The send-off they got was small and discrete, but they had the confirmation from Zuko and his generals that they would be ready when the time comes. They said their goodbyes to the Fire Lord and his daughter, as well as this world's Avatar and her fiancé.
"Time for the next universe," Sami said, looking across to the crew, making sure they were all joined up before she powered up the crystal.
The last thing they saw before their vision went blurry with purple was the fire nation temple's scorched walls.
They squinted as the new world came into view, slowly realizing they were only staring at some trees. That was strange.
The crew looked around them, but there was nothing. Just a dirt path through the trees, and a swarm of flies bugging Mako.
"Brilliant," Lin said. "Teleported into the middle of nowhere."
They walked a little while down the path, trying to figure out where they were, when the sound of a snapped branch made them freeze in their tracks. They watched the woods out of the corner of their eyes, getting into their fighting stances. For all they knew, anything could be out there.
Something whizzed through the air past them, lodging itself into the tree at their side. It was a flaming arrow, and the smoke it gave off quickly rose, making them cough as their eyes stung.
Two figures rushed towards from the foliage on either side, cutting their path off. The crew turned around, only to find another figure blocking their way the other way too.
Hattori squinted, trying to make them out as he tried to step forward to use his seismic sensing. "What in the name of Aan-"
Then he heard the sound of something rustling under his foot, noticing he stepped over a metal snare that tightened around his foot and pulled him up into the air as he swung around against his own will in the air as Bolin tried grabbing him, only to step into another snare, sending him in the air too.
"WOAH! HELP US!"
The male Beifong tried to metalbend himself and Bolin free, but his bending wasn't working on the metal and neither was Lin's or Thuy's, realizing what kind it was. "Shite, it's platinum!" Thuy called out.
The others then saw the figures approach them, and one of them spoke in a familiar voice.
"I don't think these are the bandits," one of them said. From what they could make out in the smoke, he was a big, bulky man, holding a large warhammer.
Next to him was another fighter, and she took a moment before answering. "Why does that one look like you?" She had two axes in her hand, but seeing the faces of the crew, she slowly lowered them as the smoke began to clear.
Getting some proper looks themselves, the crew realized they were looking at different versions of Korra and Bolin.
While they certainly bore resemblance, these versions of the two looked different. This Bolin with the warhammer wore armor that covered his strong upper body, green pants that too had plates of armor over his side with large leather boots, his hair looking longer than his upside down counterpart's.
"WOAH… look at the hair!" Bolin said, amazed at how his weapon wielding doppelganger's hair looked, despite still being hung upside down.
"Hey Korra, she looks like you!" Another familiar voice rang out from the trees above as the group, sans the Avatar, looked up.
Jumping down was an archer in a loose long sleeved black and red uniform and shoes, carrying a beautiful looking wooden bow in his gloved hands, the quiver full of arrows on his back. And there was no mistaking that the archer looked like Mako, except his hair looked to have been shaved down into a mohawk that fell on it's side.
Not that Korra herself noticed as she looked at her other self who was looking back at her, seeing how she was dressed.
It looked like this version of her was wearing a furred breastplate and garter of blue and white colors, as was the large loincloth around her waist and down to her knees. There were also bony looking pauldrons on her shoulders which too had the fur along with a matching pair of boots and wrist guards in a similar style. Strapped onto her back was a big shield which looked to have the symbol of the water tribe.
But what got Korra's attention more, other than the very sharp looking axes this battle ready version of her carried, was the blue war paint on her upper arms and legs, all looking like designs she'd see on water scrolls.
The axe wielding version of the Avatar looked closely at her other self noting the odd attire and her hair being shorter than hers, which she allowed to grow freely down the middle of her back. "Who are you? Are you me?" She asked.
Korra saw the axes lowered and held her hands up, not wanting to start a fight. "Yes. You and me are the same person… with different choices in clothes." She added, looking into her warrior self's Cyan colored eyes, which had the same blue war paint around them.
"Please, you're in danger!" Sami said, getting closer as did Asami, getting the three oddly dressed versions of their friends' attention.
"Hey, there's two of you my lady!" The warrior proclaimed in a playful manner to both Sato women's surprise.
"My lady?" Asami asked until both her and Sami felt someone drop between their backs and their allies, turning around to see the figure.
There they saw what looked like a sword and shield wielding figure their height, covered head to toe in light, but formable red and black steel armor, with an odd looking helmet over their head, which they took off with metal gloves that bore a resemblance to Asami's electric glove, showing the raven haired woman under it, her own light green eyes looking at her two other selves.
"Yes, I am Lady Asami of the House Sato…" She answered, ruffling her hair, revealing to both Asami and Sami's surprise that her ears were pointed. "You mentioned something about my betrothed, The Avatar Knight, being in danger?"
"Wait, "Avatar Knight"?" Opal asked curiously as everyone looked back at the warrior who scoffed a slight bit.
"Yeah, sorry I'm not in my proper "Avatar Knight" armor, I'm more comfortable in the battle attire of my clan." The warrior woman said, looking at Korra as she put one hand against her chest. "I'm the current one holding the title, I come from a long line of special knights who have the ability to control all four elements instead of just one."
The warrior woman then showed Korra her wrist, with what looked like small tattoos of the symbols that make up the four elements tattooed on it, the one for "Water" glowing blue. "My previous life, I was an Air Monk, and in my next life, I will be an Earth Fighter. Then something fire related and so on. But you can call me Korra of the Southern Water Clan, or Korra for short."
"That…" Korra began, looking at herself before holding her hands together in amazement. "... IS SO AMAZING! It's like the Avatar cycle, but somehow more badass!" She said to her other self's content, turning to the rest of the crew to see them surprised at how different things seemed with the Avatar.
"I am Mako The Fire and Lightning." The bow and arrow wielding Mako said, bowing before noting the version of Bolin next to him flexing his muscles as he held his large hammer in hand. "And the one full of vanity here is my silly brother, Bolin The Magma Warrior."
