Author Notes:

Hello everyone! I know it been a month since my update, but today is the day I bring a new chapter. YAY! I've actually been working on a new story and I promised myself I wouldn't post it till it has been completed. So coming soon, My Brother's Keeper. It will be a long series with long chapters, probably double than what I usually write. I hope you all enjoy it! I also do not want to post anything new until this story is finished. The next chapter will be the ending so stay tuned!

Again I hope you are enjoying the story.

EM ;)

Balance Part 3

Korra

We took airships to the Northern Watertribe. I wasn't sure exactly what I had expected as we landed, but nothing was amiss.

Had I expected the city to be in ruins? I wasn't sure to what extent Asami would go…. No not Asami, Vaatu. I had to remember it is him behind all this.

I looked to my friends for strength. Mako, Bolin, Opal, Jinora and even Lin had joined me. Each one ready to possibly face Asami. Each one prepared to do the right thing.

As the doors to the airship opened there stood my uncle, Unalaq.

"My dearest niece, Avatar Korra, what a pleasant surprise, and I see you brought the whole team," he said as he looked from me to my friends.

He looked as calm as ever and didn't even seemed worried that I had come to his Nation.

I couldn't help but walk straight into his face my eyes narrowing as his grin got larger.

"Where is she?"

He took a step back and calmly shrugged his shoulders.

"I take it you received the same message we did from the Earth Kingdom?"

"Don't play with me, Uncle. Witnesses said they saw you with her."

I watched as his eyes began to sparkle with excitement before he spoke.

"The Goddess has come to cleanse this world, Avatar Korra. I am nothing, but a servant. An expendable servant at that. If you have received her message than you must understand the position I am in. I simply relinquished my power to her," he said as he turned in a circle with his arms out referring to his nation.

"If you wish to speak with the Goddess, she is no longer here."

I took a step closer again face to face with him.

"Why are you helping her? What do you get out of it?"

He smiled wickedly before he answered, "The spoils."

"If she destroys the world what will there be left?"

He laughed then.

"My Goddess plan is not to destroy the world, but free it, Avatar. And once it's free, I will claim what is left and rebuild it to my Goddess's expectations."

"You're nothing more than a puppet," spat Lin from behind me.

He shrugged again, and before he could speak again, I was walking past him.

There was no point to talking to him.

Something in his eyes made me wonder if he still had his sanity or had all this pushed him to the edge.

"We should look for clues to see if she's still here or where she could have gone," said Mako.

We split up and searched the palace and as Unalaq said she was no longer here.

Asami

I was sitting in my seat as Zaheer entered.

"Avatar Korra just met with Unalaq."

"She might find out our destination, maybe not in time to change things, but it would be rather fun to have an exchange with her wouldn't it, Zaheer?"

I watched his eyes and the displeasure in them.

"If that is what you wish."

"Don't tell me you are afraid of her power? You and I both know that she has yet to reach her full potential and I feel," I said as I raised my palm and it begin to glow a purple glow, "I feel I'm getting rather close."

I watched as his face contorted and knew my eyes had changed. He may not respect me, but he knows that Vaatu would never accept anything less than adoration for himself.

"Let us handle the Avatar, Goddess. We are here to be of service."

I felt tentacles of darkness move around my body and Vaatu whispers becoming my words as I tilted my head to its side watching Zaheer.

"Controlling your fear is different from overestimating your power, Zaheer. You can't, and possibly will never be able to defeat the Avatar, but it would be fun to watch you batter her friends and kill them."

I expected the words to hurt my heart, to cut my soul, but I felt nothing. All I felt was the excitement Vaatu felt at watching a fight break out.

In the end, my plans were in motion, and it would be difficult to stop the chaos that is to come.

The airship suddenly shook as Ghazan enter the room.

"We are entering Fire Nation territory."

I heard as the rumble of bombs and aircrafts zooming around the airship.

"You think you can keep control of the airship?"

