Trigger warning ahead of time due to some references to some graphic violence and some PTSD. So just a heads up. So just a heads up. Be sure to give it a review and fave!
The next day, the crew met up at school once more. It was strange how Dark Korra hadn't been able to find them yet, but perhaps she was finding it difficult to track the Avatar's energy just as Sami was finding it hard to track hers. Besides, they doubted that she would think to search in a high school anyway.
Unlike the three Beifong's and Kya, the rest of them didn't know yet the origin of Hatori, and seeing a female version of Hattori was already a shock as it was. Though One Arm Kya herself got a chuckle seeing her partner interacting with his alternative self.
"Hey, excuse me, err... Hatori." Bolin said as they walked through the school gates. "Were you a shadowbender too?"
Dreading the same questioning again and knowing where it would lead, both Hattori and Hatori had the same answer. "Don't even fucking go there."
Bolin looked like he wanted to say something else, but he dropped it, hanging his head and carrying on walking.
Now that this universe's crew knew why they were here, they were more keen to stick together with the newcomers too, and following them around from class to class became easier. Hattori was back to assisting Izumi, Kya continued teaching agriculture, Hatori had a free period to herself before music class began and both Lin and One Arm Kya were back to gym class.
Principal Raiko walked into his office, sitting down at his desk and putting his glasses on to begin the morning paperwork. A student's parents had apparently left a complaint about their child being threatened with injury by a teacher, something involving metalbending and a wall, but he hoped to deal with it later. Perhaps letting the undercover agents in was a mistake, even after Chief Beifong seemed to clear up the confusion he brought up days before to her.
He booted up his computer, and notes from the week's meetings had already started pouring in. He sighed. He hadn't even had time to drink his coffee before somebody was asking to be emailed something again. After looking closer, they were asking for the same powerpoint he'd already sent out twice this week.
"Spirits…" He muttered to himself. "Sometimes I wish they would just kill me instead."
As he started typing a reply, he heard footsteps outside his door. They seemed to pause outside for a moment, and he looked up, expecting a knock and someone wanting to come in with yet another problem. Instead, there was nothing, and before long he heard the footsteps walk away.
That was strange.
He wondered if it was a lost freshman too nervous to ask for his help. He was looking for any reason to leave his office work behind anyway, so he stood up and walked to the door, opening it and looking down the hallway.
"Hello?" he called out. Stopping dead in her tracks further down was a student in dark watertribe looking clothing. She turned around, and Raiko looked to recognize her. "Oh! Korra. Shouldn't you be in class?" The Avatar was mischievous, but it wasn't like her to be so obvious in skipping class. He frowned, seeing her outfit was strange, but he supposed it did fit the dress code.
The Avatar smiled. It was a strange, lopsided smile, like she was hiding something. "I'm on my way. Had a biking accident on the way, so I'm a little late."
Raiko nodded. "Alright, hurry up."
She turned back round and carried on down the hall.
The principal was about to head back into his office when something occurred to him. Avatar Korra lived across the city. She didn't bike here, she took the bus every time.
"Hey!" He called after her, walking hurriedly after the student. "Korra?" He rounded the corner and looked both ways down both corridors, but she was gone. There was nowhere she could have gone. Had he been so slow?
He shrugged it off. Maybe the Avatar had stayed over at a friend's. It wasn't his business after all and he headed back to his office.
He sat down at his desk once more, sighing as he saw five more notifications pop up on his screen. He didn't feel like dealing with any of them, but he thought he should let those strange undercover cops know about Korra's strange whereabouts. They were after all keeping an eye on her anyway.
He pulled up his emails and was about to send a message to them, when he heard something move behind him.
"You're not trying to give me away, are you?"
He spun round at the sound of the familiar voice, seeing Korra from before standing behind him. His hand ghosted over the keyboard blindly behind him.
"How did you-?" he paused, seeing the strange dark shadows drip down from her body.
"You were never a good president anyway." The girl Raiko was his student said, confusing him further.
His blood froze as he saw her eyes turn glowing red, but before he could scream for help a shadow hand wrapped itself around his mouth, muffling his attempts.
He struggled against it, but more hands rose from the shadow of his chair and pinned him down against it. His eyes widened as he saw the shadows this Korra wielded, shaping them into a blade in her hand. He watched as the sharp edge came closer to his neck.
Just when Raiko realized the truth of who this shadowbender was, Dark Korra moved to the side, and with one swift movement sliced the principal's throat open. The blood spurting from his windpipe narrowly missed her, and instead painted the wall a light crimson.
The shadowbender chuckled to herself. "Don't worry, no one will mourn you."
Raiko's eyes rolled back as he felt the blood rush out of his head and consciousness left him. Dark Korra let go of his limp body, letting it crash down, half on the chair and half on the floor, with trickles of blood still draining from his throat.
She then wondered whether she really had to do this, sure, the guy was a witness and Raiko, regardless of universes, was always an ass, but did she really have to kill him?
"He's collateral damage. You need to find the Avatar before anyone raises suspicion..."
The shadow spirit was right. But then Dark Korra looked at his screen and frowned. A small window popped up in the bottom right. It said "Message sent successfully"
"Too late."
