"Get down into the plank position and hold it for four minutes! Now!" Azula ordered Korra.
"Can I at least get something soft to put my arms on?" Korra asked, exhausted. It was a warm evening. "It's cutting into my skin really bad when I hold it for more than thirty seconds."
"Stop complaining!" Azula shouted, her voice hoarse from giving out. "It was your decision to come off of the drugs four months ago, and all you've done in the meantime is whinge! We're extremely close to the end now anyway, just keep your tattoo in mind! That's what you've been training here for, isn't it?"
"Yes," Korra complied, and got into the shape for plank slowly. Ever since she'd come off the drugs, her training had become considerably harder. She barely remembered her training with them, what seemed like a happy time, where she could train six hours a day without getting too fed up. Now she struggled to keep up after half an hour. Azula wasn't going easy one bit either.
"Give me one reason why we work so much on bodyweight exercises!" Azula barked, hands on her hips.
"Good core strength," Korra mumbled, "is-"
"What!?" Azula screamed. "Speak up for an elderly lady!"
"GOOD CORE STRENGTH," Korra repeated, shouting, "HELPS YOU BREATH EASIER WHEN EXERCISING! THEREFORE, YOU CAN FURTHER BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF FIREBENDING, WHICH COMES FROM BREATHING!" Her outburst left Korra struggling to hold her shape perfectly as she was a little short of oxygen. Azula didn't get annoyed though, thankfully.
"Good," Azula told her. She abruptly stopped talking, which made the seconds tick by painfully slower than the snail's pace they were already going at. Korra bared her teeth as the burning sensation picked up. She let out a few grunts in between her sharp breathing, barely able to keep track of her surroundings.
"Two minutes to go," Azula announced after what felt like an eternity.
How can that have only been two minutes?! Korra thought, but was interrupted by Azula.
"Blow up that rock!" Azula demanded out of the blue, pointing at a designated rock Korra had erected earlier for shooting practice. It was the one thing where Azula had ever let Korra bend any element other than fire, creating targets with rocks.
"Yes!" Korra replied, jumping up. This was one of Azula's many cruel training exercises, where she would interrupt Korra suddenly with the order to combustion bend at something. Azula did it so cleverly that Korra would always be hoping for a sudden break, even after four intense months. It was brutal, but the point of it was to 'build discipline' as Azula had put it.
Korra closed her eyes, inhaling sharply through her nose. She made sure that her lips were sealed shut, tensing all the muscles in her body at once. As she inhaled, she lifted her chest, feeling the chi from her stomach rising up. As it seeped up around her head, Korra thought of Mako, the man she hated with a passion that only matched her love for Kalla. She condensed all her hate and chi into a tiny compression of willpower, which she then converted to materialism with firebending. Korra opened the imaginary third eye on her forehead, a gate with a lock that bulging. She focused on the hate, which was as clear as day, then opened her normal eyes.
The light-yellow bullet shot out of Korra's forehead, blitzing towards the target rock. Just before it made contact, Korra released the valve on the compression by exhaling, and as she did that, let her emotion blossom. The bullet exploded, shattering the rock and sending shards flying into the sea. The resulting shockwave sent Korra's long hair, which she'd meant to cut, rippling back. The explosion was strong enough to destroy three mechasuits in one go.
Korra rubbed her real eyes, sealing off the imaginary one in her forehead too. The way Azula had instructed her to combustion bend was to hold in all your resentment in your mind, never opening up about it. Only when you opened your third eye, should all the pent-up rage follow. They had talked about this while opening her fire chakra, which dealt with willpower, and was blocked by shame. It had taken a little bit of convincing, but Azula had shown Korra that her shame came from Kalla's father being so evil, and her willpower was to make everything right in killing Mako.
If only it were that easy, Korra thought. She told Azula that she was ready to kill Mako, but in her heart, she wasn't sure if that was a step she could take just yet. It was the same small string of self-restraint that kept her from killing Shinji, that she tried so hard to get rid of, but it wouldn't stop clinging to her. She wasn't sure that she could truly command this power how Azula told her to. There was one other big problem too.
