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Mako's POV

I felt my heart drop when I saw Zuko come in, Korra in his arms. I rushed over and transferred her unconscious form onto my arms and set her on a bed on the medical wing, before calling Bolin over. I watched as Zuko watched quietly from the side, making me wonder what he could possibly be thinking and why had he brought her in this condition.

"What happened?"

"She passed out," he informed me. "In case you haven't noticed, she hasn't being eating or sleeping properly."

I nodded. I had noticed. I had begged her to eat but she would only take a few bites at a time. I hated myself. I should have seen this coming.

"It's not your fault."

I turned to look at my former master.

"What she has been doing to herself is not your fault or under your control. It's all her. She doesn't have the will to live anymore, she hasn't for years."

"You don't know anything about Korra," I said through my teeth.

"I know the side that you have never seen in her," he countered. "There is darkness even in the purest hearts. Put yourself in her place. Since she was born she's known nothing but suffering, and when it seems her life is changing it takes a turn for the worst. I wouldn't doubt she even cursed her own birth at some point."

"Korra is the light. She has to have a true heart, a true mind."

"I'm quite aware of this prophesy she is to fulfill," Zuko continued. "But just because something is true, it doesn't mean it hasn't been tainted at some point. Korra is human after all. She has feeling like you and me. But you don't know what she is capable of. We have to stop her before she gets out of hand."

"She wouldn't," I replied.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Stop her, or I will."

Korra's POV

I woke up to a familiar annoying beeping sound. I looked over at my arm and saw the IV tube. I narrowed my eyes at it before ripping it out of my arm. A warm pair of hands tried to stop me but I slapped them away. I knew who it was and I didn't want to see him or anyone else right now.

"Korra, don't."

"Leave me alone," I snapped.

"You're dehydrated. Leave the IV in."

"No," I said, looking away from him.

"Here, eat something," he said, spooning some soup and moving it toward me.

"I'm not hungry."

"Come on, just a bite."

"I said I'm not hungry!" I yelled, slapping the dish out of his hand. "Just leave me alone."

He stared at me, shocked before clenching his jaw. "I tried to be nice, but you left me with no choice," Mako said as he grabbed piece of toast and tried to make me eat it. I squirmed in his hold, clenching my jaw and turning away from him. I wasn't going to eat. I didn't want to eat.

"Leave her," I heard a familiar voice say.

I looked over at the doorway to find my former master standing there, Bolin and Asami behind him. Mako reluctantly did as he was told and backed away from me. I straightened in bed and l looked into Zuko's eyes, neither of us backing down. "You need to stop doing this to yourself. You aren't proving anything to anyone."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I am not your apprentice anymore. You can't order me around anymore," I replied. If there was one thing I hated it was being bossed around.

"Is that what you think?"

"You said I was ready, that you had nothing left to teach me."

"I thought that too," he agreed. "Until you proved how much of a half baked apprentice you really are. You haven't learned a thing."

I was up and out of the bed in the blink of an eye. The familiar dizziness took over and I placed a hand to my head, trying to block out the drum that was pounding in there. Mako made a way to help me but I pushed him away. "Is that a challenge?" I asked.

"You are but a child trying to prove you're something more. I don't play games. I take action."

"So do I."

"Prove it," he challenged.

I narrowed my eyes again. "I won't hold back," I threatened. I could see Asami and Bolin looking as if I had finally lost my mind. Who knew? Maybe I had. All I knew was that my former master was belittling me, calling me weak. That was something I wouldn't stand for. I wasn't weak!

"Neither will I," Zuko answered. Good. I didn't want him to.

Bolin's POV

Korra wasn't in any condition to fight. She was dehydrated and exhausted. She wouldn't last two minutes with Zuko who was a master. But she was stubborn, and I was afraid of how far her old master would go to teach her a lesson. Mako was too. I threatened to restrain him if he made a move to stop the match. I knew about the challenge, and I knew it had to be done. If he didn't break her out of this…person he had become, there would be consequences. Severe consequences.

