Disclaimer: The Legend of Korra, all characters and settings, and anything else you would recognize as pertaining to this cartoon does not belong to me. I do not intend to make any money off the writing of this fan fiction; it is merely for entertainment purposes.
Title: The Caress of Water.
Summary: The Avatar battles both the powerful Equalist activists and her own feelings for their mysterious leader—a tale of unbreakable family ties, tolerance, and self-exploration.
Pairings: Amon/Korra, one-sided Tarrlok/Korra, light Mako/Asami, light Mako/Korra, light one-sided Bolin/Korra.
Chapter XXV: Collision
"Good evening, Republic City. This is your leader, Amon. I will be interrupting my usual broadcast to inform everyone of an especially important event that will be occurring. We have the last airbenders in our custody, and by this time tomorrow evening, airbending will no longer exist among us. I will relinquish them of their tyrannical gifts under the very eyes of Avatar Aang—such a fitting end. I am disclosing this information because I welcome any remaining opposition the chance to try to save them from their fate. After all, such a momentous occasion would be wasted if there weren't any spectators."
"One, two, three, strike! Four, five, six, strike!"
The ranks of people grunted with exertion, sweat pouring down their faces in the oppressive heat that lingered over the numerous bodies jabbing again and again at their practice mannequins, aided by the blood red beacons that taught them the locations of their targets.
Nini stood at the head of the group, watching the progress with hawk-like eyes, searching for those whose form needed to be corrected, their strikes adjusted. They couldn't afford for anyone to learn chi-blocking the wrong way with an imminent battle hovering over their heads like an angry storm cloud.
Amon's threat still echoed ominously through the minds of the makeshift soldiers, motivating their weary forms to continue training almost robotically, as they had been for long into the night already.
"This is," a grunt, "kind of fun, right?" Bolin inquired in between strikes. Nini's voice rang out in the background, ordering the practice jabs, and he kept in time with it.
"Keep your centers protected—strike!—when you're not attacking—strike!"
"If you call desperately—trying to perfect chi—blocking before tomorrow—fun, sure, bro," Mako responded from one mannequin over, his jabs synched up with his brother's. His face was screwed up in concentration when he stabbed at the red dots with two fingers.
"I don't know—what you are whining—about. You have a—head start," Lin interjected next to Mako. Despite what she had said, she was an incredibly fast learner and was rapidly bashing her mannequin to pieces with violent jabs, ignoring the pace of everyone around her. Several were tossed carelessly behind her already in a growing stack of splintered, mutilated pieces of wood with red paint oozing into an ominous puddle beneath them. Lin had been scolded only once before Nini became wise and pretended not to notice the brutal destruction of the limited training materials.
Around them were members of the White Lotus and the nonbenders that were too afraid to remain on the surface. The nonbenders had not initially agreed to the chi-blocking, but after having been assured that it was completely optional and they wouldn't have to fight for their meal and bed, they slowly made up their minds and decided that the best way to repay Korra for her devotion to the nonbenders would be to help save her from the Equalists, even if the probability of success was extremely low in that regard. It was agreed that they couldn't do anything without first learning how to fight, but it was amazing how much better they felt about the training after having shed their lives of poverty and starvation behind them.
The resistance had grown substantially just overnight, and the sounds of the frantic training were all that could be heard within the large space. Breaks were short, and meals were quickly consumed. Nobody had the intention of sleeping that night except for the children, who were nestled in the tents and unaware of what was going to happen.
Gommu, forgoing the chi-blocking, was still tinkering with his radio and completely in his own world.
With a final deadly kick to the throat that sent her mannequin flying, Lin wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned away. "I need to meet up with my officers. We had worked out a meeting place that I could return to when I had the chance. I will bring them here to train."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Bolin inquired, pausing in his jabs to watch Lin's retreating back. He was slightly concerned that she was going out into Equalist territory entirely by herself, but she was Lin Beifong.
Entirely dismissive of the concern, she shook her head. "No, it won't take long. The meeting point is close by. Just keep practicing." She disappeared in a flash of black and gray before the brothers could protest.
True to her word, when she returned several hours later, she was flanked by men and women proudly wearing the uniforms of the Metalbending Police Force, though they could no longer command the element. The former metalbenders held their heads high, though there was a hollowness to their eyes, for the loss of their element was not something easily overcome, even by hardened police officers.
The nonbenders stopped to watch in awe as the militaristic group set up its own mannequins and integrated smoothly into the practice.
Bolin swiveled his head around to scan the ranks of people. He let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Now this is an army."
When there were no longer any surviving wooden targets that could stand on their own without crumbling pathetically to pieces, Nini decided it was time to move to an advanced course. A nearby clock that sat among Gommu's scattered junk piles informed them that they were well into the morning, and she would hardly be able to call herself a master chi-blocking instructor if she sent her soldiers to fight while ill-prepared for the stress of a real battle. She didn't want any of them to believe that Amon's soldiers would stand and wait to be chi-blocked, so with the knowledge of where the vital chi points were located, it was time to expand upon the lessons.
"The Equalists will attack in groups. There will be many at once to try to overwhelm us," Nini informed, "and they will have dangerous weapons at their disposal. There is nothing we can do about that except attempt to defend ourselves as best as we can and keep them distracted while a small force moves up and secures the airbenders. Let's practice real battle strategies with the time we have left."
The sizable army paired off into small, rotating groups that would take turns being attacked by three chi-blockers at once while attempting to protect their numerous vulnerable chi points. They spread out as best as they could so they had room to work.
"Chi-blocking, depending on how many chi points are struck, as well as how hard, can last a few hours to an entire day," she lectured. "Paralysis sets in instantly but is relatively short-term compared to the loss of bending abilities. For the sake of our few benders," she nodded toward Bolin and Mako, "take care not to disable their bending. We're going to need it.
"That being said, chi-blocking will only help you against the Equalists for a short time, and they must be dealt with during the paralysis. Disarm them of any weapons, and use their bolas to tie them up. Take the electrified gloves and use them; there's an obvious switch inside that powers it up. Stay in groups and focus on single targets. Watch each other's backs. That is the only way we will stand a chance against them."
