Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Korra. This story is non-profit.

In this story, despite it being post-Book 3, Korra's Avatar State isn't weakened due to the loss of her former selves but more powerful as requested. But Korra will not use it as often.

Enjoy.

KEY:

SW= Spirit World

WoL= World of Living

HC= Harmonic Convergence

-Apprentice+

Yep, all fire-benders are idiots… Korra thought to herself as she watched Zuko and Mako engage the very first spirit they come across. Not all spirits are bad... Unless they were under control or provoked, they'd remain in the SW or simply roam/haunt their territory. But these two knuckleheads must be on something to immediately start fighting with no questions asked. They had just split up 20mins prior.

Korra, Zuko, and Mako had arrived to the HC entrance in relatively short time; Korra had them travel through multiple portals until they reached the North Pole portal to the HC Unalaq had used prior. Upon arrival, they initially investigated the 100-meter radius of the portal from the WoL entry with Zuko and Mako splitting from Korra. At first, Korra was surprised Mako would let her out of his sight. Surely, Asami had trained Mako like she had trained Naga to be overly protective and restrictive. And so they split up… And not two minutes later, Korra could see masses of flames and lightning flashes in the distance over some snow banks.

Korra slid down a hill to a clearing featuring her fellow fire-benders and a figure wearing a mask. The masked being had its back to her so Korra couldn't really get a good look at the mask. Why does it feel like I've seen that mask somewhere before- Korra quickly evaded a massive fireball coming her way; the masked man had danced around the attack and it was heading right for Korra instead. Rolling through the snow, Korra turned her head to the source and shouted, "Friendly fire, ya moron!-" Korra stopped short when she realized she just scolded Lord Zuko.

Lord Zuko wasn't paying attention to the Avatar. He was currently hell-bent on pinning the masked being with an attack. With every fireball the masked man dodged, Mako lined up a shot and fired off his lightning towards the anticipated landing site of their opponent. Growing tired of the fruitless strategy of fire, Zuko resorted to lightning as well. Timing their attacks, the two Nation men took aim and unleashed their strikes at once. As the unnatural lightning arched towards the masked man, no one was more surprised than Korra when the masked being didn't move to evade and the twin strikes phased right through and sped towards her.

To say her life flashed before her eyes was an understatement. It wasn't just her life, but the lives of every previous Avatar that dealt with lightning. That's how the Avatar State worked; an extremely stressful battle would trigger the State right before a kill-shot and the experience of whoever overcame the incoming threat beforehand would take control to save the current Avatar from the danger with overwhelming mastery. Just that one encounter, though. Hence the threat of any other elemental attack from a hidden foe.

In this case, Korra saw glimpses from Aang's fight with a young woman and then a flash of his fight with the past Fire Lord, Ozai. Raising her hand, extending her index and middle finger, Korra deftly received the combined charge of Lord Zuko and Mako's lightning. Extending her charged hand to the other, she discharged it into the sky. With her eyes glowing bright, faint electrical currents surging her frame, she turned to glower at those responsible.

The masked figure held his hands up defensively in front of him before pointing towards the two. Both Zuko and Mako were scandalized under the haunting gaze.

"Spirit, you do not have claim of this territory. What is the reason for your being here instead of the Spirit World?" Korra/Aang questioned the masked figure.

To the question, their opponent made a hand gesture and knelt down with his head bowed. The masked man stayed like that, awaiting a reaction from the Avatar.

Their eyes narrowed at the action but didn't speak of his intentions. After a few moments of contemplating the act of surrender, Korra's eyes faded and she regarded the spirit with a frown. This spirit didn't look to be possessed by darkness nor had it offensively attacked the entire time. Upon closer inspection, Korra couldn't find any noticeable features out of the ordinary for a spirit. The masked one seemed more humanoid than primal like the other spirits Korra had come across in her lifetime. "Get up."

Rising, the masked man looked right at Korra, either ignoring Lord Zuko and Mako as they moved to flank the spirit or not noticing from behind the mask only the spirit knew. Unperturbed by the intense glare Zuko was boring into the side of its mask; the spirit stood idle looking at Korra to tell him what to do next.

While it did unnerve Korra to some degree to be stared at from the mask holes, she cleared her throat and got on with the interrogation. "You're a unique spirit; the first humanoid spirit I've seen in the WoL." Korra started circling around the spirit, observing its stature. "Usually, your kind shape-shifts into an animal or even some other form of inanimate nature." She stopped in front of it. "Why aren't you?"

The spirit remained motionless. It didn't look as if it would respond anytime soon. By the looks of the demon mask, it was as if the spirit wasn't obligated to play along with the interrogation.

"Avatar Korra, if I may…"

Korra turned to Lord Zuko with a raised brow. What's with the formality? It would be best if she responded in kind. "What is it, Lord Zuko?"

