Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the Last Airbender, or the Legend of Korra.

Paragon of Korra

Chapter 12: Building up and knocking down

"Talking"

"Thinking"

"Bijū/spirit talking"

"Bijū/spirit thinking"

(Location: outside Republic City)

While Korra and Mako had gone looking for Amon, the rest of the team followed the original plan of going after the Equalist airfield. The search led them outside of the city and to the mountains, just like Mako had pointed out on the map. But even as they kept moving, they didn't see anything.

"Are we there yet?" Bolin asked from the middle of the saddle. Pabu hung around his neck, looking quite comfortable.

"No, Bolin, we're not," Asami told him as she handled the reins in front.

"…How about now?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"No."

"…What about now?"

"No," she said, getting a little frustrated.

"…Are we—"

"Bolin, Agni help me, if you ask me that question one more time, I will—!"

"Look to the sky!" Iroh said suddenly from the back of the saddle, pointing upwards. The two civilians did look up. They saw an Equalist aircraft flying through the air, to a point just ahead of them.

"Follow it!" Bolin shouted.

"I know!" Asami shouted back, snapping the reins on Naga, urging her to go faster. The polar bear dog responded and quickened her pace, keeping the aircraft in sight as she followed it.

She soon came to a stop atop a cliff, allowing her riders to get off and down at what lay below them. "I think we've found our secret airfield," Iroh declared as he looked at the flattened space where the buildings and hangers were at. On the other end of the field were five different runways, going out until they reached the edge of another cliff.

The general saw the runways and knew instantly what to do about them. "Bolin, once we get down there, I need you to tear up those runways. We can't let those aircraft take off," he told the Earthbender.

"Aye aye, captain!" Bolin replied, saluting. Then he flinched, remembering who he was talking to. "Ooh, general, general," he said, more for his sake then Iroh's.

"Are you done?" Asami asked him.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said, lowering his hand from the saluting position.

"Then let's get moving."

There was a path nearby that led down to the airfield. They turned to go down it, only for Bolin to stop when he heard Pabu and Naga whine. "All right, you guys wait here until we get back, okay?" he said to them both. Naga raised a paw, ready to follow. "Uh-uh, stay," he commanded, holding a hand out to them. The polar bear dog lowered her paw and then sat down in the snow, with the fire ferret resting on her head.

"They're staying up there?" Iroh asked the Earthbender as he rejoined them in going down the path.

"Yeah," he answered. "Hey, look, there's a way in right there." He pointed down the side of the path to where an opening into the airfield.

"Good eye."

They carefully went down the slope to the opening, where all that stood in their way were some metal poles spaced in such a way that they looked like they made some kind of fence. And it didn't make much sense. "Why would there be fence posts, but no fence?" Asami asked the other two as they made their way to them.

"I'm not sure," Iroh answered.

"Should we try to find another way in?"

"We don't have the time to—" What he was about to say was cut off with a scream tearing itself out of his lungs. He wasn't alone; Bolin and Asami were doing the exact same thing. The reason that they were screaming was because as soon as they stepped between the poles, electricity leapt out and shocked them with great intensity. Once it was over, they fell to the ground, unconscious.

(Location: Republic City)

Even though it was still light outside, the crowds inside the Pro-bending Arena were big enough to make one think that a match was about to be played. There were still more people coming into the Arena, going pass some tight security (consisting of mecha tanks and chi-blockers every few feet).

Inside the stadium, the ringside seats were full to burst and the pool of water had been drained, giving people more room to stand before a raised platform that had a large banner of Amon hanging in the backdrop. The air hummed with people talking amongst themselves as they waited for the rally to begin, idly watching as smoke began to build on the platform. Masked members of the Equalists were standing guard at every opening and on the referees' balconies.

Mako and Korra were watching from one of those balconies, having managed to slip past security by first swimming to the side of the Arena and going through a window (much like how Korra did it the first time she came), and then using their disguises to get into positions. Once there, they shared a nod with one another and waited for the right moment to deliver the fatal blow.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Amon rose up out of the smoke on the platform with the Lieutenant and a handful of chi-blockers behind him. As the people saw him rise, they cheered loudly at the sight of him. To them, he was their savior, the man who knew them best.

"Thank you all for joining me on this historic occasion!" Amon said to them all, making them cheer louder. "When I was a boy, a Firebender struck down my entire family and left me scarred. That tragic event began my quest to equalize the world."

"That's a lie, Amon!" Korra shouted down from the balcony. She and Mako took their masks off, revealing themselves to the crowds. "Or should I call you Noatak?"

Among the gasps of surprise from the people at the sight of the Avatar, Amon did nothing. "You want her taken out?" the Lieutenant asked him quietly.

"No," he said, rising his hand to stop him from moving. "Everyone calm down," he told the crowd, stepping forward to them. "We have nothing to fear from the Avatar. Let's hear what she has to say."

The people quieted down a little and Korra took that open invitation. "Amon has been lying to you," she told them all. "The spirits didn't give him the power to take people's Bending away. He uses Bloodbending to do it. Amon is a Waterbender!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

Again, people gasped in surprise and whispers began to stain the air. "What is this nonsense?" the Lieutenant asked his leader.

"You're desperate, Avatar," Amon told Korra. "Making up stories about me is a pathetic last resort."

"Your family wasn't killed by a Firebender," she replied before turning to look at the crowd once more. "His father was Yakone, his brother Councilman Tarrlok, and his sister is Yue, the Paragon of the Water Tribes."

Again, more gasps of surprise and more whispers began to arouse themselves as that news ingrained itself into the minds of the people. But Amon remained unfazed. In fact, he chuckled at what she said. "An amusing tale, but I will show the truth." He reached up and pulled down his hood and undid the string holding the mask on his face.

Everyone went silent as he reached up and pulled away the mask, revealing the large burn scar across his face. It was a bright red thing that stretched diagonally from his left cheek to his forehead and it had happened in such a way that his teeth were shown in a smile that shouldn't have been there. "This is what a Firebender did to me!" he declared, pointing at the scar.

"What?" Korra said at the sight of it. At that point, whatever suspicions the crowd had about Amon disappeared and they began shouting at her, calling her a liar. "I'm telling you, he's a Waterbender!" she cried, pointing at the leader of the Equalists, who was putting his mask back on. They ignored what she said and kept up with their shouting of her. She looked back at Mako. "They don't believe me. It didn't work!" That was the only tool they had to use against Amon and it didn't work!

"We said what we had to," he told her as he placed his back against the rail bringing his hands up into a fighting stance. "Let's get out of here." Already there were Equalists gathering at the entrance to the balcony and above it, bolas ready to be thrown. It would be tough but they could probably fight their way out.

"I wouldn't leave yet, Avatar," Amon said, keeping his face to the crowd. "You'll miss the main event." Those words and the sound of a platform rising up made Korra stop and turn back around to see what he was talking about.

There, chained and gagged on the platform and amidst loud booing from the crowd, were Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. "No…they got away," she said in disbelief at the sight of the Air Nomads. "We saw them get away!"

(Location: Asami)

As she made her way back to consciousness, she could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. "Asami," she heard her father's voice. It made her come back faster, letting her senses tell her that her hands were bound behind her back and that she was lying on the floor. Bolin and Iroh were by her side, bound together by rope. She also saw that they were in a hanger and in a prison cell.