"What about Amon?" Bolin spoke up timidly.
Nini locked eyes with the earthbender and furrowed her brow. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, struggling to formulate a suitable reply to that. She finally decided on, "Pray to whatever deity that may be listening that he's not your opponent."
"Asami, darling, what do you think?"
"Hm?" The dark-haired woman glanced up from her lap. She had been lost in thought, and she hadn't been listening to anything her father had been babbling about while he worked on some complex blueprints on the table next to her.
He made a noise of disapproval and swiftly went back to his neat, concise drawings. "I was asking you for your opinion of this new engine I'm designing. I want you to be a part of my work because someday it will be your responsibility to take my place. Instead, you're sitting there daydreaming—about that damned firebender, no doubt."
He had muttered the last comment under his breath with disgust, but she still heard it. She bristled with anger and barely turned an eye to what her father was working on. "It looks positively evil, Father, and I'm sure you'll destroy many lives with it. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
He let out a long, exasperated sigh at her attitude.
"Don't lose your patience with her, Hiroshi. After all, you did force her to come here. It will take time for her to settle into her new home." Amon had appeared behind Hiroshi and peered over his shoulder at the blueprints. "Is that for the new biplane model?"
"Yes, it is!" Hiroshi sounded overly pleased that someone who was actually interested in his designs had appeared so he could rattle on about the finer details.
In reality, Amon hardly cared as long as it worked, but he had to keep up his diplomatic relationship with Hiroshi. The man was none the wiser when Amon grew rather bored behind the cover of his mask. He stifled a yawn while nodding to show he was still listening.
"How is Korra?" Asami inquired quietly, directing the question at Amon, when there was a lull in her father's ramblings.
"She is a nonbender, and therefore exactly how she needs to be," the masked leader responded without skipping a beat. "I don't concern myself with anything past that, but to put your mind at ease, my subordinates tell me that she is eating and sleeping regularly."
Asami nodded once, expecting such a detached response. Still, it was a relief to know that she was alive and well. The rest of the conversation drifted past her without registering, and she wrung her hands in her lap, feeling helpless. She was right in the Equalist headquarters, and there was nothing useful she could do to help her friends in the war. She was constantly under surveillance because they didn't trust her around any of the delicate equipment. She didn't make it a secret that she was still against everything they stood for because the first day she arrived, she smashed everything she could get her hands on before being restrained.
Oh, the damage she could cause with a few of her father's toys.
"Keep up the good work, Hiroshi. I will be back in a few hours with the last of the parts you need to begin your work." Amon turned to Asami and nodded to her in polite farewell. "Ms. Sato."
She didn't return the gesture or the farewell and instead watched him walk from the workshop with poorly concealed hate. Ten different crazy, half-baked ideas of attacking the source of everything that was wrong with Republic City flew through her mind, but the man was gone before she could even work up the nerve to stand up.
Korra opened her eyes and found herself seated upon a grassy hill surrounded by rolling plains. There was a small scattering of weeping willows that swayed gently in the breeze under an endless sky of blue dotted with swirling clouds. There was no sun in the sky, but the blades of grass reflected midday light, twinkling like starbursts in the dew drops that clung delicately to the tips. Although she had never seen this place before and she couldn't recall how she got there, she felt no unease. She simply sat there and stared out at the vast lake of swaying green that tumbled away until crashing against the dark jutting outlines of mountains that appeared to be at least a day's journey away from where she was. She took a deep breath, inhaling the pure, natural scents that surrounded her.
She reached down and trailed her fingers over a particularly bright flower next to her boot. She realized she was wearing her everyday outfit instead of the Equalist one that she was growing accustomed to.
"It's nice, isn't it? I come here often because it's just so peaceful. There's nothing like being completely surrounded by just nature."
Someone was sitting next to her. She could see yellow and orange out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at the person who spoke to her. It was a young boy, an Air Nomad. She stared and then slowly realized that she knew this boy. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and she watched as he turned to face her, his gray eyes glittering with happiness at the sight of her. His grin was infectious, and she found herself grinning right back at him. "A-Aang…" she stuttered, utterly mystified.
"Hey, Korra! It's so great to finally meet you! I've been trying to reach you for so long!"
She shifted onto her knees and turned to face the previous Avatar fully. She threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly as if he would disappear if she let go. Tears of joy leaked from her eyes, which were squeezed closed tightly.
Aang returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. "Don't cry, Korra. It's really good that we're finally able to speak. I mean, you've finally overcome your mental block and unlocked your airbending, which is incredible!"
"Why… after so long…" She had so many questions for him, but she didn't know where to start. She pulled back and traced his child-like features with glassy eyes. A sob escaped her throat, and a dam broke, allowing the questions to tumble uninhibited from her lips. "Why couldn't I airbend? Why did you never speak to me? Why did you let Amon take my bending? W-why…" she forced out, "…why did you have me imprisoned at the compound with the White Lotus instead of allowing me to be a normal kid?"
"I wanted to talk to you, Korra. More than anything. Every time you were suffering and in need of guidance, I tried desperately to reach out to you, but I was blocked from you. I'm just a spirit now, and I couldn't contact you unless you were open to it." His eyes reflected nothing but honest emotion as he gazed at her. "I know you have a lot of questions, and that's why I'm here now, to answer them. Ask away."
She took a deep breath to calm herself and wiped away the last of her tears. Airbending was immediately the first thing on her mind. "Why did I have so much trouble with airbending? I mean, not a single puff of air for seventeen years. I tried so hard to learn it with Tenzin."
"It's just how you are. You're so different from Air Nomads that the element wouldn't come to you. You heard about my first experiences with earthbending, right?" At her nod, he continued, "It's not your fault. It's just who you are, and you have plenty of time to master it. Forcing it in a hurry is no fun at all, trust me."
"Then why can I airbend now? Nothing has changed. And… Amon took the rest of my bending from me. I don't understand."
Aang placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "You have changed, even if you don't realize it. After the initial shock and depression of losing your bending, you felt something you hadn't felt your entire life, right?"
