Wow, guys. Thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm gobbling them up like dark chocolate. : ) Just want to clarify again, since it's been 18 chapters since my last disclaimer, I don't own any of these TLOK characters or the canon plot. I do own Sakura, however. : )

Anyway, hope you all enjoy my latest! By the way, I killed off both Amon and Korra.

April Fools. But seriously, please review : )

…. … …. …. … ….

Korra crept back into her room, shutting the door softly behind her. She turned to make her way for her bed, her whole body screaming out for sleep. Then she jerked back, a soft squeal jumping from her lips.

"Spirits, Asami! Do you know what time it is?"

Her friend smiling, getting up off her bed to come toward her, a mischievous light in her eye. "Do you, Korra? You were out there for quite a long time." Her sly grin grew wider. "Anything happen?"

Korra's face grew hot. "That's none of your business," she snapped.

Asami laughed, the sound soft and tinkling in the close walls of Korra's room. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to return till morning."

Korra's blush flared hotter than ever. "Nothing happened, Asami."

Her friend chuckled again, sinking back down the mattress and patting the bed beside her. "I'm just messing with you, Korra. No need to get all hot and bothered. Sit. Tell me about it."

Korra gave in a sat beside her, tucking her knees up against her chest.

"Well, we met. We talked."

There was no mistaking the smirk in Asami's voice. "And?"

Korra glared against her knees, but admitted. "And… well, we kissed a bit."

"That's all?"

Korra scowled at her friend. "Yes, that's all, Asami."

The other girl held up her hands in a peace gesture. "All right, all right. Just fishing. Then what?"

"Well, we came to an agreement. This girl, Sakura Natsuki… she's not who she seems. Noatak told me about her. She's a real danger to us, to this city."

"Noatak?"

Korra swallowed. "Oh, uh…" Well, she'd already spilled it. "That's his name. His real name."

"Ah." Asami cocked her head. "It's kind of cute."

Korra rolled her eyes. "You're not going to stop that, are you?"

"Nope."

Korra sighed. "Noatak grew up with Sakura. There was an… incident, in their childhood, that may have led Sakura to start harboring some nasty ambitions for revenge. He thinks she came here after him. And… Asami, she's the one I saw in my nightmares. She's going to come after me, too. I don't know when, or how. Or even why. All I know is she's bad news. And she's dangerous."

Asami's playful expression had gone, replaced with a deep, calculating frown. "So what are you going to do?"

"We're forming an alliance," Korra replied.

Asami's frown deepened. "That's not something to throw out lightly. You know you're going to have to let Tenzin in on this, and Lin, and the others."

"I know."

Asami's hand found her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Korra… are you sure this is right? Everything with him? Not so long ago, he was the one to plague your nightmares."

"I know." Korra blew out a stiff breath, fluttering her loose bangs. "I don't know what to do, Asami," she whispered. "I… I think I care about him already, a lot more than I should. I mean, he's not just my archenemy anymore. He's not some mask, some villain I have to defeat. He's a man. A man that can bleed if I strike him, someone who has real scars, real wounds that cut him deeper than I ever will. How can I keep my walls up when he's so… human?"

Asami sighed, pulling her own legs up to rest her chin on her knees. Her soft dark hair spilled down over her shoulder, falling like a curtain between them.

"I'm not sure I have any answers," Asami whispered. "I'm not wise like Tenzin or Katara. If only you could tell them…"

"No." Korra gave her head a violent shake. "I can't do that. Tenzin won't understand. I mean, Asami, me—the Avatar—falling for the bending world's greatest enemy… doesn't that sound crazy?"

"It would if I didn't know you like I do." Asami leaned into her, bumping her shoulder with easy affection. "It'll all work out all right, Korra. Stuff like this doesn't happen for no reason."

Korra rolled her eyes to the sky. "When did my life get so complicated?"

"When you were born with a good heart that doesn't just let people drown in an ice-cold river." Asami smiled. "You'd never have found out what a good kisser he was if you'd let that happen."

Korra groaned and punched her in the shoulder. "Shut up, 'Sami."

The two of them laughed for a moment, trying to ease the tension, but it inevitably settled back down again, filling the room like a malevolent presence. Asami finally broke the silence.

"So what are you going to tell them?"

Korra shook her head. "I suppose I'll just give them as much of the truth as I can. Amon and I met on Aang's Memorial to discuss our connection with Sakura. We both realized what a danger she is, so we've decided to team up to get her out of the city."

"Sounds good. Only we have a small problem."

"What's that?"