"Nice to meet you all! Including you lady who looks like the lovely Wind Mage who stole my heart." The stronger looking Bolin welcomed, pointing at Opal, who couldn't help but find the sight of this version of her now fiancé very attractive.
"Look at them arms…" She said, feeling hearts in her eyes.
"OPAL! I'm right here!" Bolin himself called out as he and Hattori were still stuck upside before looking at his alternative and more stronger looking self. "But I will say, I am so RIPPED in this universe!"
"Might I say it's strange to see you in this attire Lin Beifong, Captain of the Metal Guard." Korra of Southern Water Clan exclaimed looking at Lin's uniform, said woman furrowing her eyes at the name.
"Captain of the Metal Guard?" She repeated the odd title as Princess Asami nodded, looking at both Kya and One-Arm Kya.
"And we had no idea the captain's lover, Kya The Water Priestess, had identical sisters!"
"Okay, that title makes sense." Kya noted as her one-armed self gave her a smile coated in snark at her other self.
"Which one, "The Water Priestess" or "The Captain's Lover"?"
"I was not aware that the lovely maiden who guards the Jasmine Dragon too had a sister who partook in quests." Mako The Fire and Lightning said, holding and kissing the top of a blushing Thuy's hand.
"OH, well, I have to do something when I'm not roughing up any knackers." The metalbending girl said before holding Mako's hand. "But I'm taken, thank you anyway."
"Maybe stick to the other lovely maiden." Mako himself noted, feeling weird that he had to play protective boyfriend against another version of himself.
"And that leaves… wait, who are you?" Bolin the Magma Warrior tried asking the still upside down Hattori, who gave a deadpan look with his mismatched eyes.
"I'm very fucking confused, THAT'S WHO I AM!" He yelled out turning his body to look at the odd versions of the other three he knew. "Unless you guys know where to find "Kuvira The Platinum Mover", can any of you get me and "Mr. Recently Engaged" down?!" He demanded, pointing at Bolin.
"Oh, I can!" Korra of The Southern Water Clan said, clenching her hand towards the platinum snarl holding up Hattori, causing it to loosen around his leg… before he fell down onto the ground on the back of his head.
"... Oww…" He groaned on the ground, feeling a bit groggy from the pain as the Avatar Knight apologized. "... hey, Kya… would you mind helping me out here?"
"Which Kya are you talking to, Hattori?" One-Arm Kya asked as she and Kya didn't know which one he was asking, pointing at each other as Bolin The Magma Warrior made sure the same thing didn't happen to his other self as his ally got him down.
"Oh, either the "Water Priestess" or "The Captain's Lover", doesn't matter…" Hattori snarked as best as he could in his current state as Kya went over him and began healing his possible concussion.
"Wait, Hattori? As in Hattori Hanzo The VIII of the Hanzo Blacksmiths? Also known as "The Firstborn child of Toph Beifong", who founded The House of Metal." Mako The Fire and Lightning asked.
"If I say yes, will you just refer to me as Hattori Beifong?" Hattori groaned out more at the use of titles, though Kya's healing was working wonders on his head.
"Look, I'm glad we're all making introductions, but time is something we don't have a lot of." Sami pointed out, looking at Korra of the Southern Water Clan. "You're in danger, she's in danger." She noted, her hand out towards Korra. "All the universes are in danger, because a wicked evil is coming to yours next."
"Oh, that won't be a problem second lady who looks like Lady Asami." The Avatar Knight smirked, looking at her allies, putting her arm around her armored lover. "Me and my fellow compatriots have faced many terrors, monsters, wicked men and women, we welcome the challenge. We even faced off against a Shadow Demon that had possessed the previously mentioned Hattori Hanzo."
"Okay, but what about that same Shadow Demon who has taken possession of us?" Korra asked her warrior counterpart. Something which made the axe wielder stop in her tracks, the look on her painted face changed from being full of bravery to stricken horror as she looked at her equally as shocked partners.
"Taken possession of us?"
"Yes…"
Korra of The Southern Water Clan then turned her head to the source of the odd, yet familiar female voice, noticing it was coming out of Sami's mouth, seeing those same evil red and yellow eyes she remembered many months before.
"And I prefer the term 'Shadow Spirit'."
Her vision as she opened her eyes was cloudy, trying to adjust to the dim light above her.
She tried to get a grasp of things, but her head hurt so much.
"Ohh… my head." Dark Korra groaned out, feeling her forehead.
But then, she noticed she noticed she was in a bed… and she was looking up a ceiling of cement, the only source of light shining on it.
"Ah, see you're finally awake."
Well, the shadowbender knew it wasn't Sha-Garou talking. If he was, her head would have hurt even more as she tried to think as to what's going on.
"I have no idea where we are…"
And there was that damn voice making her headache worse.
"Thanks, I appreciate the love."
"Where am I?" Dark Korra groaned, trying to get herself up quickly, but felt a sudden drop in force before she felt two sets of small hands hold her up.
"Hey, relax lady!" A young boy's voice rang out on her right.
"Father says you're still recovering." And now a young girl's voice was talking on her left.
Taking it easy, the shadowbending Avatar got up again at a slower pace, her eyes adjusting more to see that she was in someone's guest room as the place looked to have no electricity, seeing a light skinned man with a farmer's hat over his bald head looking to put some firewood next to a fireplace.
She then took sight of the children on both her sides. The boy had a more of an tan skin tone like her's while having short brown hair and expressive blue eyes behind a small pair of glasses while the girl resembled her father with her skin tone, though her hair was the same color as her brother, only done up in a bun while her grey eyes were more subdued
"Where am I, what… is this place?" Dark Korra asked, trying not to talk so loudly as she noticed her head was bandaged up.
"We're in the forests near Yue Bay, close to Republic's Gate, in our home." The father answered, the fallen Avatar confused at the name.
"Republic's what?"
"Republic's Gate, the largest city in all of the four nations. Must have bumped your head quite hard, miss."
"I think he means this universe's version of 'Republic City'..." Sha-Garou noted with an observation as Dark Korra slowly got up from the bed and looked around the environment, seeing how simple inside the house was. Almost as much as her old home back with her parents.
