I won't lie. I had this chapter done like, two weeks ago. But then a flood of new ideas hit me, and I couldn't resist. So instead of proceeding as planned, I withheld the chapter and reworked it entirely. And now, here it is. A week late, but at least twice the length of a normal one. Hope you enjoy :)
The torn, weathered cloak whipped in the desert wind as his boots crunched in the sand. He could feel the little grains getting past the defences of his footwear, moving past the soles and crinkling his toes. It was coarse against his skin, the temperature burning in his feet as he continued to walk forward. One step in front of the other. On and on and on across the infinite terrain, until he found what he was searching for.
If anyone could see him, they would see a black, smudged figure in a haze of orange. The air bubbling with the heat. Every inch of him was wrapped in material, blocking the sun access to his body. His boots continued to sink with every footstep in the sand. His briefs were dirty from wind whipping against them. His cloak fluttered in the breeze, weighing him down. Even his eyes were covered by a thick, plastic mask.
It is here somewhere. I know it.
Somewhere, in the distance, an animal called. Noises around the desert flitted in and out, tricks of the light played with his vision. Mirages of thing he wanted to see blinded him just as much as the torturous sun did.
And then, across the plain, a shimmer of something familiar came into vision in the heat.
A small fox, seemingly inconsequential, popped up from behind one of the dunes. A scrap of parchment hung in its mouth, like a dog returning with a newspaper for its master. In many ways, that's what it was doing. As soon as it saw him, it trotted over, sniffing him with curiosity.
He knelt down to tousle the young canine, rubbing her behind the ears. "Hello, Shifu," he said warmly. "It's been a long time. I'm looking for the old coot again. Care to show me where?"
The fox nuzzled him, before darting off to the left. He followed her youthful bounds, dutifully listening to her yapping barks as she guided him across the desert.
Finally, they came to a small hole in the desert. It looked like nothing. Anyone caught in this place would think it nothing too. But they both knew better. Without any preamble whatsoever, the vixen jumped into the whole, beginning her long descent.
The man followed, his cloak flapping as he began to fall. The hole led to a tower, the light extinguished except for a faint flicker of a candle below. He had to use his newly learned abilities to cushion the fall.
After what seemed like an eternity, he landed, with far less finesse than Shifu. She took the leap in her stride, already scampering off to her master as soon as her feet hit the floor. He, on the other hand, landed in a heap, and he was left balefully rubbing his side as he looked up to take stock of his surroundings.
He knew the place had irrevocably changed since he had last encountered it, but it did not look any different. He knew that with every scrap of knowledge brought here, with every single new piece of information the walls expanded and the corridors lengthened but the decor remained the same. Candles on bookshelf corners, seemingly endless hallways with long high bookcases on either side. A thousand different rooms yet to be opened and explored, a thousand more clear to see yet elusive, hiding something you didn't know you were looking for until you found it.
And of course, the grouchy old guardian at the head of it all.
"Who dares seek out my library?" the voice behind him boomed. The figure turned around to be greeted by a massive black and white barn owl, its eyes squinted in either anger or interest. "And who bewitches my messengers so that he may follow their footsteps? Speak, charlatan. Before my curiosity runs dry."
The man put his hand up in a placating manner, before moving to tear off his hood. As it fell it revealed rough, black hair before he reached for the mask.
"Wan Shi Tong," Shin La smiled, his rich tones echoing around the spirit library as he dropped the plastic visor to the ground. "Did you miss me?"
The sign swayed in the breeze, gently back and forth. The morning clouds hung lazily in the sky, with filters of sunshine starting to break through. Birds were cheerfully chirping away in the early brightness, their twittering the only sound breaking the tranquil calm of dawn. And then a pair of hands started to bend and suddenly that tranquility was gone.
The air started to crackle with energy. The sign began to swing more violently now, the wind getting harsher. Back and forth it went, its hinges starting to strain under the pressure of Mother Nature's grip. A torching sound cut through the storm and fire erupted from the hands, billowing out in a continuous stream of flame.