"Yes, Goddess, we also have fighters from the Northern Watertribe as well as our own. We should have no problem reaching Capital City."

"Well it wouldn't hurt to practice my new skills before we get there," I said as I felt a shudder of excitement across my body.

Korra

"Korra!" Yelled Jinora as she skidded across the floor to reach us.

"They are heading towards the Fire Nation!"

We all turned to face her as she caught her breath.

"I just heard on the radio they have infiltrated the borders and are on their way to Capital City."

"But how is she getting through the Fire Nation forces?!" said Lin as looked towards me.

"Well it could be the Army she took with her," said Unalaq, "The entire Northern Watertribe Army to be exact."

I took a few steps towards him grabbing him by the collar and raising him.

"How could you," I said through my teeth.

"Stop," said Opal as she laid a hand on me. "Even if he hadn't been so willing, if he had said no to Vaatu, they would have all been killed."

I let go with a sigh.

"What else did you hear in the messages?" I asked now Jinora.

"She annihilated the entire Air Force. She just stood on top of her airship and blowing them out of the sky without slowing her airship's pace."

I felt the cold sweat begin to form all over my body. How…

[She is allowing Vaatu's power to fully emerge within her, but if she continues her body will not be able to contain it.] I heard Raava whisper in my head.

Asami is going to die if this continues.

"We don't have time lets get back on the airships and hopefully get to Capital City before she leaves."

Asami

"Knock Knock," I said as I enter the throne room.

"Firelord Izumi you must understand I do not mean any disrespect. I am merely here to request your response to my message."

Suddenly soldiers out of every hidden corner converge on me. Out of the farthest wall, I saw the strong and tall Iroh, son of Izumi step forward.

I raised my hands as if in surrender as the room filled with Fire Nation benders and soldiers.

"Hello, Iroh. Long time no see."

I saw his confusion as he looks over my disguise but quickly trained his gaze on me with defiance.

"We want nothing to do with your new world order."

"Tsk, tsk. I find you and your mother quite worthy leaders actually. A leadership your Grandfather earned, but still, I see his sense of honor within you both. Am I wrong Izumi?"

From the shadows, the Firelord appeared. Her red robes with golden edges touching the floors slightly as she walked.

"Who are you to speak so casually with us," she said with her head held high.

Without removing my hood, I take my mask in the palm of one of my hands.

"Since I did take my time making my way through the palace, I guess there no real point in allowing you to delay me any longer. The Avatar will be here shortly. Except she will not be here in time to save you. I do have a welcoming party waiting for her, but if you must know, maybe this will convince you to make the right decision."

As I finished my words, I removed the skull mask, and I heard the gasps from the guards around me.

"Asami?" said Iroh as he takes a step forward, "But you're dead."

I smiled sweetly at him.

"Nope, I'm very much alive. You see the Great Avatar, my wife, threw me into Hell and while in that horrible place I learned a thing or two about the person we so admired and her flaws. I learned the world and leaders she wishes to 'protect' are people who would take from their citizens, enslave them, and then tell them through their suffering that they are happy. I wish to bring down that corruption."

I placed the mask back on my face and drop my hands to my sides.

"Are you really willing to sacrifice the lives your soldiers, your son, just to keep a false entitlement, Izumi?"

Before Izumi could respond, a lone soldier yelled before he took his stance to firebend, "Long Live Fire Lord Izumi!"

I didn't have to move or even be afraid of the fire he bent because at that moment I allowed the threads of darkness to move as whips through the air. The small puff of fire that came from his fist quickly dispersed as his body fell in sections. Cut so clean that his insides didn't spill till they hit the floor.

There was utter silence as everyone stared at the body.

"What do I have to do?"

With a shocked expression, all the guards turned to their Firelord, and I felt the smile slowly rise on my lips.

"Renounce the throne and the laws it enforced on its people."

"But that would lead to chaos on the streets! So many lives will be lost to violence."