Slowly stepping up and looking outside the window, Dark Korra saw she was at some farm, judging by the free range animals and large garden. She also took note they were in some sort of forest area before taking notice of the clothes these people were wearing looking different than she expected.
Then she also took note of the single dirt road outside going in a straight line, having no idea which way goes where.
Dark Korra then tried to collect her thoughts, she remembered escaping that universe where Zuko was still Fire Lord, having seen all of his army stand by the side of the Prime, her friends and her old lover.
Once her vision no longer was blurry with the purple energy light, Dark Korra had realized she had come out in midair, falling down towards some green and lush trees in a forest.
She tried using airbending to break her fall, but she was already falling too fast, crashing into some branches on the way down, rolling off one into one last branch face first, causing her to hit the ground, knocked out.
The next thing she knew, she was awakening in this home of this man and his children.
As much as these little brats were annoying her with their incessant noise, asking where she came from, a question did come into mind.
"How'd you find me?"
"OH, we were coming from the merchant's stands when Father spotted you lying on the ground nearby." The boy said as the girl nodded.
"Good thing he found you. Also, i'm Biyu, he's Toklo!" She finished, giving her and her brother's names.
"And I'm Fu-Han." The father said, turning around to look at Dark Korra. "And you are?"
She tried thinking of a fake name, something that wouldn't raise attention, especially if she was to try finding her other self in this universe, so they don't have anything to connect her to the death of the Avatar here.
"A-Amka. I'm Amka." The Evil Avatar lied, before just hearing Sha-Garou laughing madly at the choice of name.
"Amka?! HAHAHAHA! That literally means 'Friendly Spirit'!" She heard him laugh in hysterics, finding this too funny. "You and I both know I'm anything but!"
"Well, nice to meet you Amka. I brought you here so my wife Anjij can have a proper look at your head when she comes inside from checking on the animals, she's a water healer from the Northern Water Clan, she'll fix you up in no time." Fu-Han assured the woman he didn't realize looked just like the fabled Avatar Knight.
"T-Thanks." Dark Korra responded with, thinking to herself that she'd leave and focus on finding the Avatar of this universe after getting healed, just before noticing Biyu looking at her, curious. "What?"
"I like your hair, it's very pretty." The little girl said, trying to touch the cornrowed part of the hair before the shadowbender stopped her.
"DON'T touch me."
That earned a small pout from the girl, instantly feeling bad.
"Biyu, that was rude, apologize to Amka."
"... I'm sorry." The girl said, her grey eyes being saddened, something which while Sha-Garou groaned at, a slight part of the corrupted Avatar felt… somewhat bad for.
"It's okay… I just don't like being touched… without permission, you didn't know." She muttered, hoping it'd make the girl happy, noticing the small gleam in her eyes. Well, maybe it worked.
"Good thing we found you before nightfall." Toklo said, getting the shadowbender's attention as she looked at the boy.
"What do you mean?"
"Guess you're not a local." Fu-Han guessed, to which both Dark Korra and Sha-Garou mentally shrugged, he was sort of right. "At night, it's not safe to be outside in this part of the woods without proper protection. Various creatures come out, giant sabertooth rats, lizard snakes, spider wolves, goblins."
That last one caught Dark Korra's attention as compared to the other three, that last one didn't sound so bad… even though she knew nothing about them. Yet it was the way the man said it that peaked her attention the most "Goblins? What are they?"
"Little green remorseless demons, that's what. Trust me, you don't want to encounter one, let alone a whole batch of them. Especially considering…"
The way Fu-Han was leaving silence open got to Dark Korra, who moved closer and waved her hand for him to continue.
"Especially considering what?"
"... your gender." He finished before hearing the door open. "OH, there's Anjij now." He said, changing the topic as quickly as he could, waving to his wife from the North Pole, who had entered the home, having been collecting some chickenmouse eggs in a basket, seeing Dark Korra awake.
"Oh hello, finally awake I see." Anjij said with a caring smile, one that actually reminded the shadowbender of her mother's. "Did you get a name?" She asked her husband who gave her the false one Dark Korra told him, looking to buy it.
Yet the thing bugging her was the way this friendly man's demeanor changed when talking about these "Goblins" confused the shadowbender, especially when he alluded to her gender.
She wondered if Sha-Garou knew anything about these creatures.
"Frankly, I'm just as confused as you are, Korra. It's a weird feeling truth be told… I don't like it." The shadow spirit noted, familiar with most of the creatures named except for that kind as Anjij approached Dark Korra, with a wooden bucket of water and a washcloth, having her sit on a wooden chair.
"Alright, let's try patching you up." She said, with Dark Korra allowing her to take off the bandage, seeing the bump that had swollen up and turned purple, using her bending to move the water out of the bucket and began healing the wound.
Her style of healing also reminded her of Kya's.
"I'm telling you, Master Tenzin of the Air Monks will tell you the kind of information you're looking for." Bolin The Magma Warrior said.
The crew followed them down the dirt path as the sun was going down. As interesting as this universe seemed to be, hearing this "Avatar Knight" Korra go on about the monsters that come out at night made them somewhat nervous.
Luckily, it wasn't long until the walls of the so-called Republic's Gate became visible. The city was impressive, with large stone walls protecting the residents from the terrors that plagued the night. On the outskirts however, were fields of farms, and lumber mills set up on the edge of the woods. It was strange to see everything be so different.
"Air Temple Island is through the city." Korra of The Southern Water Clan said.
They came up to the grand gate that the city got its name from. The wood was reinforced with iron casts, held up and closed by large steel chains, manned by the vanguards up on the wall. Two metalbender guards were posted on the ground in front of the gate, adorned in shining armor and close faced helmets. Seeing the Avatar Knight approaching they nearly signaled for the gate to be opened, until their eyes fell on the rest of the crew.
They hesitated thinking it's some sick trick of the creatures living deep in the woods, until they saw the mighty Avatar Knight speak up for them.
"It's urgent," she said. "We need to see Master Tenzin."
