It was another day and a half before they all gathered together again at The Order's Compound. The gathering was smaller than the one a couple days before, consisting of only a few White Lotus officials, Kya, Bolin, Asami, Mako, and Tahno.
The group had needed that time to prepare themselves for whatever was to come, especially Tahno; the day after their intimate meeting he started to feel the draining effects his spirit-seeing ability had on his chi. Their intimate connection had rejuvenated him for about that long, but—like Amon had suggested—the effects were temporary. He just hoped he had enough strength to sustain him through his journey and back again, and hopefully longer than that even.
It frightened him to think that it was starting to wear him down that noticeably—but he didn't mention a thing of it to anyone; he didn't want them to start worrying about him—or if he'd accomplish what he was setting out to do.
Lin had gone back to Commander Bumi's docked vessel to spend some time working out something from that angle. Tahno assumed she was just bored sitting around waiting for something to happen, and was more comfortable being around the likes of the United Forces Naval officers. It didn't matter to him that much; his mind was on other matters, like the fact that he—in the company of Kya and a few White Lotus members—would be heading out into unfamiliar terrain to accomplish the goal he was there for in the first place—retrieve Korra from the Spirit World.
While the others stood off to the side to observe the debriefing, Kya had dragged the ex-bender to her side as the lead White Lotus Official filled them in on the plans for their trek. Tahno zoned out through much of it, the instructions being a little formal and boring for his tastes.
"The trek should only take you less than a day to make, and you should all be there by nightfall," Tahno's attention came back into focus at the tail end of the instructions the head of the White Lotus Order was giving them. "Hizaki, a firebender—" The official indicated a pale complexioned, dark-haired and serious auburn-eyed woman in White Lotus garb. "—And Kohan, a waterbender—" He indicated a darker complexioned, forty-something looking water tribe male in similar garb to Hizaki. "—Will be accompanying the two of you on your trip. If anything should happen—if you face any difficulties along the way, or encounter Hiroshi Sato out there—I have instructed Hizaki to light a flare as a signal. We will send out a few scouts to investigate from there. We're hoping, however, that we won't have to resort to those measures, but Korra's safety is our utmost concern, and we're taking measures to ensure that as much as possible."
"Since the iceberg where my father emerged from his hundred-year internment landlocked itself some sixty years ago, it's made it easier to reach the location without having to resort to water travel to access it," Kya noted. "Which, I believe, is to our advantage—wouldn't you say, Tahno?" Her attention was fully on him, expectant for his acknowledgement, it seemed.
"Yeah—I guess," Tahno answered simply. Kya smiled briefly before adjusting to her more serious, back to business expression.
"We'll leave you two in Hizaki and Kohan's company so that you can better acquaint yourselves with one another before you head out," The Order's official informed them. "Good luck." He left.
"It looks like it should be a good day to travel to the Most Spiritual Location in the Southern Water Tribe," Kohan spoke up with hints of a smile on his face.
"Conditions look like they'll hold up for the time being," Kya replied. "We should have good weather to travel through—unless a freak storm crops up, which—hopefully—won't end up being the case."
"I need to make sure the flares are operable and stocked up," Hizaki informed the two. "I'll go look into some final preparations while the two of you make some final ones of your own. Kohan and I need to do a few things before we're ready to head out, so we'll meet out at the gate in about half an hour. Does that work for you?"
"Yes—we'll be ready and by the gate in a half an hour," Kya replied. Hizaki gave a formal nod of her head, and then she and Kohan quietly made their departure. The elder waterbender turned her attention back to the ex-bender once they were gone, retaining her usual cheerful smile again. "Why don't you go chat with your friends for a few before we depart? I've got a few things I need to look into before we leave, and I'm sure you don't want to tag along with me while I do that."
"Yeah, sure—okay," Tahno replied.
Kya smiled warmly at him. "Have fun." She left him standing there alone. The ex-bender approached those who'd accompanied him up to the South Pole, looking at them while he grew closer, specifically focusing on the firebender—Mako.
After the two parted, Tahno adjusted his shirt again while the firebender collected his clothing. After redressing, Mako made sure not one piece looked disheveled or out of place—wanting to look properly presentable when he returned to Korra's parents' inhabitance for the night.
"Do I look like I did before we entered your mom's place?" Mako asked the ex-bender. Tahno looked him over with a particular wandering eye, giving an approving nod and smile.
"Nothing looks out of place." A thought occurred to Tahno. "Hey—I'm sure you want me to give this back to you, considering how precious it is to you and all." He reached for the length of rouge fabric that the firebender treasured from where Mako had left it folded up nicely earlier. He picked it up and brought it over to the firebender.
Mako eyed the fabric, shaking his head. Tahno looked at him quizzically. "I want you to keep it for the time being. It might help you convince Korra that you're a friend—not a foe—when you go to retrieve her from the Spirit World. Plus—it might look suspicious if I showed up back at her parents place with it on me when I think most everyone's noticed it's been on you since we left the ship a few days back."
"I—guess that makes sense," Tahno hesitantly lowered his hand occupied by the scarf to his side. "I—I'll be sure not to damage it then."
"I'll hold you to that," Mako replied, grinning before making one last claim on the ex-bender's lips. "I should go now—before anyone notices I've been gone too long."