She got onto her knees and looked up at her father, who was standing on the other side of the prison bars. "Asami, I know that I have hurt…and I am sorry," he told her. "But I believe that one day, you will come to your senses and we can be a family again."

If that was meant to sooth her, it didn't work. It just made her angry. "Are you insane!?" she demanded. "How can we be a family after everything you've done!? Mom would hate you for what you've become."

That set him off. "How dare you!?" he demanded, leaning forward to grab the bars and get closer. "I am avenging her death!"

"The airplanes are ready for takeoff, sir," an Equalist behind him said, standing at attention.

It was enough to draw his attention away from the prisoners. "Good, annihilate the fleet," he ordered. His words made Bolin and Iroh gasp and look at each other in surprise, making him look back at them. "That's right, General," he said to Iroh. "I intercepted your message to Commander Bumi. I know exactly where they're hiding."

No one said a word as he turned around and walked away. But once he was gone, Asami looked at her fellow prisoners. "How are we going to get out of here?" she asked them, really hoping that they had some semblance of an idea.

"I don't suppose you know how to Metalbend?" Iroh asked Bolin.

"That's a negative, sir," he replied.

He had the strangest urge to pout but refused to do so. He was a general, he had his dignity! "Do you have any ideas to get out?" he asked Asami.

"No, that's why I was asking you guys."

"I thought my great uncle would've taught you at least how to get out from being bounded."

She couldn't help but frown at those words, feeling like they were both an accusation and an insult. "Your uncle isn't the most standard of teachers. He could be training me on one thing one day and then something completely different the next!"

"Guys, do you hear that?" Bolin suddenly asked them both.

While Iroh couldn't look at him, Asami could. "Yeah, we can hear it, Bolin," she told the Earthbender. The noise they heard was the sound of aircrafts starting up. It was the same noise they heard in the battle of bay, just louder.

But he shook his head. "No, not that," he said. "Listen."

"Bolin, all we can hear is the aircraft," Iroh told him.

"No, it's not that. It's something else."

"What?"

The answer came when the door to the hanger burst open with a loud crash and a roar. The crash came from the doors hanging on their hinges and the roar came from Naga, who came running into the hanger. "Naga!" cried Bolin. "Over here!"

The polar bear dog ran forward to the cell, allowing Pabu to hop down into the cell. There, she stood on her hind legs, going to her full height, and slammed her paws down on the bars. It only took two slams to completely break the bars down.

"Who needs a Metalbender?" Bolin asked the rhetorical but mandatory question as his fire ferret hopped into his lap. He also had the answer. "We've got Naga, yeah!"

Pabu was trying to get to the ropes but as his owner kept moving around, he had a hard time biting down on them. It was enough to make him hiss at the Earthbender. "I think Pabu is not happy with you, Bolin," Asami dryly commented at the sight.

"Whoops, sorry, Pabu," he said to the ferret, sitting still. Pabu was able to chew through the ropes in record time on both of them. Once their hands and feet were free, the former prisoners stood up and ran out of the hanger.

Once outside, they saw the airplanes were already taking off on the runways, some were already airborne. "I'm going after those airplanes!" Iroh shouted to the others, increasing his running speed.

Bolin was about to join him when Naga appeared by his side, used her head to flip him up onto her saddle, and then turn away to a different runway. Caught off-guard by the move, Bolin could only scream "No, Naga!" as she carried him away.

Asami took notice of some empty mecha tanks nearby and switched courses, turning to run towards them instead. She climbed up into the tank in the front and looked at everything before her. Going on a hunch, she twisted the red valve to her right and the tank began to start. "Huh, what do you know?" she remarked as she strapped herself in. "Just like a Future Industries forklift." The tank closed around her, leaving her with only the glass window to see.

As he got close enough to the airplane he was chasing, Iroh leapt into the air and bent fire to propel himself forward, grabbing hold of the tail of the plane. He got his footing back and then ran forward up to the cockpit. He took hold of the surprised pilot and threw out of the cockpit and the airplane. As the man's screams faded away in the air, the general took control of the plane, which was shaky at first.

(Location: Pro-bending Arena)

"Tonight, I rid the world of Airbending, forever!" Amon declared as he stood beside Tenzin and his children, raising his hands dramatically. The crowd was pleased at that declaration and applauded him.

But Korra was having none of that. "Amon, let them go!" she shouted down at him.

"You're welcome to come down and try to stop me," he told her in reply with a tone of mocking.

"He's trying to bait you," Mako warned his friend, grabbing hold of her arm.

"I don't care! We have to save them!" she said in reply whilst trying to get her arm free.

"The Avatar needs to be reminded of the power I possess," Amon stated for all to hear, turning around and beginning to walk towards his prisoners. From the direction he was going, it looked like he would go down the line, starting with Meelo.

That was enough for Mako to agree with Korra and attack. He generated lightning and threw it at the platform right at Amon, hoping to take him out with one strike. The masked leader of the Equalists leapt out of the lightning bolt in roll and coming back to his feet near the Lieutenant. It hit the platform and caused a loud explosion with a lot of smoke. The cheering crowds instantly turned to screaming, fleeing the stadium to get away from the danger.

Mako and Korra leapt off of the balcony and ran alongside the wall to the platform, using their Firebending as propulsion from their hands to keep them stable. Once they were near the platform, they leapt down and started throwing fire at the Equalists, knocking them back. Amon dodged any fire that came close to him, which would've been annoying if they were focused on him.

While Mako kept the streams of fire going, Korra ran over to Tenzin. She undid his gag and then turned her attention to the chains, bending a small point of fire on her finger to burn through them. "Where are Pema and the baby?" she asked him.

"In prison," he replied.

"Beifong?" she asked.

"I don't know." She had sacrificed herself to make sure they got away, but they ended up being caught anyway. If she had seen it, he was sure Lin would have either laughed or chastised him.

When he felt the last chain holding him break, he leapt forward to help Mako, adding air to the fight. The two remaining Equalists were easily dealt with but Amon kept dodging their Bending, twisting around and leaping over them all. It was only when Tenzin bent a low stream at him that he finally flew off the platform.

Meanwhile, Korra got the chains off the children. "Follow me, kids," she told them all. They all ran for the nearest exit, which was right behind the platform. They burst through the door and ran down the corridor, coming to a stop at an intersection. "Get them out of here," she said to Tenzin. "We'll create a diversion."

He nodded and looked to his children. "Let's go get your mother and brother," he said to them.

"Prison break!" shouted Meelo.

As they ran down one hallway, the sound of a door opening made Mako and Korra back around. They saw Amon at the door, looking right at them. That moment felt like an eternity and yet, passed all too quickly. He started running towards them. Korra bent a quick fire to distract him while she and Mako ran the opposite way of Tenzin.

"There!" Mako said, pointing at a nearby door, knowing that it led into a storage room. Both of them ran through the door and into the room, only to stop in their tracks.

"Arashi!" said Korra in a strangled whispered as she stared at the young blonde hanging a few inches off the ground by chains. His face was bruised all over with a mottle of colors and his chest had blood leaking from wounds, some of which were only healed. There were burn marks on his body as well, but they didn't come from any fire. Rather, they came from electricity. By the way he hung limp in the chains, his strength had given out.