Korra couldn't talk to Raava at all anymore. She sensed Vaatu becoming a cloak around Raava, and preventing Korra from going into the Avatar State through Raava. Vaatu was much more prominent now, and she felt that if she wanted to, she could talk to him freely. It wasn't like before where she would get snippets, but now Vaatu was straining to be released. Every time she combustion bent, she felt his presence thicken. It was worrying, but Korra decided to leave it be unless it was clear that it wouldn't fix itself.
"You've had no issue with the distance whatsoever," Azula remarked, not able to shout nearly as loud as she had at the beginning. "Usually, it would take a year for someone who's just learnt how to combustion bend to get the distance nailed down, before they even begin to consider power."
"Has that impressed you?" Korra asked, partially fed up. She understood how important discipline to combustion bending was, as she'd very nearly blown off a few of her limbs at the start, so she took all of the verbal abuse and snide comments that came when Azula was conducting her training, but other than that, Korra wasn't afraid to chat back to her. But the response she got startled her.
"I'll admit, I am," Azula confessed. "I've done my hardest to put you under pressure, but you've taken to it like a duck to water. When I told you six months at the very start, I was only saying that so I wouldn't deter you. But I wasn't far off, surprisingly."
"How long were you thinking?" Korra asked, genuinely shocked, but she never let any real emotional weakness show in front of Azula, because she generally pounced on it and tore Korra apart verbally with it.
"With everything taken into account, a year and a half was optimistic," Azula revealed. "We don't drug everyone - it's not affordable - so it would take the average talented, committed firebender six years, two or three spent on combustion bending alone."
"You're lucky that I didn't lose my fertility," Korra jibed. Her periods hadn't changed the entire time she had been on the island, Korra she assumed that she was safe. On the flip side, Korra had realised how much those drugs had benefited her, and while it was immoral to be using performance-enhancing drugs, she was secretly grateful for how many dark hours they'd helped her get through.
"I'm lucky?" Azula replied. "You're the only one who's lucky, sweetheart. I told you out of the good of my heart."
"Like you have one," Korra sneered. Their conversations generally weren't very friendly.
"I could've had you assassinated whenever I wanted," Azula reminded her. "You barely even realised that we sedated you every full moon!"
"You don't need much movement for combustion bending," Korra countered bitterly. "Bloodbending couldn't have done much."
"It's hardly too difficult to turn us the other way and then trap us in earth, is it?" Azula responded. Korra was about to reply, but decided to shut her mouth before Azula really embarrassed her. Azula won ninety percent of their arguments on a bad day, ninety-five on a normal day.
A few moments of a tense silence passed, before Azula clapped her hands. Korra's body shuddered at the thought of more exercise, but she kept in mind that her goal wasn't too far off.
"I need to make sure that you know all your rules," Azula said. "So we're not going to be doing any physical exercise at the minute." Korra silently rejoiced at the announcement, although she kept the exact same expression as before, so it seemed like she didn't care.
"Whatever," Korra said. "I had nothing better to do in my free time than learn it off."
"Shouldn't have a problem then," Azula said. "Describe to me the strengths and weaknesses of a combustion bender, in combat, let's say."
"Easy," Korra said. "The main strength of a combustion bender is their will. A combustion bender can only fuel their power with willpower, so if there is no significant reason or award behind them combustion bending, they can't use their power to their full ability. If their freedom is something they desperately crave, for an example, then locking them up with the promise of getting out will fuel their power."
"I meant, how can disable one's ability to combustion bend?" Azula rephrased.
"Oh," Korra realised. "If you can somehow manage to stun them, the sudden wave of nerves will confuse them, and keep them from solely thinking about blowing you up. That's how most combustion benders die, by it backfiring and exploding right in front of them. Another way to defeat them, or at least delay them, is to hold someone close to them as a hostage in their line of fire. That way they'll hold back, and won't have the conviction needed to blow you up with the hostage."
"That is correct," Azula admitted. "Now, I want you to send your most powerful blast into the ocean from here. Don't hold back in the slightest, I'll give you a proper break after. I want you to really let it rip."
"You've pulled that move before," Korra reminded her. "You made me do ninety pull-ups in seven minutes, remember?"
"No," Azula replied with mock innocence.
"Well I do," Korra responded.