Freedom. Korra did remember that feeling, especially up in the Equalist airship. If she didn't command the elements, there was no way she could be forced into the role. She had a choice of how she wanted to live the rest of her life, and it was exhilarating.
"You don't want to be the Avatar."
Korra averted her eyes guiltily to the grass. Her voice was quiet when she confirmed, "…No. I don't."
"Hey." His comforting voice brought her eyes back to his. He smiled encouragingly. "You don't have to feel ashamed about it. I had a similar feeling when I found out that I was the Avatar, so you're not alone. Do you remember what Tarrlok said to you?"
"Tarrlok?" she echoed, arching an eyebrow. "About what?"
"He was talking about how every Avatar could live their lives to their fullest, and you weren't an exception to that. He was absolutely right." His smile disappeared, and he appeared distraught when he said, "Before he convinced you otherwise, you wanted to die."
She swallowed a lump in her throat, recalling the crippling depression she went through after her bending disappeared completely. The will to live had almost completely deserted her, leaving her feeling so agonizingly hollow inside. "I thought I had to die so the next Avatar could be born and succeed where I had failed."
"No, it wasn't just that, and you know it. I know you, Korra, better than anyone. You felt betrayed by Amon because he took your bending away, even though you begged him not to. You feel so strongly for him, and you hate how he treats you when other people are around to see. It was a massive blow."
She flushed, wondering how Aang thought about all of that. She couldn't help but ask. "You must think I'm sick, right? Feeling that way about my enemy?"
He shook his head. "No. We don't choose who we love."
"I don't l—"
"I know, I know, that's not what I meant exactly. You don't love him, but you have very strong feelings for him. Strong enough to continue even after he takes your bending, takes the bending of everyone close to you, and destroys the city you are fighting to protect."
"When you put it that way, I really do sound sick, but it was his fault," she muttered. Even though she knew Aang wasn't actually a kid anymore, it still felt strange chatting about her romantic life with him. "He seduced me."
Aang laughed lightly as if he knew what she was thinking. "I know it seems crazy, but as… well, evil as he appears, I know there's something inside him that is still good. The only advice I can give there is not to give up if you think he's worth it. It will be a constant uphill battle. I met Yakone, and I know what kind of damage he can inflict."
Korra shivered, recalling the memory of being bloodbent by Yakone. That was certainly an understatement. "I don't know if Amon is worth it. He makes me feel…" she gulped, unsure exactly how to describe it. Lost and confused, hopelessly aroused. "…just incredible, like nothing I've ever felt before. But at the same time, he causes me so much pain it rips my heart apart."
"I'm not going to defend him for hurting you, but try to see it how he does. He has an image to keep. I mean, would you treat him as anything other than your enemy if your friends were watching?"
She was mortified at the thought. Kissing Amon in front of Tarrlok was bad enough, but her friends? Mako, Bolin, Asami? Tenzin? She didn't even want to imagine their reactions to such a thing. "No way. They would hate me."
Aang nodded sadly. "Amon would be shunned from his entire organization if the Equalists thought he had feelings for you, their number one enemy. It's the same for both you and him."
She understood that. "Does he even have feelings for me? Lately it just seems like he is just trying to make Tarrlok jealous."
"I can't say for sure, but I think he does feel something for you other than indifference." Aang turned to face the mountains when he continued, "If Tarrlok can get past Yakone's hate for the Avatar, so can Amon. I think he will come around."
She was comforted by that, but she knew she was wasting her time talking about her feelings for Amon when she could be learning more about questions that have been nagging her for years. "Well, we certainly got off topic. I can worry about what Amon thinks of me when I'm awake. Let's move on."
"All right. You asked why you can airbend after losing your bending. Well, the simple answer is that he couldn't cut the ties to something that was sealed. I'm sure he felt something pushing him back when he tried to bloodbend through it."
"So, he knows that there's a chance that my airbending could unlock?"
"Probably, but he doesn't know how you would unlock it. I don't think it's anything to worry about as long as you're discreet about the fact that you can airbend. Don't reveal it until you absolutely have to."
"I can do that." She mentally switched gears, satisfied with the answer Aang had given her. "Did you hear me begging for your help when Amon was about to take my bending? How I asked you to bring me into the Avatar state?"
"Yes, I heard you. I felt horrible that I couldn't do anything. I couldn't reach you no matter what I did." He let out a shuddering breath. "And please don't hate me for saying this, but I think it's a good thing you lost your bending. I think Amon really helped you."
She stared at him, bewildered by the unexpected comment. Sarcasm dripped from her words when she responded, "I'll be sure to thank him for it next time I see him."
He winced. "Well, I wouldn't do that… But what I mean is you wouldn't have unlocked your airbending otherwise. He helped you experience freedom and overcome your mental block. He brought you to your lowest point, and you experienced the greatest change."
She pondered that in silence for several moments.
"You had one last question, I think. About the White Lotus?"
"Yeah. Why did I have to spend my childhood at the compound, away from my parents?"
"I asked the White Lotus to keep you safe after my passing and make sure you didn't have to go through what I went through while learning the elements. I wanted you to have teachers of every element preparing you for the rest of your life. I'm sorry that you felt so isolated… I didn't mean to do that to you. Please believe me."
It was difficult not to forgive Aang when he was begging her with those wide gray eyes. "Of course, I do. I've just felt so lost and lonely my whole life. Now that I'm speaking to you, I'm feeling much better. I feel… hopeful."
"Hope can be very powerful. It can guide you through the darkest of times, when it seems like nothing could change."
"Things have started to look up. My airbending, finding Naga, having Tarrlok there as company through this ordeal, and connecting with you… I think I can do this."
"You will do it, Korra. I know you will. With your mind set at ease on all these things we talked about, you will be able to focus more on what you're going to do when you wake up. And that's why I think we should save any more questions for the next time we speak. I want to teach you a few things that will help you when you wake up."
"You're going to teach me airbending?" She was giddy at the thought. "While I'm sleeping?"
He nodded eagerly. "I will teach you as much as I can in the short time we have left. I can show you the stances and describe the energy, but because we're in the Spirit World, you won't be able to actually bend."