"Hey—looks like I'll be on my way in a bit," Tahno spoke up as he came within a few feet of them. "Wish me luck?"
"Yeah, dude—good luck out there. Hope you get Korra back safe and sound," Bolin replied, smiling.
"Of course I'll wish you good luck," Asami told him. She approached him. "I hope you won't mind." She embraced him quickly, letting him go before he could protest. "I just—felt the need to do that."
"No offense taken," Tahno informed her with a hint of a smile. He turned his attention towards Mako, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "Hey, so—Mako…"
"Make sure you don't snag this on something while you're in the Spirit World," Mako stepped up to him and began adjusting the scarf around the ex-bender's neck—the red one he'd loaned him. "Also—make sure Korra notices it, and make sure to tell her where you got it from. Be persistent if you have to. She's gotta know you're coming to her as a friend—not a foe. Got it?"
"Yeah—I'll be sure to inform her explicitly that the scarf belongs to you," Tahno replied, his face involuntarily heating up as the firebender continued to carefully adjust the scarlet fabric around his neck. "Against all this blue—it'll stick out like a sore thumb." He was starting to feel really awkward when the firebender didn't let up fiddling with the scarf. "I think that's fine enough Mako. You keep going at it like that—I'll never get out of here."
"Oh, yeah—sorry about that," Mako stepped away sheepishly.
"Anything you want me to say to Korra for you, Mako?" Tahno asked him.
"Just tell her—circumstances changed, and—me and Bo couldn't stay in Republic City any longer, and…that I'll be waiting for her when she returns," Mako replied. "I'll tell her anything else I need to when she gets back."
"Okay, well…I think it's time I head before Kya decides to hunt me down and sings to me as punishment for holding up the operation." Tahno turned to make his departure, tilting his head at an angle to look back at them while giving the trio a grin and a friendly hand gesture.
"See you around."
Internally, he was telling himself, I hope.
XoXoX
The last couple of days had been hectic for Ishio at the station. With the constant outages, the barrage of complaints made about it and the criminal activity increase in its wake, he was kept on his toes.
"These outages are getting ridiculous!" An officer and a city official were caught in conversation with one another. The official's arms were flying around erratically as the man went on with his rant, being very animated about it in the meantime. "I've been told they keep checking in with the plant, to see where the problem's originating, and nothing's amiss. Yet these blasted outages persist. I'm starting to believe it's time for a change of management at the electric facility!"
"I wouldn't go that far with it," the officer commented. "The guy in charge has done a good job thus far. What's one blip to his record really?" He shrugged his shoulders. "It's probably something they haven't dealt with before, and they're having a hard time finding a source to the problem."
"Whatever it is, I hope they resolve it soon! I would like to take a warm shower again sometime very soon!" Ishio couldn't help but be humored by the complaints made by those types—the rich, privileged, aristocratic. When one thing disrupted their routine, he noticed, they went off on ranting tangents that were oftentimes entertaining to watch.
Ishio, though, was more concerned for the lesser privileged, working class folks that had to deal with these outages disrupting their jobs and making more of them susceptible to Triad attacks. In their dark apartments, alleyways, and job establishments they became easier targets, and the police force had been stretched to their capacity tackling more cases than their caseload could handle.
For his own reasons, Ishio hoped the outages would be resolved soon. He sighed as another officer approached him about another case involving one of the triads that they needed to look into.
XoXoX
The air felt frigid and chilly—even for a good day. It was taking some getting used to, and Tahno still couldn't chase away the arctic chill he experienced from the Southern Polar environment. He was constantly rubbing his gloved hands together to keep them warm, and he'd pulled Mako's red scarf tighter around his face to further protect it from the chill. He couldn't wait to get this trip over and done with—so he could enjoy a nice hot dinner to warm up to.
The landscape looked pristine and untarnished by any possible looming threats. There were no signs that Hiroshi or his cohorts were anywhere nearby; oddly enough—that was both a cause for relief and apprehension for the ex-bender. Having the trip go smoothly without any interference from Sato was comforting, as he didn't know what he or the other three he was tagging along with would do if they ended up facing Sato's wrath along the way.
On the other hand—to have everything go so smoothly seemed a little...unnatural to him at the same time. Something lingering at the back of his mind seemed to feel like there was something wrong with this situation—it shouldn't be so easy—but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He didn't want to get weighed down by that kind of thinking.
"Are we getting anywhere close to where we need to be?" Tahno sounded whinier than he'd intended. Kya looked back towards him from the icy promontory she was currently observing the landscape from.
"We only have a half mile more to go," Kya informed him. "It should take us only a couple more hours of consistent travel to reach our intended destination."
"You getting a little chilled there, kiddo?" Kohan approached the ex-bender from his left side. "The chill around here can take a little getting used to if you're from a place like Republic City. If ya need them, I packed an extra pair of gloves that you can have." He patted the back of his pack with one hand.
"I need to become accustomed to the chill eventually—so I think I'll pass," Tahno replied irritably, a little perturbed at being called kiddo. "Thanks anyways though."
"If you change your mind—they're there." Kohan pressed forward, leaving the ex-bender trailing him by a few paces.