Izumi was just about to start her biology lesson, with Hattori handing out the worksheets, having promised to behave himself, when a message popped up on her computer screen. It was an email from Raiko. She rolled her eyes, hoping it wasn't the same powerpoint he'd sent twice this week already, but she hit open anyway.
Her brows furrowed at the message, it just said "Just saw Korra in th".
That was weird. He never finished his message. Perhaps he accidentally hit send before he finished typing.
Then her thoughts started racing before looking up. Both Korra's were in her classroom right now. Something wasn't right.
"Hey, ah, Daisuke?" she said, catching Hattori's attention. He came over and read the message, his mismatched eyes widening as he too looked at both Avatar's.
"Dammit, that has to be her," he whispered.
Izumi nodded. "Everyone stay here and don't leave until we come back for you." She stood up, addressing the class, who now stared at her confused. "Someone lock up the door behind us and shut the blinds. Stay quiet until someone comes and gets you." Then she and Hattori rushed out. The email was addressed to all the teachers, so they hoped Hatori and the others would get the same message.
The crew realized what was happening and they stood up, following them out much to the students' confusion.
"She said to stay here-"
"Shut up, Tomo!" High school Korra retorted.
"Okay, is everyone so mean in high school?" The regular Korra whispered to her fiancé, but it was a rhetorical question. They both had to admit teenagers were vicious in this universe.
The rest of the students did as they were told and they heard them lock the door behind them.
They ran to Raiko's office, relieved to see Hatori, Lin and the Kya's running in from the opposite direction too as with the rest of the crew.
"She's here somewhere," Sami said. Though she hadn't been able to pinpoint her before, she could definitely feel some shadow energy nearby. They must be getting really close.
Izumi didn't hesitate. She barged into Raiko's office, slamming the door open. "Raiko?!" She called out, but immediately noticed the red splatters on the opposite wall.
"LOOK OUT!" Hatori yelled, pulling her wife back. In an instant, the outer wall of the office was smashed, and pieces of debris went flying, smashing through the glass in the door. The crew jumped out of the way, shielding themselves from the shrapnel before daring to look back at the destruction.
"Found her!" this universe's Mako yelled out as he held Wu in his arms, similar to the Mako not from this universe holding Thuy, slowly peeking around the doorway.
Past the unhinged door and shattered wall, they saw the storm of shadows out in the school courtyard, with Dark Korra at their center.
"I finally found you," she said, grinning from ear to ear as she saw this universe's Avatar among them. "And what do you know? You're only a high school student." She chuckled. "Should have figured."
"You monster!" Lin yelled. "You'd kill a high schooler with no remorse like this?!"
The shadowbender couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh Linny, you have no idea what I've done."
With another swing of the giant shadow hands, she tore away more of the wall, sending more bricks and cement flying.
Both Bolin's, Thuy and Wu pushed themselves to the front and earthbended them away from the crew, launching them back towards Dark Korra. The shadowbender ducked out of the way before conjuring up a whirlpool of shadows under her, rising up above the ground.
The crew rushed through the broken wall after her into the courtyard.
"I'm only after the Avatar," Dark Korra said, still smirking. "It'd be a lot easier if you let her go for once."
"Never!" Korra yelled out, pushing herself between the high schoolers and the shadowbender, hurling a couple of fire punches towards her. Being so high up, she dodged them easily, and everything else the crew had to throw at her was just too easy for her to evade.
Sami rose up her own shadows and threw two tentacles towards her, trying to grab her and hold her still to be hit, but the Dark Avatar was still more powerful and experienced.
With a swipe of her hand, she broke the engineer's shadows apart, shattering them into bits of dark shrapnel that rained back down on the crew. Both sets of the Opal and Korra's quickly airbended them away, letting them fall against the side of the building, their sharp edges cutting deep into the walls.
Out of everyone out in the courtyard, Kya noticed someone had stayed behind. She turned back towards the hole in the wall and noticed Hatori still standing against the broken doorway of the office, staring at the shadows outside.
The healer could tell something was up. The music teacher was frozen, and her eyes were unblinking, more than usual considering the damaged one. She rushed over to her at once.
"Hatori?" she said, trying to see if she could break her out of it, but the woman didn't seem to hear her, seeming to take deep breaths. The healer reached out and touched her shoulder, but the teacher immediately flinched, backing further into the corner away from her, even though her eyes never left the shadows.
"We can get you out of here," Kya said, as softly as she could. "You'll be alright." She held her hand out, seeing if she wanted to take it, but in her shock, Hatori didn't even see it.
From the higher ground, Dark Korra had the upper hand. She had a full range of motion, and sight of everything going on below her. She raised up shadows left and right, overwhelming the crew and chuckling as they scrambled against them. She waved her arms around her, gathering up a storm of fire, and unleashed it down towards them.
Lin planted her feet firmly into the ground, and used her whole strength to lift up a wall from the ground, just about large enough to stop the flames from scorching them.
Hattori snarled. "Okay, enough of this shit!" He readied up his metal hook before launching it up at the Dark Avatar. She tried to dodge too late, and the hook just about caught onto the side of her pants. "GET DOWN HERE!" He yelled, yanking the metal chain down and ripping the Dark Avatar out of the sky.
