Korra hadn't expected the conversation with Zuko to go so smoothly. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She first had go through the arduous task of informing him about Azula's rejuvenation. For a brief moment, she experienced the full force of the Fire Lord's explosive and unrestrained anger.
"That devil! I should ended her myself all those years ago! When I get my hands on her I'll-" the list of expletives went on and on.
The medics were quickly tending to Korra's burns and bruises as best they could, all the while a very worried Naga contributed to the process by licking her face incessantly. She would have pushed her away, but right now Korra felt like she needed a little affection.
After nearly kicking a hole in the airship, the Fire Lord eventually calmed himself, at which Korra took the plunge and carefully laid out the situation. While she had expected some sort of backlash, she was met by unnerving silence as Zuko listened.
"My uncle said that?" he asked slowly.
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not" she repeated.
An unusual smile crossed his face, the grizzled monarch suddenly looking around fifty years younger.
"Even when he's departed the land of the living, he's still giving me lectures" he chuckled, all the while fighting a lump in his throat. As he looked upon the Avatar, his eyes returned to their steely luster. "Go, find these fragments as quickly as you can, then join me in hunting down Azula."
Korra's bandaged fist tightened.
"I will. I promise."
Republic City was practically beaming today, especially when it came to the local parks. It would have been the perfect setting for a romantic walk or just soaking in the sun. Korra let her eyes linger on the greenery as long as she could, thinking at how wonderful it would be to go snatch up Asami and spend the better half of the day here. Of course, indulging in such pleasantries would act only as a fatal distraction.
"Let's go girl," Korra said as she squeezed her legs around Naga's side, prompting the polar bear dog to leap across the pathways towards the centre of the city, only just managing to avoid pedestrians, who by this point had gotten pretty used to seeing the giant white fur-ball rampage through town.
It had taken a whole day for the zeppelin to take her back from the Southern Water Tribe, and most of that time she had spent sleeping and meditating in the hope of a quick recovery. There had been no time for her to contact the likes of Lin, Tenzin, Mako or even Asami, something she was once again regretting.
"I'm such a screw up," she thought to herself.
"You really are too hard on yourself."
"GAH!" she yelled out, her sharp reaction causing Naga to come to a grinding halt and nearly throw her off in the process. "W-What?" she thought aloud, still in shock.
"Is my voice really that scary? You wound me Korra," a soft laugh echoed her ears again, one of deep familiarity.
"Iroh?"
"Bingo."
"You scared me half to death! I thought you were going to give me some warning before you did this whole mind-talk thing!"
"I prefer the term mental network."
"Still doesn't make it any less weird!"
"I thought speaking to Aang and the other Avatars would have made it this easier for you?"
"Maybe, but...I don't know, this feels different. Wrong even."
"How so?"
"Aaag, Wan, the others, they're all part of me. There's this peace when I speak...spoke to them," she sighed, the bitter conclusion to Harmonic Convergence making her shudder as she recalled how Vaatu's attack had cost her the previous connection with the others. She could still recall the last smile Wan gave her before he faded from the Avatar Cycle altogether. "But this, it's like I've got a stranger speaking through me, there's no control. It's little scary to be honest."
"It certainly is an unorthodox, and I'm afraid it will only grow more cumbersome as time goes on," he explained.
"Terrific."
After a few pats on the head, Naga was once again on the move, leaping across street corners, attempting to cause as little damage as possible in the process. It didn't take them long to arrive at the café, which was surprisingly busier than usual. Busy with police that is. Slipping off her fluffy companion, Korra made her way to the centre of commotion. As expected of the RCPD, they had cleared up quick. The detectives and officers were questioning civilians while also crossing off most of the area surrounding the building. The owner of the establishment looked particularly upset about the whole thing.
"You can't just shut down Cabbage Coffee!" he yelled out.
"Sir, the faster you cooperate with us, the faster we'll be out of your hair."
"Is that supposed to be a joke! Can't you see I'm going bald?!"
"A poor choice of words sir, I apologize."
Korra had to stifle back a laugh as she watched Lin Beifong do everything in her power to not ensnare the café owner in chains. She had really mellowed in recent years. At least as much as could be expected for Republic City's number one super-cop.
