Korra raised her arms and swung them downward in a single motion. The ice wall in front of her lowered into the ground to reveal a long passage beyond that descended deeper below. There were no lights within the passage, only sheer choking darkness, so she and Azula took point with bright flames burning in their palms to guide the way. The others followed closely behind, keeping watch over their shoulders in case anyone tried to ambush them. They had been fortunate enough so far not to run into any enemies on the way here through the palace, but one could never be too careful. Once they were all in the passage, Anraq turned around and raised the ice wall back into place, sealing the entrance.
The path led deep underground below the palace, where it emptied out into a long chamber made of metal. No ice or water here, only sheer iron walls. A dozen cells lined either side of the chamber, each of the bar-fitted doors wide open. Korra waved everyone to follow inside, and quickly shot off several bursts of fire to light the torches along the walls. Even as old as they were, the torches still burned bright.
"Are you sure we're safe here?" Lin asked.
"We should be, for a while at least," Korra said. "This place used to be a jail, but they closed it off decades ago. Only a few people still know it's even here."
Lin hummed a skeptical breath, as she made her way towards one of the cells. She carried the still unconscious Suyin atop her shoulders. "Alright, let's rest up while we can. As soon as Su wakes up, we can start asking questions."
The group separated into separate cells. Desna and Hari went together, with Eska floating on another hovering pillow of sand. Kya went with them, to continue healing Eska's injuries. Although in stable condition, the wounded chieftain required additional healing in order to fully recover. Asami and Sinn led Mako and Bolin into another cell. While neither brother had been in as dire condition as Eska, they both needed rest, not yet able to walk fully under their own power. Anraq, Azula, and Kanna went together into one of the rear cells, while Korra and Kuvira made their way into the opposite one.
Kuvira lowered herself to the ground and flopped back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. Korra watched her a moment before sitting next to her, and holding a comforting arm warmly around her shoulders.
"Are you alright?" Korra asked. "I mean, with Su coming back like this, what she did to you... That couldn't have been easy."
"No, it was nothing," Kuvira said, with a shake of her head. "I'll... I'll be fine."
"Okay..." Korra gave her wife a skeptical frown, but didn't push the matter. "If you need anything, though, I'm here."
Silence descended between them, broken only by the sound of flickering flames from the torches outside the door. They both leaned against each other, taking in the moment of quiet to appreciate the other's company. Kuvira kept her focus on the ceiling. Even as she found the drive to say something, her attention never wavered. If anything, it only intensified, as if trying to burn a hole through the metal with her eyes.
"Korra, do you think I should still be in jail?"
Korra snapped a confused stare at her wife. "What? No, of course not. Why would you ask that?"
"It's just..." Kuvira hissed out a long sigh, slowly bowing her head. "After everything I did, I was only in prison for five and a half years. That's a fraction of the time I was supposed to spend."
"Because of everything you did after," Korra said, holding a tender hand to her wife's shoulder. "Kuvira, you did so much to help people. To help me, to help the world. You earned your freedom."
"You don't think I got off too easy?" Kuvira forced herself to look up at Korra, to meet her gaze. Her eyes wavered and quivered with rising uncertainty. "Sure, I helped people, but it doesn't erase the ones I hurt. Maybe I shouldn't have been given a second chance. Maybe I didn't really deserve one."
"You got a second chance because you proved you deserved one," Korra insisted, with a stern gaze. "Don't think for a second that all the good you've done doesn't matter, because it does. That's the real you. All the bad you did, all the misguided decisions? That wasn't the real you. Those were mistakes, mistakes that you've already paid for. You don't need to keep suffering for them. We've moved past it."
"But—"
"No buts." Korra cut her off with a quick snap in her tone. "Kuvira, if I didn't think you'd changed, if I didn't think you had earned a second chance, if I didn't think you had become a better person, then I wouldn't be with you. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you, I wouldn't have put this necklace on, I wouldn't have walked down that aisle, and I wouldn't have said 'I do.' But I did, and I meant it." Her gaze softened, and she curled an affectionate smile across her face. "I love you, and I always will."
Kuvira stared at her a long moment, as of unable or unwilling to believe what Korra was telling her. Spirits, how had she ever been so lucky to be loved by this amazing woman? Despite the chill in the air, a gentle warmth fueled through her, lifting her heart with glowing comfort. Smiling, she leaned close and set her head against Korra's shoulder to rest. "I love you too, Korra."
"Daddy, I'm tired," Kanna said, with a weak pout and droopy eyes.
"I know, Sweet Pea." Anraq held her tight in his arms and leaned her down so she could lie against him. "Just lie here, try to get some rest."
"But I'm cooold." She shivered as if to punctuate her point. No sooner than she said it, Azula held out a hand and ignited a large, hot flame for warmth in the center of her palm. Kanna eased a gentle sigh of content, and closed her eyes to get some rest. "Thank you, Mommy."
Azula gave an absent nod, staring into the flickering blue fire. "You're welcome, sweetie."