Hearing the legendary warrior's true voice, they signaled for the gate to open. The chains let the solid oak down with a steady clank, and the crew stepped into the city.
The streets bustled with people, some dressed in worn tunics of commoners, some clad in thick armor, or noble cloaks. Rangers with leather breastplates and stunning longbows passed them, along with rogues with covered faces and bandaged arms. The plethora of people of Republic's Gate seemed even more diverse than in their own universe, from the array of weapons, to the mixture of different cultures and titles.
The buildings were wooden, and the streets paved with cobblestone, but the signage was painted in bright colors to draw their attention. Apothecaries, taverns, and blacksmiths advertised their business outside their establishments, and the array of potions set up outside a healer's hut drew Bolin and Kya's attention for way too long.
"Come on," Mako The Fire and Lightning said, noticing the crew slowing down to take in the sights.
The crew was brought back to reality, and carried on following their alternate selves through the streets. They garnered some strange looks from the locals. Their way of dressing certainly did not fit with the universe, but being escorted by the Avatar of this world meant no one stopped them.
Even before the knights told them, they knew they were nearly there. Across the water, they spotted the island they were after.
Dark Korra sipped slowly at the broth the family had given her. It wasn't that hot anymore, but it tasted nice and fatty on her lips as she hadn't eaten in awhile. Whatever it was, it must have been a big deal for the poor farmers.
"You're free to rest for as long as you like, Amka," Anjij said.
"Thank you," Dark Korra muttered before sipping the last few drops of broth from her bowl.
"It might be a good thing you came round at this time," Fu-Han said. "Word has it the farmers saw the Avatar Knight walk through here towards the city. Maybe she's in town."
Dark Korra froze. "The Avatar Knight? You mean-"
Toklo piped up. "Yeah! Maybe Korra's back from some epic quest with her allies!"
"I bet she slayed fifty giant sabrecats!" His sister added.
"More! A hundred!"
The children giggled and pretended to fight, but Dark Korra's attention wasn't on them anymore. She was reminded of why she was here.
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I need to go," she said flatly, laying the bowl down on the table and standing up. Her headache was fading, but the remnants of it were still uncomfortable. She had to push through it.
"Already? Are you sure you don't want to rest a while?" The father asked.
She shook her head. "I need to go, which way is it to Republic's Gate?"
"Take a turn on the left when you leave the property." Anjij asked, yet with a worried tone in her voice. "But nightfall is coming, are you sure you'll be alright outside and all alone?" She asked more to the girl who she sensed was from one of the Water Clans, but she couldn't pinpoint which one, as the light outside dwindled as night began to fall.
Hearing that, Dark Korra couldn't help but give a small smirk, bending a small blue flame in her hand. "Trust me, I can handle myself." She said with a brave face, the stories of the creatures the family told her about were already forgotten.
She headed out the door, its feeble and squeaky hinges hurting her ears as she stepped out into the cold of the night. A few lanterns lit up the dirt paths, but other than that it was too dark to see much else.
The Shadowbender headed down the path towards the tall walls in the distance, she began to feel the energy of her target rising, smirking to herself.
But in the darkness, she heard multiple rapid footsteps, but relaxed when she realized they weren't coming towards her. Whatever the horde she heard was, they were after something else and she wasn't concerned about it. She just had to find the Avatar.
It was only a few moments later that she heard the screams. She frowned, looking behind her. They were coming from the small farmers' shack.
In the dim light of the lanterns she could make out the silhouettes of the figures that taunted the weak door of the house. There was a full horde of them - hunched, grotesque creatures, banging on the walls and shrieking in an ear wrenching cacophony.
She remembered. They must have been goblins.
"What are you waiting for? Go! Korra's in the city!" Sha-Garou's voice rang inside her head.
She hesitated, still looking back at the goblins as they nearly broke into the house.
"You're not seriously considering this!" The spirit yelled. "Find. The. Avatar! Now!" He commanded, getting on Dark Korra's nerves.
"You're giving me a headache," she said. She looked out at the pillaging beasts and something started to burn inside her. She ignored Sha-Garou, before sinking into the shadows.
"Anjij! Get the kids in the back room!" Fu-Han called out to his wife, grasping his pitchfork tightly in his hands.
The woman gathered the panicked children around her and rushed to get away, hearing the door break down behind her. As she rushed away, she gasped as the window shattered in front of her, and a contorted, wrinkly green beast hurled itself through it. It bared its yellow rotting teeth as it approached her, a hefty club in his hands.
Anjij screamed, pulling her children tighter around her to protect them as the creature suddenly grabbed her by the dress, tearing at it as she got out of it's grip with a disgusting laughter.
Her husband was trying to hold his ground at the front door, but his measly pitchfork was no match for the creatures forcing their way through. There were too many of them, and this time he was sure they won't be able to hold them off.
Dark Korra snuck up on the beasts in the shadows along the walls of the house. She emerged, and in one swift motion took out one of them, shoving a spiked shadow tentacle through his abdomen, narrowly missing his chestplate of scrap metal. The goblin let out a guttural and gruesome gag as he dropped to his knees, coughing up his curdled green blood.
She sensed one come up behind her, club up above his head ready to strike, only to suddenly see her wave her arm at him without even turning her head, with what looked like some dirt from the ground following her hand as it went across the creature's neck.
The little green ugly body landed with a bloody plop, followed by it's head rolling next to the evil Avatar's feet.
"Nasty little ones, aren't they?" Sha-Garou snarked, seeing the creature's headless corpse through his host's eyes before Dark Korra shifted her attention through the broken window.
Her eyes widened as she saw Anjij flailing a feeble candle at two goblins coming towards her, pushing her children behind her to protect them. Then they pushed her to the ground and began ripping off her skirt as she screamed and struggled, with Biyu and Toklo too frightened to move as they watched one lick the tears pouring down Anjij's face, while the other focused its attention at them, a rusted blade being raised towards the children.
Something inside the Dark Avatar screamed. A rage boiled in her chest, she had no choice but to take action now.
And for once, the Shadow Spirit was fine with what she wanted to do.
"Korra, RIP AND TEAR THEM APART. NOW!"
