"You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

–Iroh

XI

"Get away from me!"

He could feel his chest working its way out of his body with every violent beat. He had to get to her. He needed to. Despite the distance between them, he was able to hear her desperate screams loud and clear. And although he did not know what was happening, her voice drove his legs to sprint as fast as possible. Whatever it was, it was nowhere near bad. It was already beyond that, he could feel it. That bad line was crossed a long time ago.

Since the moment she had disappeared earlier that night, he had noticed her absence. Her presence was too powerful for him to ignore, even when she tried to blend in with the crowd. He had known that she had left, of course. But he wanted to give her the privacy that she well deserved. He trusted her enough to let her take care of herself, to make her own wise decisions.

The real problem was that she did not trust herself to do so.

After the first couple of hours, he had decided to look for her. He had checked every possible hiding place where she could have been. All, except one. That certain place he had found her in, after she had recovered her bending years ago. She could have been there, but Naga was close to the party grounds, and there was no way Korra could have walked there.

Mako should have known that there was always a way with Korra.

People seemed to be unaffected by the missing Avatar, but he confided his worries to Asami and his brother, seeing that the brunette was nowhere to be found. His ex-girlfriend had panicked the second he told her what was bothering him, while Bolin had dismissed the case with a joke. The humorous glint in his green eyes vanished when the seriousness in his brother's posture caught his attention.

Soon enough, more people were dragged into the search when the World Leaders were alerted of the Avatar's unknown whereabouts. The White Lotus Guards, ever concerned about Korra's well-being, along with Chief Beifong, left the area on snowmobiles to inspect the cliff that Mako had told them about. If trouble arose, they had promised to signal the remaining guests at the celebration.

Even though Mako had already looked for her around the zone, everyone else decided to do it again to make sure. So did he. He had to do something while he waited, feeling helpless and impatient, but the Firebender already knew where she was. Damn it. He should have joined the White Lotus on their mission.

After what seemed like a lifetime, a string of lightning illuminated the night sky in the distance. No one waited any longer, jumping on vehicles of their own. Tonraq and Suyin drove one, and the dark-haired brothers followed close behind.

The icy path seemed to lengthen before him. His breathing quickened with anticipation, his inner warmth guarding him against the bitter frost of the South Pole. He forgot about everything else surrounding him, people and environment alike.

He only focused on the sound of her voice.

And he had heard that broken tone many times before, during the intimacy of the night, when he held her against him until she could find peace, if only for a second.

But now, he was not holding her. And she was not dreaming.

It was a living nightmare.

The cliff appeared in his field of vision enough for him to recognize the silhouettes, and his fears became true when he saw a girl in a blue dress trapped by metal wires. She struggled against the cables, unable to free herself.

"You don't control me!"

He was getting closer, but he could feel her slipping. He had to get to her before she hurt anyone. Or before she hurt herself. He jumped off the snowmobile, the rest of the crew running fast behind him.

"Korra!" the Water Tribe Chief screamed, trying to get the attention of his daughter to no avail. She continued to move under the metal, as the White Lotus circled her. He could hear Lin trying to calm the young Avatar down, but her attempts were as unsuccessful as Tonraq's.

They were on their way to the top of the steep rock, when he saw hell break loose in slow motion.

Her chest rose and fell steadily, even though her eyes were wild and hectic. There was something very unsettling about her, which sent chills down his spine, the hair at the back of his neck springing up. He observed the brunette's head tilt back, her blue eyes meeting the moonlight above her.

He knew what was going to happen.

Everyone knew.

"No!" Mako's voice surged for the first time, followed by the similar pleads of the other's. But they were too late.

The wires detached themselves from the girl, as the Guards and the Chief of Police fell to the ground, their bodies contorting grotesquely under the invisible wrath of the Avatar.

"Korra!"

A familiar sense of terror filled his lungs, as he remembered his own experience with the dark bending art. He watched the bodies levitating, and he could feel their pain. He knew what it felt like.

Blood appeared from one of the guard's mouth due to the bloodbending, covering his neck with the crimson liquid.

"Stop her!"

The leader of Zaofu launched her arms forward, the earth rumbling beneath her. The small earthquake reached the Avatar, as the soil captured her in its solid grasp. Immediately after, the victims made contact with the ground after being released from the clutch of the 20 year-old.

"Korra, what have you done?!" her father yelled as he tried to shake the girl into consciousness, both arms on her shoulders, but her eyes were already closing, losing grip on reality.

"Spirits," Suyin said under her breath as she knelt next to her sister.

"Is she okay?" the green-eyed brother asked as the men aided the White Lotus Guards. He received a nod in response, "What about the others?"

Mako held Korra in his arms, as he checked on the guards. He gulped when he saw a red-covered white uniform.

"We have a problem."

"Bloodbending has been illegal for decades, and as we all know, its practice is punishable by law," the President of the United Republic reminded the rest of the leaders, who accompanied him in the council meeting. "It is something we cannot simply ignore," silence engulfed the table as the reality of last night's events processed in their minds.