She fought against it, and the hook didn't seem like it would hold, until a metal wire wrapped itself around her other leg. Thuy pulled her down too with her wire, and before long, Lin joined in with her own metal cord.
With no choice in the matter, Dark Korra came crashing down to the ground, letting forth a shockwave of shadows as she did so. The crew stumbled backwards. The dark projectiles stung against their skin as they threw them back.
As the fallen Avatar stood up, in a fit of rage, she metal bended Hattori's hook away from her, hurling it back towards him. He had no time to react, and the metal slashed against his face.
Hattori howled in pain. "Aahh! That's another one for the collection!" he grunted, stumbling onto the ground. Without a doubt, the deep gash would leave a scar even if either Kya healed it.
But his train of thought was interrupted as he felt the sharp tip of the hook slam right through his vest and shirt, piercing into his shoulder blade. "DAAAHH! MOTHERFUCKER!" He screamed, pulling it out, causing blood to shoot out of the wound as One-Arm Kya rushed to his aid.
Izumi didn't let up and now that the Dark Avatar was brought down, she jumped at the opportunity and showed why she was in the Fire Nation army, kicking a flurry of fire towards her.
Dark Korra's eyes widened and she slashed away at the flames with her own fire bending, leering at the teacher. It was almost insulting that some biology teacher thought she stood a chance against her, even if she looked familiar.
Without hesitation, she coiled a shadow tentacle around her waist and pulled her down to the ground. Izumi fell on the concrete on her hands and knees, before a shadow hand rose and grabbed her by the throat. She let out a yell as she struggled against it.
Kya held her hand out closer to Hatori, trying to make her come back to reality. "Come on, we can get you out of here, and you'll be safe."
The Beifong woman continued to ignore her, until Hatori heard her wife scream. At that moment, her attention was immediately drawn to Izumi and the shadows curled around her body.
For a second, Hatori's mind flashed back to that night, what happened to Jissika and Miki, to her…
But then, it was overwritten by anger as Hatori's skin burned with fury. She gave out a snarling roar, rushing out into the courtyard in an instant, and to everyone's surprise, let forth a flurry of fire punches of her own.
What surprised them even more was that these flames bended by the woman were not the regular looking flames or even blue like Dark Korra or Azula's, but those that burned the color green.
The flames went flying towards the Dark Avatar, who turned her head too late, not even realizing the music teacher had been there all along. The flames hit her across her chest and she braced herself, but Hatori's attacks were unrelenting as she yelled out of wrath.
Even for someone who had to be new at firebending, Hatori did not let up her attacks, the bright green flames trailing behind every punch and kick before launching herself off the ground with a backwards flip, letting out a spinning ring of fire towards her enemy before landing on her feet with ease.
The Dark Avatar fell backwards, slamming her fist down on the ground to raise a wall of concrete in front of her to protect her from any further projectiles. She breathed heavily, chest burning from her new assailant, and she fought against the pain to stand up.
As the wall dropped in front of her, she faced Hatori, looking straight into her rage filled eyes as she ripped off her eyepatch, showing her wounded eye.
"Don't you dare hurt my wife, YOU LITTLE BITCH!"
Before Dark Korra could do anything about it or even respond, she felt Sha-Garou come forth.
"Ah, yet another pitiful Hattori being angry at me. What's the matter? Afraid to see what the shadows hold again?" The spirit laughed.
Hatori ignored him, instead rushing to Izumi, checking if she was alright. The shadows had retreated off her when the shadowbender was distracted, and she had managed to stand up.
Sha-Garou took control of Korra's body, and he wasn't pleased with the interruption the teacher had caused.
"Guess I'll have to show you what you should REALLY be afraid of." The shadow spirit hissed out, contorting Dark Korra's arms as the shadows around him rippled, but before anything else could happen, he seemed to struggle against his own movements. He grunted, his guttural voices seeming to ring out from all the shadows around them as he was fighting something.
Sami recognized what was happening. Dark Korra was fighting back for control, even if it was hindering the spirit's progress. She wanted her body back more than she wanted to win.
The engineer gulped, but she pushed all hopes to the back of her mind. She could tell the Avatar wasn't strong enough to gain back control, no matter how much she tried, but at least Sha-Garou was distracted.
"NOW!" She yelled, and the crew jumped at her call.
They threw everything they had at the spirit, fire, water, earth and air connecting with their target and Dark Korra's body was thrown backwards, crashing against the wire fence around the school, ripping through it and landing onto the road. There was a trail of broken tarmac as she slid, her clothes torn and blood dripping down onto them as Dark Korra felt control of her body again.
"Oh, now that I'm injured, you give it back to me?! AND WHAT DID I FUCKING TELL YOU?!" She yelled, but there was no time to argue any more. The crew were on their way towards her, and she had to get away. She struggled against her injured body, but out of the corner of her eye she spotted the faint shadows along the fence in the morning sun.
But before the fallen Avatar could slink into the shadows, a shadow hand grasped at her waist and pulled her away, right below a red eyed Sami who formed her own shadow claw over her metal glove, intentions clear to the restrained shadowbender, whose hands and feet were too kept in place by shadows that she herself couldn't control.