And then the fire stopped. The stormy wind mellowed back into a soft breeze. And still the sign swayed, gently back and forth.
A second later another flash came and the sign was obliterated.
Korra looked at the wood chippings clattering the ground, one piece in particular smoking from the incredible blast. It had been hit right in the centre, with no implication it was ever an object. Some pieces had already burned away. It was an incredibly effective strike.
"So, let me guess," Korra deadpanned, picking up one of the fractured bits that had lodged in her hair, a part of the smoking ruin that Mako's handiwork had left of the wooden sign. "I should have done that instead."
She looked at Mako sarcastically as he attempted to humour her before dropping the facade and resorting to honesty. "Well... yeah," Mako shrugged, as Korra crushed the wood chip in her palm. "Now, try again."
Korra huffed, before walking slightly to the left for the next target and taking her stance once more. She bent her knees and breathed slowly in and out. Her arms tensed, and then loosened as she put her hands up, her right arm in front of her left. She brought her limb around in a wide arc, careful not to disrupt her concentration or further damage her elbow. Now, a snapshot movement, in the blink of an eye. Bring her hand to that position, close her eyes and...
A bout of flame erupted from her right hand, engulfing the air in front of her with fire. The sign remained intact.
Korra looked at it for a second. Just a second. The sign mocked, its red and white lines like a cape to a bull. "I swear to the spirits, if you strike the sign again, I'll..."
Another second later and the sign was decorating the floor again in neat little chunks.
"Oh for the love of everything that is holy!" she snapped, her frustration taking over and her screams desperate to drown out what was surely Mako's laughter. "How many freaking times do you have to 'demonstrate!' 'Oh, I'm Mako and I can lightning bend.' Yeah well bully for you, you firebending ponce! No wonder your hair used to stand up so much. You probably played with electricity all day, you sad bastard!"
As Korra continued to air her grievances at the world, and at lightning, and at Mako in particular, what had once been amusement held within and an occasional chuckle had transformed into full blown laughter as Mako doubled up in mirth, clutching his sides as Korra continued to rattle off every curse word she knew. Good lord, she has a potty mouth, Mako thought as she undoubtedly scared off the birds and woke the neighbours with her... language, if you could call it that.
He should calm her down, he mused. He really should. Yeah, he really, really should...
Screw that. He hadn't laughed like this in weeks!
"Son of a rat eating, shit gobbling-"
"Korra."
"Firebending, cracker face-"
"Kooorrraaa."
"What?!"
Mako just looked at Korra for a second. Unlike when she was only annoyed and her eyes would narrow, they were wide in outright disgust. Her mouth had curled up into an angry pout and she was making these harrumphing noises, showing that she was clearly pissed off. It took all Mako's considerable self-control to burst out laughing again. "Cracker face?"
"Yeah. You get incredibly pale when you're worried. So, yeah, cracker face."
"Right... I've got a cracker face."
"Yes."
"Okay, how many mothers do you think are going to have to wash their kid's mouths with soap tonight because their little darlings heard your motor mouth in action?"
Korra glared at him. "Your point?"
Mako laughed again, but reeled it in once Korra's temper threatened to flare again. "Okay, easy," he placated her. Getting back to business, he crossed his arms and his face turned sincere. "I think we need to get some more signs," he noted, their little pile on the side becoming noticeably shorter as the morning went on.
"Great," Korra deadpanned as she slumped to the ground. "I don't get it. What am I doing wrong? I feel focused, I'm in the best shape I've ever been, and I'm doing what you say. Why can't I bend lightning?" she said, as she leaned back to lie on the roof as Mako put up some more targets.
"It may be more often in this day and age, but lighting bending is still pretty rare," Mako called back over his shoulder. "The only reason I ever picked up the skill was because that old kingpin Zolt taught me. And even then, what I learnt from him was a pretty crude misrepresentation of what bending lightning is all about. It's more than just concentration, its-"
"It's about absence of emotion, peace of mind, separating the energies of yin and yang," Korra interrupted. "I know all the theory, Mako. You've been repeating it all morning. What I'm asking is, after doing all that, following your instructions to a tee, why can't I bend it?"