That disappointed her a fair bit, but she was still brimming with excitement when she flew to her feet. "Well, let's stop yapping and get started!"
Aang mimicked her energy and faced off with her.
She was going to learn airbending from Aang, and she was going to be able to successfully escape from prison so she could save the airbenders! She could hardly wait to tell Tarrlok about the dream she was having. She didn't even think he would believe her until she showed him what she learned.
The two of them trained until she felt consciousness creeping at the edges of her vision. Aang was fading away, but she could still hear his voice giving her the last bit of advice that he could spare for her at that moment before her vision turned black.
When Korra opened her eyes and let her blurry vision adjust to the morning sun streaming in through the familiar window outside of her cell and casting a soft light over her, she ran what he said through her head.
You will always be the Avatar with or without your bending, and I need you to stay strong to the end. The next time we meet, I will teach you something that helped me to solve my own problems.
When that would be, she had no idea, but she could hardly wait. She felt enlightened, and even though she had trained almost fruitlessly through most of the night until she passed out cold on the floor, then trained airbending with Aang for the remainder of her sleep, she never felt more refreshed and ready to face the day. She was brimming with anxiousness and really needed to let some of her feelings out before she exploded.
Korra pounced on the sleeping figure of Tarrlok, shaking his shoulder hard enough to jolt the former councilman awake. She grinned wildly down at his confused and disgruntled expression. "You'll never believe what just happened!"
There were colors swirling above her when she cracked her eyes open. An intense light nearby stung her eyes and forced them back shut tightly. There was a throbbing headache in her temple, and her body felt battered, bruised, and heavy. She couldn't recall how she got here or what had happened until a familiar voice drifted toward her. It was the one her family had listened to on the radio many a night, causing them all to shake their heads in disgust at the owner's arrogance.
She remembered fleeing from Equalist airships on Oogi with her family through the mountains. They had flown over an airfield with new planes that they had never seen before. They were fast, as fast as Oogi, if not faster, and they caught up with them easily. She recalled an explosion, then being thrown from the saddle and separated from her family. When she landed, she was surrounded by chi-blockers, who stabbed at her chi points and paralyzed her. She had lost consciousness, and anything after that had simply drifted by without recognition. She couldn't even remember the last time she ate something.
"…guards at all times… airbenders to me when… capture them all…"
Jinora groaned softly and tried to raise a hand to press her fingers against her abused temple, but she couldn't move. In fact, her entire upper body was restrained. When she attempted to open her eyes again, she blinked against the burning of what she recognized as a torch suspended in a holder on a pillar nearby.
Her eyes shifted around the dim room without comprehension. Then she spotted a pair of dark figures a short distance away, and she recognized the haunting white mask right away. She swallowed against a lump of fear that lodged itself in her throat.
There was someone behind her, and she turned to see a chi-blocker inspecting the chains that kept her restrained against the pillar she was leaning on. "Please let me go," she croaked. Her mouth was dry, and her voice sounded pathetic to her own ears, like a broken whisper.
The Equalist barely glanced at her and completed the inspection. The woman straightened up to address her superiors. "This one isn't going anywhere, sirs," she reported dutifully.
Amon and his lieutenant nodded in approval to her before resuming their quiet conversation.
Jinora noticed some movement from the corner of her eye and turned to see several chi-blockers entering from where the fading sunset streamed into the room. They were dragging bodies behind them.
"Be careful with the pregnant one," Amon ordered sternly. "We're not barbarians."
Mom. Jinora's eyes popped wide open in horror, and she struggled against her chains desperately. Her feet were unchained and laying in front of her, but no matter how hard she concentrated she couldn't produce any airbending from any of her limbs. She was chi-blocked and never felt more helpless as she watched her family suffer the same fate, heavily chained against their own pillars throughout the room.
Her eyes welled up with tears. The scene before her swam blurrily, and she stifled a sob, lest she draw the attention of the terrifying leader of the Equalists.
"It shouldn't be long now," the Lieutenant commented with anxiousness coloring his tone. "The airbending master will be here in no time."
Amon hummed disinterestedly in agreement.
Please don't fall into their trap, Jinora silently begged of her father, but she knew he would never leave his family behind. Airbending would be a mere memory after tonight, after their tireless struggles to keep it alive. She whimpered quietly against a wave of nausea at the thought. Would the airbenders ever be able to thrive again without being hunted like animals, or were they forever resigned to this fate of dangling precariously over a deep, dark pit?
Korra wiped her mouth on her sleeve. She had completely devoured her bowl of questionable looking food because she knew that she would need her strength more than ever tonight. Tonight was the night they were going to break out and save the airbenders. She was shivering with anticipation, and her fingers were twitching with the urge to try out her new airbending skills.
Tarrlok, who couldn't let go of his etiquette even as a prisoner, was still daintily nibbling at his food and unsuccessfully containing his disgust—albeit he was also torn between amusement and adoration—at what he just witnessed when Korra shoveled her food into the vacuum that was her mouth.
"Come on, you prissy old man! We don't have time for you to gum at your food all night!" the Avatar teased, grinning triumphantly when a horrified and offended look overcame his features.
"E-excuse me?" he sputtered. "Korra, I don't know what has gotten into you. That was highly offensive. I'm hardly considered old, and I still have all of my teeth."
"Then why are you checking?" She laughed aloud when she noticed his cheeks moving with the movement of his tongue probing the contours of his mouth.
"Partially because I'm self-conscious and partially because I wanted to make you laugh," he responded, picking his bowl up and continuing to eat with a slightly faster pace. He knew they were on a tight schedule, but nervousness was making his hands shake slightly. His stomach churned in agony at the food, but he knew he needed it.
She snickered and then tossed her empty bowl in the air. With a few seconds of concentration, following the dish's descent toward the floor with her eyes, she whipped her hand through the air and sent out a small, contained air slice that cleaved through the porcelain cleanly. The halves dropped to the ground at Tarrlok's feet and promptly shattered into tiny pieces and chips.
He stared at remains of the bowl with his mouth open in shock, forgetting his etiquette momentarily.