They travelled in silence for a couple hours—what felt like an eternity, really—before they reached a rocky cliff side of sorts. From the edge, Tahno noticed an eerie glow emanating from the depths below. As the party reached the edge, he held his breath at the sight lying there before him.
At the center of a shallow ice valley rested a perfectly spherical, glowing structure formed in the ice. Radiating from within the sphere came a bright, pale green illumination with an ethereal quality to it. The ex-bender couldn't be certain if the light's originating source was a gateway to the Spirit World itself, or the influence of some form of spiritual energy. Whatever it's cause, the eerie glow was enchanting to his eyes, brightening up the scenery in a landscape ready to be consumed by twilight's shadowy minions.
"That's our destination," Kya declared with emphasized certainty as she came to stand by the former waterbender's side. "We'll pitch a tent and set up camp here for the night, and in the morning you can head in there and do whatever you need to do to gain access to the Spirit World. It's getting dark—and it'll be better for you to take that adventure of yours at daybreak."
"Hey, kiddo—do you know anything about pitching a tent?" Kohan called out from where he'd dropped his pack.
"No—I've never bothered to pitch one before," Tahno bristled at being addressed as kiddo once again, which Kya took note of.
"Hey, Kohan—do you think you could refrain from calling Tahno kiddo?" Kya asked the White Lotus waterbender. "He's a little old to be called that—considering he's in his early twenties."
"Huh—I thought you looked sixteen. My bad—didn't realize you were twenty," Kohan said to the ex-bender, who in turn tried to visibly shrug it off as nothing.
"Let's get camp set up," Hizaki reminded them seriously. "Nightfall draws near, and we won't have much light to work by to properly pitch the tents and get a campfire going if we dilly-dally around much longer." She was busy removing gear from her bag. Kohan went to assist Hizaki while Kya helped the ex-bender get his gear set up.
XoXoX
He made an attempt to light it one last time.
"Come on, come on—just light already!"
Shaozu fiddled with the dial on the stovetop, trying one last vain attempt to light the burner, but in a bout of anxiety released frustration, he turned the dial back towards the off setting and stepped away from the oven.
He hadn't missed his firebending until these recent power outages. Now—he wished he could just ignite the burner with a quick motion of a hand, a quick thought. Knowing that wouldn't be a possibility though, he stepped out of the kitchen and grabbed his jacket and keys.
"Hey, Mei Lin—we're gonna have to go out for something to eat," Shaozu shouted out to his girlfriend. She emerged from the hallway leading towards the back bedrooms, dressed in casual Earth Kingdom garb.
"Do you think there'll be any restaurants open during these crazy outages?" Mei Lin asked him.
"There's a place nearby that should be open," Shaozu told her. "The place's run by a firebending master, who keeps a generator at the back of his establishment for cases like this. Guess he figured it'd bring in business when everything else's down."
"Are you sure the place will be open?" Mei Lin inquired a scant dubiously.
"It's owned by a family friend—I'm sure the place is open," Shaozu assured her. He smiled. "Dressed for the occasion?"
"Give me a moment," Mei Lin disappeared down the hall. Shaozu waited. When she returned they left.
XoXoX
Once again Tahno found himself in unfamiliar territory. Unlike last time, however, this landscape was pleasant—even breathtaking to take in the sights of. Fields of vibrant verdant grasses spanning across rolling hills, umbrella-like canopied trees unlike any he'd ever witnessed in any reality rising towards a bright sky—fauna and flora of which he was never familiar and didn't have proper names for.
He didn't know where this landscape happened to be—but he could manage a guess.
"The scenery here in the Spirit World is breathtaking, but there are more urgent matters to deal with than taking in the sights."
A voice took him from his scenery fixation, bringing the ex-bender's eyes to a figure standing out of his current peripheral range. He turned his body so he could better focus his sights on this rather humanoid spirit that happened to be in his presence.
"I take it that's where this is then?" Tahno asked the spirit—a man he noted was garbed in the traditional attire of an airbender.
"Yes, I summoned you here to discuss a few things I feel are important." As the ex-bender focused more closely on the man—his shaved head, the arrows that twisted around his arms and adorned his hairless scalp—he began to realize just whom he was addressing.
"Didn't think I'd ever come face to face with you—at least not while I was still alive anyways," Tahno stated. "You're Avatar Aang, right?"
"Yes."
"So, hey—what'd you summon me here to discuss?" Tahno asked curiously.
"There are a few reasons," Avatar Aang replied. "First—I can sense that this new capability of yours to deal with spiritual matters is depleting you slowly of your chi. Without Korra, I can't help fix that problem for you, but I can alleviate it somewhat by replenishing some of your essence so you'll hopefully have enough strength for your journey until Korra can help you out. I can also sense that there is an energy source linking you to your world so you are able to make the trip and back—but without my assistance you will still be faced with significantly negative physical repercussions upon your return with Korra."
"I'd greatly appreciate that. I've been feeling the effects more lately; it's been taking me longer to recover my energy than I like, and—considering the fact that I'm not sure how much longer I can endure at the rate I'm going—I'd rather be safe than sorry," Tahno replied.
