The first thing she became aware of was the sun slanting down over her face, warming the backs of her eyelids. With a soft groan, Korra opened her eyes. Something tickled her nose. Blinking in the bright sunlight, she sat up, startled to see that she was lying on lush, green grass. Wildflowers fluttered in the breeze, glinting their fiery colors in the sun's morning rays. A white and blue butterfly flickered past her nose. Korra frowned, sitting up straighter. Where was she?

A soft breeze caressed her face, but she didn't feel the cold. Looking down, she realized she was no longer wearing her usual Water Tribe clothes, but a simple cotton dress, white as snow, that reached down past her knees. A smooth tan belt encircled her waist, drawn tight over her hips. Korra's frown deepened. What a strange dream.

"Korra. It's been a long time."

Korra looked up at the voice, and her heart soared up to the blue sky above. "Aang?"

The air nomad sat in typical meditation stance, back straight and cross-legged on the grass before her. His smooth, tattooed head gleamed in the light of the sun, as did his teeth when he smiled. Korra noted the way his blue eyes crinkled at the corners when he did that.

"Yes, Korra. You've finally connected with your spiritual side."

Korra drew her knees up, copying his stance, despite the fact that she was in a dress. The fabric was long enough to cover her ankles and waist as she crossed her legs, so she didn't worry. Resting her elbows on her knees, she frowned at Aang.

"I have? How?"

"In your fear, you cried out to the one you knew to be true. It wasn't a simple exclamation or an oath you swore by the spirits. You truly believed I would be there, and answer when you called. That's called faith, Korra. And you need that if you're ever to make a connection with the Spirit World."

Korra swallowed, running her tongue along the backs of her teeth. "So… I'm in the Spirit World, then?"

Aang nodded. "This world parallels that of the physical realm. Where do you think we are, Korra?"

Korra hesitated. Her eyes swept the little meadow, taking in the dark line of trees a few hundred yards away, the soft blue hills rising on the horizon. Smoke spiraled into the sky from a distant down. Realization dawned on her.

"We're in Blue Fairy Meadow," she said, recognizing the place. A little burst of happiness lighted in her tummy. "I used to come here when I was a kid, to get away from the White Lotus."

"Yes. I thought this place might bring you the most peace. Sometimes a fond memory is the best way to bring oneself down from the heights of fear and doubt."

Korra suddenly remembered what had happened back in the real world. That cold fear sank back down around her. "Sakura," she whispered. "She got away."

"For now." Aang inclined his head. "Korra, do you know that I was once as terrified as you, before I faced the Fire Lord?"

Korra frowned. "Well… yeah, I suppose. Tenzin told me you had nightmares about him for weeks before Sozin's comet arrived."

Aang smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I did. My friends tried to cheer me up the best they could, but this fear was an uphill battle I had to face alone. The Fire Lord was truly my greatest fear. I thought him invincible. He ruled the world back in my time, aspiring to be the all-powerful Phoenix King."

"I remember the story. You whooped his butt and took his bending away for good."

"Yes. But before that, he haunted my thoughts, day and night. I was terrified of him. I knew I had to defeat him, but it seemed impossible, too daunting a task to even contemplate without breaking into a cold sweat. There even came a point when I wanted to run away, to forsake my duty as the Avatar simply to save my own skin."

Korra stared at him. "I know how you feel," she said in a small voice.

"Every great person has a villain in their life. Much of the time it seems as if that villain is a monster beyond defeat, beyond mortality. They haunt your dreams, steal your sleep away into their cold hands. I'm aware Amon's voice once haunted your soul in such a manner."

Korra shivered, remembering the way his dark voice had preyed on her dreams. "Yes," she whispered. "But… then I realized that he wasn't a monster. Once I started to see him as a man, as a human being, he didn't seem so frightening. He no longer kept me up at night."

Aang smiled. "Exactly. You see, Korra, even though villains can be twisted into monsters by our minds, they are still human. They still feel, they still bleed. They have weaknesses much like any of the rest of us. The key is to see them. If you put your trust in yourself when you come to face them, your skills may pale in comparison, and you can become overwhelmed by fear. But when you put your faith in something greater, your vision will begin to clear. You will come to see that Sakura is not an invincible foe, but a human girl who is breakable. A human girl with feelings. A human being who deserves compassion."

Korra gave a start at that. "Whoa," she interrupted. "Wait. You lost me. Me—show her—compassion? I think you may have that backwards. I'm supposed to destroy her, right? How could I show her compassion? She's a tyrant! You know what she's done. Are you telling me to spare her?"

Aang shook his head. "Not spare. Understand. Korra, in order to truly understand your enemy, you must step into their shoes. Enter their mind. See through their eyes."