Korra smashed one fist against the palm of her other hand. "I'll make them wish they'd never messed with the airbenders."
The ex-bloodbender mumbled something about wasting good china before finishing off his food. He climbed to his feet and held up the bowl. "Do you want to destroy mine, too, as a pre-battle warm-up?"
"No, that's enough target practice. Are you ready to go?"
He frowned deeply, recognizing the seriousness that had befallen them.
"When I break the bars, follow me as quickly as you can to my room. We'll grab Naga and swim to Memorial Island."
"Assuming everything goes the way you imagine it will. But yes, I'm ready." He bent over and set the bowl on the ground and stepped over the shards of porcelain. He stood a short distance behind the Avatar and tensed.
Korra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Aang, I'm going to use everything you taught me to escape and save the last airbenders. Here's hoping I don't mess it up. With that, she opened her eyes and focused her concentration in her hand, where, to her utter relief, she felt the air currents gathering and swirling faster and faster. The energy of the impending attack filled her, and she moved her arm back for the movement of the slice. Her hair was fluttering wildly around her face, but she didn't allow it to distract her when, with a flex of her arm, she swung her arm out in front of her and unleashed an impressive, thick scythe of wind that connected with the bars to their freedom and tore them apart.
She admired her work for several seconds before snapping out of it. She reached blindly behind her and gripped a handful of Tarrlok's uniform, dragging him forward toward the splintered mess that was the cell wall. "Come on, let's go!"
Together, they hopped out of the cell and to the entry hatch that was currently closed. With skipping a beat, Korra leaped into the air and landed on top of it, breaking it from its latch with her weight, and she dropped ungracefully down the staircase below. She rolled once she reached the ground and sprung to her feet, turning her head to see that Tarrlok had just reached the bottom step and was following her closely.
She broke out into a run, pumping her legs, her hair flying out behind her. She glanced into the rooms they passed, furiously consulting her mental map of the temple to figure out where they were in relation to her room. She hadn't realized that her speed was partially aided by airbending and had left Tarrlok well behind her until she heard him calling her name faintly.
She skidded to a stop with much difficulty and immediately whipped around and backtracked around the corner she had just passed just in time to see a chi-blocker outstretching his arm toward Tarrlok's figure with an electrified glove. "Tarrlok!"
He realized she was about to unleash an attack, and he dove into a nearby room with just enough time to avoid a massive whirlwind that plowed through the corridor with the force of a train. He heard the chi-blocker crying out in shock before connecting solidly with what sounded like a wall before he ducked back out of the room. He confirmed that the chi-blocker was knocked unconscious and crumpled against the far wall from them before he hurried up to Korra.
"Try not to leave me behind," he muttered grimly. His pride stung that he had almost fallen victim to a chi-blocker, and his stomach turned, though not the first time, at the fact that he couldn't defend himself. If he still had his bloodbending, that Equalist would have been writhing at his feet and coughing up blood for daring to try to touch him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was going that fast," she apologized sincerely before her hand found his, and she was once again dragging him behind her to make sure she didn't lose him again. She lost count of how many corners she turned, and she could hear the distant sounds of shouts, letting her know that the attacked chi-blocker had been found by his fellow Equalists. "Come on, come on, faster!"
"I'm trying!" Tarrlok snapped back, feeling his arm getting wrenched out of its socket by her incessant pulling. "Korra, if I'm slowing you down, just leave me here!"
"No! We're escaping together, okay?" she yelled back at him.
He pursed his lips and squeezed the hand that was clinging desperately to his own. The fact that she was so adamant to keep him close to her filled him with hope. He only wished he could do more to help them escape. He had never felt more useless.
"We're almost there," she promised, turning her head to look at Tarrlok.
He nodded at her, then shifted his line of sight back to what lay ahead of them. His eyes widened, and he immediately dug his heads into the ground to stop them, and Korra was the one whose arm was painfully wrenched this time.
Korra grunted and fell back against Tarrlok, following his gaze to their next obstacle, which was completely blocking the last stretch to her room.
There was a group of chi-blockers, at least seven of them, crowding the narrow space. A quick glance over their shoulders confirmed that a second group was advancing on their exposed backs, effectively blocking them in.
As fast as she was, Korra knew she could only defend against one group at a time with her limited airbending skills. She needed help.
"What do we do?" Tarrlok whispered in her ear.
Korra's oceanic gaze slid from chi-blocker to chi-blocker before wandering over them to where the door of her room was. She smirked and spun around in the opposite direction.
These chi-blockers were unaware that she could airbend and advanced on them almost casually, as if they were not a threat.
The Avatar would make them regret underestimating her. She placed her fingers to her lips and whistled shrilly, and then she immediately threw her fists forward in two consecutive bursts, sending balls of air at the group.
The compressed air connected solidly with them and sent them flying backward in a hopeless tangle of limbs.
Tarrlok, who had still been facing forward, watched as Naga effortlessly shredded her way through the door to Korra's room and bounded forward, barreling through the remaining chi-blockers and knocking them to the ground. She growled fiercely at the ones that hadn't been knocked unconscious and slammed her massive paws down on the chi-blockers to keep them pinned helplessly.
Tarrlok found himself once again being pulled along like a rag doll as Korra propelled them forward and toward Naga. She released him and vaulted herself up onto Naga's saddleless back. She held out her hand to him when he didn't move any closer. "Here, get on, we'll be out of here in no time!"
The ex-councilman hesitated before inching forward, watching Naga warily as he approached her. She was exposing her many sharp teeth to him, and he didn't like what that meant for him if he tried to follow Korra. "Are you sure she wants me on her back?"
"Naga!" Realizing that her polar bear dog didn't seem to like Tarrlok very much, Korra leaned forward and placed a hand on her companion's head, scratching enthusiastically behind her ears. She wrapped her other armor around her wide neck and hugged her tightly. "Please let Tarrlok ride with us. He's a friend. Please, girl?"
The polar bear dog enjoyed the attention for a few moments more before backing down, grudgingly allowing Tarrlok to pass by, although her eyes followed him distrustfully.