"Oh, NOW you want to do it?! After I murdered our friends and family, took the energies of other Avatar's, NOW you hate me enough to kill me…" Dark Korra chuckled, spitting a small bit of blood to the side in the process, thinking she knew her wife well. "Well then, come on, do it, COME ON! KILL ME! UNLESS YOU-"
To her surprise however, Sami drove down her shadow claw right down towards her head, only for Dark Korra to just manage to move her head out of the way at the last second, watching the sharp claws dig into the ground right where the back of her head was.
Her eyes, turning back to cyan, widened at this turn of events.
"You-you… you were…" Dark Korra muttered, realizing how close to death she was, turning her face up towards Sami who ripped the shadow claw out, raising it up again, now aiming towards her heaving chest so she wouldn't miss the next time. This was something she hadn't expected.
"You were actually going to kill me." Dark Korra choked out, realizing that Sami isn't playing around anymore.
"I'm not trying to kill you because I hate you..." Her wife said in a low hushed tone, closing her eyes, feeling herself get misty eyed at the choice she had to make as the others watched.
That confused the evil Avatar who looked as best as she could at the others before back at Sami. "Then what other reason do you have?!" She demanded as she saw Sami turn back at her, the tears falling out of her beautiful green eyes
"Because…"
"Because WHAT?!"
"BECAUSE I STILL LOVE YOU, THAT'S WHY!" Sami bellowed out.
Silence filled the air, except for the small echo of what was just proclaimed in the air.
Never mind almost being murdered by someone she didn't think had the guts, THAT got to Dark Korra, her voice cracking.
"W-Wh.. What did… What did you say?"
Sami looked down at the disbelieving face of her wife, still having her shadow claw to the dark Avatar's chest, lowering down to glide her free hand across her face.
"I said that I still love you Korra. I'm not trying to kill you because I want to see you suffer for what Sha-Garou made you do…" The engineer's soft voice rang in Dark Korra's ears, raising her free hand and biting down on the fabric of the glove to let it slip off of her hand as she threw it on the ground, allowing her wife to see the wedding band she still wore from the day they were married.
"But because it's the only way to free you from his influence."
That only raised more questions for the restrained woman. "But the only way to get him out of me is energybending, then killing his physical form."
"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!" Sha-Garou hissed out in Dark Korra's mind.
"He'll just be reborn in a different form!" Korra yelled out as she slowly began making her way over, knowing the Shadow Spirit was listening, knowing the truth. "The only true way to kill a shadow spirit is by two ways, either by a Bright Spirit when he's out of your body…"
"Which he and the others made sure would never be a problem again…" Khu-Shui's voice rang forth out of Sami's mouth, showing to Dark Korra that she was in control.
"Khu-Shui?" She asked with wide eyes before the evil spirit in her screamed in her head.
"SHE'S LYING! THAT FILTHY WHORE IS LYING!"
"Silence, Sha-Garou! You've known this entire time!" The other shadow spirit shot back, able to hear her other counterpart's lies with ease. "We're the last two of our kind left and you've been lying to Korra the second you offered her your deal, just to extend your existence!"
"WHAT?!" The fallen Avatar yelled out.
"Did you honest really think he had your best interests in mind, becoming the ultimate Avatar!?" Asami asked, approaching the group, looking down at Dark Korra. "He used the death of your unborn child, what Guan did to you and Sami, just to have you finally give in! And now that he's become too powerful from all the Avatar's energies you've drained to energybend him out, there's only one other choice we have left to save you."
"We HAVE to kill you, it's the only way…" Sami said, wiping the tears away with her ungloved hand as she had back control, her eyes turning back to the glowing red, her shadow claw still primed to kill the woman she loved. "I'm so sorry Korra."
Now it all made sense to Dark Korra, everything she had done under Sha-Garou's influence since she killed Guan, his "guidance"…
... It was all lies, she truly was no longer the Avatar of her universe. That old lady Azula was right.
She was nothing but Sha-Garou's plaything all along.
"Please forgive me for what I've done." Dark Korra teared out, turning away so as not to see her wife do the deed onto her, her eyes crying at all she's done, all of whom she's murdered, just able to remember one notable memory from the past.
She and a pregnant Sami were in Zaofu sitting with Kuvira and Suyin. Even after what happened between her wife and the former leader of the Earth Empire in the past, the engineer decided that the wounds were healed enough and had asked Kuvira to be Yasuko's godmother, to which she accepted the honor.
That was the last happy memory Dark Korra had before what happened the next day due to Guan.
The former Avatar gave a small smile remembering that moment, ready for death. "Please, kill me, please Asami… I love-"
"NNNNNNOOO!"
That damned voice screamed out as loud as he could from all the shadows in the area, no, the entire city as Dark Korra felt herself beginning to lose control once more, her body thrashing against the ground and shadows as she tried looking into her wife's eyes.
"ASAMI! DO IT NOW!" She cried out, seeing the other shadowbender realize she had to do it now, only to see her own arm form up her own shadow blade in the process and slash it in front of her, connecting with her wife's arm. "NOO!"
Luckily, the cut wasn't as bad for Sami, but it caused her to lose control of the shadows holding Dark Korra down and vanish before she felt her body rise up like a ghoul's, fear stuck on her face as she realized what was going to happen, struggling with what control she had left to raise up her hand towards her bleeding lover, seeing the others hold onto her as she felt herself lose more and more control.