And before Korra could say anything else, Aang was fading, the sunlight searing the air around his body, turning the whole picture in a glowing, burning scene. Korra raised her hands to shield her eyes, feeling the ground drop out from under her. Her stomach rose to her throat, and she screamed, flailing her arms out when she realized she was falling.

She only fell for a second, however. Within moments, the ground reappeared under her feet, soft and covered with snow. Her bare feet made no sound as they sunk into the white powder, and she was surprised to feel no cold against her skin.

Looking up, Korra realized she was in a foreign Water Tribe village. Built much the same as her Southern Water Tribe home, but slightly different. Northern?

Her question was answered when two children came tearing around the corner at breakneck speed, almost bowling her over. Korra leaped out of the way, but they didn't seem to notice her as they sprinted by, their laughter carrying on the cool winter air. The tallest boy glanced back over his shoulder, a white grin splitting his tanned face. The little black wolf tail on the back of his head bobbed as he skidded to a stop, the smaller boy behind him running smack into his back.

"Agh!" he yelled, falling smack on his butt in the snow. He glared up at the older boy. "Noatak! Why are you stopping? She's coming!"

Korra felt her heart skip a beat. She looked more closely at the taller boy, who stood leering down at the younger one on the ground. Her breath caught. He had those same golden eyes as his adult form, that same crooked smile, albeit softer and still trimmed with baby fat. There was no scar to mar his features here in this world. He reached down a hand to his brother, hauling him to his feet.

"Come on, Tarrlok," he laughed. "It's time to have a little fun."

The girl came skidding around the corner, slipping in the snow. Her two black pigtails bounced against her head, and her big violet eyes searched until they landed on the two waterbender boys.

"Gotcha!" she bellowed, thundering toward them. Her hands lifted high over her head, and suddenly the snow around her feet curled into a water whip, snaking around to catch the boy Tarrlok across the back of the knees. He yelled and toppled backward, at the same time Noatak lunged forward. He didn't even lift his arms as the snow around him condensed into a water shield, launching across the snow to slap the little girl square in the face.

"Oof!" she huffed, tripping over herself as she struggled to regain her balance. Noatak was on top of her before she could return a barrage of waterbending, tackling her to the ground and rolling her over in the snow. The two of them landed in a heap, with him pinning her arms to the ground. For a second, the two of them just stared at each other, and then both burst out laughing.

"Well, I think I gotcha," Noatak chortled, rolling off of her. He settled to the ground beside her, staring up at the cold blue sky, while Tarrlok stumbled toward them, sopping wet and scowling.

"If you two lovebirds are done," he grumbled. "I'm going to go get some lunch. I'll see you back at the igloo."

"Lovebirds?" Noatak exploded, jerking to his feet. An angry blush lit across his face. "Wha—what? She's five!"

"Same age difference as Mom and Dad," Tarrlok grumped, glaring down at his older brother.

"I wouldn't mind marrying Noatak," the violet-eyed girl giggled, a little pink flush warming her cheeks.

Noatak flushed even darker. "Uh-uh," he snapped. "I'm not ever marrying a girl who's younger than me. No way, never, not on Avatar Aang's bald head."

Korra swallowed back a laugh at that little outburst. She wondered how little Noatak would have reacted if he ever learned that twelve years from now he'd be ah, involved, with a girl over a decade younger than him.

Tarrlok gaped at his brother. "Noa, don't swear by the Avatar! Dad says he'll take your bending in your sleep."

Noatak laughed, the sound almost as dark as his future self's chuckle. "I'd like to see him try." He glanced up at Tarrlok, narrowing his eyes. "You know, that'd be a cool trick to learn."

"What?"

"Taking people's bending."

Tarrlok went rigid. "Noatak," he said after a stiff moment. "If you keep talking like that, Father's going to…"

"I don't care what Father's going to do," Noatak snapped. "It'd be a relief if he even showed up around here half the time. Now, I thought you said you were going to get lunch."

Tarrlok glared at him. "Whatever. Have fun with your soul mate, Noa."

He stalked away, just as Noatak jerked to his feet with a low growl, his fists at his sides. For a second, Korra was sure he was going to launch a cascade of ice chunks raining down over his brother's impudent head, but the little violet-eyed girl reached up and snagged his sleeve.

"Noa, it's not worth it. Just let him alone."

Still obviously fuming from the remark, Noatak sank back down to the snow, settling himself beside her.

"You're lucky your brother isn't such a little snot, Sakura," he sighed.

The little girl snorted. "Oh, he'd be ten times worse than Tarrlok if he had a chance. He just knows not to bother me like that, or I'll bloodbend him across the other side of the village."

Noatak stiffened. He rolled around to stare at her. "What—you're a bloodbender?"