Nodding, Zuko continued, "This spirit has a striking resemblance to 'the Blue Spirit'. An identity I've disguised myself on several occasions in my youth as a vigilante…"

"Vigilante…?" Mako started. He'd be damned if he didn't hear that story! When Zuko gave him a look, Mako coughed and found a piqued interest in the snow by his feet. Gotta get that story on another occasion I guess…

Zuko used to reserve said look for Sokka when the warrior made an inquiry at a less than ideal moment in time. "As I was saying… After we separated, Mako and I encountered this spirit exiting the HC. When we confronted it, I saw the mask and started asking it why it adorned such a mask. It didn't respond at that time, so I-"

"Used another means of persuasion to get the answers you wanted?" Korra finished.

"What I'm saying is that this spirit isn't well-inclined to answer personal questions nor will it disclose its business here." Zuko acted as if he didn't regard Korra's assumption.

"Not only is it pretty suspicious but it won't cooperate either." Mako chipped in, crossing his arms with a scowl.

Korra took in their thoughts on the matter before turning back to the masked spirit. "While my friends' methods are questionable, I have to know if you're going to cooperate or not, spirit-"

Like the trio expected, the masked spirit didn't answer. But before Korra asked in another word assortment, the being reached up and started untying its mask. "My name is Asger, neither 'it' nor 'spirit'." The man's face was angular with dark brown facial hair consisting of a thin mustache hanging just past his chin and a goatee of the same length. The piercing amber eyes were a dead giveaway to confirm that the spirit was Fire Nation, or previously. His hair was slicked back into a more traditional topknot. "In a previous life, I was the Avatar preceding Avatar Yangchen."

"Avatar Asger?" Korra thought out loud, to which Asger nodded in confirmation.

"Fire Nation?"

Asger nodded once more.

Korra wanted verbal answers. "Do the other previous avatars live in the SW and wear masks as well?"

"Yes, the others reside in the SW but they do not share the requirement I have when I visit the WoL." Asger informed. Nothing more, nothing less

Korra furrowed her brows. It seemed like Asger would only provide so much information in his answers. Perhaps the questions should be more straight-forward. Korra nodded in the direction of Mako. "If you're willing to cooperate, I'd like you to answer the questions of my ally; he's a detective and is more suited for this type of thing."

Asger nodded and turned to face the one he assumed was Mako since the other was referred to as 'Lord Zuko'.

Mako was surprised and appreciative for Korra's notion of letting him do the interrogation. "Thank you, Avatar Korra," Mako kept up the formal speak and turned to face Asger. "Can you tell us why you've entered the WoL through a portal used to access the HC?"

"You aren't asking the right questions…" Asger replied bluntly.

Mako quirked his brow at that response. "What do you define as 'the right questions' then?"

"To tell you 'why' I'm here at this point in time, you must all know 'what' I am first."

Mako set his jaw. I hate dealing with cryptic people… "We know what you are, you're the spirit of an avatar-"

"Correct, but I'm also a spirit recruited by the Zelai Order to uphold justice and balance between the three realms."

Mako was grateful to Zuko for mentioning the Order earlier, but he still needed to see if Asger was bluffing or not. "Zelai Order? Does that order have anything to do with the White or Red Lotus?"

"No, I have not heard of the Red Lotus and while I do know of the White Lotus, Zelai deals with humans, spirits, and purgatory spirits' dealings in their respective realms."

"Purgatory spirits-" Mako did wonder what the third realm was since Zuko last told them.

"Back on topic, Mako." Lord Zuko commented when he noticed Mako's curiosity was getting the better of him once again.

"Ah, yes." Mako cleared his throat to cover his slip. "What does the knowing of this order have to do with your reasons for being here?"

"My commander sent me as a scout to track down a fugitive."

Mako didn't bother delving into who Asger's commander was. It must've been someone powerful enough to recruit a former avatar and it was a question for another time. "And the first place you look is in the WoL instead of your home-realm?"

"We have reason to suspect that this spirit has fled to this realm to elude us."

"Would this escapee happen to be a spirit dragon?" Zuko intervened.

"Yes." Asger nodded, still keeping his answers short.

Zuko nodded to Korra and then Mako. "One last question, Avatar Asger… What are your reasons for wearing that mask?" Zuko realized that he was pulling a 'Mako' and that the teenager was giving a look of annoyance, but Zuko decided to ignore it for the time being and get the answer to his personal mystery.

Asger held up the mask and said, "This is my mask to begin with, Lord Zuko. I should ask why you're wearing something of mine during your youth." Asger gave the Fire lord a dull look. "This mask represents a demon seeking not only vengeance but also justice."

Zuko wasn't expecting that. "So you're the Blue Spirit? But weren't you the Avatar?"

"Like you, I was myself during the day, but when night fell I donned the mask to preserve justice as a vigilante. Avatar Asger could not do the same things the Blue Spirit could when it came to dealing justice." Asger gave Zuko a knowing look.