"I see she inherited much from Toph. Maybe not the sense of humour."
"Okay, you need to give me some warning before you do that!"
"I'm afraid we don't have the time for such luxuries."
"How are you doing this anyway?"
"With a great deal of effort, I can assure you. As a spirit, you and I have a connection that can be tapped into. Also, thanks to the effects of the world bleeding, I have already made contact with one of our new allies. Together, we have established this web of the minds that will allow instant communication," he explained.
"New ally? Who-"
"Avatar?"
Korra was pulled from her inner conversation by a new voice. Lin stood before her, arms crossed and eyes raised in curiosity.
"O-Oh! Hey Lin!" she said, blushing in embarrassed. She must have been a puzzling sight, just staring into space like that while talking to herself.
"Thought you were bound for the Fire Nation, you know, to sort out that little...problem," she said, very aware of the many ears listening in.
"Y-Yeah, the situation has kind of changed," Korra answered, not sure how to put into context all the craziness that had occurred over the last few days.
"I wasn't informed. What kind of change are we talking here?" Lin questioned, eyes acute.
The image of Azula's sinister grin entered her mind again, causing Korra to unintentionally scowl. Part of her wanted to grab the nearest flight back to the Southern Water Tribe to go and hunt for clues on the madwoman's whereabouts, but deep down she knew how foolish and irresponsible that would be.
"It's gotten a million times more complicated. Like, Earth Empire levels," she admitted.
"Nothing new there, seems like each week we get hit by some new disaster. I think I'm a little desensitised by this point," Lin sighed. "I need to finish things up here, but afterwards I'll do what I can to help you out."
Korra's practically beamed.
"Thank you, you have no idea what that means!"
"Just doing my job kid, what do you need?"
"Best bet would be to rendezvous with Lord Zuko, he's hunting down our missing person."
"I'll grab some of my best guys and head on out, this shouldn't take too long anyway. Just as soon as that guy stops going on about his stupid cabbage coffee."
"What happened here anyway?" Korra asked.
"According to eye witnesses, some crazy, homeless ruffian randomly appeared and started causing a ruckus. He wasn't a bender but it still took three guys to pin him down, we're holding him back at the station at the moment," she explained.
"Ah...right."
"That have anything to do with why you're here?"
"Might do. I need to look around for something." Korra added, a little sheepishly, after all she hated getting on the wrong side of Lin during one of her cases.
"I'll get you access, come on."
"You're the best Lin!"
"I know."
Her search around the café had so far garnered zero results. She had looked through ever cupboard, under every appliance, she had even questioned the detectives and owner if they had seen a peculiarly suddenly appear. Something other than the stranger now in custody, that is. All she had left was to look over the rooftop, but there was nothing to be found.
"How can it not be here?!"
"Time is a fickle thing, Korra."
"You said that already."
"What you saw in the Spirit World could reflect the past or future," Iroh elaborated.
"So I'm stuck waiting for this shard to appear?" she groaned.
"Time is no longer our friend, so I would strong advise against that."
"Well, I am open to any suggestions."
"You are the Avatar, are you not? Your connection to the Spirit World is stronger than any other, and the shards, while in a state of flux, are still very much a product of the spiritual. You need only focus."
Korra took a deep breath, trying to collect herself, looking out over the view of Republic City. The beautiful daylight spotted with an uneasy collection of clouds in the distance. Taking a moment to calm herself, she brought her fists together as she had done countless times before, eyes closed, letting stillness take her.
"That's it Korra. Hear the echoes of the tree, feel the spiritual pull. It will guide you to what you seek," Iroh said calmly, his words reverberating through her ears, further relaxing her mind.
The dampened light of the sun, the bustle of the street below, all of it began to fade as Korra concentrated on her goal. There was only darkness, at least for a moment. As she drifted deeper into the silence, she felt it. The ripple.
"What is that?"
Another ripple followed, then another, and another still. Korra soon found the dark of her eyelids filled with shimmering waves of light, though they seemed quite feeble. At last until she turned her head west, to which she felt a much stronger ripple reach her.