"Well, I can guarantee that you'll be begging for me to go easy after if you keep this up," Azula told Korra. Korra wiped a few strands of hair out of her face, rolling her eyes, and faced the sea. But before she even began to breathe in, she heard Azula tsk.
"What is it?!" Korra snapped, twisting around.
"You're always meddling with your hair," Azula commented. "It's going to reach your waist soon. You should really shave it off, it's caused nothing but trouble the entire time you've been here." Korra nearly replied with a 'fuck-off', but caught herself just in time, knowing fully well what the punishment for that would be horrible.
"I'll think about it," she informed Azula, then faced the ocean. She was much more resilient now, able to combustion bend twenty to thirty times in a day, compared to being drained the first time she did it. Korra let her arms fall down by her side loosely, and imagined Mako's face among the waves.
The bastard, she thought, emphasising over and over again in her mind how evil he was. She remembered everything bad he'd ever done to her, villainising him as much as she could. Korra undid the chain that bound her imaginary third eye, which would at some point be real when she got her tattoo. She snarled, her chi building up in one spot as the father of her daughter crowded her thoughts completely. Korra tensed her body up, inhaling deeply, this time keeping her normal eyes open. She fixated on the point where she thought the foam kind of resembled his features, mentally screaming at it.
A small bullet of compressed air and fire bolted out of her forehead. It crossed the sixty-five metres in between Korra and the spot she was focusing on in a second and a half. Just before it hit the surface, she exhaled sharply. It exploded, immediately evaporating the water and everything else in the surrounding twenty metres in every direction. It created a sizeable crater in the water, before the sea caved in on itself. The vapour reached both Azula and Korra, sprinkling them with salt water.
There's definitely a relation to airbending there, Korra confirmed, although she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"How that?" Korra asked, holding out her hands and turning back to Azula as she calmed down once more.
"Send a fifteen metre by ten metre column of fire into the ocean," Azula ordered immediately. Korra didn't say anything, but just faced the left end of the arena. She put all her weight on her right leg, stretching her left as far as she could while still keeping her sole on the ground. Korra reached out to her left boot with her index and middle fingers pointed out on both hands, then brought them gracefully around in a rainbow arc, reaching as far as she could. As her fingers passed over her head, blue flame trailed after them.
A roaring column of blue fire was unleashed from her fingers as she touched the ground, finishing her arc. It rumbled towards the spot which was still chopping from Korra's other shot. It crashed violently into the waves, throwing up water, before sizzling out after a long enough wrestle.
Azula muttered something inaudible, which was very unusual of her, given how she liked bossing people around, but Korra didn't bother bringing it up when she walked up to Azula.
"Huge break, wasn't it," Korra jibed, hands on her hips.
"I think it's time," Azula said, ignoring Korra's comment. "It's time."
"Time for me to get my tattoo?" Korra joked, trying to hide the fact she was breathing quite heavily.
"I think…" Azula said hesitantly, "yes, I think it is."
Korra stayed looking at Azula the same way as before, until what Azula's words meant hit her. She blinked, not believing her ears, and switched her attention on fully.
"Say again?" Korra requested.
"It's time to get your tattoo," Azula reiterated. "The tattoo that lets everyone know that you're a combustion bender."
"Wait… I only meant that as a joke," Korra explained, then realised what she'd just said. "Wait, no, what I meant was… Can you say that again?"
Instead, Korra just received a hard slap on the cheek, which stung a lot hard than Korra would've expected from a ninety-year-old woman.
"Listen, for fuck's sake!" Azula scolded her, but Korra suddenly couldn't be disappointed. Anticipation started to build up in her chest, and she couldn't stop a wide grin from cheek to cheek forming.
"Sorry," Korra apologised, although the grin stayed on her face. Now that she was finally at the end, she could admit that it had been torture, not only physically but also socially. She hadn't had any fun the entire time, and barely any nice conversations at all. She could probably count them all on her fingers.
"If that's the attitude you're going to be showing," Azula threatened, "I'd be very inclined to take back what I just said!"
"I'm sorry, Master Azula!" Korra corrected herself. She bowed to Azula, trying to wipe the smile off of her face, but the edges of her mouth still tugged to curl upwards.
