spirit and one of the last surviving spirits in this grim, apocalyptic future. With a thin stream of blue energy coming out of his mouth, Korra disappeared from both the bleak future and the Spirit World as a whole.
"Good riddance…" Bu He muttered weakly.
Hei-Bai responded by entering its more monstrous, multi-armed form and hitting Bu He in the face with the most powerful blast of energy it could muster.
"Well, she's gone now. Back to her own time." Kuzon observed.
"I pray she's able to do what's needed to keep this from coming to pass."
"I still remember what she was like. My hopes she can change for the better are not high."
The man in black turned to him. "You could afford to be less hard on her, brother. It's not right to blame Korra."
"Who else am I going to blame, Mako?" Bolin demanded. "Because of her failure we've lost everything. Our homes, our world, our..." Bolin turned away. "I can't forgive her. Not after...not after Opal...and the baby..."
"I lost my children too, brother." Mako said, also removing his helmet to show that, like his sibling he also had been deprived of one of his eyes, but in his case it was blinded rather than straight-up gone. He bore other injuries as well, and his jet black hair was starting to go gray well before his time. "But I don't blame Korra for it. It wasn't her fault, brother. It wasn't. Her. Fault."
"But for all of our sakes, she needs to do better this second time around. Otherwise, there will be no escaping this hell."
"I know, Bolin. I know..."