Zuko nodded, understanding the undertones of what Asger was really referring to. "That will be all, Avatar Asger." Zuko delved into his thoughts at this new piece of information.

"Good news, then, Asger. We're all working to find this escaped spirit-"

Just then, a portal opened up and a dragon flew out of it. The same dragon from the death-match!

Everyone standing was about to duck down in cover, but their balance was suddenly shifted and they all fell in a heap instead. Punching the ground from her position, Korra got a quick sense of what was happening below. The quick scope she got of what was going on underground made her stomach drop. By the time she and her friends were settled on the ground, the overhead dragon that came from the portal was flapping its wings, positioned right above them. In an instant, Korra tapped the ground again right before breaking the platform they were all on and shifting it away.

The spot they were just at exploded, snow and ice flying in all directions. A beast with scales resembling that of the bark of a pine tree, with a mossy-green mane along its spine, and an elongated nose curving back onto its snout emerged. The length of the beast's body could easily be that of one of the Police fleet airships. "Stay where you are, Lightning, we have you surrounded. The chase ends here." It spoke.

The dragon in the air responded, "We? You're the sole enforcer chasing me here to this location, Req…" Lightning observed before he turned to see that the portal he exited was still open. Lightning didn't even have time to think why it was still active when another came out and collided into him.

Korra, Mako, and Zuko could only watch as yet another dragon came diving out of the portal above. Asger moved from the group as the latest dragon used its barbed tail to send Lightning careening away and landed next to the wooden beast. "Commander Miruk, Captain Req, I've enlisted the help of Raava's current Avatar and her allies to aid us in capturing the traitor."

Enlisted…? Was the collective thought going through Korra's group. Mako spoke up first in the relative pause of silence. "Hold on a second… We said we're looking for the escaped spirit too, not that we would swear into your world's military-"

"Hey, Mako! Korra, we found Zion!"

Mako stilled with dread and peered upward towards the head of one of the spiritual beasts. "Korra, please tell me Bolin's dumb-ass isn't aboard a frickin' spirit dragon…" Mako asked with a strained expression and twitching brow. Bolin's insistent adoration for dragons as of late was starting to take a toll on Mako's nerves. Their allegiance better not be because Bolin had already spoken on everyone's behalf.

Before Korra could answer, the dragon bucked not only Bolin, but Zion and Asami as well. Zion ended up falling right on top of Korra while Bolin and Asami handled their own landings. "Avatar Korra," Commander Miruk, Korra presumed, glanced in her direction and said, "I happened upon these mortals claiming to be your comrades. Is this true?"

Korra stood up and announced that Bolin, Asami, and Zion to some extent, were in fact her allies. But before she could ask a question of who he was, Miruk nodded and turned away to consult with his own allies. It didn't matter, though, as Korra was already connecting the dots. The dragon her friends arrived on had an air of authority around it and Korra guessed that it was the commander. Asger not only recognized the dragons but also stated their names. It was a safe bet to say that they were all members of the Zelai Order. That, and the fact they unknowingly got themselves enlisted into their cause.

When neither dragon was looking, Korra quickly yanked her friends into a huddle. "What the hell, guys?! I tell you to find Zion and this happens?!" Korra whispered/yelled at Bolin and Asami. Their mission went from capturing a rogue spirit dragon to accidentally getting into the middle of Zelai business.

Asami sheepishly scratched the side of her head. "Well, we did find Zion…"

"And you just so happened to find an army of spiritual dragons along the way!" Mako hissed at his ex.

"Don't act like you didn't find a member of Zelai too! The commander said you guys started fighting the one in the mask, no questions asked!" Asami retorted.

Mako's eyes widened at that. "Commander?! Don't tell me you already joined up with those things!"

"And you guys say I'm the reckless one…" Zion muttered under his breath.

"Shut up, Zion!" Team Avatar shouted at the teenager.

"All of you can shut your mouths… Despite the new arrivals of Zelai, we're still on the battlefield so act accordingly." Zuko scolded the young adults.

While the war hero was right, Korra still replied, "We outnumber Lightning ten-to-one, Lord Zuko. The mission is as good as done." Korra felt the rise of her confidence uplifting her and with her friends nearby she felt nigh-invincible. Letting out a shaky breath, Korra welcomed the renewed feeling.

Lord Zuko turned to face her, his face contorted to an expression of disdain. He often applied it when Aang got too overconfident that his Avatar State could solve any problem before a battle. "I implore you to take this more seriously, Avatar Korra. Your injuries bar you from performing at your best, much less effectively incapacitating a spirit."

Korra's shoulders slumped at that. How could he have possibly known about my recovery-?

"Prior to meeting you in the City, I took the privilege of requesting your status from your teachers, Chief Bei-Fong and Master Tenzin. Along with my dear friend's diagnosis, she said a normal person in your position should be bound to a wheelchair for another three months, but someone like you could easily overcome the final recovery steps."

Seeing how Korra held herself a few moments ago and then sinking back into despair made her friends react angrily towards Lord Zuko.