"We'll get it done tomorrow," Azula declared, then whistled. Korra looked up, and saw Tatsuo fly out from his hiding spot 100 metres away. He landed gracefully, although there was a scowl on his face, even though he couldn't have possibly heard them talking from that distance.
"Master," he greeted Azula, bowing. The first time Korra had met Azula with Tatsuo, she had thought it was a bit over-the-top how submissive he had been, but she was used to it now.
"We need two combustion benders to witness you combustion bend to prove that you're worthy of your tattoo," Azula explained to Korra. "Although you just saw it there, didn't you, Tatsuo?"
"I could've been anyone passing by," Tatsuo protested stubbornly. "She can do it again, surely."
"No problem," Korra told Tatsuo smugly, turning around to face the ocean one more time. She didn't give it too much thought, as everyone on the island wanted her gone for being water-tribe, but she was a little surprised to see Tatsuo challenging Azula. He was probably hoping for her to mess up, which would be a miracle in his eyes.
Not going to let that happen, Korra thought, culling her excited feelings. When she felt no emotion in herself at all, she vividly imagined Mako's face, jeering at her.
I'd get rid of that baby if I got the chance, his voice echoed around her head, even though he'd never actually said that. She built up her resentment as her chi drifted upwards from her stomach to her head. Him holding Kalla like she was a bomb came to the forefront of her mind, and that fuelled her even more. Korra despised him more than anything in the world.
You'll never lay your filthy hands on our daughter again, she vowed, taking in a deep breath through her nose. She tensed up her body, pinpointing her fury at a random wave.
The bullet flashed out of Korra's forehead, reaching the water even quicker this time. A loud boom was heard all across the island as Korra evaporated another large portion of water with combustion bending. This was a little further away this time, so it didn't sprinkle her. She took in large deep, breaths to calm herself down, locking away her rage again. She heard Tatsuo sigh behind her.
"Well?" she asked, turning back to face them. "What do you think?"
Tatsuo just stood there with a grimace, glaring at her, before he relented, his shoulders sagging. "Very well," he agreed, knowing he was giving Korra the satisfaction of beating him. "You uphold your side of the deal first, then I'll tattoo it on."
"Wait, no," Korra disagreed. "If I do that, then you won't have to give me my tattoo!"
"Nonsense," Tatsuo argued back. "I'm the artist, only I can give you the tattoo! It doesn't actually impair your ability to combustion bend if you don't have the tattoo!"
"It's just so that I'm guaranteed that you can't weasel out!" Korra retorted, raising her voice. "I can't escape the island anyway if you guys turn on me, we're way too far from the mainland to travel without a boat. There's no disadvantage for you here, except maybe an extra three hours on top of the thirty years you've waited so far!"
"Don't shout about it so much!" Tatsuo hissed, clenching his fists. Him and Korra were ready to go further with their argument, but then, Azula surprised them both.
"I agree with her," Azula stated, resulting in shocked looks from both Tatsuo and Korra. They broke their stare to look at her oddly.
"But, but, but-" Tatsuo stuttered. "You're siding with her?"
"Really?" Korra asked as well.
"You're not officially a graduate of mine until you get your tattoo," Azula stated. "And therefore, I wouldn't have officially taught you combustion bending. I don't remember exactly what we agreed on, but the concept was obvious."
"But it's your firebending!" Tatsuo cried, throwing his hands out in confusion, disregarding how he told Korra to be quiet a few seconds ago. "Why would you let her… convince you into this?" Tatsuo definitely wanted to say a different word than 'convince', but had too much respect for Azula to go that far.
"What's the matter with you?" Azula asked. "You usually never question me!"
"It's just… well…" Tatsuo trailed off, then bit his lip. "As you wish, Master."
"Good," Azula said. "Now get everything ready for tomorrow. The application of the tattoo will begin at dawn. You are dismissed, Tatsuo."
"Yes, Master," Tatsuo complied, shooting Korra a dirty look, then storming off. He knew just as well as Korra how stubborn Azula was when the old woman put her heart into it. Thankfully, out of the many conversations where it hasn't benefited Korra, the trait came good for the Avatar this one time it mattered.
"Thank you, Master Azula," Korra said. "To be honest, I'm a little… surprised."