"Everyone else still sees Sakura as the beautiful, elegant philanthropist that saved Republic City's pro-bending arena. She doesn't exactly look like a monster."

Korra frowned at her. "So what are you saying."

"I'm saying… as much as you're going to hate it, you may just have to let her make the first move."

"What?" Korra exploded, far too loudly for the peaceful night. Asami winced, and they both glanced toward the door. After a tense moment, Korra continued in a harsh whisper, "You mean wait for her to make a move on Noatak? What if she hurts him? Or worse?"

Asami waited in silence for a moment, letting her friends emotions coil back down. When she spoke, her voice was soft. "What else can you do, Korra?"

Korra closed her eyes, resting her forehead on her knees. "I don't know," she whispered. "I just don't want to see him get hurt."

"I know." Asami reached forward and squeezed her hand. Korra clutched it like a lifeline. "And I'm amazed at myself for saying this, but I don't want to see either of you hurt. I may not know the man, but if what you say is true, I'll side with you."

"There's one more thing." Korra raised her eyes to meet her friend's. "Sakura is a bloodbender."

Asami's face paled in the light of the moon. "No," she whispered.

"She's Amon's half-sister."

Asami opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it again, at a loss for words. Korra continued, her voice shaking. "I don't know how powerful she is. But if she's anything like her brothers, she can bend without the light of the full moon." She swallowed. "In my dream, she was… controlling, somehow, an enormous army. They…" Her throat closed with the remembered dread of her nightmare, but she forced herself to continue. "They didn't even look alive."

Asami shuddered. Her hand, still wrapped over Korra's, squeezed hers hard. "Whoever she is," she whispered, her voice stronger. "There's nothing Team Avatar can't take care of. Come on. Let's get you to bed, and we'll talk to Tenzin about this in the morning, all right?"

Korra leaned forward and enveloped her friend in a tight hug. "Thank you, Asami," she whispered into the thick dark hair.

Asami squeezed her back. "You're welcome, Korra."

She drew back and stood, slipping her way out the door. As soon as the knob turned, Naga pushed past her into the room, throwing herself down over Korra's bed and licking her for all she was worth. Asami chuckled and closed the door, moving away down the hallway. Korra snuggled up against her polar bear dog, wrapping her arms around Naga's thick neck. Her big friend sniffed her up and down, growling low in her throat when she picked up Amon's scent.

"Shhh," Korra whispered, ruffling her ears. "It's all right, Naga. He's… a friend, now."

Naga licked her black-rimmed lips, baring her teeth in response. Then she burrowed her head down into Korra's pillow, closing her eyes and looping one massive paw over her master's shoulder blades. Korra let her own eyes fall close, cuddling up to that comforting, blazing warmth. She was a little surprised at her own words. A friend. Since when had she reached the point to call him that?

Things were moving a little too quickly for her comfort. But she wasn't sure if she wanted them to slow down. She lifted a hand, skating the pads of her fingers over her lips, where they still burned from his kiss. She didn't know what lay in store for them with this Sakura character. But she knew one thing.

She'd never take back her decision to save his life. As much as it killed her to admit, she needed him. And as far as she could tell, he needed her as well.

With a soft smile slipping over her lips, she let herself sink into that warm darkness.

…. …. ….. … …. … …

Sakura's blood red lips curl in a bloodcurdling sneer. She steps forward, her arms hanging casually at her sides, no sign at all of her use of that horrific bloodbending. All around her, the pale, lifeless forms creep forward, eyes rolled back in their hairless heads, arms reaching, straining for her…

Korra scrambles backward. Her back meets the cold cement wall, stopping her short. Her heart slams up into her throat, catching her breath cold in her lungs. Her fists tremble at her sides. Every nerve in her body screams at her to use firebending, to rock the earth beneath her assailant's feet, to bring the water raining down out of the sky—turn it into twisting ice spears, stabbing and crushing. But she cannot move. It's as if her whole body has frozen into the earth. And all she can do is wait.

Wait and stare into those cold, cruel violet eyes that inch steadily closer, crinkling at the corners as the young woman smiles. Korra closes her eyes. So this is how the Avatar ends.

"Aaaaaaahhh!"

Korra leaped out of bed, rolled across the floor, and curled into a helpless ball. Her shoulders shook with terrified sobs. Naga hopped down from the bed and came to lay by her side, whimpering. But Korra only squeezed her eyes shut, her breath ripping out of her in ragged pants.

"It can't end like that," she rasped into the darkness, curling her hands into fists. "It won't."