Kanna soon drifted off into a deep sleep, snuggled against her father. Anraq gently brushed her hair with his fingers, and shifted his attention towards Azula. She stared unblinking at the fire, as if trapped in some kind of daze, lost in distant thoughts.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Hmm?" Azula glanced up from her fire and blinked at him. "Yes... yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've just seemed, I don't know, not all here. Like you're distracted. Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"No, I don't need to talk," she insisted, looking again to the flames. "I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
He frowned, but didn't press the issue. If she wanted to talk, she would talk. "Alright, if you say so."
Silence blanketed the cell. It was a gentle sort of quiet, both calming and relaxing as it draped over them with its embrace. Azula maintained intense focus on her deep blue flame, entranced by it. The longer she stared at it, the cooler the flame became, until finally it dimmed and extinguished in her now empty grasp.
"Annie, do I..." Azula paused momentarily, lifting a slow, cautious look towards him. "Do I make you happy?"
"What?" Anraq met her gaze in earnest. "Yes, of course you do. Happier than I've been since... well, since as long as I can remember. Why would you ask that?"
She paused, shrinking inward with her arms wrapped around herself. "You know I'm not well, right? I mean, not completely. I know I've been good for a while. I've been healthy, but I could break down again. I could have another episode." A shudder rippled through her. She raised her hands and grabbed tight at the sides of her head, eyes squinting shut. "Sometimes I'm not sure if my mind is quite right."
Anraq reached out to comfort her. When his fingers met her shoulder, a fiercer shiver pulsed through her. He pulled his hand away. She had more to say, words fluttering on the edge of her lips, so for now he didn't say anything. He simply sat back, watched her, and let her speak.
"I still have nightmares on occasion. I can never remember what they're about, but I always wake up afraid, paranoid, and... and confused, like I know I don't belong there. Sometimes I can get back to sleep, but usually I just lie there crying." As soon as she said it, she smacked a hand against her forehead and shuddered out a scolding scoff at herself. "Crying because I don't know what's wrong with me or if I'll ever get better, or if I even deserve any of this, and I... I'm afraid, Annie. I'm afraid I'll just get worse."
"Azula, hey, come here." Anraq reached out to her again, this time pulling her close with his arms wrapped around her. She sank into the embrace, resting her head against his chest. "Why haven't you told me this before?"
"Because I was embarrassed," she muttered, with a crack in her voice. "Ashamed. I hate being weak, you know that, and I just thought... I thought admitting it would make me weak. That you'd pity me, or be disgusted by me."
"Azula, look at me." Anraq pressed a finger against the bottom of Azula's chin, and gently lifted her gaze so he could look her in the eyes. "I could never think that about you. Admitting your fears, your struggles... That isn't weakness. That takes a strength I wish I had. Whatever you're going through, no matter how hard it is, I will be there to help you. Always. I love you for everything you are, and that won't ever change."
"What if I get really bad?" Her eyes shifted with a spark of genuine fear. "You wouldn't just leave me in an institution somewhere and forget about me? I can't go through that again."
"Never," he said, staring deep into her eyes. He could see the brimming of tears beginning to form, so he raised a hand to cup her cheek and reaffirmed his sincerity. "I will never leave you, Azula. Not for anything."
"But what if I hurt you? Or Kanna? What if I can't control myself? What if I—"
"That won't happen," he assured. "I know you, Azula. I know how much you care. You've been nothing but a wonderful mother to Kanna. You could never hurt her."
"How can you be so sure?" The distress in her voice shook Anraq for a moment. She stared at him, eyes wild, distraught. "Annie, I don't want to lose you, or Kanna. Please, I... I can't lose you. I can't."
"You won't. Not ever." He pulled her in again and held her tight, one arm around her shoulders and one hand gently against the back of her head. She sank against him, face buried against his chest. Within moments, she broke into gentle, steady sobbing. "I love you with all my heart, Azula. I always will."
Suyin grumbled as conscious slowly returned to her. She blinked her eyes open and sat upright, but when she tried to stand she found her ankles and wrists bound in ice. With a frustrated groan, she tugged at the frozen shackles in desperate attempt to loosen them. They didn't budge. As she continued her struggle, a figure stepped forward and loomed over her.
"Don't bother trying to free yourself," Lin said, glaring down at her. "Unless you've suddenly become a waterbender, those aren't coming off."
Su huffed, returning the glare. "Lin, really, is that any way to treat your sister?"
"If you are my sister. Judging from what I've seen so far, I'm not entirely sure about that."
"Oh, it is me, I can promise you that," she assured. "The only difference is that now I'm not playing nice anymore. I'm not submitting myself to make other people happy. That's what got me killed the first time around. This time, I'm going to look out for myself and only myself. The rest of you can rot for all I care."