"Don't go expecting it on a regular basis," Azula told Korra snidely. "There's usually a public ceremony to welcome a new combustion bender into our ranks, but you're not getting one."
"How come?" Korra asked, feeling slightly offended.
"You have no friends here," Azula told her bluntly. "I don't know where you got the illusion that you do, but it's false. I saw the glares back when you fought Shinji Nakemura all those months ago, and to be honest, I'm very surprised that that's the only Agni Kai you've gotten into. Perhaps my subordinates are going soft."
"I get your point," Korra started, "but I thought that no-one here was meant to have friends. That's why barely anyone ever talks outside."
"There's a mutual respect between everyone who is dedicated to the program," Azula said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But you're not part of the program, so they have no reason to respect you."
"I think another way of putting that is that you're all incredibly racist here," Korra countered. "I'm the only black person, anyone who has anything close to my skin tone is just tanned."
"We're patriotic," Azula put it differently, but she was essentially giving Korra the middle finger. "Your training is done; you can go home now. There's no more training today."
Korra harrumphed, and started to walk back home. She was used to it so much that it honestly didn't bother her too much that Azula was being open with it, all the rest of the islanders were on a daily basis. It was just one of those things she had to put her pride in the rear view for the sake of being practical.
"One final thing," Azula called out. Korra turned around, exasperated. She wasn't prepared to give whatever Azula had to say much attention, but as the old lady proposed her idea to Korra, Korra couldn't help but immediately take an interest. She pretended not to care too much though, as she was still annoyed at Azula.
"You just admitted to me that no-one likes me," Korra reminded her. "Why would you go making an offer like this even though our deal will be fulfilled tomorrow?"
"Sleep on it," Azula advised. "We can flesh everything out tomorrow."
"Fine," Korra agreed nonchalantly. But as she walked home, the temptation of the offer burned in her gut. After an hour or so of lying in bed and solely considering it, Korra decided that she certainly was interested. She wasn't committing to anything just yet, as Azula hadn't given a reason as to why she wanted to do it, but Korra figured there was no harm in just a conversation.
Korra pursed her lips, sitting in Azula's chamber for the third time ever. She'd cut her hair back to shoulder-length, wondering how long she had really been on the island, since Azula wasn't saying a word for whatever reason. Korra had begun to believe that Azula didn't know herself.
Korra's leg jiggled uncontrollably as she waited outside the door hidden just to the side of the dim blue chamber, because of two reasons. One, she usually had training at this time, so her body naturally built up energy. But the second was that she had something to look forward to today. Nearly every other day, it had the exact same get up, eat, rest, eat, train, with essentially no change to the routine. She could never go outside comfortably because she couldn't relax with other people constantly sending her dirty looks, so that instantly ruled out a lot.
"Come in," Tatsuo beckoned suddenly, opening the wooden door. Korra practically shot up, but Tatsuo wasn't in nearly as good as a mood. "Don't fuckin' rub it in just because you're a fast learner!"
"Sorry," she apologised humbly, her head down. She wasn't as stupid to purposely aggravate the person who was about to put a detailed tattoo on her forehead. Korra followed him into the room quietly, where there was a rough slab of rock in the middle of a very sparse room. It had literally been hollowed out of the rock, with the bare equipment necessary for a tattoo artist beside a chair by the slab of rock. There was a lamp positioned just above where Korra was supposed to put her head.
"Hello, Korra," Azula greeted graciously, looking up from the book she was reading. She had a comfy chair to sit on, of course, and a candle on a drawer to help her see. "Have you considered my offer?"
"You're in a very good mood today," Korra pointed out, immediately noticing how Azula used her first name. "Should I get a picture to put in the history books?"
"How dare you!?" Tatsuo growled, ready to punch Korra. "Show a bit of respect for the Master!"
"It's okay, Tatsuo," Azula told him, with a… kind smile on her face? "Nothing could possibly ruin my day today."
Maybe if you were told that every child an orphanage got adopted, Korra joked in her head, but didn't say it out loud when she replied; "I'm going to think about it while Tatsuo's putting the tattoo on, but it's definitely worth discussing."
"What's this?" Tatsuo demanded from Korra.