But when he heard his name, his eyes found them both. "Mako, Korra," he said in a croak of a voice.

The Avatar instantly went to him, fire appearing in her hands. "Hang on, we'll get you out of there," she told him, going for the chains.

"We don't have time, we need to go," Mako said to her, coming up beside her.

She turned to look at him. "What are you saying? We can't just leave him hanging like this. I don't give a damn if Amon is after us!"

When he heard the name, a shudder passed through Arashi, making him swing slightly in the chains. "Idiots, run," he croaked.

"No, not until you're free."

"Korra, we don't have the time!" Mako told her. "I want to get him down just as much as you but Amon is coming." He could hear the footsteps getting closer.

"Run!" Arashi said, forcing his voice to be louder, going from a croak to a whisper. But by then, the sound of feet walking from the outside was too loud. They had no chance to escape.

So they did what they could only do, they hid. "Sorry," Korra said to Arashi before diving beneath a nearby table. It was covered by a cloth that would hide her from the obvious looker. She didn't know where Mako had hidden, but she knew that he was hiding.

She knelt there, waiting in painful and nerve-racking silence. When she heard the door open, she went still. Each footstep echoed in her ears, making her hear them far longer than she wanted to. "Ah, Arashi Uzumaki," she heard Amon speak. "Are you still defiant about refusing to show your Bending to me?"

"Fuck…you." Even though he said those words, there was no venom in them. It was like he said them with barely any strength.

It seemed like Amon had caught onto that as well. "You barely have any strength left, why bother wasting it on insulting me? I must commend you, though. You have lasted a full week of your torture without any results. My commanders are most irritated at you for that. They had a bet going to see how long it would take for you to break, with the latest being only two days. I, however, know that you are nearing the end. Perhaps it will only take one more round to finally break you." She watched as his shadow slowly faded away from her view. "But for now, I will show you something.

The sound of a key being pulled out of somewhere and then unlocking the clamps holding Arashi filled the air beneath the table. "He's freeing him?" Korra thought to herself as she heard the blonde collapse to the floor.

"…Why…?" she heard Arashi croak out.

"Because I want you to know that even when you are free, you are still powerless," Amon told him. Then, all of a sudden, Korra felt her blood rebel against her, pulling her out from under the table and into the open before the masked Bloodbender.

She floated in the air and there was nothing she could as he pulled her closer. Amidst her pain, she could see Arashi trying to struggle to get up but with no success. The look on his face showed the horror and desperation he was feeling. But no matter how many times he tried, he could not get back up.

Mako, on the other hand, could do something about it all. He came out of his hiding place and started throwing fire at Amon. "Let her go!" he commanded.

The leader of the Equalists didn't even bother to move from the fires. He just leaned left and right to avoid them all. Once they were all past him, he stretched out his other hand and bent Mako's blood, forcing him to going skyward.

For a moment, he let them hang in the air, watching them struggle against the pain and the control. He watched as Arashi tried to get back on his feet but could not find the strength to even get on his knees. All was going well and perfect. Now was the time to deliver the final blow.

He sent the two Benders to the ground and held them there. He bent the Avatar up onto her knees and walked behind her. When he grabbed the back of her neck, she realized what he was going to do. "No!" she protested.

"Korra!" shouted Mako.

"Stop, please!" Arashi begged with a pleading whisper.

But Amon did not stop. He placed his other hand on her forehead and took her Bending away. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. When he let go, she didn't try to attack him. She just fell forward in a collapse. "I told you I would destroy you," he declared to her semi-conscious body.

(Location: Equalist Airfield)

After finally managing to get off of Naga's back, Bolin did as he was ordered to do and began tearing up the runways with his Earthbending. What made it hard (but not difficult) was the length of them, forcing him to bend up the earth every few feet. Once he was sure that it was pretty much ruined, however, he moved onto the next one.

He had already taken care of three of them and was working on the fourth right at that moment. That is, right until he saw the mecha tanks coming at him. If it had just been one, he would've thought it was Asami and think nothing of it. But there were three of them and the fact that they were firing cables at him pretty much convinced him otherwise.

Seeing nowhere to run, all he could do was flinch and hold his leg up in some sort of defense. But nothing touched him. Lowering his leg, he saw that Naga was holding all three cables in her mouth. She used her own strength and momentum to pull them down. They came crashing into the ground and rolled around as their momentum carried them.

When they finally came to a stop, the one closest to Bolin had one of its tracks a few scant inches from his face. "Whoa!" he said before turning his attention to the polar bear dog. "Thanks, Naga!" She shook the cables out of her mouth and wagged her tail happily.

Meanwhile, Asami was still in the mecha tank and had moved into the hanger where the aircrafts were waiting to be used. Without any prompting needed, she started smashing them into a state of brokenness. She threw her entire angry feelings about her father, Mako and Korra, everything and anything she felt mad at into destroying these machines and she would not deny that she had a satisfied feeling each time one of them broke.

"Asami, what do you think you're doing?" she heard her father's voice demand as she stood before one of the last aircrafts. She turned the tank around and saw another tank standing at the entrance. "You are aiding the very people who took your mother away!"

"You don't feel love for Mom anymore," she replied, still angry at him for everything he did in betrayal. "You're too full of hatred."

"Your ungrateful, insolent child!" he shouted at her. His mecha tank started forward at a ramming speed straight at her. She tried to stop him by firing cables but he dodged them all and then slammed into her tank, sending it crashing to the ground and destroying another airplane.

As it lay there, he moved over to it and swung his claw down, shattering the glass with one strike. "I now see there is no chance to save you!" he shouted down at his own daughter. He raised the tank's claw once more, only to be suddenly struck by a large rock in the side.

Caught off guard by the action, the tank stumbled somewhat. He managed to regain balance and look at where the rock had come from. It came from the front of the hanger and was thrown by Bolin from atop Naga. "Mr. Sato, you are a horrible father!" the Earthbender shouted, bending a large rock at him with each word spoken.

And while he shouldered the barrage of rocks, Hiroshi forgot about his daughter for a brief moment. That moment was all she needed to get her own tank back up and attack his. She pierced her claw into the opposing tank, cutting through important wiring, effectively killing it, and then threw him to the ground.

As his tank lay there, she was the one to move over to it. But instead of swinging her claws down upon it, she used them to pry open the tank so she could see her father sitting there. She saw him with the fear in his eyes, sacred of what she might do to him. She wanted to do a great many things to him. She wanted to hurt him, to make him suffer.

But despite all she wanted to do to him, the fact that he was still her father stopped her from doing it. He must've sensed her hesitation for he fired a cable at her, forcing her to have the tank lean away from it. That gave him the chance to climb out of his own tank and begin running for the hanger entrance.

"You really are a horrible father," she said to herself with regret and sadness. Taking aim, she fired an electric bola at him. It struck and he fell to the ground, being shocked into unconsciousness as he went.

(Location: Pro-bending Arena)

Arashi was angry and he tried to use that anger to get back on his feet. But he was so weak and hurt that it was taking longer than it should have. Because of that, Amon was able to get to Korra. Something like that shouldn't have happened! But it still did and there was nothing he could've done about it.