With that, Dark Korra gave an unearthly scream of pain as she felt the shadows engulf her entire body, wrapping and sticking onto her like black steaming oil, with the last part of her body to be covered being her cyan eyes as she shed one last tear for the lives she took, for the woman she loved until she was completely overtaken.
"I… have…" Sha-Garou's voice growled out from the form covered in shadows in between deep breaths before slamming her fists onto the ground, causing the shadows all over the school and street to shake and vibrate, causing parts of the foundation to crack and break apart.
"... HAD IT WITH YOU DAMN HUMANS!"
Sha-Garou finally arose onto the feet he controlled, two evil glowing red eyes forming where the now former Dark Korra's were, staring pure hate towards the crew.
"It… ends… EVERYTHING WILL END!" The shadow spirit yelled at the top of its lungs as thanks to the shadows in the area flowing towards him, giving him more power as he rose up into the air, pointing a sharp finger at Korra. "Ever since you ripped me out of my previous host's body in our universe, you have been NOTHING BUT A DISEASE!"
If the shadow-spirit could grin in its current form, it'd give maybe the biggest one it could, teeth bared and all. "And I intend to cure this universe, ALL THE UNIVERSES, of the disease known as AVATAR PRIME!"
He then looked at everyone else watching the sight. "As with anyone else who dares challenge me…" Looking around the area as he spun in place, he gave that damn chuckle.
"And because I'm in such a giving mood, I'll give you all, ALL OF THE UNIVERSES, a week's time to get things in order, because after the seventh day, in the universe where it all began… EVERYTHING ENDS!"
With that, the shadow spirit laughed out the loudest it ever could, it's deep gruesome laugh echoing all over the universes at what fun it had in store.
"NO IT WON'T!"
That stopped the evil spirits' laughter as he stopped spinning to look down at Korra, who had slowly approached the corrupted form of her other self, eyes more focused than ever before, giving a quick look at all her allies in this universe before turning back to look up at the mad spirit.
"No more universes will fall to you! Throughout our travels, we've been forming an army to fight you! And even if you make up more of your shadow soldiers, many others from the universes we've been to, the ones YOU'VE ruined with your evil, they will all fight by our side, MY SIDE, against you."
The Avatar gave one last glance towards her friends, allies, Sami… and her own fiancé who nodded in approval before turning back to the shadow spirit. "You want a war?!" she yelled.
Korra then began waving her arms around before thrusting her hands down, airbending herself up into the air to look Sha-Garou right into his red glowing eyes as her own eyes glowed white, showing she meant what she was about to say.
"YOU GOT YOUR FUCKING WAR!" Her voice echoed out in it's powerful tone.
In a rare moment, Sha-Garou felt like he had nothing to say, just staring back at the Avatar's eyes, he knew she was being serious… And he had to admit, things just got more interesting as he had to give a small, if effective chuckle.
"Seven days, Avatar Prime, back where it all began…" Sha-Garou said before raising his hand up, showing the Uchū crystal still in his hand before looking at the witnesses. "Before I forget, between now and next week, feel free to heal up, patch up some issues with those close to you, go crazy, start up your own flying lemur circus or maybe even pray to some spirits. But if you're going to do that last one, just know this…"
Then the shadow spirit clenched the hand with the crystal in it, that purple energy glow forming around him as his eyes narrowed down at the crew.
"I WON'T BE LISTENING."
With that, Sha-Garou vanished into the light, leaving Korra up in the air alone before she lowered herself down as Asami, Sami and the others approached her, still taking in what they had witnessed.
"Korra, I've grown to respect your judgment and actually consider you a friend…" Lin began saying to the Avatar after giving a tired Hattori over to both Kya and One-Arm Kya to try healing his wounds. "But if you don't mind me asking two questions, first:…" She calmly asked before her eyes went wide.
"WHAT?! Second: THE FUCK?! WHAT DID YOU JUST DRAG ALL OF US, SHIT, ALL OF THE UNIVERSES, INTO!?"
The Avatar was taken aback from the outburst, looking around and seeing those close to her, those she had met on this journey, everyone from this universe, all looking at her for some form of answer.
"... I don't know…."
She knew what she just said, but even then, she couldn't believe what she responded to against Sha-Garou, the feeling just now sinking in, like she may have made a big mistake…
"We can't just sit by and let Sha-Garou mess up all the universes as part of some sick game, too many of them have been hurt because of him." She said before realizing something. "Actually, no, you know what, it's not entirely his fault…"
The young woman had to finally admit it as she just held her hands up. "If anything, I'M to blame, I'M THE REASON FOR ALL OF THIS HAPPENING!" She yelled into Lin's face, seeing the older woman back up slightly at her voice getting louder. "Me getting him out of your brother, that caused a brand new universe to be made for him to escape to. And because of that, I help put many others in danger!"
Korra wanted to cry and hit herself for being so stupid, not knowing that she once again endangered the universe, let alone all the universes since she didn't know how to properly get rid of the shadow spirit, but at this point, she knew what had to be done.