Sakura shrugged. "It's nothing special. I can only bend animals and stuff now." She shot him a mischievous look. "But he doesn't know that."

"But," Noatak sputtered. "You can't bloodbend without the full moon, can you?"

Sakura cocked an eyebrow at him. "What if I can?"

Noatak reeled back from her, his golden eyes wide. "But… but only my Father's line has that kind of ability."

Sakura swallowed, gnawing her lower lip. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "Noatak… there's something you need to know about me."

Korra returned from the Spirit World in a daze. She felt her body slowly settling down to a soft mattress, her head sinking down into a satiny pillow. A low groan rumbled from her chest. Her eyelids fluttered.

A hand closed over hers, warm and large. "Korra?"

That voice. She struggled to open her eyes. His warm weight dipped the mattress at the edge of her bed. A gentle caress smoothed along the side of her cheek, one thumb brushing down over her lip.

"How are you feeling?"

Her vision swam for a moment, before she focused on him, leaning down over her. His face was drawn, a hint of shadow beneath his golden eyes, like he'd gone for too long without sleep. He breathed a sigh of relief when she looked up at him, a frown flickering along her brow.

"Um… I think I'm okay." Her lips felt thick, like she hadn't used her voice in a long time. "Wha… where am I?"

His hand stroked her damp hair back from her face, the soft caress unimaginably gentle. "Air Temple Island," he replied.

Korra frowned. "I thought you weren't allowed back here."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Apparently, my presence was the only one with the capability to rouse you." The smile was replaced with a worried frown. "You've been out cold for two days, Korra. We were beginning to worry you wouldn't…" He swallowed, his eyes flicking away.

"Who found me?" she rasped, shivering as she remembered the horrible events in that shadowed alleyway.

"I did. You were crumpled against that bloodstained wall… Your lips were gray, and you looked so… broken." His voice caught just slightly, and he closed his eyes, pressing his lips together. "I should have gotten to you sooner. I should have escorted you myself."

Korra lifted her hand, weakness coursing through her arm, but managed to raise her fingers to his face. She slid her palm against his cheek, trying to comfort him. He reached up and cupped his large hand over her smaller one, holding it there. He opened his eyes. They were wet.

"For a moment," he whispered. "In that cold alley… I thought… I thought I'd lost you."

Korra's heart twisted for him. She could have only imagined what it must have looked like. Finding her beside the crumpled body of the Air Acolyte on the bloodstained ground, curled up and shivering, her face unnaturally still and pale. Amon tightened his fingers around hers, closing his eyes once more. He took a slow, shuddering breath.

"Hey," Korra whispered, tipping his head down to her level. She smoothed her palm across his cheek, drawing him down until his forehead was nearly touching hers. "Hey, look at me."

His eyes slid open, golden bands of fire that shone with anguish. Korra felt the breath leave her at the deep, intense heat burning behind those gleaming gold orbs.

"Now you listen here," she whispered. "I'm the Avatar. I've got a destiny. There's no bloodbender that can take that away from me, no matter how fearsome she is." She took a deep breath, remembering what Aang had said. "She's not invincible. As much as she frightens me, I know I can beat her." she swallowed. "I know now what I'm supposed to do. I've been putting too much trust in myself, and not having enough faith. You see… I'm not afraid anymore. I know I can do this."

He sighed, his breath fluttering warm over her face. She inhaled his musk, and her head went light. He leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear.

"I suppose I can live with that," he murmured. "For now. But I'm not letting you out of my sight again. Not with her on the loose."

"I'm not sure if you'll have much choice," Korra replied, shivering when his lips trailed along her jaw. "I've got to face her. I can't let her run loose in the city like this. She needs to be stopped."

"And I would never forgive myself if she hurt you," he whispered. He drew back, just a few inches away from her now, and looked down into her eyes. "How can you be sure you'll succeed?"

Korra looked up at him, brushing her fingers along his scarred cheekbone. "I have faith," she whispered.

He leaned down and took her lips, kissing her with gentle tenderness. Korra felt her head start to swim again. Then he pulled back, moving to slide down off the bed. She reached out, catching his sleeve in a weak grip.

"Wait," she rasped, not bearing to see him go. "Stay. Please?"

He glanced back at her, his golden eyes warm. "I suppose my company wouldn't exactly be welcome out in the courtyard with the others." Moving back onto the mattress, he crawled over her and slid beside her on top of the sheets. He curled his body around hers, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her against him. Korra snuggled back against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. That exhaustion took her over again, warm darkness filling her brain. She fell asleep to the soft feeling of him tracing patterns along the skin of her bicep, smiling quietly to herself when she realized there was no place she'd rather be than in his arms.