"Perhaps it was unwise to seek your aid. You've been out of your wheelchair for 24 hours and you already rearing to go right back into it so soon." Zuko crossed his arms and ignored the withering glares from her friends. "It's good to have confidence in yourself, Korra, but don't let your ego as the Avatar get you killed. Take this advice to heart; you are not invincible… Now get ready, Lightning is advancing towards us now.

"If Asger has allies coming through portals, it's a safe bet to say that the opposing dragon also has friends lurking about too…" Zuko speculated, shrugging off the heavier articles of clothing to ready for the upcoming battle.

The immediate area around Miruk began to rapidly evaporate; the snow vanished while the dirt floor started breaking down. "Order your allies to stand down, Avatar." Miruk snarled as steam flowed from his flared nostrils. Asger and Req wisely distanced themselves from their fuming commander. "Mortals cannot incapacitate spirits of high calibers without causing a massive energy disruption. I cannot allow you to engage this spirit at your current levels. This traitor's punishment will be dealt solely by me-"

"You must be foolish if you think we would pass up the chance to fight our wardens…" A crack in the icy floor beneath Korra's group cracked and air pressure emerged from it following the unknown person's voice.

Everyone was thrown off balance by the ground floor beneath them suddenly shifting, separating Team Avatar into their own groups. Korra and Zion, Bolin and Asami and Lord Zuko, while Mako was left by himself.

The one responsible for the disruption and the one who the voice from earlier belonged to emerged from the ground where Team Avatar was positioned behind the Zelai commander and agents. "There's no honor in fighting a sole opponent with overwhelming numbers, Zelai elites…" The newest arrival announced, turning to sneer at Miruk.

"That coming from a Purgist is insulting, if anything." Captain Req criticized the Purgist. "What business does one of the eldest of the Purgatory Lands have here, Kenke?"

Like Asger, this spirit was more human than primal. Kenke towered at the height of seven or so feet, had an intimidatingly strongman physique with stone-like muscles, and had a shaved head with an array of cloud body etchings marked along his head and neck. The only facial hair he had was a wild unkempt beard that was greying. His outfit wasn't too outlandish, it was an older design of rags that those in exile would wear in the earlier times. "Lending a hand to one of our own, Req. Not that the Zelai Order would know anything about helping out their own kind…" Kenke stared right back at Req with defiance emitting from him.

New arrivals appeared out of thin air, surrounding both the scattered Team Avatar and Zelai Order. There were a number of 'dark spirits' that looked to be possessed, but there were also some among them with identifying characteristics that held their own presence among the foot soldiers.

"Zuvanir's grace, I've never seen this many Purgists in this close proximity in all my years…" Zuko remarked, scanning the area.

Asami clicked his gauntlets online and tried to get a better standing in the slippery snow as she scanned her group's immediate area. "Lord Zuko," Asami whispered beside him, "What are these things?"

"Purgists, Ms. Sato." Lord Zuko repeated.

"Are they another Order or are they possessed spirits?"

"No, they aren't possessed. They are wicked spirits that have been sentenced to spend the rest of their afterlife in the Purgatory Lands for crimes they committed in their mortal lifetimes. Heinous criminals, corrupt nobles, merciless war lords, all scum of their eras that were punished for eternity by the Zelai Order."

"If they're supposed to be punished for eternity, what are they doing here? Why break out of prison just to fight the commander that put them behind bars?" Bolin shook his head at the less than ideal situation these Purgists put themselves in. Not like he could talk, though. He was an earth-bender stuck in heaps of snow. He couldn't fight as well if the packed snow was weighing down his element. And he had friendly fire to think about so he couldn't punch a magma deposit to use either.

"That's a fair question, mortal…"

Bolin jumped at the closeness of the voice. He turned to his right to see a miniature version of the wood-like dragon resting on his shoulder plate. "Whoa, guys!" Bolin turned to Asami and Zuko while pointing at the tiny Zelai agent. But his excitement fell when Asami and Zuko had already gotten over Req's new form and were readying themselves for battle. "Oh." Now that Bolin noticed, the much larger version of Req was nowhere to be seen.

"That's alright, youngling. Everyone reacts differently to my new form. I've transformed to better assist you all in battle. I was never one to actually fight in war so I do my part by acting as support."

"Support?"

"What element do you have?"

"Earth!" Bolin jumped out of the way, evading a wicked spirits' lash out. Bolin tried to roll out of the way once more but the snow kept him from effectively doing so. Instead he slipped and fell to his side. Thankfully, Asami came in to latch onto the wicked spirits' arm and within her grip a current travelled to the source and electrified the spirit, dispelling it. "Thanks Asami- Watch out!" There were at least a dozen spirit foot soldiers flying through the air about to pounce on them.

The snow that surrounded Bolin and Asami lifted off from the ground and collided into the pouncing party, forcing them back a good distance.