"So if you wanna know WHY I threw all of us into the lion vulture's den, saying 'Hey, let's go to war!', IT'S SO I CAN FIX THE MISTAKE THAT I MADE!... and I can't do it alone." She finished with a small voice. "... I'm not powerful enough alone."
The older Beifong woman looked down at her ally who kneeled down on the ground, seeing the weight of everything now fully getting to her as she began to cry with Asami holding her as she did. "I'm supposed to be the Avatar, and I keep finding brand new ways of screwing things up."
"Korra…"
Said girl heard her name said by Khu-Shui who held her head lowered. "It's not your fault, this was always meant to happen…"
"What do you mean this was meant to happen?" Izumi asked to which the Shadow Spirit made a deep breath.
"I said that my other self had set this whole thing up to find the one possible way to end Sha-Garou for good…" Khu-Shui answered, looking down at Korra as she kneeled Sami's body right in front of her, looking into those cyan eyes. "I thought, with the lack of options we had, that Sami killing her Korra here would be the end… but now, I see it all clearly. As the Prime, you were always meant to balance out the universes. And to do so, you need to unite all the universes, all the different versions of you and your allies against Sha-Garou, this is how things are supposed to go, how it's supposed to end."
With another breath as she closed her eyes, Sami was back in control, knowing very well where Khu-Shui was getting at, looking back at Korra.
"You, as the Prime, were meant to lead all of us into battle against Sha-Garou and his shadow soldiers. To finally put an end to the wickedness of the shadow spirit, aside from Khu-Shui, and in order to do so…"
The shadowbender then took her metal glove where the Uchū crystal laid and took the rock out of it, handing it to a confused Korra.
"You will need to rally up as much support as we need to end him and free my wife."
"He said "Back where it all began", what did he mean by that?" The Korra of this universe, thankfully having survived, asked to which her other self let those words go through her mind before realizing where Sha-Garou seeked to end it all
"The universe that split into two because of me, my universe."
The Avatar Prime then felt a soft hand on her lap, turning to see Asami's emerald eyes look into her Cyan ones, a small playful smile on her face. "I must admit, this is not how I expected my bachelorette party to go, but…" She continued, her face showing how ready she was. "If you're going to fight, I will stay by your side Korra, I love you."
That, naturally, got that lopsided smile the water tribe girl was so known for. "Thank you, I love you too Asami." She said before the couple kissed each other before seeing Mako step up.
"We're with you until the end." He said with a stoic nod as Thuy held onto his hands, too nodding as she gave a cocky smile.
"Fight on until we're dead, hun."
"And you'll have the mighty Nuktuk and his lovely airbender fiancé at your side!" Bolin offered, giving a pose as Opal tried to stifle a giggle, but looked at her friend.
"Not the choice of words I'd use, but yes, we'll be there for you."
Kya gave a kind smile. "You always know you'd have my support." She then felt Lin's hand take hers up.
"Sorry for my little outburst, but… I will always be glad to fight alongside you." Lin admitted, giving a small smile at the girl as she felt Kya hug her, silently thanking her.
Korra then looked at the two other honorary members of the crew as One-Arm Kya was just finishing healing up a now awake Hattori, having to give a knowing smile at them. "How about you two? It's a little out of your jurisdiction."
"Korra, I already agreed to fight alongside you the second that shadow spirit killed my daughter. I think you already know my answer right now." One-Arm Kya winked at her as Hattori stirred.
"And that fucker took my sister away from me and my family." The man with the mismatched eyes grunted with a groan, still feeling where he was stabbed with a cleaned up, if still healing slash down from his upper left right eyebrow to his cheek. Yet he still smirked, shaking his head. "Ain't no way I'm letting him go without a proper beating."
That raised the spirits of the Avatar, hearing those close to her ready to fight by her side, turning to herself from this universe and the others.
"I assume we already know what your answer is?"
"Course, we'll all fight by your side, everyone of us." This universe's Korra answered, holding her fiancé's hand who nodded and agreed as did the others belonging here.
"Oh, my first actual battle, I must admit this is quite unexpected, how will I fit in training in such a short time frame?" Wu noted, having never been the fighting type, even as an earthbender in this universe, only for the other Mako to hold his hands.
"Trust me, you'll get used to it." The firebender said before kissing the member of royalty's forehead.
"Oh come of it Mako. I don't think anyone cares at this point." Wu mockingly scoffed before grabbing his boyfriend by the waist and dipping him down before laying a large kiss on Mako's lips, which he returned back.
An action which still caught the regular Mako by surprise as Thuy had to help keep him on his feet.
"Make such a lovely couple, I wonder if…" She said playfully to which Mako stopped her by pressing his finger on her lips.
"No… just, please no, don't see our Wu like that." He noted, not wanting for things to go further than that as Korra, Asami and Sami saw Izumi and Hatori approach them, the shadowbender curious.
"Think we can get some possible outside help ladies?"
"I can see what I can do, can more than likely explain what's going on to my father, having him and his entire army on our side could help. Well, it'd be my army soon." Izumi pointed out as Asami snickered.
"We already have a lot of Fire Nation soldiers from other universes helping out, but more wouldn't hurt."