"I believe it'll be enough to carry you through what you need to do—but you'll still need Korra to reverse the effects by restoring your waterbending," Avatar Aang informed him. He approached the ex-bender, raising one hand up to his forehead while placing the other on his chest, near his heart. The move was reminiscent of Amon's actions made against him, and Tahno couldn't help trembling involuntarily at the memories. He relaxed as he felt the flow of energy passing through him, revitalizing him of his depleted strength. He closed his eyes, basking in the soothing sensation.
"I'll be waiting for your arrival in the coming hours. Be on the lookout for my skybison, Appa—as he'll be the one who'll be your guide into the Spirit World," Avatar Aang told him.
"Yeah—the Moon Spirit told me about that," Tahno responded. "So—what else? Is there more you need to tell me?"
"I need you to know that it's very important that you get Korra out of the Spirit World. She's trapped here, and she can't leave here without your help," Avatar Aang informed him.
"Don't worry—I was going to put in every effort I could to get her outta here when I arrive, fight off a few nasty spirits if I have to in order to accomplish that," Tahno assured the previous Avatar. "I promised a few people I'd do that—and I've made it my personal responsibility not to let them down." As an afterthought—a disconnected idea really—he added, "—especially Mako."
"Wake up."
The voice brought Tahno abruptly back into his own physical presence, shooting him upright with a start. It wasn't the tone of the voice or even the volume of it that sent shockwaves shooting through him and immediately woke him; the voice spoke with natural, even intonations—normal really. It was the source of the voice that shook him at a cellular level and resulted in his involuntarily awakening.
For an instant Tahno's eyes caught hints of pallid daylight filtering in through a minutely parted tent flap. His icy blues then focused on his mental intruder—a spirit he loathed and despised both in life and in the man's death.
"There are some urgent matters I need you to hear me out on," that loathsome spirit spoke again, sending shudders up the ex-bender's spine. "It concerns Avatar Korra and Hiroshi Sato's plans."
"Why should I listen to you?" Tahno glared pointedly at the nightmare-inducing specter. "Especially when it concerns the Avatar? You had a thing out against Korra, and hell—for the rest of us benders as well. Hell—Hiroshi Sato was working for you while you were on a mission to make everyone else's lives miserable!" As he was speaking he struggled to keep his voice down; dim illumination coming in through the crack of the tent flap suggested it was only dawn—and he didn't feel like waking the rest of his company from their slumber with his angry shouting. He looked at his unwanted visitor with perceptible disdain. "Amon, Noatak—whoever the hell you are or were—"
"Set aside your personal issues with my presence and just listen to me!" Noatak cut him off. The man's gaze on the ex-bender was hard and unyielding in its striving to grasp his attention.
"Why should I?" Tahno shouted in retort.
"Wasn't I correct about your energy depletion? Have you noticed feeling distinctly weary since I made note of that to you?"
"You were correct about one thing!" Tahno snipped angrily. "That doesn't make me trust your word any more than before. It'd take a lot more than that to gain enough trust to take your word for it!"
"Stop dwelling on your personal issues, you idiot!" Noatak snapped at him. He knelt down and got in Tahno's face—getting fully confrontational with the increasingly apprehensive ex-bender. "The situation the Avatar's in is dire—and what Hiroshi Sato's planning to do is too extreme even for me to have agreed with when I was still alive." He got right in Tahno's face; if the specter had been alive, the ex-bender would have easily felt each dispelled breath brushing uncomfortably against his skin. "I know you're aware of what Sato's planning to do to benders, including the Avatar. What I need you to know is how he's planning to accomplish this goal of his, and also that he has the Avatar—"
"Tahno, is everything okay in there?" Kya's voice provided the ex-bender a grateful reprieve from his disconcerting confrontation with the specter representing some of his worst nightmares. She parted back the tent flap, revealing more intense daylight—an indication that it was a little later in the morning than he first perceived. "Hizaki and I were just getting everything together to prepare breakfast with, and while I was passing by your tent, I thought I heard you shouting something."
"It is now," Tahno replied, obviously relieved. "Had a bad spirit bugging me, but you thankfully chased him away."
"That's good," Kya responded, smiling. "Breakfast's almost ready, and it's getting late. We'll be eating shortly, and you'll need to head out soon. There's a storm looming, and it could hit us as soon as this evening."
"Give me a few minutes to myself, and I'll be right out for breakfast," Tahno told her.
"Mind me hanging near the tent while you're getting ready?" Kya asked him.
Normally, he would've irritably told Kya he needed his space, but with the possibility of Amon coming back in her absence, Tahno felt her presence was more than welcome.
"Nah—I wouldn't mind at all."
XoXoX
The air was cold—frigid—as its gentle breeze caressed the exposed skin of Asami's face. Nervous, unwound—she'd awoken a bundle of nerves that couldn't be stilled by sitting around indoors.
Asami found herself standing in front of the Avatar temple—why…she could only explain to herself that she was there to pray for Korra's safe return—for the outcome to be favorable in both the Avatar's and Tahno's cases. The bright orb of the sun lit the heavens with pale amber ambiance, much of the sky far overhead still partially tinged in pinks, oranges and deep lavenders of departing nighttime.
