Chronicle of Zhu Chapter 11: Voices in the Night, a legend of korra fanfic

superpierce: Wow I wasn't wrong calling Zhu glorious. That just amazing.

Re: Glad I got that kind of reaction from "filler".

LoamyCoffee: *Laughs happily* Oh yes~ For Pizza is a food to be praised!
I quite enjoy the fact that Pizza is now in the world of Korra and that Spirits can grant such knowledge~
Such possibilities what one could be bestowed by the Spirits! I love Varrick and Zhu Li!
Truly a good day! Also what's your favorite pizza? I'm torn between Meat lovers and Barbecue chicken.

Re: Yeah. Hard to believe a throwaway line like "road pizza" could spawn such a thing, huh? Though I wouldn't have come upon the idea without the help of my dedicated Soundboard, Spaceman. And it was fun writing in Varrick in early, and loads of fun at the end where he "donated" copious amounts of Yuan in exchange for a Sky Bison ride back to his penthouse, on top of leaving his rocket-boat behind, because that's totally the thing he would do.
As for my favorite pizza…
Pizza Hut, Hand Tossed Pizza crust, Creamy Garlic Parmesan sauce, Garlic Buttery Blend crust flavor, and for toppings, Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Bacon, Ham, and/or Spinach.

Youngtrick: Love the story and something I was curious about, do you plan on adding firearms into the world. I mean the closest thing I remember is the fire benders anti air cannons, it has been awhile, but I always thought that, especially Korra, the WW2 era weapons would make since, and we know they have fireworks so that means gun power right? I've heard people say the bending makes them useless but think of a sniper, they would atleast get a few shots off. Anyway just something I was wondering, keep up the great work.

Re: I have plans for something like a firearm later-on in the story when I really start to deviate from Canon (or at least add new elements), but something you have to understand is that with the advent of Metalbending, ground combat had drastically changed since Aang's day; a troop of lancemen can be overpowered by a single competent Metalbender, and quite possibly, a strong-enough Bender could capture bullets out of the air; or at least early bullets with comparatively-weak propellant. And that's assuming they don't have any rifling in which case, accuracy is lousy-enough they might not even need to dodge.
As for the Firebender's "anti air cannons", they were more like funnels to help "concentrate" their Firebending, like the nozzle on a garden hose.
While a "sniper" would definitely trump most Bending styles, the first true sniper rifle, the British Whitworth invented in 1853 by Sir Joseph Whitworth under commission from the British War Department, was a World War II invention, and Avatar is still in the realm of World War I technology if the biplanes are any indicator; excluding Mech Suits, which are likely more-feasible because "non-standard" parts can be formed with Metalbending. Also, conventional weaponry in Avatar, if the "tech tree" is anything to go by, seems to be more electricity and energy-based apart from the mech suits, which are less "weapons" themselves and more like "weapon platforms". In that regard, instead of single-strike infantry-based weaponry, I feel like if the story were to continue, that mech technology would be where things progress, since a sniper rifle killing a mech pilot would just promote the technology of stronger anti-ballistic glass, which would promote the creation of armor-piercing rounds, which would then promote stronger armor and quite possibly real-time video so the whole thing can be armored like in Code Geass.
The way I see it, the "arms race" within the world of Avatar would still be a back-and-forth spanning decades of research, or years if more prodigies like Varrick come to bear, and conventional sniper rifles would just get swept to the wayside in lieu of mech-suit technology.
At least until Spirit Vine Cannon-type weapons become infantry-sized; like the Fat Man nuke-launching "catapault" from the Fallout franchise. But I digress.

Wow, that was really fun to respond to. Thanks!

Blaze1992: Yes soon the horror of FNAF and Chuckie Cheese will be shown to the benders, horrifying them beyond belief MWHAHAHAHA!

Re: That… wasn't the sort of response I was expecting… but it was an interesting one nonetheless…

skinnydude911: An entire chapter dedicated to pizza, not a bad idea. Especially with Varrick making an appearance and fun in his own ways of offering to make Pizza a world wide phenomenon. Damnit, now I want a pizza.

Re: Yeah, it was fun to write too~

*AIR*

"So… Korra's still at it, huh?" Zhu asked late one night; the third or fourth that Tarrlok's little anti-Equalist taskforce had been running around for.

"So it would seem," Tenzin hummed, the radio squawking as the usual transmission was interrupted.