I turned to Iroh, "How many lives were lost during the hundred-year war? How many lives were lost when Firelord Oazi sent his warships against Avatar Aang? Yes, there will be death and death among the people who deserve it, but in the end, will the strongest not survive? Won't the best of the nation fully comprehend what they have and be thankful for being alive? Believe me, when I say this, Iroh, if she does not do this, I will make sure the same fate Firelord Sozin inflicted on the Air Nation reoccurs to the Fire Nation."

The circle of men parted as Firelord Izumi stepped forward.

With a swift motion, she pulled the pin that held the Firelord crown shaped as a flame from her hair.

"I relinquish my throne and the laws my family has inflicted on this nation."

She then kneels before me as she hands me the crown.

"Please do not hurt the citizens of this nation."

With a smile, I take the crown, but without a moment of hesitation, a thin tentacle as thin as a needle goes through her throat.

I fall to my knees in time to catch her and lean close to her ear.

"I will not a shed a drop of blood of those you have sacrifice yourself for nor will I allow a single foreign soldier to enter your borders."

Even as she gasped and choked on her own blood, there was a smile on her face. As I had known Firelord Izumi was a true leader, but I could feel the pain of the darkness as it writhed in disapproval.

Don't make promises on my behalf, but since you are so willing to follow the path I have set before you I'll give you this one leniency.

I watched as Iroh tried to control his pain and rage as he took Izumi from my arms and without another word I walked away.

Korra

We landed and ran through the gates of the palace, all around us was blood and pieces of bodies. There were no survivors, but as we neared the door there stood a group of four.

"Hello, Avatar Korra," said a short bald man and apparently the leader.

"Where is Asami?" I said as I took a few steps forward.

"She is probably telling the Fire Nation how their Firelord is now dead, and the monarchy has been brought down to its knees."

I felt a punch to the gut.

"Firelord Izumi is dead?"

"Yes, and since you are here, it's time you give your answer, Avatar. Will you release your hold on the world?"

I didn't let him finish as I felt the anger rise inside.

"No! I will bring you all down and restore the nations."

"So be it."

I watched as the taller woman inhaled.

"She combustor!" yelled Lin as she pushed Opal and me out of the way.

The boom was loud and quick, but it didn't give us much of a chance to regain our footing. A third woman was bending water as the fourth started fighting with Bolin both of them bending earth.

The grounds were a war zone as we jumped into action.

It was the purple flash that made me turn my head, but the darkness and tentacles were what sparked fear into my heart.

In a moment the red-cloaked Asami was dancing through the fighting groups moving so effortlessly with each of the opposing fighters that soon the only person left standing was me.

"You have to stop this," I said to Asami. "This isn't you. You have to stop this."

She laughed. Removing her mask and cloak before she dropped them to the ground. She wore a slick black suit that hugged her body. Around her were snake like whips of darkness. They moved and seemed to slither across her body.

"You are right, Avatar. I'm not your wife. Your wife was dead the second you encased her into that tree."

Before another word was said, she took off at a sprint towards me and out of pure instinct I lifted a bolder shielding myself from the glowing purple hand.

The rock shattered, but as I looked at her, she stood as if nothing was wrong as if she hadn't just tried to attack me.

Her eyes were now crimson, and the darkness seemed to whip around more erratically and wildly.

She's losing control, Korra.

"Asami, stop if you push any further, you're going to kill yourself."

But nothing was getting through to her anymore. Her body seemed to pulse with purple as we exchanged punch after punch. I felt the pain, and my energy drain from me with each connection.

"Enough!"

I took a deep breath and allowed the Avatar State to be triggered.

In a harmony of voices, I spoke to Asami.

"Vaatu, you will never be able to fully take control of that girl's body. Humans were never intended to house us. You will destroy yourself if you continue to push."

I watched as Asami too changed in front of me how her body seemed to arch more animalistic her hands nearly turning into claws the blackness almost web-like around her body and pulsing as if alive.