She threw herself through the window with a cry, drawing the goblins' attention back to her. While there were only the two of them, they were tall and bulky, their coarse green skin barely visible under the thick scrap armor they crafted for themselves. Under the ugly dented helmets she could make out their glowing yellow eyes, and a pair of curled, cracking horns emerging from their foreheads.
Everything about these creatures made her head burn with anger as she saw them attack the family. The fury she felt now was strong and hot, but she felt in control of it.
The beasts charged her, clubs raised, and drool dripping out of their stinky mouths. She smirked, dipping into the shadows, leaving them looking around the room confusedly. She emerged behind them, the dimly lit room allowing for an advantage. She conjured up a shadow spike, lunging towards one of the goblins. The spiked shadow bounced off the metal armor, but it worked a deep crack into its torso.
The goblin turned, frothing at the mouth and swung with its club, but a shadow tentacle grabbed his wrist, yanking it behind his back, contorting the arm painfully between his shoulder blades as he yelled.
The other beast rushed forward, head down to headbutt the Dark Avatar. She conjured up a shadow claw, catching him by the helmet and yanking his head upwards. The goblin's wide eyes were bloodshot as it clutched at the shadow to free himself, feeling the sharp fingers of the claw finding the underside of his helmet and digging into his jaw.
Dark Korra grinned as green blood dripped down his throat, and with one final yank of the claw, his neck cracked loudly, and the body went limp.
The evil Avatar turned towards the other struggling being. Seeing the death of his comrade he stared at her with fearful eyes. She and Sha-Garou had a million ideas of how to make him suffer.
But seeing the cowering children behind their mother, who crawled over to them, Dark Korra dropped those ideas and settled with simply wrapping a shadow tentacle around his throat, squeezing tightly, draining the air out of him until he stopped moving.
Before she could relax, she turned her attention to the husband, trying to hold off the few goblins out by the door. His pitchfork snapped in half and he was holding the head of the tool, trying to intimidate the beasts.
Dark Korra didn't have any more time to lose. She rushed to his help, shoving the man out of the way of the goblins as she took up his spot. He was shocked to see her back, and the writhing shadows around her scared him initially until he realized she was helping them.
"Stand back!" she ordered, and the man did as he was told.
She lifted up shadow arms around her as the goblins charged inside, and in an instant lunged them at the beasts.
They screamed horrifically as they were thrown backwards onto the dirt outside, ripping the door straight off its hinges. Dark Korra rushed after them, a cloak of shadows gathering around her as she airbended herself into the air above the fallen goblins.
They looked up at her, fighting against the tentacles to get up, only for her to gather the shadows around her, compacting them tightly in a thick shroud, before letting them lose, exploding out onto the ground below her.
The goblins shrieked, shielding themselves against the meteor shower of darkness with their arms, but the shadows were sharp as blades, and their feeble armor couldn't hold. The night filled with their screams of pain as their bodies were covered in cuts and bled on the mud.
It wasn't enough. She needed to make sure they would never rise again. The Dark Avatar channeled the rage she felt for the creatures, and the protectiveness she felt for the family, and let out a thundering battle cry, breathing blue fire onto the creatures below her.
Their bodies burned, and the smell of their scorched flesh filled the air. It was putrid and rotten, but she didn't stop until every last one was nothing more than a charred corpse.
But before she could smile at her work and catch her breath as she slowly descended back onto the ground, that damn Goblin she had choked out inside the house lunged onto her back, preparing to drive it's knife into her back with a sneak attack.
Too bad for it that Dark Korra wasn't having any of it's shit, flipping the creature over her shoulders and onto the ground as it gave a grunt of pain.
Opening it's yellow eyes, it saw the Shadowbender over him bending up in her hands the black water from the shadows and the mud from nearby into pointed ice and stone weapons in her hands.
The last sight the goblin saw before giving a screech was both knives being driven into its face, green blood squirting out as Dark Korra ripped out the makeshift knives out of the wounds, yet she didn't feel finished, repeatedly stabbing the face of the creature multiple times, the rage she felt against these vile monsters driving her to do so.
With every slam of the knives, Dark Korra swore she saw she was stabbing into everyone who hurt her, Amon... Unalaq... Vaatu... Zaheer... Guan...
"Korra… Korra…"
... and for the briefest of moments, she swore she was stabbing herself.
"KORRA, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Sha-Garou yelled out, both because she was wasting valuable time, but also that he knew the rage she felt was not of his own doing.
At those words, Dark Korra stopped, panting hard as she realized that she turned the Goblin's head into nothing by green mush, her hands and part of her face covered in it's blood.
She then looked behind her, seeing the family clinging together, staring at her in utter fear. Their petrified expressions almost... saddened her as the fallen Avatar knew what they were thinking.
"... I'm sorry." She got out, but she felt like it could never be enough.
She turned back round, walking away.
"Are you the Avatar Knight?" Toklo shouted after her, having regained his voice, being the first to break out of his fear.
Dark Korra looked at him. The question took her by surprise, though she should have expected it. Was she the Avatar anymore? She had been. She was still supposed to be.
Looking into the boy's innocent eyes, she answered him, "I was."
The family still stared at her as she walked away, leaving them for good.
"Master Tenzin, thank you for letting us in this late." Korra of the Southern Water Clan said, giving a bow of respect to her airbending teacher as she and the others entered the temple as the moonlight lit up the area around the balcony in his meditation room.
It had looked similar to how Air Temple Island looked in the regular universes, but the different style of robes these Air Monks wore were certainly different, mainly being so loose and enlarged over their bodies, with the orange beads around their necks.
It was also a relief to Korra and Asami that like in their universe, there were just as many of them, assuming most were still trainees.
"Of course Korra, I always welcome helping you out." Master Tenzin said, not looking all that different from the Prime universe self, aside from his choice of robes and the staff he carried, looking at the other three along with the crew he was unfamiliar with. "I assume it's an important occasion considering these spirit doppelgangers with you?"
"That's a new one." Mako noted as the warpaint wearing girl gave a silly grin, her hand out towards them.