"Finally, you are powerless," Amon gloated as he stood over Korra, still controlling Mako with his Bloodbending. The Avatar got up onto her hands and knees to try and hit him, only to miss entirely and fall back to the ground. It was quite amusing, if he was being honest with himself.

"Amon!" the Lieutenant said from behind him. "Everything the Avatar said is true, isn't it? I just saw you Bloodbend her." The only thing he got for a reply was Amon slightly turning his head to look at him. He pulled off his mask and threw it to the ground, stepping on it hard enough to break the glass. "You traitor!" he shouted at Amon. "I dedicated my life to you, I did everything you asked, I…I tortured a twelve year old boy because of you!"

He drew his clubs and charged at the masked man, intent on beating him into a bloody corpse. But Amon stopped him with his Bloodbending, lifting him up into the air. "You've served me well, Lieutenant. But do not kid yourself. You found immense pleasure in torturing young Uzumaki here not because I told you, but because he was a Bender."

With barely any effort, he threw the man aside into a pile of lumber. It fell down all around him, obscuring him from sight. That business done, Amon turned his attention back to Mako, walking over to him and bending his blood to put him on his knees. What he wasn't aware of was that Mako had been separating his energies and bringing them back together, holding the energy that wanted to be released in his fingertips.

At the moment he bent up onto his knees, he forced his fingers to act against the control of his blood and point themselves at Amon. Once he was certain that they were in the right position, he struck. Lightning leapt from his fingertips and hit Amon with a force akin to a sledgehammer. He didn't scream in pain but he did grunt and the force of the lightning sent him flying through the air, hitting the wall near the door.

He fell to the ground and Mako threw quick fireballs at the stuff around him, causing it to fall and entrap him. Seeing that he was stuck there for the moment, he turned to Korra and Arashi, picking up the former so she would stand on her own two legs and grabbing the hand of the latter, forcing him to do the same.

"Come on, guys!" he said to them both as he ran/dragged them out of the storage room. Despite how much he wanted to sprint down the hallway, with the two of them all he could manage was a run. He kept looking behind him to make sure that Amon wasn't behind them yet.

"Mako…my Bending…" Korra groaned out as she forced herself to run alongside him. She couldn't feel any of them. She couldn't feel the water, the fire, or the earth. They weren't there.

"Everything will be alright!" he assured her. "We just need to get out of here." But then he suddenly stopped in mid-step forward, making the people he was carrying lurch out of his grasp and slide forward away from him.

They looked up and saw Amon standing behind the Firebender, looking none the worse for wear and controlling Mako's blood. He slammed the younger man into the walls and the ceiling for good measure before dropping him to the floor. "I'm impressed. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that." He bent Mako up onto his knees. "It's almost a shame to take away the Bending of someone so talented. Almost," he stated again, firm in his convictions.

When Korra looked up at the scene, she saw Amon standing behind Mako with his hand and she was horrified. "No!" she screamed, leaping up to her feet and swing her arm into a punch. In the moment between her cry and her action, she silently and unconsciously reached out to the one element she had never touched upon, asking for its aid, to help her save her friend.

It responded.

A howling gust of air roared out from her punch and hurtled its way down the corridor, slamming into Amon and driving him away from Mako. "Impossible!" he said in shock as he looked at the Avatar he had equalized.

After she had thrown the punch, Korra had to lean against the wall for support. But all eyes were on her after that. "Korra, what did you do?" Arashi asked her from where he sat on the ground.

She was stunned as well. "I…I can Airbend?" She had already answered that question and the answer gave her strength. "I can Airbend!" she declared, pushing off of the wall. She moved forward, throwing gusts of air from each punch she threw. Each gust knocked Amon around like he was a ragdoll.

He may have taught himself to defend against Benders without using Bending himself but none of those self-taught lessons dealt with Airbending. Add to the fact that he had been surprised and he could not maintain a proper defense. She pushed him back down the corridor until he was up against the window. Looking at her with anger in his eyes, he reached out with his hand and bent her blood to his will.

She went still from her rampage but she would not have any of it. She fought against the control, using every ounce and pound of her being to do it. "No….you…DON'T!" she grounded out, rising her foot into position and kicked it, bending one last gust of air that sent Amon through the window, over the Arena pier, and into the water.

No one said anything after he flew out of the building. Arashi finally found enough strength to get onto his feet but he still found that he had to use the wall to help him walk. He forced himself to join Mako and Korra at the hole in the wall, looking out at what happened. They saw Amon's mask floating on the water.

As it turned out, the pier was full of people who believed in what Amon preached. The three of them quickly got heckled with things like "Bending tyrant" and "Evil Avatar." But that quickly came to a stop when Amon burst of the bay. He must've fallen unconscious as he went underwater because he was gasping for breath. He also must've panicked, because he burst out of the bay atop a water column while the "burn scar" on his face quickly vanished in the air.

As they all stared at him, atop a twisting, rotating water column with no scar on his face, the people saw that Korra had been telling the truth about him. He looked around to find some support, only to see none. All he could see was the Avatar at the hole looking at him with no fear in her eyes.

Just as quickly as he arose from the water, he dropped back into it and used his Waterbending to escape. Mako tried to stop him by bending fireball at him but all he hit was the water. Sure enough, the outed leader of the Equalists got away.

(Location: Tarrlok)

When he saw his brother climb up into the attic and coming towards him, the Councilman of the Northern Water Tribe was surprised, but only for a moment. "Noatak," he said in greeting and recognition.

"It's over, brother," Noatak said in reply, lowering his hood to reveal his unmasked face. "I'm sorry for what I had to do to you."

He sighed and looked away. "Our father set us on this path. Fate caused us to collide." He looked up at his brother, remembering the day that it all changed. "I should have left with you when we were boys."

The elder of them pulled out the keys to the cell and unlocked the door. "Leave with me now," he offered. "We have a second chance. We can start over. Please, you're all I have left in the world."

Tarrlok didn't say anything for the longest time. But then he stood up and nodded quietly in agreement. He didn't say a word as he walked out of the cell nor did he say anything as they left the temple and made their way down to the dock, where a single speed boat was waiting for them.

But as they reached the dock, both brothers came to a complete stop. Standing in the way of their freedom was Yue. She did not have any weapons on her and she stood in a neutral stance but that did not mean she would not stop them. "Yue," Tarrlok said, finally breaking his silence.

"Tarrlok," she said in reply before turning her attention to Noatak. "I see you decided to get rid of the mask. Were you finally outed?"

"Yes," he said.

She sighed. "I much preferred you when you were on our side of the fight, Noatak."

His eyes widened at those words. "How did you know?"

"I've always known, just like I always knew with Tarrlok. I knew it the first time I saw you with Sozin."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Tarrlok wondered the same thing about his sister. He had only learned about their relationship from an idle remark from his predecessor. When he confronted her about it, the only thing that she did was acknowledge the fact.

"What difference would it have make?" she asked back. "I was content to keep my past behind me."

"Now more so once you take us," Tarrlok said with a small hint of bitterness in his voice.