Bolin's brow was raised a good inch. He peered over at Asami with a finger pointed from her to him, wondering who just did that.

Asami shrugged at first and then blinked at the realization that they had support. "Was that you, Captain Req?"

"Aye. And that was the extent of what I can do for active support. I'm afraid if I'm not entirely in the WoL, I can only manipulate my element once or twice."

"What do you mean, not entirely here?" Bolin asked as he took in his new surroundings. Thanks to Req, the earth floor was no longer weighed down and he could fight again.

"My spiritual embodiment is actually in the SW, what you have resting on your shoulders is a greatly reduced fraction of my spirit. I'm duty-bound in the SW so I can't actually be here to really do much good."

"Hey, you gave me my element back so you're all good in my book!" Bolin gave the small dragon thumbs up and smile. Then he turned to the incoming Purgists and cracked his knuckles.

Asami watched as Bolin launched himself towards the dozen Purgists before turning towards Req on her shoulder to ask how he could support her but an anomaly among the wicked spirits caught her attention. The figure was standing in the back of the pack, most likely the pack leader, and also had a distinct humanoid form. It was clearly a male, but the distinguishable trait of him was his lack of facial expression. He had no eyes, nose, nor mouth, just a blank canvas with a mop of messy white hair.

It was unimaginable disturbing to Asami when the being tilted his head in her direction, regarding her with his expressionless face. Without hesitation, the man routed from behind his pack and made a beeline for Asami. Once in proximity, Asami could see that the man was armed with chains wrapped around his forearms. She didn't know whether he used it in close quarters or long-range, but Asami got into her defensive stance with her own gauntlets surging with electricity (Level 2).

The man was leaning forward as he ran, his arms trailing behind him, and as he got closer, Asami could make out his odd attire. He was clad in dark purple stealth garments with ropes and bombs in the belt and a scarf hanging loosely around his neck. Leather bracers and shoulder pads cover the arms with a thick violet rope belt tied into a knot on the right side of his torso. The chains were attached to sickle-looking blades. A Kusarigama (chain and sickle).

Once he was in striking distance, Asami swung her outstretched gauntlet at the man only to be caught off guard when the man slid and took her legs from underneath of her. Tumbling forward into a roll, Asami quickly got up to counter the next attack but she just barely evaded the sickle flying through the air. Instinctively, Asami grabbed the chain before it could be reeled back to its owner. It didn't take long for the Purgist to experience level 2 of Asami's gauntlets. The man took a knee.

But Asami didn't let up; she took the still-taut chain, wrapped it around her lifted leg and brought her foot down. Her action caused the man to jerk towards her. But when the man was still stumbling forward it turned out to be a ruse as he regained his footing and sent a roundhouse kick at Asami. Asami had her hand and leg tied to the chain so she couldn't do much but take the hit hoping his spiritual form didn't hurt as bad.

Hisses and groans escaped from Asami as she managed to pick herself up off the ground. Nope, hurts just a little bit more than normal. Ugh. For a moment, Asami wondered where her support was and why he didn't, dunno, help! Req was nowhere to be seen.

When the initial greeting ended, the two opponents stood a distance from each other in tense silence. The man spoke first, "I am Akel, loyal servant for my lord and master, Vaatu."

Asami raised her brow a fraction, wondering what the use of introductions was when a moment ago she was fighting him. When the man continued to stand in place, Asami sighed but didn't relax her guard. "Asami Sato of Team Avatar."

"Well, Asami, despite your appearance, you fight well."

"Good enough to avoid having to do this little dance any longer?" Asami was met with silence but she had to try. That last kick was inhuman. "Alright, let's do this…!" Asami clicked her gauntlets three levels up; if the Purgist wasn't holding back, neither would she.

-Apprentice+

Mako was not only alone in dealing with the eldest Purgist, Kenke, but his pro-bending fighting style was proving to be useless against the earth-bending juggernaut. It had been awhile since the situation called for Mako to apply more power into his bending; it made him less agile but it resulted in his fire having more volume.

Kenke was starting to get pushed back due to his opponent's change of tactics. The elder spirit was no behind his earth wall, gradually inching backwards with every fire blast colliding with his shield. "Do you even know with whom you align yourself with, boy?" Kenke felt a hesitation in the onslaught but only for a moment. It seemed his opponent heard his comment but wasn't going to let up just yet. "The Zelai Order's flowery words must've painted my kind as an unforgivable lot of undesirables… Am I wrong?!" Kenke pushed off his wall before quickly kicking its entirety forward.

Mako couldn't tell if Kenke was stalling with an empathetic monologue or if he was trying to persuade him to their cause, but he wouldn't let up. And thank the spirits Mako didn't lower his guard as the rock wall came shooting out. Mako had been advancing closer as he shot fire blast after the next, trying to deal a critical attack. Mako sidestepped to his left and came face to face with Kenke as they both sailed sideways. Mako rolled and skipped a fair distance away. It was never wise to face an earth-bender worth their salt in close combat according to Mako's experience growing up in the TTT.