"I think I've got it!" she grinned before letting loose a whistle. There was a loud bustle from below as many officers were pushed aside as Naga came into view. Leaping off the roof and onto the strong back of her companion, Korra refocused herself, thankfully the same ripples were still very much visible to her.
"You found what you need?" Lin asked, though not very amused that she now had stray white fur scattered about her hair and a few officers who had been knocked to the curb.
"I hope so. I'm looking for a needle in a haystack after all."
"Oh, that's an easy one to solve."
"Huh?"
"Just metalbend the needle out and jam it into the eye of the guy who hid it."
Silence.
"It's a joke kid, lighten up. Now get going before I fine this fluffball for parking violations."
"On second thought, she definitely has Toph's sense of humour."
"Tell me about it."
The search took her all over the east end of the city, past all manner of shops, theatres and market stalls. The repairs from Kuvira's attack were moving along at an accelerated pace. In another year or so perhaps all the damage done by the Colossus would be nothing more than a bad memory. At least for some. People like Asami on the other hand, it would be a painful reminder of who she had lost.
"You think about her a lot, don't you" Iroh stated calmly.
"Who?"
"You know who."
"She's one of the best things to ever happen to me. I don't want to mess it up," Korra admitted, holding onto Naga's fur a little tighter.
"Young love is a labyrinth. It's hard to navigate if you panic, but patience will always see you through. I can speak from experience here," he chuckled.
Korra sighed, but returned the unseen smile.
"I guess you're right. There will be plenty of time to patch things up after we fix the world."
"I remember saying the same thing to my wife when I was...wait. Korra, do you-"
"I feel it" she said before bringing Naga to a halt once again. The streets were a little less crowded here, only a handful of stragglers who were making their way to the Pro-Bending Arena. In all the confusion Korra had forgotten that the finals were tonight. She could still recall the cheer of the crowds back when the Fire Ferrets were at the top of their game.
"The shard is around here somewhere," she said as she slid of Naga and began to look around. "Maybe I should have taken Lin and her squad with us, would have made this thing so much..." she trailed off when she felt it. The fluctuations. The spiritual essence. They tore through her consciousness. No longer ripples, more like spikes. She barely had time to focus on the aftereffects, since she was directly looking at the source in front of her.
A child, no older than ten by her guesstimate, wearing a pro-bending scarf that was way too big for him. His eyes were wide, but then whose wouldn't have been when fire was spilling out of their body, each miniature eruption slowly taking the form of a fire-imbued tendril. In his right hand was a large object that looked like it had been taken from the heart of an oak tree. It radiated such vivid light that the child seemed almost hypnotised by it, to the extent he didn't notice he was drenched in flames.
Korra didn't even think. She dashed forward as fast as she could, determined to tear the shard from the child's hand. The movements were wasted however, as the child let out a powerful scream, one that increased the intensity of the flames tenfold, stretching out and tearing through the surrounding area like it was cutting through paper.
"Not good!"
"Korra! Get down!"
Fighting instinct kicking in, Korra swung her arms in front of her to create a small wall of stone, one that was just thick enough to prevent the flames from tearing through her flesh. At least at first. Like a swarm, the blazing tendrils began to descend upcoming upon her defence again and again, each time chipping more of it away.
"What is this?!"
"The shards have accelerated the child's firebending ability beyond all control,"
"It can do that?! How?!"
"You have felt the Tree of Time's power before, have you not? Infinite knowledge, infinite potential, but now that it is shattered, it can empower those who touch its shards until their strength is beyond human."
"Well, that's just perfect!" Korra growled before she tried to refortify her shield, but it proved to be a pointless labour.
The child was howling in fear, and with every passing scream, the flames only grew in size and ferocity, striking out at Korra like it was trying to smother her out as quickly as possible.
"I need to take that thing off of him before we both end up roasted," she spluttered as she felt the flames start to lick her skin. "I'm going to waterbend my way through!"
"Be swift, I fear he may not last much longer."
"On it!" she said, flexing her fingers as far as possible.