"We interrupt your regularly-scheduled broadcast to bring you yet another exclusive from Councilman Tarrlok's taskforce, who have once again succeeded in subduing a dangerous Equalist cell."

"Avatar Korra has bravely answered the call to action," Tarrlok spoke confidentlly. "With the two of us leading the charge, Republic City has nothing to fear from Amon and the Equalists."

"Question for the Avatar!" someone who Zhu could only assume to be a reporter on-site spoke up. "Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?"

"You want to know why?"

"Ohhh crap…" Zhu groaned as Korra bit into that loaded question.

He didn't make a move to get up, since short of divine intervention, there wasn't any possible way he could get there on time to stop Korra's mouth from writing a bank promissory note her muscular butt and thighs couldn't cash.

"Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward. Amon, I challenge you to a duel! No task force, no chi blockers, just the two of us tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Let's cut too the chase and settle this thing, if you're man enough to face me."

"Korra, you colossal idiot," Zhu muttered as the gauntlet was thrown.

"This is bad. This is very, very bad," Tenzin muttered under his breath, fingers drumming on the table. "Zhu, we need to leave right now-"

"Tenzin! You coming or what?" Zhu shouted from outside, the Airbending master's Sky Bison descending landing just outside the pagoda, Zhu sitting atop the animal's shoulders.

*AIR*

"Korra, please, this is madness," Tenzin pleaded, intercepting Korra and the task force on the docks, Aang Memorial Island looming proudly in the distance.

"Don't try to stop me, and don't follow me. I have to face Amon alone," Korra insisted as she readied her boat.

"This is all your doing!" Tenzin said rounding on Tarrlok a moment later.

"I tried to talk her out of it too, but she's made up her mind," Tarrlok said raising his hands in surrender.

"KORRA!" Zhu shouted, angrily shouldering his way through the Anti-Equalist Taskforce before leaping behind the Avatar and whirling her around, the boat rocking angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I called Amon out, told him I'd fight him one-on-one," Korra asserted, crossing her arms as she steadied the boat.

"Korra, no, this isn't the right way," Zhu chastised.

"Why not?"

"There's a right way to do this. Practice, study, and discipline," he tacked off with his fingers. "Double on the discipline!"

Though he ambiguously jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, Korra knew to what he was referring.

"Or! And I'm just saying…" Tarrlok cut in. "She hits him with everything she has the moment he shows up."

"From what I hear, the Triads pulled the same thing, and look what happened to them," Zhu said narrowing his eyes.

"None of them were the Avatar," Tarrlok returned condescendingly.

"It's because she's the Avatar that she shouldn't do this," he said before turning back to Korra, his expression a mixture of concern and consternation. "But if you want to throw away everything you've worked for, fine. Go ahead and glow it up!" he said as he climbed out of the boat.

"Zhu, wait, I'm just being realistic," Korra said grabbing his wrist. "I don't have time to do this any other way."

"Funny. Aang said the exact same thing."

With a huff and a twist of his wrist, Zhu pulled away completely, the taskforce members giving the fuming Water Tribesman a berth as he stormed past them, the malice in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife.

*AIR*

Korra felt hurt, and rejection, as Zhu stormed away, but it wasn't enough to stay her hand.

With a feat of Waterbending, she launched the boat towards Aang Memorial Island, climbing the stairs that would take her to the pedestal of the statue.

And there she waited.

Waiting.

Waiting..

Waiting…

*GOOooonnnggg!*

The sound of the clock striking midnight startling her for a brief moment, after around the fourth sounding she just grew annoyed, but soldiered on through it. From there the Avatar continued to wait, the lights of the cityscape dimming considerably before Korra decided she'd waited long-enough.

"Guess you're a no-show, Amon. Who's scared now?" she asked aloud, stretching her arms above her head before walking away.

Making her way past the stairs and passing in front of the entrance to the statue's base, which also served as a museum to both Aang and the history of the war during daylight hours, right as she caught sight of her boat, still where she left it, a bola wrapped itself around her feet, the connected line hauling her to the darkness with impressive speed.

The moment she felt the tension on the line slacken, the Avatar thrust her hips up, whirling her legs in a dervish and briefly illuminating the darkened room with Firebending, revealing a collection of Equalist Chi-Blockers nearly two-dozen strong surrounding her. The light dimming as her flames guttered out a moment later, their goggles briefly glowed red around her before the light went out completely.

