Best Co-Author ever: BG-13!

Korra's POV

Lin had challenged me to a match and I had accepted. It wasn't my ego acting; it was the fact that I had to keep my identity a secret. If I had declined she would have kept a closer watch on me, even now that I was going to fight her she probably still would but not as vigorously as she probably intended. My parents and Katara were going to meet us outside the city where the match would take place. That had been my condition. As much as I disliked the old Chief I didn't want her to lose her job because of this so we would do this outside the city limits. Tenzin was riding with me and for a while we were quiet. That didn't last long.

"Korra, this is madness!" the Airbender finally said.

"Don't try to stop me, Tenzin," I warned. I was serious, I had to do this. "I have to face Lin alone."

"You don't have to prove anything," he countered. "My mother already gave her report. We know you lost your-"

"Stay out of it!" I snapped. I knew what I'd lost. Everyone didn't have to keep telling me.

The old master sighed and lowered his head. I inhaled and exhaled a few times, readying myself for the upcoming fight. We arrived and unsurprisingly Lin and Mako were already there with my parents. Howl arrived shortly after with my parents and Katara. I tried to ignore their worried faces as I walked up to the Earthbender, who was no longer wearing her uniform.

"How long is this going to last?" Mako asked the both of us.

"Until I prove my point," Bei Fong replied.

I slightly narrowed my eyes before nodding. "As long as necessary," I said.

We both got into a stance and readied ourselves. I could tell her second in command was not very happy about the duel but he knew better than to try to reason with either of us. He lowered his hand and looked over to the both of us.

"Begin!"

Lin stomped her foot, making the soft soil rise and knocking me onto my back. I ground my teeth as I sat up, only for her to jump, fist raised and ready to deliver a blow. I quickly rolled away barely dodging the punch that was aimed at my head. I rose and we engaged in hand to hand combat. Initially, I had thought about pretending not to know how to fight at all, but then I had remembered the little incident with my mom.

I kicked the Chief's side, pushing her away from me. She narrowed her eyes and backed away. I foolishly let my guard down, wondering what she was doing until a chunk of earth flew right by my head. I ducked just in time as she began to throw more and more in my direction. I moved all over the place, trying to avoid getting hit but one nailed me right in the chest, knocking the air out of me.

I gasped, trying to catch my breath as the Earthbender walked towards me. I got on my knees, supporting myself with my hands. That blow was definitely going to slow me down for a while. She stomped her foot again and I was flung into the air, landing with a large thud and rolling away a few yards from her. I stood up and went in to my stance, my breathing still erratic.

She engaged me in hand in hand combat again but my blocks were sloppy and she was landing more blows than I could register. I fell onto the ground, pretending to be tired but she wasn't having any of that. With another stomp of her foot a pillar raised me and the punches on my torso continued as I simply held my hands in front of me, blocking my face and all vital organs.

When Lin had enough she let me fall onto the ground. I got up again and took a few swings at her but she easily blocked them and sent one that busted my lip. I fell again, a hand going to my mouth to see blood, and I could taste it too.

"If this is the best you can do then you were smart about turning down your title," she said, satisfaction all over her voice.

I simply clenched my jaw at the comment. I didn't care what she or anyone else thought about me. It was very clear in my mind that I was no longer the Avatar, that I hadn't deserved it in the first place. She continued to insult me, but she must have noticed that I really didn't care about what she said, until she hit my weak spot.

Lin crouched down to my level, her eyes meeting mine. "Do you want to know why I challenged you to this duel? Well besides that I want you to show everyone what you really are?"

I didn't say anything; I simply continued to look at her. She looked over to Mako and my stomach started to tie itself in knots.

"The one charge that I'm accusing you of that we both know you did for sure is murder. You killed his brother, the only family he had. How do you live with yourself, knowing that you didn't do anything to save him," Lin said, only talking so I could hear. I clenched my jaw at this, my nails digging into the dirt. "But I suppose the real Avatar would've been able to save that kid. Though Avatar Aang wouldn't have endangered his life in the first place, would he?"

That did it. I yelled as I launched myself at her, knocking her down and beginning to punch her upper body repeatedly. She had definitely struck a nerve with Bolin. I could tell that my actions had taken her by surprise but she quickly Bended a pillar that knocked me away from her.

Neither of us held back, just punching and shoving at each other. She used her Bending to create some leverage with me and proved it by covering her knuckles with the rocky dirt and punching my sides with it.

"You're no better than the one who killed him," Lin taunted. "I'm surprised you two aren't friends, both being unscrupulous cowards who hide behind a mask, and lets not forget, murders," she added before upper-cutting my jaw, knocking me back.

I looked up at the sky. The clouds were starting to roll in. It was going to rain and I just wished it would fall already. Bolin's face flashed in front of me and I relived his death. I relived that horrible day when he'd died. I could see his pained expression as Amon sunk the knife into his chest.

Somehow I managed to get up and my eyes locked with the Earthbender in front of me. I could tell she was out of breath. Mako stepped forward but she held her hand up. Apparently she wasn't done but I was. I let out a scream again before punching forward. I could see everyone straighten a little at this, expecting for air to come spiraling out of my fist. But nothing did.

I fell onto my knees just as the rain started to come down. My eyes were tightly shut, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to make an appearance. I felt someone kneel down next to me and I looked up to find Tenzin, concern written all over his face.

"Everything is going to be alright, Korra," he said gently.

"No," I replied. "It's not."

I got up and took off toward the woods, my legs carrying me as fast and as far as they could. I had to get out of there.