Steam began rising from the ground beneath Mako's feet as he got into a recently developed fire-bending stance crafted by Fire Lord Zuko himself. If what Mako read was true, Lord Zuko had used this new enlightened style when he fought his unhinged sister at a crucial time in the Hundred Year War. "I don't know what you're talking about, my friends and I aren't enlisted with those spirit dragons. If you're smart, you'll give up your ally, Lightning, before you suffer the wrath of not only Zelai and the Fire Nation but the Avatar herself!"

"Everything you've heard about our Lord Vaatu and that false Lady Raava aren't true, you fool! You mortals are signing up for your own doom if you continue to follow the Zelai Order! If you mortals are smart, you'll give up the boy before your fates are sealed-"

"We're not gonna let you end our world just to achieve your selfish gains, wicked spirit!" Mako barked to cease the pointless persuasion move. Lightning shot from his fingers and arched through the air toward the elder.

Another wall came up in time to block the sudden attack but his defenses would hold long due to the short time it took to uproot the earth wall. "You don't know anything about our kind, mortal!" Kenke spat, clenching his fists to will the defense to hold. "We are spirits that were condemned by the Zelai Order to spend eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls, forced to live for centuries on end as every bit of our humanity was ravaged. With the return of our Lord, Vaatu, we will finally be able to rest in peace!"

W-what? Rest in peace? Mako's concentration broke and the lightning fizzled out of existence. Mako's eyes widened at his mistake, surely the wicked spirit would take advantage of the opening. Mako's heartbeat sounded loudly in his ears as he tried to spark his lightning back, but he could stand there as his opponent remained where he was, ominously floating just above the ground staring down Mako with an unreadable expression.

The remainder of the earth wall crumbled as Kenke stood there with his face crestfallen. "I'm the eldest Purgists among the others so I was there when it happened…" Kenke's fists uncurled and his arms slumped to his sides. "The fateful day of the second HC. That naive fool, Wan, severed the link between the gods of life and death, throwing the universe into turmoil. Raava is light, she wills creation and peace. Vaatu is darkness, he controls death and chaos. The yin and yang of the SW; one cannot exist without the other and that impulsive fool doomed us all by siding with Raava!

"That 'compassionate' deity would see that mortals who did wrong in their past lives would forever live out their existence in pain and agony under the watchful eye of her appointed Zelai wardens! Vaatu may be the death incarnate, but at least he'd grant us our final rest instead of have us suffer for so long!" Kenke's eyes bore into Mako's as a haunted expression painted his ghostly features. "I don't want to go another second being quartered alive by my victims in the Purgatory Lands! I want to die!" Tears came flooding from the elder Purgist.

Mako didn't know how to respond to any of that. He'd never heard a confession to die before and if what the wicked spirit said was true, a part of him sympathized with Kenke.

Kenke saw Zuko advancing and moved to the defensive but then he got a message regarding Lightning evading Miruk and on the run to retreat. Everyone was to meet at the rendezvous point. "If you want to know the truth of spirits that cannot go to rest, go to the Fog of Forgotten Souls. There you will find the truth that Zelai won't tell you… And even what happens to the souls of your loved ones-" Kenke was interrupted by Zuko's arrival and hastily dove into the ground to make his retreat.

Souls of my loved ones…?! Wait! But it was too late, his opponent was gone. Mako didn't know what to think anymore as he stood there in the middle of a battlefield. Did he side with the wrong spirits? One mystery after another began whizzing around in Mako's head. He wasn't even aware of the fact that Kenke retreated back into the ground until he got a smack on the back. He got turned around for a bone-crushing hug from his brother. He managed to choke out, "Argh! Bo, I'm fine!" Mako had his worldview turned upside down but he was relatively fine. If his brother would stop squeezing the oxygen outta him!

-Apprentice+

Korra and Zion had to be the worst fighting partners for each other. Where Korra started bending long-distance attacks, Zion brought the enemy in close for combat. When Korra pushed back the enemies and tried a crowd control attack, Zion would jump into the fray getting too far from her.

Korra sidestepped, skipped into the air, and brought her fist down onto the ground; several pillars shot up from the ground and sent the wicked spirit masses in all directions. With that, Korra spotted Zion and reached out to grab hold of his collar before the teenager went right back into the fight. "No you don't, ya little spaz!" Without hesitation, Korra reared her arm back and chucked Zion to higher ground. Then Korra followed by use of snow elevating her up the hill. When she got to the top, she saw Zion's legs swinging wildly as his upper body was still under the snow.

Ignoring him for the time being, Korra took in the overview of the battle raging below. There was an area of uncovered snow where Korra spotted Bolin and Asami holding their own against a dozen wicked spirits, an area where steam and rock formations were flying left to right where Mako and his sole opponent were located, and the Commander Miruk engaging Lightning with Lord Zuko redirecting the electricity Lightning shot from his maw.