The room rendered into a brilliant gold as she swung out her arms above her, the next moment a pair of whips snared her wrists before her limbs were drawn taught across her body. With a kick of flame and a wall of earth launched in front of her with her remaining limbs, sending the Equalists attacking her from the front flying, a pair of Equalists quickly descended upon her exposed back, the Avatar helpless against the flurry of blows rained upon her pressure points.

*AIR*

When Korra awoke next, a pair of hands grabbed onto each arm before hauling her up into a kneeling position. Her body still numb and aching from the cheap shot, the Avatar's eyes were slow to adjust to the candle lighting surrounding them, lit only enough to illuminate the immediate area surrounding the Equalists around her.

A frightened gasp leaving the Avatar's lips as the pallid masked visage of Amon strode forward from the darkness, the shadows cast across porcelain features were a terror to behold in the dark, and she was sure that one way or another, mothers would be telling horror stories about the man to put their naughty children to bed at night for years to come.

"I received your invitation, young Avatar," Amon droned condescendingly, Korra's eyes going wide as Amon's right hand descended towards her.

Before he could carry out his dark errand however…

*Plip*

"Whuh…?" Korra droned out as the sound of dripping water sounded from the darkness, echoing off the walls impossibly-loud.

The incessant *Lub-Dub* *Lub-Dub* *Lub-Dub* of a beating heart to follow served to unnerve the Equalists, if the shifting of the men holding her up was any indication.

*OOOMMMMMMM*

The almost-meditative chant that came along moments later, blending with the other noises filling the once-silent monument, had Amon straightening his back, eyes and attention both turned away from her.

And then a white fog began to spill across the floor.

At first it was a mere wisp of white, just barely above the tiles, hardly noticeable. But a few moments in and it began to grow in thickness, devouring their ankles as it rolled out of the darkness toward them.

What followed were soft, barely-audible padded footsteps making their way towards them, the gathered Equalists swunging their candle holders toward the darkest depths of the monument, Korra glancing sidelong over her shoulder to see.

Stepping from the void astride boots black as night, was a tall figure broad of shoulder. Dressed in a long coat the color of blood, the body underneath was covered in bandages and leather straps, stained a dark crimson. Its visage was that of a snarling dragon, its scales a deepest red, golden eyes glinting off the Equalists' candle light, a voluminous mane of crimson hair spilling out behind him like a mantle.

"And who might you be?" Amon asked cooly, even as the Equalists' feet around him padded nervously through the mist, which most-assuredly was not coming in from the bay outside.

"YOU…" the figure said between a whisper and a shout that seemed to fill the monument, finger leveled at him as he came to a stop at the edge of the light, the shadows cloying at his back like the caressing hands of a lover.

"I…?"

"DO NOT… SPEAK FOR US…" the ominous figure intoned.

"What…?" the gathered Equalists asked confusedly in a wave, whereas Amon's shoulders stiffened.

"RELEASE… THE BRIDGE…" he demanded raising up a second hand, palms held forward.

What illuminated the darkness next was not the flickering light of the Equalist's candles. Instead it was a ghostly green flame at each palm that caused eldritch shadows to roll across the red-garbed figure's form.

"NOW…!" the figure roared in a whisper, the otherworldly flames in his hands contorting into anguished human faces, wailing in an agony conjoining the cacophony of noises already pressing upon them from all sides.

When faced with terror, humans lose their ability to make calm, rational judgements.

"AUUUUUUGH!"

Such was proven when one of the Equalists lunged forward in a panic, heedless of the danger.

"Wait! STOP!" Amon cried out.

But it was too late; the Equalist had already begun raining a flurry of blows to the entity's exposed chest, heedless of the wailing fire still-dancing in his hands.

The assault coming to an end as he ran out of steam, the Equalist stepped back, only to pale behind his mask as the ghostly flames continued to burn, the golden dragon-like eyes boring into him.

A moment later the entity crossed his arms, the green flames crashing into the Equalist's head from both sides, wreathing it in flame.

Though the Equalist threw himself to the ground and rolled frantically, the eerily-colored flames licked hungrily at the leather encasing his head, the scent of burning hair and leather spilling about into the night.

Of course, the smell was lost on the Equalists as the entity strode toward them, heedless of the man writing at his feet, batting furiously at the flames consuming his head as though a thing alive.