She didn't say anything in reply to that but she did look at hard at him. He couldn't hold her gaze and looked down at the dock. Whatever he might say about her, what happened to him was his own fault and he knew it. There was no point blaming someone that had done nothing to encourage him to do it, that had been his own ego and pride.

"Noatak, I just have one question," she said to him. "Were you involved with Sozin's death?"

"Absolutely not!" he replied instantly with a heat one wouldn't have expected from him. "I stood outside with the crowd as the house burned, filled with horror at the sight. I was one of the people who tried to extinguish the fire. I did not kill Sozin or his family! I tried to save them!" The heat died away just as soon as it had appeared. "He was trying to help make the world a better place. I thought the Equalists would do the same thing, just differently."

"…Alright." She heard the truth in his voice and saw it in his eyes as well. Given his previous history with Sozin and how faithfully he worked, she believed him. She walked towards them both until they were an arm's reach away. "Go. Get on the boat and run." She would've laughed at the looks of surprise on their faces if it was some other kind of time. But it wasn't. She had given them the way out.

"Why?" Tarrlok said to her.

"Why what?" she asked him, rising an eyebrow.

"Why are you doing this for us? You should be taking us in." It was what made sense and she wasn't doing that.

"You're right, I should take you two in," she agreed with a nod of her head. "I should tie you both up like a hog-monkey and deliver you to Naruto for what you both did to his grandson."

Both of the men felt the fear crawl down into their hearts at the thought of that happening. It would be a fate that would've been worse than death and would no doubt make them beg for that release. What made it worse was the fact that they deserved that fate (Noatak was certain that once Naruto got his hands on the Lieutenant, he would not live to see the end of the day, let alone the week).

"Then why don't you?" Noatak dared to ask.

That was when they both got a surprise from her. She reached out for their necks and pulled them both into a hug. "Because no matter what stupid, idiotic, or insane things you might do that'll definitely get you into trouble and will make people cry for your blood, the two of you are still my little brothers. And if I can't keep an eye out for my family, then I shouldn't be wearing this Medallion."

Both of her brothers heard the heart in her voice as she spoke those words. They could tell she meant it with them and the hug she held them in. It was a comfort; one they never had the pleasure of having. Suddenly, they found themselves wishing that they had known her when they had been younger so she could've actually been their big sister. "Thank you," they both thought.

"But it's going to be just this one time," she continued, breaking the hug. "The next time you're found, I won't be there to send you away. Odds are I'll be one of the people to bring you in. You may be my brothers, but that doesn't excuse the fact of what you've done." She walked past them up to the temple. "You'd better get going."

She didn't look back as she heard them climb aboard the speedboat and start the engine. She didn't look back as she listened to the sound of the boat roar away on the water of her namesake's bay. She kept looking forward as she walked, with no tears in her eyes.


It was a day later when the reinforcements began to sail into the bay of the city. As it turns out, Iroh had managed to take out the five aircrafts who had been sent to destroy Bumi's ships, so they were able to arrive safely. Tenzin and his family stood on the dock with Korra, her team, Arashi, Lin, Yue, and Naruto nearby, waiting for the lead ship to come sailing in.

Despite Amon having been outed, the city was still in Equalist control. It would be a fight to get it back and yet, the only person who was unconcerned about it was Naruto. Then again, given what he and his grandson had been through, no one called him on it. All they knew was that Naruto never let his grandson out of sight and that the Lieutenant hadn't been seen since yesterday (although, given the Paragon's temper over the past week that was probably for the best).

Lin stood before Korra with comforting hands on her shoulders. "I can't believe that Amon got you too," she said sadly.

"Hey, at least you unlocked your Airbending!" Bolin said brightly. But all that earned him was a glare from everyone who heard him.

"You have the worst timing, ever!" Arashi said from where he stood next to Asami, subtly leaning on her for support. Even though he was recovering from the torture that he was in, it had still only been a day. He felt twitchy and also felt like there was someone was nearby that would grab him.

"Seriously, bro, not the time," Mako said to Bolin.

"Right, right, I'll just stand over here, quietly, in silence," he said as he backed up and placed his hands over his mouth.

"Guys, there are more important things to worry about then me right now," Korra said to them all, taking Lin's hands off of her shoulders and then walking over to the edge of the dock to watch the ship come in.

"Korra, there can be no denying what you've done," Tenzin said to her, coming to her side. "You saved Republic City."

"But Amon got away," she replied with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "And the Equalists still hold the city. There's going to be a fight to take it back."

"No, there won't be," Naruto said from where he stood on the other side of her, his hand protectively holding Arashi's shoulder. "The ships are here to mop up what will remain of the Equalists."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard about what you try to tell the people in the Arena about Amon. It was a good effort but also a little blunt. The only real thing you succeeded in doing was taking out the figurehead, the structure still remains."

"Oh." She could see his point and it didn't cheer her up. "That means we're going to have an even bigger fight on our hands." Amon might be gone, but his ideals were still in place and could be used.

He sighed. "Oh great, the Avatar has gone deaf."

That made her glare half-heartedly at him. "No, I haven't."

"Then listen to what people are saying. There's not going to be a battle for the city. There's going to be a mop up but no battle."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Just listen to the radio later. Listen and learn."

As the lead ship got in closer, they all saw a man standing on one of the dragon heads. "Yay, Uncle Bumi's here!" Ikki cried happily at the sight of the man from atop Naga.

The man must've heard her because in the next moment, he let out a wild man scream and pounded his fists together. "Great, now I have to entertain my brother," Tenzin said with an air of resignation.

"Oh, it won't be that bad, Tenzin," Pema chided him gently while rocking Rohan.

"We are talking about Bumi here," he reminded her.

"Do you want me to take care of it?" Naruto asked him, looking over Korra to him.

The Air Nomad looked relieved at the question. "Please." If there was one person still alive who could rein his brother in, it would be Naruto.

"Alright then," he said, looking at the children amongst them all. "Kids, cover your ears. I'm about to bellow."

"Why?" Meelo asked him, curiosity coloring his voice.

"Because it's going to get loud," he answered. "I once sent Momo up ten feet in the air when I used this voice right next to him."

"Do as he says, children," Tenzin agreed with him. He had heard the voice a couple of times before in his life. There was a part of him that still believed that he used Airbending to do it.

Naruto watched as the kids did as they were told. He then turned his head out to the bay and to the ship. He cleared his throat a couple of times to warm it up. And then he bellowed. "BUMI, WHAT HAS JUNE TOLD YOU ABOUT GRANDSTANDING? I WANT YOUR ASS ON THIS DOCK IN TEN MINUTES OR I WILL MAKE YOU DO FIFTY LAPS AROUND THE ISLAND IN STORMY WEATHER!"

The man atop the dragon head visibly flinched and quickly dove into the water. As he swam frantically to the dock, Bolin looked over at the Fire Paragon. "You seriously weren't going to make him swim around the island, were you?" he asked.

"Of course I was serious," Naruto replied, his voice going back to its normal range.

"That's a little cruel."

"No, it's holding his hand. He used to do twice that number out in the open sea."

The splashing got louder as the man got closer and closer to the dock, making them all turn their attentions back to him. Finally, he practically leapt out of the water and onto the dock, panting like his life depended on it. "How'd I do?" he asked Naruto while water dripped out of his uniform.