"Not quite, they're travelers from different realms, other versions of me, Asami, Mako, Bolin, Opal, Lin and Kya."
"Boy, you are getting the short end of the stick in this universe." One Arm Kya made sure to note to her friend about him not being mentioned, the male Chief closing his mismatched eyes in annoyance.
"You're lucky you're endearing." Hattori grated through his teeth.
"And apparently necromancers if HE'S here." Master Tenzin said with a finger pointed towards the metalbender whose eyes opened up wide in disbelief.
"Seriously?! I'm dead here too? How many universe's do I die in?!" He yelled, looking in shock at Sami as Bolin gave it some thought.
"Not all of them, your kitty cat self was alive in-" Bolin began, only for his fiancé to nudge her shoulder into his side to quiet him, feeling somewhat bad for her uncle from a different universe.
"I don't think any necromancy is about, brother…"The voice of Kya rang out...
... but not from the two in the crew, but from another who made her presence known in the large area, clad in a beautiful blue and silver colored hooded robe, her waterskin tied onto the belt around her waist as she wore her collar and necklace.
"Kya The Water Priestess..." Mako The Fire and Lightning gave her name as this Kya walked past her younger brother.
"Sister, what makes you think he's not undead?" Master Tenzin asked as the Water Priestess approached Hattori, waving her hand over his forehead, his two different looking eyes watching as she sensed something about him with her bending.
"His energy is that of the living, he's not the undead." She said as Hattori nodded as she lowered her hand. "I remember your other self, so filled with anger and loss. But a good heart still laid in him. My Lin wishes she got to know him better before his passing."
"Thank you?" Was all the metalbender could say, still a little deflated to know that he was in yet another universe where he gave into Sha-Garou and died, he just hoped that like most others, he died a hero.
"Master Tenzin…" Korra began, getting the monk's attention. "The reason we're all here is a old foe, or at least a version of the one you remembered, has been traveling throughout multiple universes, going after other versions of me and your Korra…" She said, pointing at her alternative self who nodded in agreement. "We were told that you may be able to help us."
"A foe from the past, you mean Amon The Deceiver?" Tenzin asked, remembering the masked leader who led a non-bender group against those who had the ability to bend, only to be revealed as a false prophet who himself was a bender of blood.
"No." Lin answered to which Tenzin, after realizing how much she resembled his old romantic partner who was now in a relationship with his sister, thought over some more possible opponents, remembering the one who tried bringing the world into disorder through trying to end the Avatar Knight lineage with his fellow cult members.
"Zaheer, Devoted Follower of The Cult of The Red Lotus?"
"Nope." Bolin answered this time.
"Tokuga The Half Spirit?" Tenzin asked.
"Na-ah." Kya said with a shake of her head.
"Kuvira The Platinum Mover? Former leader of The Earth Empire Army, redeemed after helping stop her mad commander Guan when he attempted to control the minds of the masses in Gaoling."
"AH-HA! I called her title!" Hattori bragged, before shaking his head at the Air Monk Master. "And no, it's not her." He then answered in the same tone.
"And don't you mean 'Guan The Giant Piece of Shit'?" Asami asked, not wasting the chance to insult the bastard who brainwashed her to go against her fiancé. "THANKFULLY, he's not involved."
Master Tenzin was running out of possible names, now drawing from the bottom of the barrel. "Unalaq of the Northern Water Clan, who tried to become the Unholy Avatar Knight?"
"Who the fuck is that twat?" Thuy asked her friends, having never met him before as Sami sighed, looking at her.
"Long story, but no…" The Shadowbender said before turning back to Tenzin, approaching him as she unbuttoned her coat pocket and took out what Korra and Asami noticed was a crumpled up photo. "It's my wife…"
Handing the photo to Master Tenzin, he saw it was of both Sami and her Korra posing for a wedding photo, Sami wearing an elegant white and red lace wedding dress with a veil on her head while Korra was clad in her own Water Tribe themed wedding dress.
"In my universe, Korra ended up the host of a shadow spirit, or "Shadow Demon" as you guys call it, falling under his influence." Sami explained, still feeling sadness in her heart at what happened later due to what Guan did to her and Korra's unborn child.
Not wanting to get misty eyed, she looked back at the Master Air Monk as he handed her back the photo. "The Spirit, Sha-Garou, is one this universe has dealt with before, but is now trying to fully take over my wife, the Avatar, by energybending other versions of her, killing them in the process." She explained, putting on a face of bravery. "I've lost many friends and family in my universe because of what he did to her, I don't want to lose Korra for good, I don't want to see any more universes suffer because of Sha-Garou."
Master Tenzin listened with compassion to the words coming out of the girl's mouth, feeling terrible for her, as did his sister and the other four who had heard the story before.
"What guidance can I bequeath to you and your allies?" He asked in an assuring tone to Sami's happiness as Korra stood next to him.
"It's possible to energybend him out of dark me, but he's probably become too strong, he won't go without a fight. Do you know of any other way to separate him from her?" She asked to which the wise Master Air Monk tried to think of anything he learnt from the previous experience the Avatar Knight and others learned, tugging at his beard in thought.
But try as he might, nothing seemed to come up in the man's mind as he gave a sigh of regret.
"Sadly, I'm afraid I have no knowledge, other than what we, and I assume your group. already know."
The crew felt an air of disappointment ring hollow in the room.
"... well… that sucks." One-Arm Kya simply said before Master Tenzin remembered someone to try asking.
"Have you consulted the shadow demon known as Khu-Shui?"
"Trust me, if I knew of a different way to get Sha-Garou out of the girl, we wouldn't be here. And why am I always being referred to as a 'Shadow Demon'?" Khu-Shui's voice echoed out of Sami's mouth as she took control briefly to both Master Tenzin and Kya The Water Priestess's amazement before she let Sami take back control.
The shadowbender realized how this looked to them and shrugged with an awkward chuckle. "Heheh… Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm HER host."
"Amazing..." Tenzin said, in awe at actually communicating with a Shadow Spirit, one that actually looked to help out humans instead of trying to steal their bodies, if briefly. The spirits he was used to communicating with alongside his daughter and brother were far less lethal.