He delicately stepped through the fallen chi-blockers and clamored awkwardly up behind Korra. "There's no saddle," he pointed out with mounting horror. "How are we supposed to hold on?"
Korra chuckled, grabbing two handfuls of Naga's fur and wrapping her thighs snugly around the enormous animal's sides. "For once, you have permission to touch me, Tarrlok. Wrap your arms around me and hold on for dear life."
The man momentarily forgot his discomfort at that. He whispered a thank you to the spirits before sliding his arms around her waist in an almost seductive motion. He leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back. "I suppose I can endure it this one time," he murmured alluringly in her ear, sounding very much like he wasn't just enduring it.
She had but a short moment to blush at his forwardness before an impatient Naga began galloping down the corridor. She leaped in the air to clear the second group of slowly recovering chi-blockers.
The sudden movement had Korra lurching backward against Tarrlok, who nearly toppled off the back of Naga and took the Avatar with him. He let out a gasp and increased his grip on Korra's hips to the point she was sure there would be bruises. She, in turn, leaned forward as much as possible and wrapped her arms around Naga's shoulders.
The polar bear dog panted happily, pumping her enormous legs and arms to sail through the empty dining room. She reared upward on her hind legs, causing her passengers to cry out in delight and terror respectively, before slamming her paws against the closed door that led outside, tearing it from the hinges.
"Go, go, Naga!" Korra encouraged as they darted out into the chilly evening air. "To Memorial Island!"
The polar bear dog heeded the Avatar's order and hurdled through the courtyard and past several patrolling chi-blockers, who stared, dumbfounded, before scrambling to follow. Naga's paws pounded against the ground with the beat of a war drum as she gained distance three times faster than the Equalists could.
A spinning bola whizzed past their heads and disappeared off the edge of the cliff they were rushing toward.
Avatar Aang stood proudly in the distance, beckoning them forward, and two of the escapees were all too happy to oblige.
"Hold on!" the Avatar yelled over the rush of wind back at the man that was strangling her with his death grip. He couldn't possibly hold on any tighter than he already was, but she felt the need to warn him about the impending descent.
Naga bent her legs and vaulted them through the air to gain a safe distance from the jagged rocky face that marked the end of Air Temple Island. The group plummeted rapidly toward the restless water below them.
Korra savored the freefall, her eyes slipping shut. Her insides jolted with both exhilaration and terror as the seconds passed. Her mind took her back to being in Amon's arms and grappling from the Equalist airship. She almost lost herself in the memory, the sensation of him holding her close, until she realized that Tarrlok was screaming in her ear.
She released Naga's fur and threw her arms above her, twisting her hands in a swirling motion. An air shield materialized below Naga, slowing their plunge until they were harmlessly floating just atop the surface of the bay, which was painted in extravagant, flickering flame hues from the setting sun.
The polar bear dog tilted her head in curiosity at this new type of bending, having never experienced it before.
The gentle waves licked against the bottom of the air shield but didn't penetrate it.
Tarrlok fell limp against Korra. Every muscle in his body had been coiled like a spring about to snap, and when the tension finally drained, he sagged with exhaustion. He was breathless and slightly hoarse when he forced out, "I am… never, never… riding with you again. Insane, reckless…"
"Aw, live a little, Tarrlok," she retorted, thoroughly entertained from the escape. She personally didn't mind a repeat performance, but of course, not when the airbenders needed her. "Stop pretending like you didn't love it."
The shield below them dissolved, and they dropped gently into the Yue Bay. They were submerged up to their torsos, and Naga bobbed in the icy water before paddling powerfully toward their destination.
Tarrlok shuddered, pressing closer to the Avatar, desiring heat. "Oh, yes, I love b-being dragged around like a u-useless doll, having to be s-saved like a damsel, falling off a c-cliff, and then t-taking a swim in a f-freezing bay knowing I c-can't bend the water from m-my clothes a-afterward."
She shook her head in amusement at his heavy sarcasm. "Well, I enjoyed it."
They crept up on the Memorial Island and stayed low in the water with just their heads poking out. It didn't take long to realize that the island was crawling with Equalists, discouraging any heroic rescue missions from taking place.
"How do you propose we sneak in?" Tarrlok whispered.
"I'm going to hit them with an air blast from the other side of the island to distract them," she responded at the same volume after contemplating her few options. "I will ambush a chi-blocker and take the mask so I can disguise myself."
"And what do you want me to do?"
Korra glanced at him. "How is your hand-to-hand combat?"
"…Rusty," he grudgingly admitted. "I haven't needed it much with bloodbending."
She shot him a look of disapproval. "Then find somewhere to hide until I can come back for you."
"And if you don't come back?"
"Then I'll see you sometime later in prison."
They shared a grim look before shifting their gazes back to the island.
Korra raised her arms, and with a complex motion of her hands, she called a sizable gust of wind to snake across the water's surface and around the perimeter of the island. It slithered across the rocky edges before rearing upward to where the chi-blockers were. She spun the currents as quickly as she could, gathering the energy together tightly, and then with a forceful shove of her arms, she swept away the unsuspecting chi-blockers with it like autumn leaves, tossing some of them into the freezing water.
The Equalists shouted to one another and appeared to be searching the skies. For what, Korra wasn't sure, but it was the perfect opportunity to get on the island and find her disguise. She surged forward through the water with thrusts of her arms, Naga and Tarrlok following closely behind her.
They grasped the slippery edges of the rocks that sloped jaggedly up to where the memorial building stood and pulled themselves up and out of the water.
"I'm kind of numb," Korra admitted with trepidation. Now that she was out of the bay, she was becoming aware of how sluggish her limbs really were.
"Me, too," he agreed.
They watched Naga climb up next to them and settle down on the rocks, dripping wet. The polar bear dog recognized the need for stealth, but she didn't understand when Korra began to climb that she wasn't supposed to follow.
"No, Naga, stay with Tarrlok. Keep each other safe," she ordered, patting her familiar's head. Satisfied that the polar bear dog understood, she continued snaking her way upward. The majority of the chi-blockers had gathered near the dock because that was where she had sent her air blast, and the remainder, minus a few patrolling guards, was attempting to fish their comrades out of the bay without falling in themselves.