"It's nice to know that you're still in shape," the Paragon replied.

"That doesn't answer the question."

"You were grandstanding, you don't get an answer."

He frowned. "I thought that was all done with that now that I'm no longer the student."

"When did she or the rest of us say that?"

He looked to say something in reply but stopped when he finally noticed that Tenzin was there. "Little brother!" he shouted, grabbing Tenzin and pulling him into a giant bear hug.

"Bumi, you are sopping wet!" the Airbender said while trying to get out of the hug. He would gladly hug his brother, just not when he had literally came out of the water. He could feel his clothes already getting wet from the water.

"Whoops, sorry," he said, putting his brother down. "Hey, kids!" he said to Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo with a big grin on his face. "I'd hug ya, but I don't think that your father would like it."

While the kids just grinned at him, Pema laughed lightly. "Bumi, come over here and meet your new nephew," she said to her brother-in-law, holding Rohan in her arms.

He perked up at that news and came over to her, looking down at the baby, the big grin morphing into a gentle smile. "Hello there, little man," he said to Rohan. "I'm your Uncle Bumi. It's nice to meet you." The baby gurgled happily at him, trying to reach up and grab his beard. But he chuckled and pulled away. "I don't think so, that's already been taken care of."

Turning away from Pema, he walked over to Korra. "Hey there, kiddo," he said to the Tribeswoman.

"Hey, Bumi," she said quietly.

He stopped and looked at her with a small frown. He had met her before, back when she was a kid, but she had been more loud and rambunctious and had been informed that she hadn't really changed as she grew up. To see her like this was something that didn't sit well with him. "I take it something happened?"

"You could say that," Bolin said, walking to the man and taking a protective step in front of Korra. "The name's Bolin, by the way. This here is Mako, my brother," he said gesturing at said brother, who joined him in protecting Korra.

But their actions just made Arashi laugh. "Guys, you do realize that this guy could kick both your asses without even blinking or breaking a sweat, right?" the blonde asked the two Benders.

"There's no need to come to my defense, Arashi," Bumi said to him. "I am perfectly capable of handling these kinds of things myself."

"I was trying to save them from an embarrassing beat-down."

"I'd say you succeeded," Asami said as she watched Mako and Bolin step away from Korra (but only after she had placed and hand on their shoulders and shook her head).

"Aha, and who is this little beauty?" the United Forces Commander said as he looked over at her.

"That would be Asami Sato, my apprentice," Naruto told him before his gaze could become any more than gazing.

"Really?" he asked, the gaze snapping over to the older man and coming alight with curiosity. "You finally got an apprentice?"

"Yes, I finally got an apprentice."

"It's about damn time, you old coot!" he said triumphantly. "And here the rest of us were getting worried you'd die first."

"You were the only who was worried about that, Bumi," Yue said to him. "I was confident that he would find someone."

"Hey, you nagged him too."

"In any case, Asami," Naruto said to his apprentice, getting her attention. "I would like you to meet Bumi, the Paragon of the Air Nomads."

Asami was a little surprised to hear that because she hadn't really thought he would be one. He might've looked quite dapper if his uniform wasn't sopping wet but now, he just looked a little like an animal that came out of an unwanted bath. The fact that his hair and beard looked like they belonged on a wet dog didn't really help either. He probably looked better when he cleaned up (and dried up) but for now, it wasn't a first impression.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"Ha! She's a polite one," Bumi said with a loud laugh. "Are you going to break her of that?" he asked Naruto.

"Why would I? She's charming, unlike you."

"He's right about that. I'm the only charming person left in the Paragons," Yue said. "The rest of you guys are just plain old blunt."

"A fact I have never denied," Naruto told her. Then he turned his attention back to Bumi. "Anyway, Bumi, I don't want you to go town with your ships just yet."

"Why?" he asked, becoming serious. It was such a quick change that those who didn't know him were surprised to see his attitude change just like that. "The longer I wait, the longer they have a better grip on the city."

"I need some time on the radio. Give me that time and that grip will be nonexistent, I promise you that."

"I don't know, Naruto. I'm not sure whatever it is you've got cooking will make my fight any easier."

The Fire Paragon smiled at him. "When did you lose faith in me, Bumi? You should know by now that whatever it is I got planned, I always make it work."

The Air Paragon considered those words for a moment and then spoke again. "You're right. I'll give some time on a radio but that's it. After you're done, my division goes into fight."

"Thank you."


It was an hour later that they heard Naruto speak on a public radio channel. Everyone who was on the island sat in one of the dining room around a radio that was dialed into the specific channel.

"Good day, Republic City," the Fire Paragon began. "This is Naruto Uzumaki, the Paragon of the Fire Nation. I am speaking today to the Equalists. As you've no doubt been made aware of, yesterday your leader, Amon, was said to be a Waterbender as well as a Bloodbender and was a son of Yakone. I am sure there are many of you who are currently in denial, saying that it's all a lie made up by the government and/or the Avatar to discredit him.

"It's not. You see Amon, or rather Noatak as that was his actual name, was not just a Waterbender or Yakone's son. He was also the personal assistant to my son, Sozin Uzumaki, when he represented the Fire Nation on the United Council. He had been regarded as a good friend by my son and his wife and he felt the same way. In his own words, he had 'served under the greatest man who ever graced the Council table.' It's quite ironic and hypocritical that a person who claimed to hate Benders would say that of a Firebender.

"I'm sure that none of you have realized what kind of chaos your little group would've caused if you had won. First off, you would miss the Benders that you claim to hate rather quickly. Without the Firebenders, who would keep the lights on in the streets and buildings? Without the Waterbenders, who would ensure that the sewers don't back up in their tunnels? Without the Earthbenders, who would handle constructed in and around the city?

"Now granted, there really isn't anything I can say about the Airbenders when it comes to contribution to the city but that's because there are only four of them right now, three of which are children. And your leader was planning to take that away from them. And what were you doing about it? You were crying out for their blood as I heard it. I wonder if you would be the same if you were tied to the pole about to be 'equalized.'

"Equality, ha! Such a useless word when applied to humans. You people all claim to want things to be equal but the truth is that once you would've won, you would have lorded it over the former Benders, screwing with them, making them work hard for little pay, humiliating them, and punishing them just because you're feeling cruel. You would probably claim that you're doing it because they deserve it but really, it doesn't make you any better. It just puts you at their level.

"Once you've done that enough times to them, they'll start forming their own little rebellion. There might be some that are half-baked and will die before they even try to make a serious move, but there will always be one that will make it. Perhaps it will be headed by the children of the Benders you 'equalized' because just because you took away the Bending of a person, doesn't mean that it will stick with their children. Once their rebellion takes place and they succeed in overthrowing you, they will treat you as you had treated them and now we're back to square one. It may have taken ten years or it may have taken a hundred, but it would've happened.

"But that's not what should stop you, this is: you don't understand what the word equality means. It means having everything be equal, to be the same thing, the same attitude, the same beliefs. You would have wanted to take the five countries down to the same level and keep them there. You know what happens then? Sterility. There will be no difference between one person and the next, no different thoughts or opinions. You might as well kill yourself at that point.