But then the perfect idea came to mind.
"The Fire Sanctuary Temple." He said, moving over to a desk where a scroll was, grabbing and unrolling it onto the floor, showing a map of the world.
"What's that, like a Fire Nation themed version of this temple?" Opal asked as she got a look at the map.
"You are correct, young Wind Mage." Master Tenzin answered, looking for a certain area near where Republic Gate's was on the map as Opal looked at her fiancé and uncle, both shrugging at the title. "AH-HA, yes!" He then looked at the others, an idea coming to mind. "Right here, this is where it resides. Why didn't think of it any sooner?"
"What resides here?" Lin asked as Tenzin turned to her.
"The Fire Sanctuary Temple is the home of the Fire Nuns. A sect of female warrior protectors who has guarded it for thousands of years, they're said to be an offshoot of the Sun Warriors civilization, having been founded by one of their members, Hiromi, the fifth Avatar Knight."
"Sounds like Avatar Kyoshi when she founded the Kyoshi Warriors." Kya made note of the similarities, something she was not alone in thinking.
Tenzin nodded. "While it's not officially documented, it is rumored that Kyoshi did take some inspiration from the Fire Nuns." He pointed out before Thuy leaned in closer in front of him to look at the map
"Yeah, I remember learning about these broads, or at least those from me and the other's universe." She explained as memories of learning about them when she was younger came to mind, her words getting quicker as she kept talking.
"Apparently they were WAY MORE secretive than the fuckin' Sun Warriors themselves. They are also said to even have the oldest library in the entire world, as old as the lost Wan Shi Tong Library in the Si Wong Desert. If not more!"
Once she finished her gushing that'd make even Ikki ask her to take a deep breath, Thuy took notice of the others looking at her, almost all of them surprised to see her be into the subject this much, including Mako who never pegged her as a bookworm.
"WOW, how'd you know all that Thuy?"
The Metalbender felt embarrassed, rubbing the back of her head with a small laugh and smile. "Heheh, my Grandma worked at a library, me and my mum spent a lot time there when I was younger, Guess all that reading stuck on me."
"Refreshing to hear history be kept in young people's minds." Tenzin said in approval of the metalbender's knowledge of the subject before looking at the others. "If anyone today has books or scrolls on Shadow Spirits still in possession, it would be them."
"Makes sense a bunch of old crones would know about my kind…" Khu-Shui noted as she once more took control of Sami, looking at Master Tenzin. "How long would the trip take?"
"At least two days on foot." He answered as both Bolin's jaw's dropped hearing this.
"TWO DAYS?!" Both said at the same time before Bolin himself looked at his warhammer wielding self, mainly his jawline, pointing it out.
"Man, even his jawline is perfect!"
"BUT, if you rode by Sky-Bison, it'd only take up half the time." Kya The Water Priestess pointed out as her brother nodded.
"Yes, that'd be both quicker and safer travel." He agreed.
"Okay, so guess we're headed towards the Fire Sanctuary Temple." Korra said as everyone agreed.
"Master Air Monk Tenzin, we thank you for your help." Lady Asami said, happy to see there was a chance of defeating this evil demon, spirit, whatever that posed threat to her lover, who too nodded.
"You never seek to disappoint."
"It is my pleasure Korra of The Southern Water Clan, Lady Asami." The Master said, bowing to his pupil and her lover. He then raised his head up, looking at the other Korra, her friends and the others. "If I'd make a suggestion, it'd be best to travel during the daytime, so you all are welcome to stay the night in the temple."
"Are you sure? Take no offense to my words here…" Mako of The Fire and Lightning began. "But if this Dark Korra as she's called is seeking our Korra, shouldn't we be leaving now?"
"Kid's got a point, she could be on her way here at this very second." Lin agreed as One-Arm Kya looked at Sami, who had been given control back from Khu-Shui
"Do you sense her?"
"I… I'm not sure." The shadowbender said in a confused manner, she did feel Dark Korra's energy, but… "I mean, I sense something… but it's not her usual energy."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask..." Hattori began, a bit curious himself about their ally from another universe. "... How do you know when she's coming?"
Sami put her hand on her shoulder where her scars began. "Ever since I merged with Khu-Shui when she saved my life, I have been able to sense Sha-Garou's shadows poisoning my Korra's energy. It helps me track her anywhere in an universe."
"Which means by that logic they know where you, and by extension, us are!" Bolin The Magma Warrior pointed out, which they hadn't taken into account, yet Sami was shaking her head.
"Well, yes, but… something's wrong!" She herself pointed out, trying to explain it. "I… don't feel the evil energy as much as I used to, like… part of it went away. I don't know, I'm still getting used to all this talk about spirits… Korra knew more about them than I did…" She said with a low tone before feeling a metal gloved hand on her arm
"It's okay." Lady Asami said, trying to comfort one of the two alternative forms of her with that kind smile on Sato women like them and Asami could provide. "If the enemy does come, even as we sleep, we will all fight until the last breath."
For such brief words used to motivate, it seemed to have a positive effect on everyone in the room, who all agreed to fight alongside each other against this looming threat.
"She is so wiser than all of us." Korra said to her warrior self who nodded back.
"One of the many reasons I asked her hand in marriage." Korra of The Southern Water Clan said, thinking things over. "Even during my darkest hour, when I tried to run away from my problems after Zaheer, her eyes like jade, her lips like the red of an apple, Lady Asami's face was what kept me somewhat balanced."
The Avatar herself remembered those long years, first trying to rehabilitate her body, then her mind, which was so much harder by comparison. But she agreed with her other self, even during the worst moments in her life, the face of the woman who she'd later finally kiss in the Spirit World was one of the few things keeping her going at the time.
"Not the same exact phrasing of words, but I agree completely." Korra said in agreement before asking the warrior a question that's been on her mind, leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Curious question, what's up with her ears?"
"Lady Asami's from a family of elves." Her other self answered, smiling at the memory of how her Asami loves it when she touches her ears in bed. "Very skilled in combat, very beautiful on the eyes."