The Equalists shuddering in terror, Amon growing stock-still, out of nowhere the entity rose one leg into the air, knee bent, and arms spread outward as though welcoming an old friend.

If the Equalists were confused by this, they were soon enlightened as to what the strange stance meant as the entity suddenly swept low with arms outstretched, a green tongue of flame leaping across the floor and slapping back one of the Equalists binding Korra's arm.

As the entity flowed from one kata to the next, tongues of green flame batted Equalists aside or forced them on the retreat. When Korra was freed, dropping bonelessly to the floor, her eyes widened; she recognized that stance! She'd never had cause to perform the dance herself, but the form the figure took with each flowing, graceful shift was unmistakable.

The final kata, leaning to one side with both fists extended, a double-whammy of green fire sailed for Amon directly, finally forcing the man back and away from her, the entity now standing protectively above her as he rose to full height.

"This… This can't be happening…!" one of the Equalists said grabbing his head in panic, his compatriot frantically batting the persisting green flames off his leg where they struck.

"Compose yourselves," Amon ordered.

"What did he mean?" one of the more-timid Equalists asked, alternating from one foot to the other trying to stay as-much out of the mist as he could. "Who's the 'us' you 'don't speak for'?"

Before Amon could articulate, the figure held one hand over the other, clawed fingers pointing toward one another as a luminous orb of fire began to grow, writing like something newly born as inky shadows like tendrils danced around the entity and his protected charge.

The entity drawing his arms back before thrusting his palms forward, curled fingers shooting forward like the maw of an angry dragon, Amon made to dodge, but the attack went wide and over his shoulder, missing him completely.

A loud *POP* sounding, Amon and the other Equalists looked out to the entrance to see that the orb had burst in mid-air, staining the night sky an ominous green, countless lights coming on in the distance in response; some were from airships, others, from boats.

" . . . We need to leave," Amon said cooly.

"But the Avatar-"

"If we are captured here, our revolution ends before it began," Amon cut the man beside him off, raising his hands in signal before directing everyone out the expansive doorway. Mask meeting mask, Amon stood his ground against the unknown figure before he turned on his heels and left at the last.

In the wake of all this, the Avatar was left battered and beaten on the ground, forgotten.

Korra, looking up from where she lay on the ground as the Equalists vanished into the night, surrounded by scorch marks as silence enveloped her once again, regarded her savior with lidded eyes and only one question on her lips.

"Who… are you…?"

"REST…" the man in the dragon mask said in a soothing tone as his hand descended toward her. Not as a demon of the night like Amon, but like the beginning of a parent's caress. "YOU WILL NEED IT… FOR WHAT IS ABOUT… TO COME…"

"What… What is-"

As his fingertips closed her eyelids, a wave of exhaustion rolled over her, and the Avatar knew nothingness.

*AIR*

The next time Korra awoke, she shot up with a frantic gasp, hurriedly sitting up with wide eyes blinking away a dream as real as life as she-

"Korra!" Tenzin gasped a mere meter away, taking a hurried knee beside her.

"Tenzin? When did you get here?!"

"I flew in as soon as you sent out that flare," Tenzin said setting down his staff, though his tone was confused on the last word. "Are you alright? What happened? Was Amon here?" he asked getting to the direct point.

"Yeah, he… ambushed me," she groaned, looking around even though she knew the Equalists had long fled.

The mist and the noises all were gone, the only evidence of what had transpired being the marks on the ground which were practically invisible in the dark, and the one upturned wall of earth she'd managed to kick up.

"Did he… Did he take your Bending away?" Tenzin asked worriedly.

"He was going to, but…" she paused. "I wasn't the one who set off that flare. I think… I think a Spirit saved me…"

"A Spirit?" Tenzin gasped, eyebrows rising.

"Yeah…" she nodded. "He walked in on a cloud of mist, chi blocking didn't work on him, and he said, 'you do not speak for us' to Amon…" she recounted. "He looked like a man… but with a dragon's face."

"The Blue Spirit…?"

"No, not blue… Red," Korra corrected. "Before he sent out that flare, he danced like…" she paused. "He danced like a dragon," she said recalling the dance-like kata Zuko showed her shortly before she began her formal Firebending training.