"The countries have grown this far in history because they are different. The difference in ideals, beliefs, and opinions is what set them apart. Having them clash against one another during war and then weave together in peace is what makes the future take place and be made in the present. Do you think that the city that you live in right would be here if that wasn't the case? It and the United Republic was made from the colonies of the Fire Nation from the Hundred Year War once Aang had defeated Ozai and ensured peace had been made. And despite what you think or might want to believe, Bending is a deeply ingrained part of the countries different cultures. Rip that away and you have a crippled country.

"I leave you with what I had just told you all. Think on them and on your actions. Once you do, ask yourself this question: is risking your life really worth such a flawed belief?"

The radio went to a piece of music but then Lin turned it off. No one said a word; they all just stared at the radio. "Well, I'd better get to mopping up," Bumi said as he walked out of the room, his boots barely making any noise on the wooden floor.

"Whoa, just…whoa," Bolin said his voice full of awe.

"Yeah, gonna have to agree with you on that, bro," Mako told him, his voice also full of awe.

"That was…something," Jinora said quietly.

Arashi just laughed. "It's okay, runt. You can say that it was awesome. You know it was." He personally loved it when his Jiji did something like this. It was always cool to hear him speak those kinds of words.

Meanwhile, Yue leaned close to Korra. "Remember when you were little and had just learned about the Paragons, short-stack? You had asked which one of us was the most dangerous and I didn't answer because I felt you were too young to be asking that kind of question." The younger Tribeswoman nodded silently. "To answer that question, Naruto is the most dangerous. And that's because he beat a person easily both with weapons and words."

She could believe it and she did. In just one speech on the radio, the Paragon of the Fire Nation had discredited Amon further as a hater of Benders, had laid out what would happen in the future if the Equalists had succeeded, and pointed the major flaw in their ideology. If people weren't giving up on the Equalists before, they would be now.

She felt a tap on her arm and saw Arashi by her side. In his hand was a piece of paper. "Jiji wanted you to read this," he said, handing the paper to her. She took it and read it.

That's how you deliver a fatal blow.

Naruto

"I guess I'm not that good at telling people things," she said with a hint of sadness. All she was ever really good at was Bending and kicking butt, but she really couldn't the former and the latter was severely hindered now. All Arashi did was hand her another piece of paper.

You just need practice, that's all. For the love of Agni, you're only a teenager. You have time to grow.

Naruto

"How does he do that?" she almost demanded, getting a third piece in response.

You are not the first to ask that question. I'm still not telling.

Naruto

"Oh come on," she grumbled.

"In fairness, he does have a lot of that one," Arashi told her.

(Location: Southern Water Tribe compound)

It barely took three days for Bumi and his forces to take back control of the city, for Naruto's message to the public had done the trick. But there was still a question that remained: how to cure the people whose Bending was taken away? That question was paramount with Korra. The first solution that came to Tenzin's and the other adult's minds was to go back to the Southern Water Tribe and have his mother try to heal Korra. No one could find fault in that plan and they all went, including Mako, Bolin, and Asami.

It had been a relatively quiet and peaceful trip, except for one tense night between Naruto and Yue. That night, it was revealed to them that the Water Paragon had let her brothers go but they also learned that they were dead anyway, their boat exploding in the middle of the sea. When Asami had dared to ask Naruto how he knew, his reply was a cryptic "Someone you'll meet later." That made no sense (although she had seen them both freeze for a second before her teacher had started accusing Yue).

When they got to the compound where Korra had spent her life training to be the Avatar, they were met at the gate by Katara along with Tonraq and Senna, Korra's parents. Korra, who hadn't really said anything during the trip down south, almost seem to break as her parents held her. But she held and followed Katara into the main building to be healed.

They waited in the parlor of the building as Katara took Korra to a back room. The air in the room was tense and nerve-wracking. They didn't know if it would work or not. Most of them were awake, except for Meelo and Naruto. And while most of them could understand how the Airbender could fall asleep (as he had stayed up late the previous night to sit by his father), they couldn't say the same for the Fire Paragon. It was almost like he didn't care one way or the other about what would happen as he sat there in the chair with his eyes closed.

When the door to the back finally opened, everyone (even Naruto, who woke up at the sound of the door opening) turned to see Katara coming out with a sad look on her face. "I've tried everything in my power, but…" she told them all, her face becoming even sadder. "I cannot restore Korra's Bending."

"But you're the best healing in the world," Lin protested, knowing those words to be truth. "You have to keep trying."

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do," she replied. "There is someone who's as skilled as I am in healing, but she is on the other side of the planet."

"Then let's summon her and have her help!"

The old Waterbender looked like she would say something but she looked at Naruto. While his face was expressionless, she could see the hardness in his eyes at the prospect she was mentioning. Then she remembered the laws he had put through and remembered that he would not permit it to go through. So instead, she shook her head at Lin. "It'd probably be no use. Korra can still Airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed."

The door to the back opened again and Korra walked out. She stopped and looked at all the eyes on her at that moment, absently noticing that Meelo had woken up. "Everything's going to be alright, Korra," Tenzin told her.

But she wasn't having it. "No, it's not." She saw that Naruto had sat down and closed his eyes again, obviously dismissing what had happened. She probably would've felt angry at him if she was normal, but she wasn't. Staring at all the faces surrounding her, she never wanted to be more alone.

She instantly went to the door, grabbing her coat and putting it on just as she reached the door. The cold air that greeted her as she stepped outside was usually so refreshing. Just feeling it got her energized for the day. But now, it just felt…cold. And the grey clouds that she had seen so many times in her life and loved them now seemed…depressing. She went down the steps, past Oogi to where Naga was waiting.

"Korra, wait," she heard Mako call out from behind her on the steps.

She stopped in her tracks, letting him catch up with her. "Go away," she finally told him.

"I will, but I just want you to know, I'm here for you."

Those weren't the words she wanted to hear. So she turned to face him. "No, I mean go away, back to Republic City. Get on with your life."

"What are you talking about?" he asked her with confusion.

"I'm not the Avatar anymore. You don't need to do me any favors." She turned away and started walking towards Naga again.

But he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I don't care if you're the Avatar or not." He removed her hand and she turned to face him. "Listen; when Tarrlok took you and Arashi I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again. I realized…I love you, Korra." He leaned out and placed a hand on her cheek.

Those words, ones she had wanted to hear ever since she realized that she had liked Mako, did nothing for her. In fact, they just made her back away quickly. "I…I can't," she said, taking his hand off and running for Naga.

"Korra!" the Firebender called after her. But she just climbed aboard the polar bear dog and ran out the gate. Then she felt another pair of eyes on her and when she looked, she saw Arashi standing at the top of the stairs, watching her leave.

All of a sudden, his question came back to her and it felt like it had never left.

"If I was older, would you date me?"

It was a question that had one too many implications. She knew that he was asking about the future but she also knew that he was talking about the present. There was also the problem that she didn't really see Arashi like that. Maybe a little, but she saw him more like a friend or the little brother she never had. But still, there was that little piece…

Argh! Too many thoughts were crowding her head about Mako and Arashi. She tore her eyes away almost as soon as she looked back and kept riding Naga until the compound was well out of sight.