"You've already got enough on your plate, I don't think it's worth your time bothering you with this," Azula answered. "It was hard enough for you to fit this into your day, so I thought I'd spare you the trouble. You know it can't be too important if I ran it by her and not you. You're my right-hand man, after all."
Tatsuo exhaled heavily, frustrated, through his nose, but trusted his superior on this one. He sat down in his chair, tidying his tools up a little bit more. Korra lay down on the slab, taking the pair of sunglasses that lay beside all of Tatsuo's tools. She put them on and laid her head back, indicating that she was ready.
Korra had originally had her worries about giving Tatsuo a free target to pierce through in her forehead, but realised that if Azula wanted her dead, they would've killed her long ago. Even if they had wanted to get Azula's firebending back and then kill her, they could've definitely talked Korra into her giving Azula's bending back first, then getting the tattoo.
It was an incredibly long, boring job, especially for Korra, as she just had to lie there still, not moving. Tatsuo first traced an outline of the tattoo, taking his time to get every detail right. His garlic breath reeked, but Korra just reminded herself that she could be breaking a sweat training every time she felt like gagging because of it. Azula didn't say anything at all, just looking up from her book occasionally.
Korra swore that Tatsuo was digging the needle deeper than he had to when he got to the main part of outlining. She wanted to scream, but made do with digging her fingers into the slab she was lying on.
After what felt like a full day, Tatsuo finally stood up and clapped his hands, satisfied with his work. Korra didn't move though, unsure if this tediously slow and painful procedure was done with. She regarded him warily, as if he was going to spring something on her.
"Another fine job, if I do say so myself," Tatsuo stated proudly, stretching after a long period of time hunched over. "No heavy exercise for the next three days, or, if possible, no exercise at all, Avatar. To avoid sweating."
"Let me see," Azula said, standing up. Korra sat up, and she took off her sunglasses.
"Is it ok?" the twenty-three-year-old asked, worried at the thought of having to redo it.
"It's perfect," Azula commented. "Tatsuo, well done. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You don't need to thank me," Tatsuo said, but he beamed at the praise.
"Thank you, Tatsuo," Korra said, but all her did was nod at her to acknowledge it.
"Here's what you look like," Azula said, holding out a pocket mirror. Korra got up and took it. She flipped it open, peering at her forehead.
Spirits, I forgot how ugly it would look! was Korra's first thought. I've grown used to it because I see a blue one on Azula's forehead every day, but… that's really not nice.
The young Avatar had a eye with a red pupil in the middle of her forehead, with three thin stripes coming out either side. Now that she thought of it, every female combustion bender had this version of the tattoo, while the lines on the men's were much thicker and straighter.
"They're not meant to look pretty," Azula commented dryly, and knelt down, rubbing her hands in anticipation. "Now, it's time for you to uphold your end of the deal."
"Yes, of course!" Korra realised, snapping her attention back to Azula. She shut the mirror, gently placing it on the ground, and walked over to Azula. She wiggled her limbs, expelling a little bit of laziness out of them. She stepped forward in front of Azula, taking long, deep breaths.
Korra's mind naturally thought about making a break for it now, but there was no way Korra was going to consider that. She wasn't a snake, who would just leave as soon as she had to uphold her end of the deal, but Azula had cleverly placed a little insurance in Korra just in case. The offer she'd made yesterday was too tempting to turn down for Korra, and Azula knew that. Azula stared right up at Korra as the Avatar placed her thumb on Azula's forehead. She reached for Raava deep down inside her.
But for some reason, it wouldn't come.
Not now! Korra thought urgently as Raava's spirit, for whatever reason, resisted the summoning. Korra frowned, putting in more effort than was normally necessary. But all that wanted to come up was Vaatu. Korra panicked, cursing herself for not recognising the signs of what could happen when she couldn't speak to Raava before. She tried harder and harder to go into the Avatar State through Raava, but as twenty seconds passed, still, nothing came. She felt the other two getting suspicious.
"What's wrong?" Tatsuo asked. "Why haven't you started?"
"It takes a minute or so to get ready," Korra lied, worry creeping into her voice. She heard Azula make some kind of disapproving sound; she clearly didn't buy what Korra told them.
I have the exact same powers as Raava, Vaatu whispered in Korra's head. Use me. You're not in an emotional state, so you can control me just fine.
