Author's Note: Hello my wonderful readers! Thank-you once again for all the alerts, followers, and reviews. I hope you guys like this chapter, enjoy. (Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Korra.)
Korra watched the city fade to a gray speck behind them as she and Aang went deeper into the Spirit World. The landscape blazing by beneath them was full of green, every inch layered with new vegetation. As they crossed over to another realm she saw a plant with a bulb-like top split in half, barring rows of shiny white teeth.
"There's not much time before we reach Koh's domain, and I cannot follow you there." Aang turned to face her, apparently trusting Appa to know the way.
"What? Why?" Korra demanded, tearing her gaze from the sprawling ocean that had replaced the plants. Although it had been day seconds before, a swollen moon hung low in the sky reflecting off the water with all the brightness of the sun.
"Each spirits' powers swell in their realm, their energy flows easily through it to do their bidding. Going into his domain I am already weak, but if he does not want me there I could simply fade. You are still alive, and you are the current Avatar, so your spirit is strong enough to go into whatever realm you want," Aang explained, a permanent frown marring his face as he spoke.
"But we just passed through a bunch of realms and you didn't fade there." Korra gestured towards the ground, which had shifted to an open field that shone like gold.
"We are on the outskirts of these places, and most spirits that dwell here are not malicious like Koh."
Korra nodded grudgingly and crossed her arms, waiting for him to continue.
"Koh has been a long time enemy of Avatars, since the last water-bender before you in the cycle. Why he has chosen to once again interfere is unknown, but that's what you're going to confront him for. He can steal your face if there is the slightest hint of emotion. And he will do anything to get a rise out of you. We do not know the full extent of his powers, so do not attempt to fight him. You can't bend here. If he will not let you go, then concentrate on returning to your physical body."
Appa began his descent into a foggy abyss that was punctured only by bare, skeletal tree branches. She could see shadowy figures lurking in the mist, gigantic blots darting in and out of the trees.
"How do I find his lair?" Korra asked, gripping the edge of the saddle around Appa tightly.
"Just keep going into the mist, the thicker it gets the closer you are. Once you reach the center of his domain it will clear and you will see a path of rock pillars leading into a gnarled tree. His liar is inside. And remember, no expression at all."
Some directions those were. Korra leapt off of Appa and walked a few paces before glancing over her shoulder one last time. Aang gave her a reassuring nod, the fog already filling the space between them and blurring even Appa out. Another few steps and she was encased in it, only the occasional branch stabbing out at her. Out of instinct she tried to light a torch in her palms, and had to fight back a wave of panic when the elements didn't heed to her call.
The world was on its axis, and it felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Like Amon had taken the very spirit out of her body. She numbly flung out a fist, feeling the lack of fire in response like a physical blow. Whatever spine she had left crumpled along with the rest of her as she fell to the floor like a ragdoll. Then there was blinding light, a static she was barely aware of in her ears, and Mako was running.
Korra shook her head, scattering the memory like leaves. Keep calm, no expression. She schooled her features into a perfect poker face, usually reserved for the White Lotus or Tenzin. She hadn't even encountered Koh, and she was already losing her grip. The fog had grown to about the density of a brick wall, and she allowed one last shiver to pass down her spine before she reached the spirit.
It was like someone had taken the world and flipped it upside down. The rock pillars Aang mentioned extended downward into infinity, no ground to block its path, only more sky. She peered over the cliff cautiously, if there was a bottom it was completely covered by mist. Korra exhaled and took a few steps away from the edge, bending at the knees in preparation for the jump to the first pillar's top.
Now! She sprinted until the last second, and then launched into the air in a cloud of dust. There was a beat as she was suspended in between the two formations, nothing keeping her from falling forever but the fog in the air. She hit the ground hard, rolling over her shoulder and onto her feet in one fluid movement. She sucked in a breath as she jumped to the next one, the back of her foot nearly slipping off when she landed. The rest were spaced closer together, as if Koh were inviting those who had managed to survive the others inside.
Korra rested against the gnarled tree and searched for a way inside, the bark digging into her back. A set of stairs nearly covered in roots and dead leaves began on her left. She had taken step forward when a branch from above smashed into pieces a few feet away. Sapphire eyes scanned the tree for any threats, coming to rest on a monkey swinging from branch to branch. It wrapped its tail around one and dangled upside down, giving her a full view of its blank face. Her heart clenched in response, there was proof of Koh's powers. She clenched her jaw and ran down the winding steps that wrapped around the massive tree's roots.
The stairs leveled out in front of an archway made of the trees twisting roots. Through the archway was a seemingly infinite darkness that extended further inside the tree trunk. The air was foul and thick, nearly making her gag. No emotion. Korra shoved a limp root out of her way and marched into the deep, eyes looking as dead as everything else in Koh's realm.
She came to a cleared circle in what felt like the center of the tree. Shafts of pale, ghostly light wormed their way in from gaps in the roots and clung to the interior like spider webs.
"Come out, Koh," Korra called. Immediately there was a shift in the atmosphere, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She glanced sharply over her shoulder, nothing. The air stilled, as if holding its breath in anticipation.
Claws dug into her arms, rows and rows of sharp points burying into her skin and pulling her like she weighed nothing. Korra choked back a scream and fought to keep her face neutral as the arms continued to pull her around and around. She came to a fault so hard her teeth cracked together and the room continued to spin like she was in the center of a whirlpool.
A face as pale as the moon forced itself into her field of vision, eyes as dark as night and lips drawn back into a blood-curdling grin. The same face next to Amon's in my dream.
"You called Avatar?" Koh's voice rumbled in her chest and echoed off the chamber walls, it sounded like he was mocking her.
"You know why I'm here," she answered, careful to keep the bite out of her tone.
Koh's smile spread wider, but his eyes darkened to two black coals. "You remind me of another Avatar… some 900 years ago maybe. He too was arrogant and bull-headed." His face rippled like the surface of a pond and she was met with the image of a beautiful woman with long, brown hair.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Korra drawled, "Why are you interfering with the physical world now?"
Koh morphed into the face of a blue, demon-like creature. His brows drew together sharply and he shoved his face so close to hers that his breath fanned her cheek. It smelled even fouler than the air. Oh spirits, if this doesn't break me nothing will.
"I do not like the Avatars. The idea of a mere human holding the most powerful position over the physical world makes my skin crawl. And bending, that evil is the source of every disaster, every problem we spirits watch destroy your world and ours. But what really puts me over the edge, what really gets me going, is when a human like you is able to have such abilities." He released his grip on her arms and curled his body around her like a fence, face arching over her.
"So you sent the spirit of a dead man to haunt me?" Korra fixed her gaze on her feet, fighting to keep her temper in check.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Koh answered, "And I was not going to let his failure result in your behavior continuing to go unchecked."
Koh hates bending and Avatars… Amon's goal was to rid the world of it and he was determined to take my bending away. He failed at both. How does Koh play into this? Did he help Amon when he was alive? Or did he just grab Amon when he died because he knew it would mess with my head?
"So you've been sitting in this tree watching a mere human do your work for you?" she baited, shifting her eyes to meet his directly.
"Ignorant as well as arrogant, is that irritation I detect Avatar?" He smiled at her taunt, and she scolded herself at the slight show of emotion. She was lucky her face hadn't changed. "I think I'm done talking with you."
Korra pinched her leg slightly to prevent herself from flying at him. Aang said not to fight. Aang said not to fight. No emotion. No-
"Avatar Korra." Koh's eyes bored into hers, searing her very insides and digging up memories of when chi-blockers dragged her into the dark. "I will destroy you, slowly, from the inside out."