Even though she couldn't recall anything of her former life as an Air Nomad, the friendship that Aang and Zuko had was strong-enough to even transcend lifetimes. It was why she could instantly trust him and confide in him; at least for the time they had together. She'd never actually seen him since, though she'd tried to exchange letters with him.

"And you said he appeared on a cloud of mist? You're certain?"

"Yeah, kinda hard to forget…" Korra said rubbing her head. "Katara showed me what it looked like. From her time as the Painted Lady."

"And then she met the true Painted Lady…" he hummed contemplatively.

"Yeah… but he came in from that direction," she said pointing deeper into the monument, where there was no water to be found.

"This is big news. Amon's followers all believe the Spirits gave him the power to take away peoples' Bending, but if it became known that Amon doesn't truly speak for them…"

"And what exactly would I say? That the 'Red Spirit' showed up, chased them off with green fire after Amon came at me with two-dozen followers?" she asked rhetorically. "They'd sooner assume Amon was a no-show and I was making the whole thing up than I were telling the truth," she said bitterly.

It only took that one instant back then to garner a permanent distrust of the media.

In hindsight, she'd risen to the bait too easily, and no doubt Zhu was disappointed in her.

"That might be the case, but…" Tenzin paused as Metalbending Police began to pour in, lanterns casting rays of light through the darkness in search of those that'd already left.

"Don't bother, the Equalists already ran off," Korra sighed as one of them came to her side with a helping hand.

"Chief! We found someone!" a voice called suddenly from a dark corner off the monument's interior.

Lantern light and attention directed that way, Korra saw two Metalbending Police huddled around a body laid out in a dark corner. Clad in simple but torn clothing, long hair spilled over a face covered in heavy purple bruises illuminated by yellow lantern light, their garb was matted with blood, and protruding from his stomach was the hilt of a strangely-familiar hunting knife.

"Hey kid, are you okay? How on earth did you get here?" one of the officers asked brushing some blood-spattered hair out of his face, effeminate features coming into view

"ZHU!"

That frantic, fear-stricken cry leaving her lips, in a rather undignified fashion the Avatar scrambled toward the dark corner on all fours. The exhaustion she'd once felt banished in its entirety, Korra nearly bowled the Metalbenders over as she kneeled at his side, heedless of the blood getting on her pants and soaking through to her knees.

"Zhu! Zhu, speak to me!" she cried pleadingly, reaching out but hesitant to touch him.

"K… Ko… Korr…?" he wheezed out, teeth stained with blood as a swollen eye cracked open, wincing shut under the lantern light

"Shhhh! Shshshshshshsh! It's okay, Zhu, it's okay…! You're going to be okay…!" Korra said shakily, her body racked with trembling sobs as she brushed blood-matted hair out of his face, her hands coming back sticky and tears stinging her eyes. "Don't you worry, you'll be good as new in no time," she said drawing from the water skin on her hip, the fluid glowing a luminous blue in the dark of the memorial as she ran it over his face, the horrible cuts and bruising beginning to disappear.

"That… that feels better…" he said weakly, a tired but graceful smile curling his lips.

"Zhu… What happened to you?" she gasped as she beheld the knife lodged in his abdomen which his hands were pressed around, holding it closed. The Avatar molded the globule of water around the knife and his hands both, but quickly realized her dilemma. "Can I get a Metalbender over here?! My hands aren't free and I don't want it getting pulled out wrong!"

"I'll help, I'm curious about what happened too," Lin said padding over to him, taking a knee at his side and holding a hand above the knife. "Here. You'll want to bite down on this," she said pulling a writing implement from her belt and placing it forcefully between his teeth. "Korra, I'm going to remove the knife on 'three'. One… Two… THREE!"

Flicking her hand upward, the knife leapt straight out of the wound, its owner hissing in pain and clamping down on the object between his teeth before a luminous light from the Healing Water nearly blinded him, the wound closed almost the instant the blade came free, barely any blood coming up into the Healing Water around Korra's hands.

"Zhu, can you tell us what happened?" Korra asked, letting out a sigh as she relaxed, just a little, before tending to his internal wounds.

"I… tried… to… tried to…" Zhu rasped as he spat out the implement, still weak.

"Do what? What did you try to do?" Korra asked worriedly.

"I tried to… stop Amon… before he… before he could…" Zhu breathed out, coughing a bit of blood onto the floor before he turned his head and focused his gaze on her. "They got the jump on me… Knocked me out," he continued, straining visibly even as Korra healed him.