Fuck off! Korra replied mentally, still trying her hardest. She had squeezed her eyes tight in the process of trying to energybend.
That man is eyeing you up right now, Vaatu warned. If he smells your bullshit, he won't hesitate in blasting you up. He's always hated you, Korra, you've just become blind to it because you accepted it.
I don't need your power! Korra reiterated. Fuck off back to where you normally stay. And quietly!
You say that, Vaatu started, yet you are calling for my power as we speak. You were in perfect control of your actions when you took that other firebender's bending back at the South Pole. Don't let your stubbornness kill you.
I'd rather die than use your power! Korra responded.
What about Kalla? Vaatu responded, and Korra instantly knew that Vaatu had her cornered. She would only have Mako as a parent if you died here. Consider that.
Korra wanted to tell him 'no' so badly, but then Tatsuo interrupted their argument.
"I've meditated into the spirit world myself plenty of times before," Tatsuo told Korra. "And I have a knack for sensing changes in spiritual energy. It's not great, but I sense jack-shit around you! What game are you playing, Avatar?"
"Just a few more seconds," Korra said. She gave in. I hope you know that this won't be a regular occurrence, she told Vaatu as she summoned his power.
Of course not, he replied, then slipped away as Korra's eyes glowed red. The destructive urge that came with Vaatu's power pulled at Korra, but she resisted them as her thumb was surrounded in a bright red glow. Azula's eyes widened as Korra restored her firebending, slowly but surely. After thirteen seconds, the light shut off completely and Korra stumbled away, breathing heavily. The mental strain from using the Avatar State through Vaatu hit much harder than with Raava.
Azula stood up slowly as Korra rubbed her temples. The old lady held her palm out, lighting a blue fire, and no matter how much she tried to act cool, her mouth stretched into a smile. Tatsuo's did too.
"Wonderful," she whispered, staring at the fire, delighted.
"This is brilliant!" Tatsuo exclaimed.
"It is," Azula agreed, then looked up at Tatsuo. "We can celebrate later. For now, you need to sort out that shipment. You know the Juninho's, they always kick up a fuss if you're late. Go. Now!"
"Yes, Master!" he accepted instantly, and hurried ecstatically out the door. That left just Korra and Azula in the room.
"Have you thought about my offer?' Azula asked immediately, not wasting anytime on pleasantries.
"You're welcome," Korra replied sarcastically. "I have, but there's one question I need answered before I say anything. Why? What's the benefit in it for you?"
"That's simple," Azula told Korra, and held out a wiry strand of hair. "I don't have much time left in this world. I wish it could be someone like Tatsuo to learn it, but he has tried endlessly and failed continuously. If you master this technique under me, it will be my greatest legacy aside from discovering it myself."
"But I really want to see my daughter!" Korra argued for the sake of getting an excuse she couldn't think of.
"No-one will ever come near you or your daughter if you can split your combustion bending into two bullets simultaneously," Azula told Korra. "You told me yourself, it's your duty as the Avatar to explore every element to its strongest extent, or something along those lines."
Korra grumbled. It was the most annoying thing when someone used to your own logic against you, but she had already made up her mind anyway while Tatsuo was applying the tattoo. She just needed a good enough reason to stay on the island away from the outside world for another extended period of time.
"Very well," Korra agreed.
"Excellent!" Azula exclaimed, then composed herself. "I mean, very good. I'll have you notified when we start up training again."
Korra looked closer at Azula's eyes, but when she blinked, it was gone. But for half a second there, Korra swore that she saw… pride?
"What's with the red glow?" Azula asked, cutting off Korra's thoughts.
"It's spiritual," Korra told her, not wanting to explain her dilemma to Azula. "Really complicated. Not worth your time."
"Does it have anything to do with why the tattoo is glowing?" Azula asked.
"The tattoo glowed?" Korra repeated, surprised. "Really?"
"I suppose you wouldn't know then," Azula said, then strolled out the door, leaving Korra alone in the room.
"I guess," Korra said out loud, "it's probably like airbending tattoos then. I mean, I guess it makes sense."
"What was that?" Azula called from her chamber.
"Nothing!" Korra replied, and decided to give it more thought when she got back to her house.