"Pretty sure lover boy there can possibly call in some favors and get some Earth Kingdom forces to help out…" Hatori brought up, pointing at Wu who began talking to Thuy as Mako tried to talk with the other version of him before looking at Lin and Hattori. "Get Lin to get some help from the metalbending cops too, maybe convince Suyin to get her metal clan soldiers too while we're at it. Suggest you have your Lin do the same."
"Sounds perfect." Korra smiled before something came to mind, her attention brought over to the crystal. "Hey Sami, you said I had to rally those who'd fight, how am I supposed to do that?"
"Actually, this seems more like something I can answer." Khu-Shui answered instead, having Sami hold her hands together to demonstrate. "What you need to do is go into your Avatar State and hold the crystal in your hands like so, close your eyes and just think of every possible different universe you can think of, minor changes, large ones, no big deal, and the rest should come to you without any issue."
"That's it?" The Avatar had to ask, a little skeptical, only to get a snort and laugh from the shadow spirit.
"Trust me, you got this child."
Seeming to get it, Korra smiled, about to go into the Avatar State and grasp the Uchū crystal with both her hands when she felt Sami's hands stop her.
"Shit, I forgot to mention, you maybe wanna go somewhere with wide open space before you do that."
"What? Why?"
"Again, just trust me."
Not really arguing against a shadow spirit who seemed to know her way around weird space crystals, Korra looked around and saw where Dark Korra had previously attempted to fight there, the school courtyard, rushing over there.
Thankfully it was nice and big, while no one seemed to wanna enter it, still thinking the battle was going on. Looking at everyone, Korra gave a loud sigh. "Okay, Avatar State, then grasp the crystal with two hands, close eyes, think of different dimensions…"
And so she did so, closing her eyes before entering the Avatar State as her eyes glowed that shining white color, raising up in the air thanks to a mini air-tornado before grasping the Uchū crystal with both hands, starting to feel its power course through her body, tingling all over her form as it's purple energy shined through her fingers.
Closing her eyes tightly, Korra then tried to think of all the universes she'd been to, those in the visions she swore were nightmares, even those she tried to visualize in her head.
As she did, the crew and those of this universe noticed the air-tornado holding Korra up began to shine purple, glowing the same shade of the crystal as the energy became wider in range, taller in height.
"Hey, is it supposed to be doing that?" One-Arm Kya yelled out at the sight as Khu-Shui watched, a small smile forming on Sami's lips.
"Who knows, I honestly didn't think it'd work." She said, finding humor in seeing the bloodbender react in surprise at what she said. "I'm messing with you, I'm making a funny!"
The purple glowing energy grew larger around Korra, soon beginning to rise above the school, and soon, the highest building in all of this universe's Republic City before it's form began to reshape into something familiar.
Standing in the middle of Republic City, taller than Kuvira's colossus ever stood or even the spirit portal, was a large purple glowing Korra, standing there as many of the civilians of the town looked up in awe and curiosity. It reminded some of the events of when she fought Vaatu.
And then, the giant glowing Korra opened her eyes, seeing not just the Republic City she was in, or even the one she knew. Or even those she had seen before, but thousands, if not millions of them, seeing how each was so different in their own little or large ways.
Seeing so many of them from so many different universes would seem overwhelming, yet it wasn't for Korra, she felt like she was in each of them all at the same time.
And in all the different universes, all over the world, everyone bared witness to the giant purple glowing figure looking down at them, yet weren't scared of it.
It was at this moment Korra knew what to say…
"Hello… I assume this is kind of a surprise for all of you to see, perhaps even worrying, but I assure you, I only come to you all in peace… I am Avatar Korra."
In the Prime universe, over at the city state of Zaofu, Suyin Beifong, her family and all those who served the metal clan stood outside, watching this… miracle happen.
"I may be the one you're familiar with, or perhaps I'm different than the one you know…"
Toph Beifong held her hand on one of the many large vines in the Foggy Swamp, listening to what was being said.
"... as you see, it turns out the universe I am a part of, what you are part of, is just one of many, possibly infinitive as the change could be minor, or large."
"Better be a universe where I can see what she's yammering about…" The master earthbender muttered as she listened.
"If this surprises you, or even confuses you, I get it, I wouldn't believe it myself, but I've seen them…"
From Air Temple Island, Tenzin, the airbender Asami, Hiroshi Sato, Mako and Bolin watched along with the airbenders, seeing the large glowing Korra talk.
"... I've seen so many different universes, walked around them, interacted with those in them, it's amazing."
Husky Korra and Panther Asami stood on the deck of their mansion as a female wild dark haired human with a seemingly permanent deadpan looking face in a black/brown tanktop and shorts walked up to them, Asami holding her.
"It's okay Fumi, Naga…" Panther Asami assured the human companion who looked at her and Husky Korra curiously along with a large strong looking human woman with short white hair in a blue t-shirt and pants.
"But, with the good comes the bad, and something bad, no, SOMETHING HORRIBLE is out there…"
In the Prime Universe, Sha-Garou had finally landed from the purple energy, noticing the large glowing Korra talk, hate in his eyes at it.
"I assume those listening know of shadow spirits. There's one out there referred to as Sha-Garou, a deathly powerful one who has done the impossible…"
"And made possible…" The spirit snarked, seeing he was in the middle of the South Pole near a large capsized wooden ship, smirking to himself as it'd be the perfect locale for the final battle, raising up his hands as he began amassing his shadow soldier army among the snowy tundra.