Everyone seemed to be in decent shape, but the chaos was still apparent. Several of the wicked spirits Korra was fighting earlier were scrambling up the snowy ascent to get to her and Zion but each attempt failed for the moment as they hissed and snarled. For now, Korra turned her back to them and made her way to Zion. With a mighty pull, she got Zion from under the snow and dropped him in a heap. Not paying any mind to his foul mouth, Korra gave the kid a once over and smacked him upside the head. "Knock it off, kid. This is serious." He was lucky he only got a rap against the head for swearing at her for so long after the farce he called fighting earlier. "What's your connection to Lightning?"

"I-I can't-"

"Is Lightning allied with those Purgists down there?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Why would allies of Lightning be attacking you if you have relations with him?"

"They weren't really trying to hurt me; they're not the bad guys- Ah!" Zion found his head tightly gripped by the Avatar.

Korra held his head in her grasp as she roughly brought him to the edge overlooking the battle below. "They're not the bad guys, Zion?! Those good Samaritans are currently attacking my friends with no provocation other than us talking with the Zelai Order!" Korra released the boy.

Zion was about to protest against the way she was treating him, but he drew a blank with how she was looking at him. Since their first encounter with each other, he's never seen the Avatar with such an intense expression.

"The longer you hold back, the longer my friends have to fight for their lives. You have until the count of three to spill your guts about everything before I label you my enemy, Zion."

It had been a long time since Zion felt an immense sense of mortal fear. Tales were told every once in a while that his powers had the potential to make him nigh-invincible, that once he learned to master his bending, he'd have no equal. But Lightning had also initially warned him of a select group of beings that he couldn't hold a candle to and Zion didn't recall the Avatar being on that short list.

"When I was ten years-old, I ran away from home when my parents punished for something that seemed so pathetic but felt to me, at the time, much more. I was wandering the forest for some time until I went and got myself lost and it started to rain. That angered me even more. It was starting to get dark so I made camp.

"I was soaking wet, there was a wind chill, and I couldn't get the wood to light under these conditions." Zion clenched his fists and glared at the ground. "So I let my anger get the better of me and I ignited not only my campfire but the immediate area around me. But what gave me pause was the color of my flames. They were blue… and they stayed blue for quite some time before reverting back to a normal orange. I didn't know how I summoned such flames much less how to rein them in as they continued to lick every bit of brush around me.

"I was brought out of it by the sounds of an animal that got too close to my fire. I panicked and tried to extinguish my fire but it was to no avail. The kit fox died and the fire was still raging around me. I had lost hope then and waited for the fire to burn me as well. But then a mighty gust of wind came from nowhere and I came face to face with a dragon.

"He told me that my blue flames weren't some sort of curse but that I was a descendent of the revered Avatar Asger... His honeyed words were good and all but I was still ashamed that my fire killed that kit fox. At my confession, Lightning tapped the ground in front of me with his claw and a small pool of energy appeared. And out of that portal, the spirit of the kit fox emerged. I was shocked at first, but then Lightning began telling me how the cycle of life works and I slowly but surely began to see how the world turns. Sometime during his lesson, I fell asleep and awoke in the Spirit World riding on his back. To this day, I don't know how he does it but Lightning spoke inside of my head and told me, 'You must forget about your old life, young Zion. From here on, you are to be my student and together we will set the world back on the right course.'." Zion finished retelling how his first encounter went.

"You left your family on the word of some spirit dragon you just met? And what about your uncle? Why didn't he inform your parents that you were still alive?" Korra set her jaw when the thought of Lightning threatening Zion's uncle to keep quiet about it all-

Zion shook his head. "Uncle Kaizer isn't my real uncle. In fact, he's not even mortal. He's a part of Lightning's pack that disguises himself as a café owner with a nephew. It's a background for me in case the police get curious about me suddenly sprouting out of nowhere."

"What did Lightning mean by, 'set the world back on the right course'?"

"Lightning and the Purgists want to revive-"

Korra's heart stopped and Zion had her undivided attention when Zion said 'revive'. There were countless entities that could be revived; many of them could be conquerors or some other villain if the Purgists were any indication of her concerns. But before Korra could get it out of Zion what Lightning's endgame was, there was a rift in the air that made her turn back to the battle. There was a pause in each of the fights as an unspoken agreement passed through the Purgists and Lightning. At once, the Purgists began retreating/vanishing into thin air.

Korra let out a breath of relief as she watched her friends gather together looking relatively unharmed. Turning back to Zion, she asked, "Do you have any idea where they could've retreated?"

Zion didn't answer, physical violence if he remained silent be damned. He wasn't even looking her in the eye as he stood off to the side with his arms crossed and a wary expression on his face.

Spirits! Was I like this as a teenager?! Korra groaned to herself but didn't push the issue. The answer to that question was a resounding 'yes'. "Brood all you want, Zion, but you brought this whole situation on yourself for withholding those secrets from me and Lord Zuko."