Both pupil and master circled one another, each looking for an opening. Korra found hers first and hit Zuko right on the jaw. But the man simply shook his head and moved his jaw around as of nothing. She started to get more hits, making him topple back. I started to get nervous. She kicked him in the face, making him fall on his side.

"Still think I'm a half baked apprentice?" she taunted making a move to kick him again.

His hand shot up and she fell on her back. Hard. Korra gritted her teeth at the pain before quickly rolling away to dodge an attack. That's when I understood. He had been giving her the upper hand the entire time.

Zuko's POV

I was letting her win. I was letting her think she could easily overcome me so that when I fought back, I would fight back hard. I would be relentless. I would break her if it was necessary to snap her out of this trance she was in. I punched forward, an attack that she should have easily avoided, but it made contact and I saw her topple back, placing a hand on her lip. It was bleeding.

"Have I taught you nothing?" I roared. "Mind your surroundings!" I saw her grit her teeth together before launching herself at me. I sidestepped and landed a kick to the small of her back which made her fall forward. "You were one of my best pupil's, perhaps even better than Mako, but now you're throwing everything away."

"I destroyed the League of Shadows!" she shot back. "After that taking you down should be easy."

I shook my head. "You're allowing them to twist your mind!" I continued. "You've become the very thing you swore to destroy! This isn't you!"

My pupil faked a laugh, making it sound bitter and hallow. She shook her head. "Maybe this is who I truly I am. Maybe I'm no less of a monster than the one who did her will on my mind."

"No, this isn't you," I countered softly. "I know who you are. But your anger has clouded your vision."

"You don't know a thing about me," she replied through her teeth, launching another attack.

I sidestepped her attack easily and grabbed her wrist, twisting it till an audible pop was heard. My pupil fell on her knees, cradling her wrist against herself, nashing her teeth together. Mako made a move to interfer but I signaled his friends and they stopped him. "You are the light in the darkness. You are to bring peace and balance to the world! But you are letting these people get the best of you."

"I hate you!" she yelled and launched a kick at me. I blocked the kick and once again grabbed her arm, popping her elbow out of place. Again she toppled to the floor, clutching the same arm. I walked over and finished the job by pulling her arm back until I heard a pop. I had dislocated her shoulder.

Korra fell on her side, tears falling down her cheeks at the pain I had caused. It probably hurt me as much or more to see her this way, but I had to let her see that the path she was taking, was not the right one. And if she continued, there would be no going back. "Your anger makes you strong, but if you allow it, it will destroy you, as it almost did me."

Her breathing was labored and suddenly her eyes changed from their cold death glare, to familiar blue eyes, full of hope and understanding. "Zuko?"

I smiled. "What do you seek?" I asked. It had been what I always asked my pupils before the training began.

"To fight…to be free…to be me," my pupil answered.

I placed a hand on her non injured shoulder.

"You already accomplished all of that," i told her gently.

Korra's POV

My left arm was screaming in pain. I clenched my jaw, trying to block it out. I had been full of anger and hatred for Talia and Azula for taking Skoochy, yet I was no better than they when I belittled my own master. Zuko was right. I was letting the anger consume me. At that moment I broke free from the darkness that clouded my mind and my heart. And I couldnt help but smile slightly, feeling more at peace than I had in years.

I felt someone gently pick me up, it was Mako. He was glaring at Zuko and I shook my head, trying to tell him not to do anything to the older guy. Although to be honest, him having me in his arms was probably the only thing stopping him from having round two of Master vs. Apprentice. At that moment I felt guilt overwhelm me. I had belittled him too, and yet the only thing he ever did was show me kindness. I wouldn't admit I knew him, but I had to admit something to him.

"Mako," I whispered as he lay me down in bed.

"Shh," he said, placing a finger over my lips. "Everything's going to be ok."

"I'm sorry."

He smiled and shook his head. "Sleep, Korra."

After everything that had happened that day, I didnt need to be told twice and was out like a light.