She poked her head up and watched the guards momentarily to get a feel for their routes and sent wary glances at the other two groups of chi-blockers that were occupied. She had precious little time to execute her plan before her chance would be lost. She wasn't sure she could trick them twice before they became wise.
One chi-blocker was approaching her hiding spot, so she ducked down and flattened herself to disappear from sight. To her horror, she could see Naga's great white head peering up at her from some ways down, and she waved her hand furiously, silently indicating that Naga was being a bad girl.
The chastised polar bear dog immediately ducked out of sight with an unhappy whine.
She could hear the footsteps of the passing guard receding, and she glanced over the rocks once again. Nobody was looking her way, and the target's back was turned to her, so it was time to strike. She quietly heaved herself up onto the island's surface and shadowed the chi-blocker. She threw her hand around the woman's mouth to cut off any of her protests and clamped her arms down around her middle with her other arm.
No one glanced their way when the Equalist woman was swiftly abducted.
She dragged the woman backward and realized she had accidentally miscalculated her steps when she found herself tumbling down the rocks with the flailing chi-blocker in tow. The two of them gained numerous bumps and bruises on the way down to where Tarrlok and Naga were, and Korra refused to let the captive Equalist go the entire time, clinging to her. She would have fallen into the bay with her hostage, but Tarrlok reached out and grasped the both of them by their arms and pulled them toward him.
"Restrain her," Korra commanded, throwing the very distressed woman at the ex-bloodbender.
Tarrlok did as she said and crushed her wrists behind her back, holding firmly.
The chi-blocker struggled with furious grunts before kicking Tarrlok in the shin very, very hard.
He growled lowly and forced her to her knees, kneeling behind her. He kept her legs pinned under his own.
Korra bent over and curled her fingers under the Equalist facial wear before peeling it away, revealing a terrified black-haired woman.
"Avatar filth!" she screeched. Tarrlok immediately tore a strip of his own uniform sleeve away and stuffed it in her mouth to muffle her screams. He sincerely hoped he would never have to put his hands near any of his enemies' mouths again after this was over. He had already learned a hard lesson.
The Avatar put the stolen mask on, tucking her hair in and readjusting the goggles until she could see out of them. "How do I look?"
"Like a disgusting Equalist." The disdain on his face was clear; he didn't like the Avatar wearing his brother's uniform.
"Great. Now knock her out and make sure she doesn't wake up and tell the others. I need to get inside and… and… well, I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I can't do anything down here. Wish me luck!" With that, she backtracked up the slope, barely hearing the sound of flesh connecting with flesh behind her as Tarrlok violently took care of what she asked of him.
"Good luck," drifted up to her quietly.
She managed to take her place among the chi-blockers, who had just successfully rescued the shivering, sneezing men and women. She looked around for clues about how to walk, how to stand, and she adjusted herself accordingly to blend in. She heard snippets of conversation all around her.
"Do you think he's on the statue?"
"I'm s-s-so cold… just t-take me home, p-please…"
"I don't know. I didn't see where the attack came from."
"Someone get Amon!"
"I will!" Korra volunteered, speaking up, seeing an excuse to look around for the airbenders with minimal suspicion. She began sprinting to the staircase that led to the entrance of the memorial building before anyone else could. She was only assuming he was inside because where else would he be? She vaulted herself over the railing and jogged up the staircase, her heart fluttering wildly in nervousness. This was as far as her plan went so far. Anything could happen now.
She reached the top of the stairs and paused in mid-step when two Equalists immediately blocked her path.
"What are you doing here? Continue your patrols," one of them ordered.
"I have come to retrieve Amon," she responded authoritatively. "We were attacked by airbending just a moment ago."
"Why is your uniform wet?"
"I fell in the bay when we were attacked."
They glanced at each other before nodding and stepping aside.
She passed inside of the warm building and was doused with the delicious heat from the glow of the torches. She sighed softly in relief and wanted to hold her cold hands up next to the fire to warm them. It was exceedingly difficult to force herself away from the temptation.
When she swept her eyes over the interior of the building, she remembered the first time she encountered Amon, back when it was easy to hate and fear him and nothing else. She couldn't even recall when that all began to change.
She shrunk under the stares of wandering chi-blockers when she just stood there like a useless log. They were on the verge of saying something when she held up a hand to stop them and cut across solemnly with, "We were just attacked by airbending. We couldn't locate the source."
She glanced over the shoulders of the people in front of her and saw Amon and the Lieutenant standing in front of the fallen forms of what she recognized as the airbenders. Her heart lurched painfully in her chest at the sight of them and very nearly knocked down the Equalists to get to them before restraining herself.
As if sensing her distress, Amon swiveled around and stared right at her, unnerving her with his intensity.
One of the men standing in her way turned to address the revolutionary leader. "Sir, she says that the outside patrol was attacked moments ago by airbending."
"That must be him," Amon confirmed, but his dark eyes never left Korra's dripping wet form. His voice did nothing to betray what he was feeling, but his eyes spoke volumes of his disbelief and frustration—at what, she could only guess. "What happened to you?"
She hesitated. Would he recognize her voice if she spoke directly to him? She decided that altering her voice wouldn't be a terrible idea just in case. "A couple of us fell into the bay when we were attacked," she responded gruffly, too gruffly. She hoped her voice sounded less comical to everyone else because she was already cringing.
"Sir, let's capture him," the Lieutenant suggested, cutting across what he assumed to be a useless conversation and inadvertently sparing the Avatar her embarrassment.
"Why? Let him come to us. After all, they," he gestured to the unconscious airbending family, "are the entire reason he's coming here, and they're not going anywhere."
Korra suddenly realized that the 'he' they were referring to was Tenzin, and she confirmed her suspicions when she didn't see him tied up among the others. She felt relief course through her and easing some of the stress that weighed her down. She wasn't alone in her reckless mission after all.
She took a few cautious steps backward, intending to retreat outside to watch for Tenzin's arrival to provide assistance. When she spun around, she found herself rooted to her spot, unable to move a single muscle. It was a terrible, numb sensation she immediately recognized as the bloodbending grip of Amon. She panicked.