"And I take it the knife is yours?" Lin asked levitating the bloodied blade, making sure not to touch it with her bare hands.

"Seemed as good… a tool… as… any…" he said trying for a wry smile before a ragged cough escaped his lips.

"Wait, do you mean you tried to…!?" Tenzin spoke up, horrified.

"It… had to be done…" Zhu gasped as another cough wracked him. "I couldn't… let… him…" he trailed off, head lolling to the side.

"Zhu…? ZHU!" Korra cried as his eyes drooped shut, Healing Water trembling in her hands as her focus wavered.

"Don't worry, he's still alive," Lin said palming the ground before rising to her feet. "It might not've been the smartest move, but at least someone here was thinking rationally. Even if just-barely," she said derisively, causing Korra to wince, "even if his intentions were a little extreme," Lin amended eyeing the knife. "I'll see if I can get any prints off of this, though I doubt it," she said walking off and dropping the knife into an evidence bag. "Avatar!"

Korra flinched at her tone.

"He'd better get back on his feet. It's your fault he's like this. I'm noticing a trend here."

Even if Korra had the energy to bite back, she couldn't.

"Zhu… I'm so sorry…" Korra sobbed as she kneeled over him, the globule of glowing water losing its cohesion altogether as her tears finally fell. "If I… If I hadn't done something so stupid you wouldn't have…!"

"It's okay, Korra," Tenzin said putting a hand on her back. "He's alive, and that's all that really matters."

"I was so terrified, I felt so helpless," Korra muttered as a shudder ran the course of her body.

In another life these words would've been accompanied by sobs.

Now? Now they just sounded drained.

"It's all right, the nightmare is over," Tenzin said gently.

"You… You were right, you know…?" Korra said as the Metalbenders began to file out, maintaining their perimeter once their sweep of the interior was run. "I've been scared this whole time. I've never fent like this before and… I don't know what to do…"

"Admitting your fears is the first and most difficult step in overcoming them," Tenzin said putting a hand on her shoulder. "The greatest Avatar were not those who feared nothing; they were those who were willing to face what they feared most."

"So I can still be afraid of Amon, just as long as I'm not afraid of facing him…" she returned bitterly.

"I couldn't have put it any better myself," Tenzin said with a proud smile. One he could only hold briefly as he and Korra turned back to the wounded Zhu, still laid in a puddle of dried blood, a pair of medics walking in with a stretcher in hand, while Oogi padded nervously at the precipice, massive chest rumbling in worry.

*AIR*

The following morning on Air Temple Island…

"Korra, are you still here?" Tenzin asked coming into Zhu's room, having not found her in her own quarters.

"Yeah… I'm here…" Korra returned weakly, still kneeling by Zhu's bedside. The slumbering teen was covered in medicated bandages and sleeping like the dead, the weak rise and fall of his chest all that was telling her he was alive. Korra for her part didn't look much better, heavy bags padding bloodshot eyes, her hair a frizzy mess, her pants still bloody and dried tear marks staining her face.

"How is he?" he asked worriedly.

"I healed the worst of it. The rest is on him," Korra hummed, eyes gliding across the sunburst scar from his last brush with death. "This is my fault you know. The Equalists wouldn't have gotten the jump on him if I hadn't been so stupid. He told me not to go alone, but I refused to listen… And because of that…" she sniffed. "He was so cold when I found him… He'd lost so much blood, he could've-"

"We don't know if the Equalists wanted him dead."

"But they left him there. As a message to me," she bit out. "He was right there, under my nose, and I couldn't do a thing for him until he'd already bled all over the place. I was so full of myself, thinking Amon was a no-show…!"

"What's important is you did reach him in time," Tenzin said reaching out for her, only to jerk her shoulder away. "Korra, he'll be fine," he assured her. "If you could get him back on his feet after a lightning bolt-"

"Just another time he put himself in harm's way because of me," Korra said bitterly.

"Okay, that was a bad example," Tenzin conceded. "But I mean what I said. You were trained by the greatest Healer of all time. Zhu will pull through this. I believe in you, Korra. You should too."

" . . . Just leave me alone," Korra said turning away from him, Tenzin looking on sadly before he bowed, backing out of the room. "I'm sorry, Zhu," the Avatar sniffed once he was gone, taking his hand in hers. "I'm so sorry," she said as tears dripped down her face anew.