The temple was silent; Asami was the only one wandering about its grounds. She rubbed her gloved hands together as she tried to keep them warm. All of a sudden, a shudder ran through her, and she knew it wasn't from the cold. She got the sense that something dark was looming nearby—something that watched her, waiting for something…she didn't know.
As she stood there, apprehension continually rising internally against her understanding, she felt that darkness growing nearer; she couldn't see it, couldn't physically sense it, but she knew, somehow—it was there. It edged around the fringes of her consciousness, touched on the borderlines of the fabric of her existence, and then—it enveloped her. Without any real warning, it overwhelmed her entirely and completely.
She felt like she was being possessed—restrained by a consciousness separate from her own. Intangible, insubstantial though it was, it took the reins and grabbed hold of her conscious mind completely. All she could do was watch helplessly through eyes she could no longer control as her feet picked up a steady pace and moved her away from the Avatar temple and out towards stretches of empty, uninhabited tundra.
XoXoX
Lin Beifong was keeping busy looking over the structure of Commander Bumi's newest naval vessel, checking out the handiwork of the metalbenders who helped design the rig, as well as the metal work that went into its structural design as well. She marveled at being surrounded by such a work of engineering artistry; it really was a wonderfully crafted vessel.
Eventually she emerged back onto the upper deck. Bumi was joking around with a few of his officers, showing that carefree attitude that Lin was certain the man inherited from his uncle Sokka. Bumi laughed loudly and unexpectedly, shaking the very molecules in the air with the jovial sound.
Lin approached the more serious, handsome Fire Nation prince, Iroh, who was standing by, observing, while Bumi was off on one of his humored tangents. His golden eyes met up with the metalbender's as he heard her approach, a slight smile touching the corners of his lips.
"Have fun inspecting the handiwork of the ship?" Iroh asked as she leaned her back against the railing beside him.
"The metalbenders who had a hand in building this rig were skilled," Lin noted in a neutral tone, with vague hints of awe in her voice. "Is he still telling the same tired old jokes?" She indicated Bumi. Iroh's smile became more distinct.
"It looks like he picked up a few new ones while we've been stationed here at the South Pole," Iroh informed her. "Some actually good, others…would've been best left unsaid."
Lin couldn't help chuckling slightly at that. "I'm certain there were a few bad ones in there, considering he takes after his uncle quite a bit."
"Good or bad—it's preferable to him being too serious. Commander Bumi's boisterous personality keeps his crew refreshed and their morale up. Nothing wrong with that, if you ask me," Iroh told her.
Lin leaned heavily against the railing, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Bumi chatter on. "Has there been anything unusual to report while this ship's been docked? Anything from Republic City?"
"Reports of massive citywide power outages over the past few days, but nothing too serious so far," Iroh replied. Just then, the radio operator came running up on deck in their general direction, apparently in a hurry. He paused to catch his breath before he attempted to get Bumi's attention.
"Commander, a report just came in from Republic City that's urgent," the radio operator reported to him. "Your brother wishes to speak to you."
Bumi lost that jovial air and assumed a serious persona. "What's going on in Republic City? What's Tenzin got to say?"
"He believes they've discovered the source of the power outages, and the situation's grown quite serious," the radio operator replied. "Hurry—I'm not sure how much longer the connection's going to hold up. With the outages ongoing in the city…the connection could be lost easily, and we might not get it back for some time."
"Lead the way then," Bumi told him. He quickly disappeared inside the communications station aboard the ship, with a few officers following behind. Lin and Iroh meanwhile looked at each other.
"Wonder what's up?" Iroh said. Lin shrugged.
"Hopefully nothing that the police force and the city's officials can't handle themselves," Lin replied.
"Should we go investigate?" Iroh suggested.
"You suggesting that we should listen in on the conversation?" Lin raised one eyebrow.
"Something serious could be going on in Republic City—and since you're the one in charge of the police force there—I think you have a right to hear about what's going on there," Iroh told her.
"Might as well," Lin pushed away from the metal railing. "If something's going on back there—I want to know about it."
XoXoX
Mako's nerves were on edge. As he cast his eyes towards the flames burning in the fire pit of Korra's parents place, he couldn't help envisioning her being held captive against her will by hostile spirits—or Tahno getting severely injured during a showdown with those same spirits in order to get Korra safely out of there. It was a helpless feeling to have to stand by and wonder if things would work out or fail miserably while he couldn't step in to lend a hand.
After staring at the fire for so long, he no longer could sit there without going stir-crazy. He got to his feet, heading over to where his gloves, coat and boots were sitting, and hurriedly dressed in them. As he was finishing with his boots, Bolin emerged from the next room over.
"Heading out bro?" Bolin asked him as his brother got to his feet.
"Yeah, I need some fresh air," Mako told him. His brother nodded.
"Tense?" Bolin asked. Mako nodded.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Mind if I get some fresh air with you Mako?" Bolin asked.
"No, Bo, I wouldn't," Mako expressed a faint smile. "Hurry up and get your coat and boots on. It's freezing out there."
"You don't have to tell me twice, bro," Bolin grinned. He hurriedly stepped into his own boots and threw his jacket over his shoulders. Mako handed him his gloves before reaching for the door handle.