Dark Korra reappeared from the shadows, looking behind her. The guards were oblivious as she snuck over the shrouded walls, now inside the city. She studied the roads in front of her as they contorted around dimly lit establishments of all sorts. She frowned as she walked past them, finding that every building she remembered from her own universe had been replaced with something outlandish.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the colorful bottles arranged behind the glass of one shop window, the faint lantern lighting up their bubbling contents perfectly.
"Hey! Begone! We're closed!"
She jumped as a voice yelled out at her, not realizing how long she had been staring at the potions. A stout man in a thick cloak appeared next to her, a ring of keys rattling in his hand. He appeared to be the shop owner.
"Sorry," Dark Korra muttered, carrying on down the street. Though the city was so different, the layout must have been similar and she vaguely figured out the way to Air Temple Island.
"Stop getting distracted by everything..." Sha-Garou berated her. "First the family, now this. We won't get anywhere at this rate."
She couldn't understand why she was so frustrated with the voice in her head tonight. It angered her and sounded almost like static in her thoughts. "This is my goal, becoming the ultimate Avatar, not yours." she said finally. "I'll do it as I please."
She could feel Sha-Garou almost snarl at that. "I'M the one making it possible. Get. Moving."
It was strange for tensions to be rising like this, but she ignored him as she kept going.
She could just about see the edge of the water as they were nearing the other walls of the city. Situated close to the rear gate were the stables, and two stablemen walked past her. She stayed hidden in the shadows, unsure whether the Avatar could be nearby and in doing so caught a snippet of the conversation the two men were having.
"Spent two days brushing that big beast, and now they've gone and taken it and TWO OTHERS flying somewhere again!" the shorter of the two said. "The hangar was full of that damn fur."
"That's nothing. The other day I had to clean its feet."
"What are they talking about?" Sha-Garou said. "They better not be talking about what I think they're are..."
"It's nothing," Dark Korra whispered back.
"Follow them."
"I'm not worried about some dumb stable boys."
"DO AS I SAY!"
The Dark Avatar's face contorted in anger as the two men walked away. She dipped into the shadows, moving quietly along the edge of the buildings where the darkness was thickest.
"Every time a sky-bison comes back from some Avatar Knight mission, it's murky and mangy!" the shorter man lamented. "I just want a raise man, it's all I be saying!"
Dark Korra frowned. Maybe Sha-Garou had been right.
"At least they're off to the Fire Sanctuary Temple. I hear it's dry around there, they won't get any mud in their fur like last time in the swamp."
"Spirits, I hope so."
With that she saw them head into the stables, carrying a few reins and stirrups with them.
"I told you..." Sha-Garou's voice was low and furious. "You nearly cost us everything."
"I didn't cost us shit. We'd have found them anyway." Dark Korra stood up from the shadows, trying to figure out a way to get to the so-called Fire Sanctuary too, still sensing Asami's energy.
"We missed them because of you." the spirit carried on and Korra rolled her eyes.
"So what?"
"SO?!" He yelled, before taking a moment to try and calm down. "You're blowing it Korra. You're going soft."
"I'm not going soft."
"You missed your chance and now you have to travel across the land. How are you gonna keep a low profile doing that? The last thing you want is another horde of fire nation soldiers coming after you like last time. And it's obvious that people WILL know who you are after a while!"
She stared at the stable doors as Sha-Garou kept going on in her head. She was trying to ignore him, until he struck her last nerve.
"You shouldn't have helped that stupid family..."
Her blood boiled. "How could you say that?" In the quiet of the night she couldn't yell like she wanted to, so she strained her voice to keep it from getting louder. "You saw what those creatures were doing, and you weren't against me stopping them while I was in the midst of it!"
The spirit filled her thoughts with an atrocious guttural voice. "The principle stands. You got distracted from your main goal. It doesn't matter what I let you or didn't let you do." He could feel her anger rising too, but he knew there was nothing she could do about it. "Next thing you know, you'll go running back to your bitch of a traitorous wife like a lost Polar Bear puppy!" he spoke with bitterness in his voice.
Dark Korra clenched her fist, feeling her blood go to her face. It burned and burned, and he knew he struck the deepest nerve she had. She could almost feel him grin.
"Now you'll do as I say, and nothing like that will ha-"
"Don't talk to me like that," she spat. "Don't mention her like that."
"Or what? You don't seem to understand our little arrangement here. I'm the source of your power. Without me, you are nothing and you'll go back to being a sad and hilariously angry Avatar with no choice but to pity herself for every mistake she's made."
Korra could feel a ball of fire gathering in her throat, but she found she had nothing to say anymore. She wanted to grab the spirit and strangle him, but she couldn't.
"Now go in that stable and steal an ostrich horse. We'll use it to catch up to the Avatar."
She bit back her angry remarks. "The stable is lit up. There's workers still in there. We have to wait."
"No. You'll do it now." He commanded, as if to test the obedience he spoke into the Avatar.
"We need to wait."
Without warning, she felt a tingling sensation in her muscles. Her arms ached as she fought to keep them still. Sha-Garou was trying to take control of her body, but she wasn't letting him.
"Quit it!"
The spirit said nothing. There was no need to. She knew what he was trying to do - he was trying to prove who was really in control, who truly owned her body, but she knew the answer wasn't him. It was never him. He couldn't be strong enough to control an Avatar if she resisted with all her might.
Every inch of her ached as she fought, her limbs shaking with the struggle. One leg moved her forward and she grunted to stop it. She pulled back on her own muscles as he was forcing her to take the next step. In a painful, almost puppet like way, she took another step and another and finally another.
She panted, eyes wide. She wasn't in control anymore. Sha-Garou was making her raid the stable.
As he brought them to the gates, she saw the two stableboys. They froze as they saw her, holding up piles of hay. She had no choice as she realized the shadow claw forming over her hand, it's sharp fingers extending.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered, before Sha-Garou forced her to dashed forward through the shadows, quickly, and silently.
The two men had no time to scream.