"He has taken possession of the body of a me from another universe, tricked her into giving into his will through the power of loss..."
From the site where their most trusted allies were buried and laid to rest, Zaheer and P'Li stood watching the sight in awe as they listened to her words in interest.
"... And with that, he has used her to gain the ability to hop into other universes to find and steal the energy from their Avatars, taking away someone's friend, daughter, granddaughter, lover."
Back in Republic's Gate, Korra of The Southern Water Clan and her fellow quest takers watched the sight unfold.
"Now, some universes have not been affected by him, some have, some haven't even been visited by him…"
In another universe, a young water tribe man stood on Air Bender Island as a handsome black haired man in a jacket stood next to him, holding each other in their arms as they listened while an older female airbender walked by them to see the giant glowing Korra better.
"But that will not stop Sha-Garou from coming to your universe to kill your Avatar and take their energy."
"Korin?" The black haired man whispered to his soon to be husband, looking at him as Avatar Korin kept his eyes on what was ahead of him.
"It's okay Asamu… "
"If someone doesn't stop him, who knows how many universes will lose their Avatar, all just to fuel his sick pleasures…"
An Asami, who looked to have been fitted with odd mechanical parts on the side of her head, kneeled over the body of her own Korra, tubes of Co2 on her neck, looking up at the different version of her cyborg lover.
"In all the universes I've been to, some of me have been saved…"
Back in the universe full of cobblestone and horse drawn carriages, Korra and Asami watched out of the window of their mansion at what was going on, with the Avatar holding an amazed Yasuko in her arms.
"Others, I was forced to watch their lives taken away…"
"It's a big you, mama." The child pointed out to her mother.
"But now, I can't stand it anymore, I can't stand to let anymore universes suffer, so please, hear me out…"
At the feet of the glowing Korra, a portal began to form up, as Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Princess Izumi looked on at it as both wondered what lay on the other side.
"In a week's time, Sha-Garou has vowed to end not just me, but all the Avatars in the universes, leaving them all defenseless to his whims."
A Korra in neon blue exercise spandex watched the portal open as her lover and friends, all clad in bright, loud clothes were outside on the park as the Bolin of this far out universe looked up from on top the hood of his DeLorean, turning off his radio.
"Radical…" He let out.
"But, I won't let that happen, I will, alongside those close to me and those who I've encountered on my journey, fight against Sha-Garou's evil…"
The large purple glowing Korra looked all over the many universes as it stood over the Republic City High School.
"... but we are not enough to stop him, to which I ask, anyone from all over the universes, those who know what I'm talking about, those who are now just finding out about this…"
Another Korra listened to the words being spoken of while on horseback in a desert, wearing an odd vest with tassels as her Asami rode on the back, a bandana around her neck as she held her arms around her, seeing the portal open up.
"... please, we need your help to fight Sha-Garou, to end him once and for all!"
In another universe, a leather jacket Korra sat in her fancy old school Satomobile as her Asami sat at her side, her hair in a bun while in a poodle dress, them and everyone ignoring the old monster movie projected on the large wooden screen.
"Now, if any of you listening are afraid of fighting, don't believe in taking another life or have someone whose side you don't want to leave, believe me, I GET IT. And truth be told… I'm scared too, I'm scared to go into battle…"
The face on the large glowing Korra showed self-doubt on her face.
"You'd more or less be going into war with a powerful opponent you may or may not have encountered and could fall."
Then the self-doubt on her face vanished, replaced by a look of assurance.
"But… we need the help, we need all the help we can get to stop Sha-Garou once and for all as together, we all have the power to stop him. So please, you have one week to make your mind up if you want to fight alongside me and the others to save our universes. If you do, just venture forth through the portal you see and it'll bring you to where I'll be, which will be where the battle is held. If you choose not to join, again, I completely understand, but if you do choose to fight… It'd be very much welcome…"
Giving a smile, the large glowing Korra gave a small bow to those who listened all over the universes.
"I am Avatar Korra Prime… and I thank you for listening…"
With that, the purple energy began to unform and shrank down from it's height all over the universes as the crew and the others ran close to the school courtyard where Korra used the energy of the Uchū crystal, seeing she was back to normal as she dropped down to her knees, her back to the purple glowing portal that now stood there.
"That… that was… WOW…" The Opal of this universe said in awe.
"Nice work Avatar Korra…" Sami, having gotten back control, a smile on her face…
… only for it to drop as she realized something as Korra unclenched her hands. "No, nonono! NO!" She cried out, grabbing the crystal.
"What's wrong?!" Kya asked to which the shadowbender rose up the crystal in hand, it wasn't purple anymore, just clear.
"This is bad, this is so freakin' bad!" Sami said as Hattori shuffled over, wondering what was up.
"Well, come on, tell us! Why in the name of Raava are you freaking out?"
"The Uchū crystal…" Sami began saying, rushing to where she threw her metal glove, inserted the crystal on it, put on the glove and tried clenching her hand, only for nothing to happen, getting the same result when she tried again before turning to a confused Korra with a look of petrified realization on her face.
"It's out of power."