As they walked, they looked around at their surroundings. Dotting the landscape were other inhabitances, smoke emitting from the chimneys of a few of them. Snow crunched underfoot as the two moved away from the habited region towards a stretch of tundra that went uninhabited by human dwellings for miles.
About a quarter of a mile away from the patch of water tribe habitations the two brothers came near polar seas. Water stretched for an infinite distance, meeting up with the far off horizon. Both brothers trained their eyes on the far-reaching waters, remaining silent for some time before either drew their complete concentration away from it.
"Vast, isn't it?" Bolin turned his head in his brother's direction. The firebender nodded.
"Yeah—vast and cold," Mako replied.
"Hey, Mako—could I ask you about something?" Bolin asked out of the blue, drawing his brother's complete attention towards him.
"What do you need to ask?" Mako said to him.
"I've been meaning to talk to—" Bolin's voice ceased in midsentence, bringing his brother to shoot a questioning look his way. The earthbender's attention was turned away from him, towards something else coming from the direction they'd arrived from. Quizzical for a moment, he heard the distinct sound of snow crunching under heavily set footing coming from somewhere nearby.
Mako trained his eyes to follow his brother's gaze, linking them up with the culprit whose footfalls stamped down layers of soft, wet, white surface powder underfoot. The culprit was not one—but three. One was familiar and would be expected under normal circumstances; Asami Sato was approaching them, expression etched in grave seriousness.
Beside Asami was an unexpected sight—two, actually. Led by a gentle grip of one of Asami's hands was Naga, Korra's faithful polar bear dog. The other, towering over even the polar bear dog herself—was the spirit that attacked the Southern Water Tribe festival a couple months back; the very same spirit that lured Korra to the Spirit World in order to trap her there. Both brothers stood there, too astounded to utter any coherent speech. Mako and Bolin both looked at Asami helplessly, hoping to gain some kind of explanation from her.
Neither made real note of it, but there was something a bit…odd about Asami's gaze. Set upon an expression cast across her facial features that seemed unnatural for her, her usually luminous emerald green irises were glazed over and lackluster.
Bolin managed to strengthen up the nerve to speak. "So…what's going on, Asami? Why do you have Naga and—" He gulped, glancing quickly at the dark spirit. "The Spirit that was supposed to meet up with Korra here with you?"
"I'm not Asami. I'm currently just using her as a vessel for communication." The voice that emerged from Asami's lips sounded…off. Like some other entity had taken over possession of her voice box and was utilizing it. "After that silly former waterbending friend of yours wouldn't listen to me—I resorted to plan B."
"Dark Spirit—are you the one possessing Asami to speak through her?" Mako stated questioningly, eyes aimed at the hulking form of the spirit. "When you confronted us at the festival, you were able to speak on your own without relying on another source to do it through."
"This isn't the same spirit that confronted your party at the festival a few months back. That one was an imposter." Asami's face contorted into a severe frown, an expression that didn't at all seem natural on her face. "That spirit also isn't the one possessing your friend here, pretty Miss Sato. I—Noatak—am the one possessing your friend right now."
"Amon?" Mako exclaimed incredulously. "What are you doing possessing Asami? What business do you have with us—and why have you been pestering Tahno?"
"Because he's the one going to the Spirit World to retrieve Avatar Korra, and there were a few vital detsils I needed to fill your friend Tahno in on before his departure, but he was reluctant to listen to me."
"Obviously. I can understand why Tahno would be reluctant to listen to you, after what you did to him in the arena—and a good many benders afterwards," Mako commented.
Asami's hand stroked Naga's ivory fur as the former Equalist leader continued to use her voice for his purposes. "The ex-waterbender made that very clear when I confronted him, but if he's going to be successful in his mission, there are a few things he's going to need to be aware of—and also have the evidence to back up a few things."
"Why should we believe you any more than Tahno did?" Bolin frowned, his arms crossed over his chest.
Asami's hand stopped stroking the polar bear dog's fur. "You guys—you have to believe him." Asami's voice sounded like her own once more. "I know it's hard to trust Amon after all he's done, but I can assure you—this is the real dark spirit that inhabits the South Pole. Amon was correct when he said the other one we dealt with was a fraud. The real dark spirit's been traveling around the region, trying to catch Naga for the last few weeks since he noticed her aimlessly wandering around the uninhabited region of the South Pole. The spirit has also seen and heard things that the White Lotus officials need to be made aware of immediately. Believe me—listening to Amon will be benefitting Tahno—not hurting him."
"That's really your voice, Asami? Amon's not trying to manipulate it for his own purposes?" Mako questioned her. Asami's eyes shone their usual luminescent emerald shade.
"Yes, Mako—it's really me speaking," Asami assured him, smiling. Mako recognized that she was being genuine—that Asami was the one in control of her own voice. An instant later, her eyes had that glazed over look again, and her expression twisted into one that was again not natural on her face. Her voice deepened once more, she added, "If you care about the young Avatar's safety and want to ensure that the former waterbender won't face scrutiny when he returns from his mission in the Spirit World, you will listen to what I'm saying and heed my words."
"Okay, Amon, we'll listen to you—for now, for Korra and Tahno's sakes," Mako replied. Bolin hesitantly nodded his agreement, frown drawn across his features. "Naga's presence here is enough to convince me to believe you—for the time being anyways."