Her voice was dark and distorted.

"It does not matter anymore Raava! My plan has nearly been completed. The largest two nations are at the peak of chaos, and its sweet scents energize me. Soon I will not need a body to maintain my form. Soon I'll have enough power to engulf the world!"

As she spoke the space around her seemed to darken, and like a black hole, the light was distorted and absorbed.

You must fight Korra. You must destroy Vaatu before he becomes too strong.

I looked at the creature that was once my wife. Her form disgusting compared to the beauty she used to be.

I took a few steps, and before I could think, I raised my fists and charge.

The clash thundered and shook the ground beneath us, but it didn't stop me.

Around us all four elements fought against the darkness Asami commanded.

We were spiraling and moving as if none of the forces of physics matter nor what was happening to the world around us.

Engulf with the urgency to destroy, to right this horrible wrong I managed to seize Asami by her throat. Her tentacles whipped and clawed at my skin, but the elements held them back protecting me.

And there we stood like that day seven years ago, a whirlwind of power and darkness all around us. The knowledge that someone was going to die hung in the air, but instead of protecting the woman I loved I was going to kill her. I felt myself pause when I saw the fear in her eyes and her hands tighten around my clenched hand.

Korra you must stop Vaatu, NOW.

I took a breath and raised my fist, but before I could throw my power into her, a tremendous force hit the center of my chest.

I felt the Avatar State leave my body almost instantly and Raava's voice silenced.

I tried to bend Earth, tried to bend anything, but nothing came to my call.

I looked up to see Asami also back to normal gasping and writhing in pain as she coughed and choked for air and in front of her was a brightness, no a creature…Esmay? That's what Asami called it.

The creature seemed to be a blend of the elements as her skin trembled and shifted between the colors of blues, reds, and browns. Then she smiled showing her sharp teeth.

"I thought I was tilting the scales, but you should be more worried about what's changing inside of you then my meddling," and with another smile, she turned.

I stood as my friends who had at some point during my battle with Asami gained consciousness rallied around me.

"We can't let them escape," I said as I stumbled to get up, but the bald man took Asami in his arms and flew?

FLEW!

I watched as he entered an airship above and before we could take another step, we heard the inhaling of the combustor. We scattered as we avoided the hits and the shards of ice, but when we turned to fight back, they were gone.

I could hear the sounds of wind as I sat there on the ground, my knees to my chest. I could see the disturbed rubble at my feet as I stared down, but as I looked up to see Mako talking to me, I felt nothing, heard nothing.

"I tried to kill her," I whispered even though I knew that wasn't what he was asking.

What was changing inside of me? What had that creature meant? I had only done what Raava told me to do, what the power of light told me to do. I was just trying to do the right thing.

"Korra. Is your bending really gone?"

I looked up again, at his concerned amber eyes then down at the few stones at my feet.

I tried to move them, lift them, but nothing happened.

"I don't understand did that creature bloodbend you like Noatak?"

I shook my head.

"I feel numb, drained. Nothing like what he did to me."

My head went to the moment she was looking at me as I held her throat. The fear in her eyes. The fear I caused.

"Korra you have to snap out of it," said Iroh. "We have to find a way to control the riots and violence happening in the Earth Kingdom and now here in the Fire Nation. We need you to give hope to the world."

I almost became everything I fought against. How am I supposed to be the hope of this world and save Asami without becoming a monster myself?

I don't think there is a way to avoid it. If I am to stop Vaatu, I will have to become something darker. I will have to find the same strength Avatar Kyoshi had when she made her choice.

I stood.

"We'll figure this out Iroh, I promise you. We will get the Nations back as they were and stop Vaatu."

I have to find a way, even if it means I have to push all my feelings aside, I have to find a way to destroy Asami.

End of Chapter Notes:

Again let me know what you think. Have a great day and till next time.

EM ;)