"What secrets? That I knew Lightning this whole time?"

"No, you didn't tell us that he abducted you from your parents. Your uncle/guardian isn't even human and that Lightning was allied with those wicked spirits!"

"Stop calling them wicked! You don't even know them!"

"I've seen their kind before, Zion! They don't just attack innocent people but they're also impossible to get rid of unless they're energy-bent back to the Spirit World. And there are only a couple of people in the world who can even do that, myself included!" Korra made her way over to Zion and forced him to face her. She needed Zion to know the difference between brainwashing and what reality was. "I've seen good spirits before, Zion, and those dark spirits weren't it! Spirits don't attack people for no reason unless they are being possessed by an evil force of nature, got it! I'm sorry to take away your fantasy of having a spirit dragon as a master and a pack of spirits as your friends but they're not good for you-"

"How could you just condemn something on the basis that they're different than what you've come across on a few occasions, Avatar Korra?! You're supposed to be the bridge between both worlds but you seem more interested in the dealings of mortals!" Sparks flashed on Zion's forearms as he yelled at the Avatar. "I bet you've never taken the time to learn the cycle of the Spirit World, its inhabitants, their history! The Purgists aren't the bad guys here! They just want to d- Ugh!"

"That's enough, young one." Lord Zuko had Zion's wrist in a vice. The flames in his palm morphed from light blue to orange before diminishing within Zuko's grasp. To Zuko, the feat was more effortless than he predicted it would be. As if Zion had never mastered the art of maintaining his flames against another's influence. Zion's flames were no doubt powerful, but if he didn't know how to control it then it was useless against an experienced fire-bender.

Korra wanted nothing more than to give Zion a piece of her mind but Zuko had not only taken the will to fight out of Zion but her as well with a stern glance. Korra huffed in annoyance but relented. Her bad mood wouldn't stay for long as her friends made their way up to her location.

After everyone gave their individual quips of their fights, Lord Zuko proposed that they retreat back to their base to discuss the next course of action.

Unfortunately, Asami's headquarters wasn't nearly as abundant in spiritual energy so travelling by portal there was out of the question unless they wanted to take an additional three-hour detour which would put them 20 miles away from her island. Instead, they had to choose the alternative neutral location: the Air Temple.

-Apprentice+

"And that's how my day went… Heh." Korra finished summarizing to the residential parents of the Temple.

Inside the small parlor room, Meelo and Bolin were exchanging dragon lore, Mako was off to the side with his mind gearing up possibilities, and Asami was retelling her encounter with the Commander with the girls and Zion. Even if Zion was particularly interested in the fascination of his master's mortal enemy. Tenzin and Pema were sitting across from their wayward Avatar and the Lord Zuko of the Fire Nation. The household was less than ideal to host such a figure and that was what had Pema tripped up and nervous. Her husband was stuck between envy that Korra encountered so many powerful spirits and exhausted at how one day away from the Temple ended up becoming such a situation.

When Tenzin collected his jaw from up off the floor, he cleared his throat before responding. "Why am I just now hearing about all this…?" Tenzin asked with an irked tone, feeling left out from missing out on spiritual experience day.

Pema excused herself to busy herself with acting the part of a good hostess. But not before subtlety threatening her children's lives if they didn't behave in the presence of Lord Zuko with an overly sweet tone. Including Bolin who got them all up and running about the place pretending to be little dragons.

-Apprentice+

(A/N) I'd like to take this time to explain a few things about this chapter and those to come. 1) This was a story request and the one who asked me to write this wanted Zion to have blue fire. Like Azula. Yes, they're both fourteen years old but I'd like to think that the two are vastly different. This will become more apparent as Korra begins teaching Zion.

2) Interestingly enough, I joined a Legend of Korra Role-play forum a week after I posted the first chapter for this story. Why is this relevant? Because the elements that were slowly introduced into this story were simultaneously being created as I wrote the second and third chapters of this story. Kaizer, Miruk, the Purgists, all OCs and factions I made for the forum are now in this story.

This forum was fun for a while and allowed me to create some pretty cool concepts, but the forum ended about a month (or so) ago from today but I wasn't done having fun making this world of Legend of Korra. So I incorporated it into this story.

3) The reason I don't update this story as often was because of the forum and the recent apprenticeship that takes most of my free time. The forum has ended but the scholarship still takes up a good chunk of my time. Trust me, I love writing this story, but I also want to knock out this program. So, yeah. Thanks for being patient.

4) I wanted this to be unspoken, but I want everyone of Team Avatar to have their own spotlight. I've written stories before where I solely focused on a max of three characters and I want to try my hand at expanding this limitation.

Please let me know if you'd like to know more about the Zelai Order, Purgists, and/or Zion. I'd be more than happy to send several transcripts of lore for you to enjoy.

Until the next chapter!