"I have more pressing issues I need to investigate, but before I go—I need your assurance that you'll convince the former waterbender to listen to me when he returns," Amon said. "There is more I need to inform you all about—but I don't currently have the time, and I prefer not having to resort to possessing your pretty friend here in order to do so."
"I'll make sure to talk to him about it," Mako replied.
"Thank you." Asami's eyes regained their original verdant luster, and her expression softened—albeit with a sense of added weariness. When she spoke again, it was her voice. "Spiritual possession is physically taxing." She raised a hand to her head, closing her eyes.
"You okay, Asami?" Bolin asked her, concerned. She opened her weary eyes and looked at him, smiling wearily.
"Yeah, Bolin, I'll be fine," Asami assured him.
"It's nice watching you humans converse amongst one another, but there's a matter of urgency I believe we should be addressing over idle chitchat." The Dark Spirit interjected, tilting his head to the side,voice deep and rich, ethereal as he spoke.
"As much as that spirit freaks me out—he's got a good point," Bolin stated, visibly beginning to shiver. "It's freezing out here!" Naga howled her agreement; the three of them stared at the polar bear dog for a long, silent pause, and then broke out in a bout of uncontrollable laughter.
XoXoX
Everything in the landscape was vivid and bright; the details cast in hues more vibrant then any known in any ordinary reality. A nonexistent breeze lightly rustled the verdant grasses of the ongoing fields that seemed to spread on for miles; in that field overseeing the vast and vivid stretch of lightly rolling, grassy knolls she stood there, watching—waiting.
It felt like she had been there for an indeterminable amount of time. How long had it been—minutes, hours, days—weeks even? The passage of time was different in the Spirit World from the reality she was most familiar; she just knew she was growing impatient playing this waiting game.
Never really known for her patience, Korra was growing tired of overseeing the vivid landscape spanning around her on all sides—vegetation in many vibrant hues and shapes, the likes of which she had never witnessed in the world she was used to living in. She wanted to get this disagreement—or whatever it was—over with so she could go back home, be with her family, friends—her normal, happy life.
In the time span she had been standing around, waiting, she had been greeted by several unusual looking Spirits—but none matching the one whom she'd agreed to meet up with. Was the whole thing a ruse? She wondered to herself. Or did this spirit just have a seriously bad sense of humor by making her wait around too long before it finally showed itself?
Her predecessor, Avatar Aang, had been there for a short time, giving her information on the Spirit World and what she needed to do while she was there—but then, she noticed, he just disappeared. In his absence Korra began to ponder what it could be that drew him elsewhere—ideas ranging from the mundane to the trivial to the possibility that something was wrong. The more time that elapsed while she was standing there and he was absent, the more her mind dwelled on the possibility that something was up.
In the distance—the direction in which her back was facing—Korra heard the crunching of foliage, the approach of footsteps crushing grass blades that fell victim under the feet of the culprit making the noise. She believed it was Avatar Aang finally making his return into her presence—or possibly another spirit that happened to be passing through. She paid the sound little mind, hardly showing it any acknowledgment until the approach of footfalls came very near.
Korra turned around, ready to give her predecessor an earful about leaving her to wait there while he kept busy elsewhere when the words were lost at the tip of her tongue. They evaporated into an ethereal mist and became but imprints of ideas pressed upon her subconscious. She stood there, dumbfounded, with her mouth hanging agape and her turquoise blue eyes wide like two tropical pools, hardly able to comprehend whom she was greeting instead of Aang.
"What are you doing here, Tahno?" Korra finally managed to push forth from her frozen up lips. "Did you die or something?"
Korra was actually surprised she recognized his face. Her former rival had changed quite a bit since their last meeting; his face—it looked like he'd matured some, gone through some struggles that made him appear somewhat older. She also noticed his eyes—ever still so icy blue—didn't reflect either that haughty attitude he was known for, or the sense of defeatism she remembered from the last time they met.
"I was told you were in trouble—trapped here by the spirit that lured you to this place or whatever," Tahno replied, sounding much the same—albeit a little quizzical. She cocked an eyebrow upwards in question, hands coming to rest snuggly on each hip.
"The spirit I was supposed to meet here never showed his ugly face," Korra informed him, looking at him questioningly before adding, "So—what are you doing here, pretty boy? Like I said—did you die, or did you manage to get here by some other means I don't know about? C'mon—spill it."
"I came to rescue you and bring you back to the Southern Water Tribe because I was led to believe you were in trouble here," Tahno responded. "And no, I'm not dead—although it took me almost dying a couple times to make me able to come here in the first place."
"How is it that you came to know that I—" the words froze up in Korra's mouth at the sight of a piece of red fabric wrapped around the ex-bender's neck. "—Is that Mako's scarf?" She pointed to the red fabric in question. He looked down at it.
"Yeah…um—it is," Tahno told her. "I had a bad spell, and…he—I mean, Mako—helped me get through it. Guess we formed a friendship in the process. He's the one who told me about you being here, and—I learned from a few reliable sources that you were in trouble, that you were lured here as a part of a plan Hiroshi Sato's working. Well…things have gone to hell back there with Sato and everything, and…you're needed back there or something."
"How long have I been in the Spirit World?" Korra bothered to ask him.