They rode to the nearby ice-cliffs. By then, the questions and thoughts about Mako, Arashi, and that question finally fell silent in Korra's head. The problem that was left was that what Amon had done to her still reign supreme. She climbed down off of Naga and walked to the edge of the cliffs.

She stared down at the sea below, thinking about what would happen now. She wasn't the Avatar anymore, Amon had seen to that. Now all she could be was an Airbender who wasn't even an Air Nomad. And she highly doubted that she was going to be a good Airbender. Sure, she managed to get in a few punches on Amon but they had been wild and only barely hit what she had been aiming at. And before that one time, she hadn't been able to Bend a breath of air.

All she wanted to be, ever since she had figured it out, was the best damn Avatar the world had ever seen. She was going to beat down any person who stood against her and she would make sure that peace would be kept. But she had been taken out by the leader of the first major problem of her Avatar life. She wasn't the best damn Avatar. If anything, she was the most pathetic.

That thought kept echoing in her head, again and again. "I'm pathetic. I'm pathetic. I'm pathetic." A single tear escaped her eye, traveling down her cheek until it fell off her face and into the sea. Unable to take it anymore, she collapsed onto the snow and began to cry. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them close, like she used to do as a child. The last time she had felt this bad was when she had lost Akela. Only this was worse, much worse. She wished that someone would be able to help her through this, but there was no one on this world that could.

She kept crying even as she heard the sound of footsteps in the snow, coming towards her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the orange and yellow of an Air Nomad's robe. And considering that there was only one person she knew of who was taller than her and wore that kind of robe, she made an assumption of who it was. "Not now, Tenzin," she told as she sniffled her tears away. "I just want to be left alone."

"But you called me here," the voice of the Air Nomad replied, making her go still. That voice didn't belong to Tenzin. But she knew who it did belong to. She had heard him speak before.

She turned around to look at her predecessor. "Aang," she said his name with hope in her voice. He looked just like she had seen him in her visions.

He smiled gently and warmly at her. "You have finally connected with your spiritual self."

"How?" she asked, standing up before her. She didn't know, all she did was hit rock bottom.

But it seemed like he already knew that. "When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." As sunlight broke through the grey clouds above, its light fell on her and him. From behind Aang, the rest of her predecessors appeared. She could see Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, and all the rest of them.

Water, Earth, Fire, and Air.

Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.

Fire, Air, Water, and Earth.

Air, Water, Earth, and Fire.

Back and back the cycle stretched, far enough into the distance where she could not see the faces, only the colors that showed where they had hailed from. But they were all there, right before her eyes.

Aang reached out and placed his hands on Korra's forehead and heart. She did not struggle against his hold; she accepted it gratefully, closing her eyes. Though beneath the lids of her eyes she saw darkness, it lit mutely, telling her that Aang and the others had begun to glow. Energy poured into her, coursing through her body and filling her to the brim. The depression she had felt vanished and she could feel the call of the other elements again. But there was something else too, something that was hers by right

Aang's hold vanished and she knew that he and the rest of the Avatars were gone. But there was a breath floating on the wind. It carried the breath to her ears and within the breath; there were words that spoke to her. "We are here. We are yours."

Letting those words engrave themselves into her mind, she reached inward and activated the power she always knew she had but could never find, the power of the Avatar State.

As her eyes glowed with the same white light that had been in every eye of her predecessor, her face took on an ageless quality that also looked serene. She bent the air beneath her to lift upwards in a small column so she could have a better look at the sea. Wanting to test the power she wielded, she bent out a ring of air, then fire, and finally earth. She wanted to see if there were limits. She wasn't finding any. Wanting to push even further, she reached out and bent the sea below. It rose up to meet the cliff with a splash of water, sprinkling the air with drops of water.

She wanted to do so much more with the power, but Katara's voice came to her, saying words she had heard when she was a child. "Don't overextend yourself on something you've just learned. Take your time with it."

She vaguely understood those words, but she understood them all the same. She bent the column to shrink until she was able to touch the ice with her feet. Once she was there, she released her hold on the Avatar State, letting the power and the glow drain away.

She felt a pair of eyes on her that weren't Naga's. When she turned, she saw Mako standing there, watching her. The surprised look on his face disappeared quickly and was replaced by a small smile, making her smile back.

As he came forward, she ran towards him, leaping into his arms. He caught her and spun her around a few times before putting her feet back on the ground. "I love you too," she told him, unafraid to say it now as she placed her own hand on his cheek. They pulled each other into a kiss.


Later, Korra had everyone meet her at a nearby shrine. There she told them about what had happened to her (which prompted Naruto to say "Dramatic much, Aang?") and then asked Lin to come up the shrine's steps to stand before her and kneel. The cop did as she was asked, trusting the woman before her.

The Avatar reached out and placed her hands on Lin's forehead and heart, just like Aang had done to her. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to concentrate and call on the Avatar State. Her eyes opened, revealing the glow they had. Feeling the power once more, she guided her own energy into Lin and undid what Amon had done to her. Her work done, she released the Avatar State and her hold on Lin.

Feeling that her power was back, Lin stood back up and bent the stone columns around the shrine up into the air, surprising everyone (even make Bolin look stunned). She bent them back down into the ground and look back at Korra. "Thank you," she said.

The Avatar only saluted and bowed to her. She turned to Tenzin, who was coming up the steps. "I am so proud of you, Avatar Korra," he said with a proud smile on his face.

She smiled too, for it was the first time that he had called her by her title. And she felt like she deserved it too. She looked at everyone and saw the same look in their eyes as Tenzin did, even Naruto. For the first time in her life, she truly felt like the Avatar.

End

Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

If you're wondering if Arashi was the Pro-bending Arena the entire time, why didn't Naruto didn't find him earlier, the answer to that is Amon wasn't stupid. Arashi was his hostage to keep the Paragon of the Fire Nation from going on a rampage. He loses the hostage, cue the rampage. So, he kept moving Arashi around.

Also, the information that Naruto unloaded in his speech on the radio was his ace in the hole. He could've spilled the beans at any time and completely discredit the Equalists. Now, I'm sure there are going to be some of you who are going to ask why he didn't do that, there are two good reasons. Number 1: Until they kidnapped and tortured Arashi, he really didn't see the Equalists as his problem. Number 2: We wouldn't be having this story arc if he had.

What he laid out for a future is quite true. Once a rebellion is successful and takes control of the country, they start focusing on ruling. Soon, they become the ruling class and forget where they come from, thus sowing the seeds for the next potential rebellion.

Personally, I believe that while war is an evil thing, it is a necessary evil. Let's face it; war has been an important part of our evolution as a species. Practically most of the stuff we get technology-wise has its roots in warfare. You don't believe me, look at Alan Turing and his work. His building a machine able to crack the Enigma machine essentially laid the foundation for computers and computer science as we know it today. If it wasn't for war, the world wouldn't know itself and we can thank those great conquerors we've learned about in history class for expanding the map.

Granted, not everything that comes out of war is good (we never would've created the atomic bomb if we didn't know war) but you have to take both sides of the problem. You can't just take one and ignore the other, that's what gets people into trouble.

As for the person Katara mentioned, I'll let you try to guess that one. It'd be no fun to spill all the beans at the same time.

I'll see you all next chapter!