For minutes, none of them spoke of the incident, consumed by their own thoughts. All of them had something to say, yet, it seemed that the crime was too unsettling to address. Not only because of the nature of the felony itself, but because of the person behind the action.

The Southern Water Tribe man grunted in annoyance, although he was actually scared of what could happen after the meeting, "No one is asking you to ignore this, Raiko. But this is Korra we're talking about."

"And because she is your daughter," the politician started, staring daggers at the long-haired Chief, "Does it justify her deeds?"

"No, but–"

"She might be the Avatar, but what she has done cannot be overlooked," spat the man with the circular glasses.

"Korra is ill!" countered Tonraq as he rose from his sit to face the President.

"Enough!" the voice of the youngest of the Beifong sisters was heard from the other side of the table, "Raiko, whatever it is that you plan to do with Korra, it is not happening," the threat was palpable in her tone. Even though she had met Korra only a couple of years ago, she would do anything to protect her. After everything they had been through, they were all family.

"This is not a personal matter. This is the law," the man in the blue jacket clarified as he turned to one of the victims of the assault, "Isn't that right, Chief Beifong?"

The green-eyed woman carrying a cast on her arm sighed, "I'm afraid so," she looked at Korra's father apologetically.

"Lin!" exclaimed her sister, her mouth hanging open at the sign of betrayal.

"In spite of the fact that it is the law indeed," explained the daughter of Toph Beifong, her eyes traveling around the table until they landed on Raiko, "The Avatar did not seem to be aware of what was happening. We cannot punish someone in such psychological condition," unbeknownst to the rest, a victorious grin crept up on the younger sister.

"We understand that the girl suffered greatly," the Republic City President sympathized as he spoke, no one around the table believed said empathy, "Bloodbending is still unacceptable. She needs to be controlled."

"You understand nothing," hissed Tonraq quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. He tried to maintain his calmness but the man was getting on his nerves. He was aware of the off and ongoing clash between his daughter and the current President, but he did not expect him to resent Korra as much as he did, "And Korra's punishment is not in your hands. This is not the United Republic, you do not make the rules here."

"I am aware of that. But the Avatar will want to return to Republic City one day, won't she?" he explained cockily, knowing he had made his point.

Tonraq closed his mouth at the concealed ultimatum. And as much as he wanted to hate this man, he knew he was right to some extent. It was not any crime and not any person. She was the Avatar, and as such, she belonged to the world. What she did affected others, and despite her condition, she was still responsible.

"It is evident that she is not recovering as well as we thought. Perhaps she should return to the White Lotus compound."

Angry voices rose at his suggestion, but at the end of the table sat a quiet figure, who continued analyzing the behavior of those around her. Her hands were linked, her elbows supported on the table. Clearing her throat, four pairs of eyes turned in her direction.

"I believe President Raiko is right," the Fire Lord announced, adjusting the glasses over her golden eyes.

"You're not imprisoning Korra–" grunted the Earthbender, narrowing her green eyes at the President and blaming him for the idea.

"If I may, Suyin," interrupted the woman dressed in typical Fire Nation royal robes, the golden flame crown raising high above her head, "Avatar Korra will not be imprisoned. That being said, the South Pole seems to be an unfit environment for her recuperation."

The other adults around the table fell silent after her speech, thinking of what Izumi had said. Even before the meeting, they had all thought of it, but no one dared to bring it up. After all, Korra was an adult. A relocation should be only her decision, but they seemed to have no other choice.

"I have spoken with my father about this concern," continued the daughter of Lord Zuko, "The Avatar should continue her training elsewhere, and in the process, find the enlightenment she needs in order to recover fully."

"What are you suggesting?"

"The girl should go to the Fire Nation. As you probably already know, her firebending has weakened. I believe the ways of lightning will aid her in finding peace and balance within her mind. By rediscovering her fire, she will rediscover herself."

"Then why doesn't she go back to Zaofu with me?" invited Suyin, "I'm certain that improving her Metalbending, and exploring other Earthbending arts could help significantly in this matter."

"Considering the fact that she needs to remove the poison, I believe it's the best thing to do," the Chief of South Pole consented, unable to stop sadness from invading his body at the thought of his only child leaving him again, "But I must insist on withholding a decision until Katara and Tenzin have returned from the Southern Air Temple."

"Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, Korra will still have to answer for what happened."

Four heads assented with a sad nod.

He found himself in front of her door again.

Whether or not it was a good idea to see her, he did not care. It was during these times that he was more than certain that she was out of his reach. He could not shake off that feeling.

Fear.

He was not scared of her, but he was somehow afraid of what she was capable of. She would never hurt him intentionally. In fact, she would never hurt anyone that did not deserve it. But that was what worried him. The line between reality and fantasy were blurred at this point, and although she would never do something as horrible as bloodbending in her right mind, she could still unintentionally do it.

But she needed him.

Whatever he felt or thought at the back of his brain, he would push it all aside to be with her. He would support her no matter what, especially when she had no control over what happened. And he knew she had not only lost control of her surroundings, she had also lost control of herself.

