A/N: Hey, just a heads up, there are mild mild spoilers from the comics Turf Wars. If you have a problem with that, just skip the third paragraph :).


"He was banished from the South Pole six years ago" Tonraq said, crestfallen "But we knew he was a fanatic way before that, even when the portal was blocked, he would try and commune with the wild spirits around it, his obsession only worsened once the portal was reopened".

"By me" Korra said softly, looking at her feet. Asami placed a hand on her back, reassuringly.

"Yes, but that wasn't all" Tonraq followed "It was Tokuga who gave him the idea to fuse with the spirits" It was long ago, but neither Asami nor Korra had trouble remembering Tokuga. He was the then leader of the triple threat triad that in a scuffle around Republic City Spirit portal was attacked and maimed by a spirit. It would take a madman to try and replicate such thing.

"It almost killed Tokuga" Asami pointed out.

"If it wasn't for his twin sister he would have been too. She brought him to the healers in appalling conditions, the entire left side of his chest raw, covered in what seem to be black tar." Tonraq winced at the memory "It was her, Nuniq, who told us everything, she was with him when it happened. She swore his brother had powers over the spirits, and had tricked them into fusing with him, he wanted to commune with them. That was the word she used" the chieftain clicked her tongue, regretful "We didn't believe her, we thought she had spent enough time with her brother for the insanity to have rubbed off on her. But we couldn't ignore that Nilak was meddling too much with the spirits to be allowed near the portal ever again. That's why he was banished."

"Can we talk to Nuniq? She may know what her brother is after" Asami asked.

"I'm afraid not. When Nilak was banished, Nuniq went away with him. It was a pity, she was a great bender, and an even better healer. But they were one of those kinds of twins, they could hardly be found one without the other" Tonraq lamented "We lost their trail at Whaletail Island about six months after they left the South Pole"

"And six years after that, he appears in Republic City with a bunch of kids and raids the Spirit Portal" Korra laughed at the absurdity of the whole thing. "Time clearly didn't do this guy any favours, he's still insane"

"Do you think he is really related to Akemi?" Asami said, turning around to face Korra.

"I don't know, maybe 'cub' was some sort of euphemism" Korra responded, her dad looking confused.

"What does the girl have to do with Nilak?"

"He said something to Korra at the por-" Asami was interrupted by a voice coming from the interrogation room.

"Please back off, I'm about to firebend!" Akemi said from within, the women looking at each other alarmed. Korra didn't wait for the door to open, she metalbent it out of the way, Lin and Akemi at the other side, in opposite ends of the room.

Korra had entered ready to deflect a whole other kind of situation, expecting Akemi to be crying about some memory they didn't know how to make better, dealing with another of those horrible fits that would let her drained and lightless. But let it to Lin to unlock a whole new facet of the kid.

Cause Akemi wasn't crying, neither was she slumped powerless in a corner, far from it. She was standing straight, her head barely poking above the metal table in from of her, fists clenched tightly on her sides, her scars glowing a faint blue where the gloves didn't cover them. She was, well, angry.

"What happened?" Asami asked, and Korra let go of the door that landed loudly on the ground like a crumpled can of noodles. Lin opened her mouth, but Akemi answered instead.

"She said Hakue isn't real!" Asami closed her eyes in realization: she hadn't given Lin a heads up about Hakue. Akemi run up to her, and hid behind Asami's leg, still staring daggers at Lin.

"I don't even know what she is talking about!" the chief said disgruntled.

"Okay, let's all simmer down" Asami might have disagreed with that worried look of hers, but Korra found the whole thing rather amusing. Still, she got a hold of herself and gave Akemi a stern look. "Akemi, you can't yell at Lin, it's disrespectful" Asami looked down at the girl and nudge her gently on her back.

"I'm sorry" Akemi said, the blue tint of her scars coming down.

"And Lin" The Avatar redirected her scolding glare towards the chief "Hakue exists, okay?" Lin tried to complain, but was met with a warning look from Korra.

"All settled?" Akemi nodded and Lin scoffed "Alright, then, Asami how about you take Akemi to get that ice cream?" Asami tried taking the girl out of the room, but Akemi remained firm on her spot, looking at Korra "Don't worry, I'll catch up to you, this will only take a second" and with that said, the promise for ice cream too hard to resist, Akemi gave up and followed Asami.

"That kid is a handful" Lin huffed once they were left alone.

"You could have been a little more delicate"

"How was I supposed to know it was a touchy subject?" she said, outraged "And look what you did to my door!" She pointed to the sad clump of metal.

"Sorry" Korra shrugged.

"Is everything okay?" Tonraq stepped into the doorless room.

"Yes, everything is okay, but I think I should go with them" Korra attempted to go after Asami but was stopped by Lin, a hand to her shoulder.

"Wait, this wasn't all for nothing" Korra turned back around "She actually said something"

"She did?" Korra tilted her head.

"I think I can locate the sandbender tribe the kid is talking about"

"You can?" Korra was surprised and a little hurt that Lin managed to get something they couldn't out of Akemi. "Wait, are you saying she is telling the truth about living in the desert?"

"If she isn't, she's got a very accurate imagination" Lin responded "She said something about men riding gigantic bugs with funny hats"

"Beetle headed merchants" Tonraq said. "You may have a better chance at talking to them than to any sandbender tribe, most aren't very friendly with strangers"

"Exactly what I thought" Lin nodded "Also, and this maybe a long shot, but I made a little digging and found out about an accident on the Si Wong Desert a few months back. Two men were captured in Fort Bosco, but were ultimately released for lack of proof" So Lin hadn't completely dismissed Korra when she told her about the desert.

"Did any of the witnesses said something about a big guy with black markings?" the Avatar asked, eager for more information, but Lin shook her head.

"There were no witnesses, besides the two men, no one survived" Korra's heart hitched inside her chest. Was Akemi's family among the dead? "The wreckage left behind was big enough that a sand shark could have done it, so we had to let the men go"

"But you have to still have them in file" Tonraq added "You can track 'em and question them again"

"I don't believe they had anything to do with it" Lin clicked her tongue "They seemed a little out of whack if you ask me"

"Let me guess, they said something about a big evil spirit" Lin nodded. "Dad, did you tell Lin about Nilak?"

"Yes, he did, it sounds like our guy" Lin responded "It seems to add up"

"Are you ready to take him seriously now?" Korra had a bad feeling brewing in her gut.

"I never underestimated him. But yes, we may have sufficient reason for the authorities to give him priority now" she admitted. "I think I can sway them into letting me send some of my men to the desert, ask around"

"And I should go back to the south" Tonraq added.

"So soon?" Korra asked, a little disappointed.

"With this guy on the loose, I don't like the idea of leaving the portal unattended for too long, we don't know how many followers he has or where they are"

"I guess you are right" she mumbled "You should tell Esna and Desna to amp up their security around the Northern Spirit portal as well"

"I'll see what I can do about that"

"It'd be best if you stay in Republic City, Korra, chances are he will attack again once he regroups" Lin pointed out.

"I can't say I'm too disappointed about skipping that diplomatic visit to the Earth Kingdom" Korra hugged his father goodbye "We'll go visit you and mom once this is over"

"Take care of that little girl of yours" Tonraq said to his daughter.

"She is not ours" Korra begun, leaning away from the embrace.

"I know, I know. But come visit when she is, okay? Your mother will be thrilled"


A/N: Kind of an expositional chapter, be back with domestic life next week. Don't die of boredom just yet.
Thank you all for reading and reviewing :D