Did he make a habit of bloodbending his subordinates? She didn't think so. He was suspicious of something she did, and besides her horribly disguised voice, she didn't know what she had done wrong. Her body began to move on its own, turning around and forcing her to walk toward Amon. He wasn't even looking at her.
Her heart fluttered like a caged bird in her chest, beating frantically. No, no, no. She had been doing so well, she thought. It couldn't end like this. How did he know it was her? How did he always know when she was nearby?
Her feet led her to his side, and she stood there stiffly like a subordinate awaiting orders. She could feel the intimidating man's burning eyes shift upon her disguised figure, but she kept her own shamefully averted to the ground.
"Yes? What is it?" the Lieutenant demanded curtly. "If you're not patrolling and you're not guarding the airbenders, then find something productive to do. The last thing you should be doing is distracting us."
"She said she had fallen into the bay. She must be cold, so allow her a few moments to warm up," Amon intervened smoothly.
"Very well," the mustached man muttered reluctantly.
She simmered with silent, bitter disappointment. Her grandeur dreams of saving the airbenders with tentative airbending had come to an end, and all she had gotten to do was play dress-up.
She noticed the Lieutenant casting her impatient glances after minutes had passed.
"Surely you are warm enough now?"
Korra clenched her jaw. Oh, how she wanted to punch him in the face. His righteous nonbender of a leader was bloodbending inches away from him, and he had no idea. "Yes, sir."
"Then swiftly return to your position."
"Yes, sir." She wanted nothing more than to break the bloodbending grip and do just that so she could get away from them, but the masked man was unrelenting and determined to keep her there. She could only continue to bend to his will like his own personal puppet.
Amon and the Lieutenant watched as she remained exactly where she was.
"That wasn't a suggestion," he pointed out, growing angry at her apparent mockery of his authority.
"She's absolutely smitten," Amon commented dryly. "She can't bring herself to leave my side."
"So it would appear." The Lieutenant glared at her. "I have never seen such unprofessionalism in my ranks. Surely I didn't pick you for this mission."
She ground her teeth. She wasn't even a real Equalist, and she wanted to defend herself. She wasn't here to fawn over Amon; she had actually been doing what she came here for. She shifted her gaze to peer at Amon from her tinted goggles, and a sudden thought swam to the front of her mind. Could she still be moved by other people while she was being bloodbent? "Perhaps I need an escort to find my way back?" she inquired cheekily, knowing it would enrage the short-tempered Lieutenant even more.
Amon's right-hand man let out a curse. "I can't believe this." He stalked forward and grabbed Korra by the arm roughly.
She felt Amon's bloodbending grip slip away from her immediately before she could find an answer to her question, and she almost tripped over her feet as the mustached man dragged her behind him. She winced at the bite of his fingers digging into her flesh and struggled to keep up with his long strides. Was this how Tarrlok felt earlier? If so, she really owed him an apology.
She glanced over her shoulder long enough to see Amon cross his arms over his chest and glare at her through his mask before she was thrown bodily from the memorial building. She teetered on the edge of the staircase, flailing her arms in a windmill motion. The only reason she was still firmly planted on her feet instead of becoming intimate with the stone steps was because she had used airbending to keep herself upright, but the guards, like all the others on the island, were too preoccupied to notice.
She followed their gazes to the sight of a ship approaching the dock. She stared in confusion. Who could that be?
She didn't have to wonder long because an Equalist flew past her into the dim of the building and shouted, "The opposition has arrived!"
The chi-blockers assembled themselves just shy of the dock, charging up their electrified gloves with an audible crackling. A couple of them reached for smoke grenades that dangled from their belts.
There was a low, ominous rumbling sound emitting from below the Equalists, and then the rocks below them crumbled to pieces. The alert soldiers barely regained their footing and retreated onto more stable ground.
A dark figure leaped from the ferry and landed roughly on the dock once it had drifted close enough. He lifted his arms and ripped up impressive chunks of rock. He flung them with an intimidating bellow, but they were too slow to do any damage. His attack was dodged, though the chi-blockers were no longer close enough to attack, for they had leaped backward once again.
A second person landed beside the earthbender. He raised a couple fingers and then moved through a complex stance to call arcs of electricity to his fingertips, which were aimed threateningly at them to continue to keep them at a safe distance. "Let's go!"
At the firebender's signal, the ship began to unload its cargo, which was a seemingly endless swarm of people who advanced up the dock behind the benders.
Korra recognized them, her eyes darting from figure to figure with mounting elation. She marveled at the sight of them, at the nonbenders who once trembled under the strain of starvation facing off against the Equalist threat with no visible fear or apprehension. They stood shoulder to shoulder like an impenetrable wall, radiating confidence.
"Release the airbenders and the Avatar to us immediately!" a harsh female voice rang out, loud and clear even to Korra's ears from her sizable distance. Lin Beifong forced her way through the ranks, stepped between Mako and Bolin, and took her place at the front, staring down her enemies with pure venom. Her figure was tense and commanding, backed by an army that rivaled the numbers currently scattered about the Memorial Island.
Korra desperately wanted to take her place among her friends, and she was on the verge of shedding her disguise and revealing herself when she was tackled roughly from behind.
An enormous, bellowing gust of wind connected with where she had been standing only seconds later, and it dispersed after leaving deep slices in the stone steps. She let out a pained gasp and rolled down the stairs with another person, landing sharply on her side when they finally came to a stop. She curled inward in agony and cracked her eyes open. She noticed an upside-down Amon climbing to his feet from where he had landed next to her.
"Oh, the irony," he uttered darkly at her. "Your own airbending master is trying to kill you."
She was confused until she saw another deadly torrent of air jackknife through the sky and crash against the ground among the chi-blockers, sending out strong pulses that had the uniformed activists struggling and failing to stay upright against. She followed the trajectory to where a distant, brightly colored robed figure stood atop Aang's outstretched arm.
"Amon!" Tenzin yelled with more hate than Korra had ever imagined the elder man could possess. "Where is my family?!"