Knocking softly on the door, he inhaled deeply. He waited a few seconds until the door finally opened, revealing a black-haired woman with green eyes, "Asami," he acknowledged with a nod.

"Mako," she inclined her head as well and he noted that her voice trembled slightly, "Is it true?"

"Yes," he whispered, looking around the room for the Avatar. He did not find her.

"How could this happen?" she muttered loudly, her eyes restless as they moved from side to side, "It's impossible."

"I don't know," the Firebender rubbed his eyes roughly, frustration crystal clear in his voice, "Spirits, I don't know."

Golden and green met the floor, unable to look at each other, afraid of what they would find in them. They were both afraid. It was not about the bloodbending anymore, they feared that Korra would never recover. They had to believe she could, but it was difficult to.

Finally breaking the silence, he questioned, "Where is she?"

The Sato Heiress pointed to the bathroom door, "She's been there for hours."

"Doing what?"

Blinking a couple of times, her eyebrows knitted in doubt, "I am not sure. Nothing?" she said, but it sounded more like a question. "I've been brushing her hair while she lays there. She refuses to get out, but did not tell me to leave, so that is a good sign."

"Oh," was all he could say. His frowned expression matched hers, as he moved towards the other door.

"Maybe you should not go in there–"

He shot her an annoyed glare, "Why?"

"She's naked."

Rolling his eyes, he disregarded her comment. His hand grasped the doorknob, before turning it to the side. The darkness of the room sank in his vision, only lit by a couple of weak candles nearby. In the middle was an inground tub, where the object of his affection laid.

His fears seemed to dissipate the moment golden met blue, and the pain in her eyes cracked his heart open more than it already was.

Asami felt the shift in his emotions as well, completely astonished by the way he cared for the young Avatar. She had seen it before, many years ago, when the girl had been kidnapped by Tarrlok. It was a beautiful, dysfunctional kind of love, she had to admit. She was not blind at the time, and sensed that he loved Korra right there and then.

She was not blind today either.

They matured, they changed, and so did their love. If the current time were not so grim and horrific, she would have even smiled at their gestures.

The Future Industries Owner studied his movements, as he reached the edge of the inground tub. He sat cross-legged, his hand finding the cheek of the brunette, forcing her to face him. The girl did not object, leaning into his touch, and closed her eyes. Despite the emptiness that seemed to surround the Avatar, Asami could tell that she somewhat enjoyed the affections.

The nose of the Firebender caressed her right cheekbone, his hand still holding the left one. He muttered words that the raven-haired woman could not decipher, and she started to feel embarrassed for witnessing such an intimate moment.

Their foreheads connected, their noses touching one another, as the man continued to whisper comforting words inches away from the brunette's lips. Their eyes were closed, but it was tangible that there was some kind of invisible force bringing them together, expressing whatever their eyes and mouths could not.

The dark-haired man continued talking under his breath, the girl nodding every now and then, their foreheads still in contact. Before any of them realized what was happening, the Avatar's palm found his neck, fondling the skin lovingly.

Asami hung open.

She could only stare at the display in front of her. It was so disturbingly touching.

"Korra, what happened–" the tenderness in his tone would have made anyone skip a beat, "It was not your fault."

His eyes met Asami's, encouraging her to intervene, "He's right. No one blames you for it."

"But please, talk to me," he gulped, stroking her hair gently, "To us. We care about you."

Time seemed to freeze as she refused to look at them.

It felt familiar, her distance.

They waited and waited.

Nothing.

Suddenly, several knocks were heard through the door, "Avatar Korra–"

Clearing her throat, Korra's voice surfaced from her trance, her eyes still meeting no one. "It's time to take my life back," the determination in her volume surprising the other two, showing a glimpse of the old Avatar, "And take responsibility."

"We're here to escort you to your trial," the men outside continued.

"Trial?" Golden and green eyes widened, "Korra, what are they talking about?"

The Avatar exited the tub, wrapping a robe around her body. She reached the door, grabbing the knob.

Her eyes finally locked with theirs, one at a time, blue as cold and dark as the Southern nights themselves. Her vision lingered longer on Mako.

"Didn't you hear? The White Lotus guard did not survive."

A/N: So that is Chapter 11. Again, how could I not update as soon as possible when your reviews were so encouraging? They make my days, honestly. Keep them coming.

A few notes:

1. When Korra saw someone with a red scarf during last chapter, it was actually blood on someone else. Despite the instability of her condition, it was the fear of hurting Mako (in her mind she thought she did), which snapped her back to reality, among other things.

2. I believe Korra would not be exonerated of charges thanks to her Avatar Status. Bloodbending is illegal, and law is above most people.

3. It's interesting to write about Makorra from Asami's perspective. I've always seen her as a great friend, and can see her being happy for Korra, even if it's with someone else. But yes, this is hypothetically speaking.

Leave a review and let me know what you think. Your opinion makes me want to do better and update faster.

Thank you for reading!