Lin deepened her frown and lowered herself to one knee, so she was eye-level with her sister. "I don't believe that for a second. If you really wanted me to believe you're Su, you'd act like her. The sister I knew wouldn't say those things. She cared about others. She wasn't cruel or heartless, and as far as I'm concerned, you're spitting on her memory with this damn facade!"
"It is her." The voice came from the cell doorway behind them. "Sort of."
"Korra?" Lin looked over her shoulder to see the Avatar standing there, watching them. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, that really is Suyin," Korra said. "Or at least it's her spirit, in a new body made to look like her as she was in her prime. That's what Raava says, anyway."
Su grinned. "You see? I told you."
"What?" Lin swallowed, lowering her head in thought. That wasn't right. Couldn't be right. Her heart sank, knotting with cold coils of dread. She should be thrilled to have her sister returned from the dead. To see her again. Should be, but not like this. This wasn't the Suyin she remembered. This was something else. "If it is her, why is she acting like this?"
"I can't say for sure." Korra entered into the cell and stared closely at Suyin, studying her. "Feels like there's a strong spiritual energy inside her, one that isn't her own. It's like it's corrupting her somehow, bringing out her worst qualities and amplifying them."
Lin's eyes flickered with understanding. "So then whatever brought her spirit back, whatever revived her, it's forcing her to do its bidding."
Korra nodded. "That would be my best guess."
"Can she be fixed?" Lin's voice shifted in earnest, carrying desperate hope in her tone. "If it's true she's being made to act this way, then surely curing her... Su really would be back, right? The real Su."
"I don't need fixing," Suyin muttered. "I'm perfectly fine as is."
Korra offered an unknowing shrug. "Honestly, I have no idea. This isn't something I've seen before. It's not even something Raava has seen before. To do something like this, bringing people back from the dead? That requires an exceptionally powerful, ancient spirit. This could be the biggest thing we've faced since Vaatu."
Lin frowned. "That's saying something, considering Vaatu literally almost destroyed the world as we know it."
"For now, we should try to get answers from her," Korra said, as she lowered herself down to one knee at eye level with Suyin. "Who is the spirit that brought you back? What are we up against?"
Su scoffed. "As if I'd tell you anything."
"Su, please." Lin's gaze softened at her sister. Really, truly her sister. If only she could get through to her somehow. "You don't have to let this spirit control you. You're stronger than that. You were always strong. You can beat this."
"Do you really expect that to work?" Suyin tilted her head back and laughed. "You really were stupid when we were kids. I see that hasn't changed much. If you think you're getting through to me with a few tender words, you're delusional."
Korra narrowed her eyes in thought. After a moment's pause, she stood up and made her way towards the rear wall of the cell. "Let me try something."
With a quick motion of her arms, she peeled away the metal of the cell to expose the ice beneath, and bent out a flow of water from the ice. She split the water into two separate streams, guiding them through the air to coil upwards around Suyin. Another whirl of her arms, and the streams began to rotate in a circular pattern.
Suyin stiffened, watching the coiling streams of water around her. "What are you doing?"
As the water began to glow bright yellow, Korra offered a stern glare. "I figure since your body was artificially created and your spirit was forcibly called back, you might be susceptible to spiritbending." Shortly after Korra started, Su let out a pained shout, as her eyes glowed the same yellow as the water. "Looks like I was right. Do you know what this does? It forces you back to the Spirit World. You'll lose your new body, and your new life. Unless you answer our questions."
Su's eyes glowed brighter, and she screamed louder. "No... stop, you can't... you can't do this! Lin, are you going to let her do this? To your own sister?"
Lin said nothing. She watched, and waited. And hoped Korra knew what she was doing.
"Stop! Please!" As the light in Su's eyes began to dissolve into tiny sparkling flecks, she shrieked out in defeat. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you what you want!"
Korra immediately ceased the motion of her arms and allowed the water to fall back to the ground. The light in Su's eyes vanished seconds later. "Who is the spirit that brought you back?"
Su slumped forward with her head bowed, heaving in deep breaths. "I don't know. None of us do. He didn't give us his name or anything. All I know is that one moment I'm dead, nothing but a spirit floating in the void, and the next I'm being ripped back into the physical world and shoved into a new body." She swallowed, slowly calming her breaths as she looked back up at the Avatar. "Then I get told to pay Kuvira a visit and break her down however I can. We all got similar orders. Whoever this spirit is, he enjoys the despair and distress that kind of drama causes. It's fun to him."
"That can't be the only reason he's doing this," Lin said, scrunching her eyebrows.
"It's not. He also needs to steal as many of your essences—your spirits—as possible, the stronger the better. They give him strength, which he's in short supply of since coming to the physical world. No one in this palace is safe, or the world for that matter."
Lin's eyes flared, and she snapped a gaze towards Korra. "What would having your spirit ripped out of your body do to a person exactly?"
"Nothing good." Korra's face creased with rising panic. Seconds later, she was on her way out the door. "This is bad. Really bad. We need to find this spirit and stop him right now. Gather anyone who can still fight and follow me!"