"It's getting close to two months," Tahno replied. "I could go into some longwinded explanation about all the shit that's been going on since you've been gone, but we don't have the time to waste doing that. I'd rather get it out once we get back to reality and out of this crazy ass place."
Korra's expression softened. "Is—Mako there? I mean—in the Southern Water Tribe, that is?"
Tahno turned his eyes away from her, letting a moment of silence set in before hesitantly responding. "Yeah—Mako and Bolin, Asami, that crazy metalbender Beifong and a few others. They—can't wait for you to return."
"Well, then—let's get heading," Korra stated enthusiastically. The ex-bender offered a feeble attempt at a smile, something of which she took note. Her eyebrow arched quizzically. "Something up with you, pretty boy? There was a delay with your last response, your smile is just pathetic—plus I noticed that you turned your eyes away from me when you hesitantly replied a moment ago."
"I'm tired and I just want to get out of here," Tahno responded, not looking her directly in the eye as he spoke. "Are you ready to leave—or were you planning to stand around here a lot longer?"
Korra got the feeling the ex-waterbender was keeping something from her, but she was in no mood to argue with him in order to get him to spill. "Okay, pretty boy—let's get going then."
They walked through those unearthly fields in silence, not sparing a word between the two. Korra was watching the ex-bender from behind, pondering thought after thought about his presence, what it meant, what's been going on in her absence—a wealth of similar questions. A passing thought made her momentarily admire his appearance; when he wasn't acting all high and mighty—he actually seemed to be pleasantly attractive. She let that thought slip away from her, not wanting to pursue it any further because it didn't feel right to do so.
Eventually they approached what passed for a patch of woods in that part of the Spirit World. Standing amongst the grove was Korra's predecessor and his skybison. Avatar Aang's eyes were on the two as they approached, his face drawn and expression nondescript.
"Time for you two to get going," Avatar Aang said to both of them. "First though—a word with Korra." He indicated for her to come to him with a gesture of his hand. Korra approached her predecessor without speaking, looking at him expectantly. He leaned near her ear and whispered something indecipherable to the ex-bender into it. When he moved away, their eyes connected. Her expression regarded seriousness as she nodded, her lips drawn into a narrow slip of a line.
"I understand," Korra told her predecessor before turning her turquoise eyes in Tahno's direction. She then began crawling up onto the skybison's back and got situated there. "C'mon pretty boy—I mean, Tahno—climb up here so we can get outta here." She patted the spot beside her on the beast's back. Breathing an exasperated breath first, Tahno said not a word as he climbed up beside her.
"What'd your past life have to say to you?" He asked her as he got situated. She shrugged, smiling with forced restraint.
"To hold on tight," Korra replied. "Which I'm gonna do—how about you?"
"Do you think I want to get thrown off the back of this thing?" Tahno exclaimed incredulously. She let out a peel of unrestrained laughter.
"Hold on tight then," Korra told him. "We're in for a very interesting ride."
"What makes you say—" The words were forcefully halted as the skybison took off with a jolt skyward.
The trip seemed rockier than it was when he arrived, and Tahno found himself holding on for dear life. Although he was not usually susceptible to motion sickness, the ex-bender had to force his eyes shut to keep the vertigo down and not lose his grip on the bison's furry back. He started feeling physically disoriented as they pressed forward—like some outer force was trying to take possession over him. When the sensation faded, he opened his eyes—and realized the trip was over.
Tahno attempted to gather his reeling thoughts as he climbed off the skybison's back. He gained his footing with a faulty gait as he tried to shake the daze from his mind. In his mental haze, he staggered from the site of glacial ice and jade luminescence. He lost track of what he was doing or where he was going as he stumbled his way towards the campsite where Kya and the Two White Lotus officials were holding up. When he reached the edge of their encampment, he noticed them rush over as his knees caved out from under him.
"Tahno, are you okay? Something happen? Did everything work out?" the former waterbender heard Kya's worried voice as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Slowly, he felt his mind regaining its clarity. He saw the elder waterbender's face near his, her bright blue eyes shining with worry.
Over her shoulder, he saw Hizaki and Kohan running over. Hizaki's face was drawn into a serious frown, and Kohan's was quizzical.
"Where's Korra?" Hizaki questioned him. Tahno looked at her, perplexed, before turning his gaze to seek out the young Avatar he remembered making the trip with. Korra stood near the point where the ice declined into the valley from which they had just emerged, ironic smile cast across her face, her arms crossed over her chest.
"She's standing right over there," Tahno pointed in her direction, which their eyes followed. All three looked back at him strangely.
"Did something mess with your head, boy?" Kohan looked at him questioningly. The ex-bender returned the look, and then glanced back at Korra, who was still standing there, smiling.
"Looks like I'm having an out of body experience," Korra commented to the ex-bender.
"What do you mean—" Tahno exclaimed at her, but the young Avatar cut him off in midsentence. Meanwhile, Kya and the two White Lotus officials stared at him blankly.
"What I mean, pretty boy, is that I used meditation to gain access to the Spirit World," Korra informed him matter-of-factly. "Avatar Aang taught me how to do it. I guess while my consciousness has been separate from my physical presence here—somebody came along and took my body."