They were thankfully close to the river, and with a mere thought the water rose, spiralling towards her by the gallon. Bringing both of her palms to the floor, the water splashed down, cutting through the flames. There was a blinding burst of steam as the tendrils recoiled for a moment, but a moment was all Korra needed. Charging forward, she began to bend the water around her, coating herself in a protective shell, like a liquid cannonball. Just as the flames bared their fangs once again, they were met with the solid impact of the Avatar crashing into the child. Water and fire scattered everywhere as the two sprawled on the concrete floor.
The impact hadn't been hard, but the child was startled none the less. Before either had a chance to breathe, Korra rolled over and grasped the shard out of his hand, snagging it away. As the wooden shell left the safety of the child's hands, all the remaining flames vanished in an instant.
Korra panted hard, her lungs burning red after such a collision. She grasped the shard in her hand as tightly as possible.
"Finally!"
"I can't take my eyes off you for ten minutes, can I?" Lin sighed as she offered a towel to Korra to clean her face.
The child was thankfully okay. Korra was convinced that the family would call for her head, but if anything, they were beyond grateful that she had saved him for what would have been an agonizing end. The boy, who eagerly introduced himself as Katsu, seemed over the moon that he got to meet the Avatar. A barrage of handshakes, hugs and autographs later, and it was like there hadn't even been an incident.
"My bad," Korra sighed as she dried her face.
"Eh, don't be sorry, you saved that kid from burning to death. I'd say that's a win" she replied before looking to her hand. The shard, also soaked, was caught in a vice-like grip, so much so that Korra's knuckles were changing color from holding on so tightly.
"All that trouble for that thing?"
"Crazy, right?"
"This mean you're finished with your little quest?"
"I wish," she groaned as she slid the shard into one of the pouches of her signature Water Tribe clothing, tightening the fabric so it remained firmly in place. "I'm not sure where the others are, but I have a feeling it's going to be a long trip."
"Well, if it takes you by Zaofu, let me know and I'll help you out."
"Zaofu?"
"Su called me, said she needed her big sister to help her out with something urgent. I figured I would drop by before heading off to hunt down her majesty," Lin explained. "Don't worry Avatar, when things start to get real messy, I'll have your back."
"Same," Korra beamed.
"Congradulations, Korra"
"GAH!"
"You okay?" Lin asked, taken aback by her outburst.
"Uh...yeah! Totally fine! Just got a caller on the old Spirit World phone! I really got to take this, sorry!" she laughed nervously before hurriedly turning away.
Lin shook her head.
"Still the same crazy girl."
"Just a heads up, that's all I'm asking for!" Korra hissed, looking over the edge of the city into one of its beautiful, winding rivers.
"It wasn't exactly easy, but well done in recovering the first shard. Speed and precision are of the upmost importance if we are to succeed in this endeavour."
"Yeah, well, I'm just glad I didn't have to bury a body today" she sighed. "Though, why didn't the shard affect me? You said it yourself, whoever touches it loses control of their bending," she asked.
"Not just bending. In its current state, the Tree of Time will grant destructive power to any mortal soul, and as the tearing of our world's fabric increases, who knows what else it will do to those unfortunate enough to encounter it."
"That's comforting."
"But as to why you weren't affected, I would say that's obvious. You are the Avatar. Even as it spirals out of control, the Tree of Time is still part of the Spirit World. You and it share the same essence. In fact, it's only because of this power that there is hope for the others to succeed."
"What do you mean?"
"As I mentioned before, this mental connection of ours was formed by one of our newest allies. Her skills lay in the manipulation and strengthening of thoughts. Likewise, your power lays in your interactions with spirits. By acting as a conduit, I am able to distribute these gifts of yours with the others. Think of it as passive inter-dimensional bending."
"I would rather they didn't take too much of my Avatar-ness to be honest. I'm still not totally comfortable with leaving two thirds of the job to people I've never met before. I hate to say it, but do you know if they can be trusted?"
"The feeling's mutual"
The voice inside her head, it wasn't Iroh's, at least not anymore. It was new, droll, and distinctly female in tone.
"Who said that?!"
"Ah, I was wondering when you would speak up. Well, Avatar Korra, I think it's time the two of you were introduced" Iroh's voice echoed.