"It's complicated," he said, handing her a bottle of water which she gratefully accepted. "And very hard to explain. See, when I do it..." he said, turning away from her so he could demonstrate, swinging his arms in a circular motion before firing into the sky. "It's quick," he said, after they could hear again when the thunder passed. "It's effective. I don't think about it nor do I enter some spiritual state of self-isolation. I just do it. And I'm good at that. As I said, it's hard to explain."
"So you can do it because you're good at it," Korra smirked, her rage from failing to hit the target gone. "Someone's fond of themselves."
"If anyone else said that, they may have a case," he retorted, though the twinkling in his eye gave no malice. "You? Not so much."
"And what's that supposed to mean, cool guy?"
"I'm the Avatar, you've got to deal with it!" he guffawed, mimicking her arm motions from when she showed him before. "Yeah, self-depreciation at its finest."
"I was four!" Korra laughed, her smile returning to her face. She looked a lot nicer when she smiled. "What's your excuse?"
"This." And with that he shot another bolt of lightning into the air. The crackle emanated from his fingertips and made his hair stand on end, even more so than usual. Korra laughed.
"Now you're just showing off," she shook her head in amusement. Seeing that her little break was over, she got to her feet.
"No, I'm teaching," he said in response. "Now, try to do it again. But don't focus on the target so much. I think I've got an idea."
He watched her get into position, studying her form as her knees bent and she put her hands up, locked in a decidedly waterbending stance. He came over and adjusted her posture, bending her knees lower and maneuvering her arms slightly.
Korra saw an opportunity to mess with him. "Down, boy," she sniggered as he ran his hands across her arms, moving them so they took a more defensive pose.
"Don't tempt me," he replied immediately, surprising both him and herself with the rapid delivery. He shook his head subconsciously. Thinking about that would bring back too many memories. Plus she already looked far too inviting.
After a momentary awkward silence, Mako nodded his approval. She did likewise, moving forward in a slow, precise movement. She was determined to get it this time. One foot forward, the other foot back. Bring her left hand forward as her right moved in an arc. One hand the centre point, maintaining balance, while the other worked to separate the energies, split between yin and yang, light and dark, positive and negative. Bound forward and...
Nothing except fire burst from her fingertips. Before she was finished she was already stomping out the flames.
"Damn it!" she shouted, though not quite as angry as last time. "Damn it."
She cocked her head back, half expecting Mako to admonish or console her, or perhaps blast the infernal target and come up with a smart ass remark. But he didn't. Instead he looked at her studiously, his face giving nothing away but his eyes becoming more excited as the gears in his head started to grind away furiously. "Korra, blast the sign. With fire this time."
No sooner had the words left his lips the wooden target was a smoulder on the roof.
"Interesting," Mako muttered under his breath, as he walked past her and inspected the damage. Korra smirked inwardly. Put a pair of glasses on him and he'd look like a professor, that was how meticulous he looked. "Interesting..."
Another few seconds passed by and Korra crossed her arms and tapped the ground with boredom. Finally, Mako looked up at her. "I think I've got it."
Korra raised her eyebrows meaningfully as he got up and walked over to her. "Well, by that I mean you've got it," he said, eyeing her hands. "But... yeah, I think I know what we need to do."
"Okay," Korra nodded. "What do we do?"
"All right," Mako affirmed. "Simple thing first; make a flame."
"Um... okay," Korra said, a bit puzzled but compliant nevertheless. "Now what?" she said, as the small little glow bounced around in her palm.
"Now I'll do the same," Mako said, as a similar fire lit in his hand. "Look at the difference."
The two flames looked identical. "I don't understand. They look nearly the same."
"But they're not," Mako shook his head. "The way we create fire is that we open our hands out. It's not like water or earth or even air where the resource is always readily available. We have to make it ourselves. So we flex our fingers and open our palms, thus opening the element in the air to create fire. The same principle applies to lightning, but in a different way."
"What do you mean?"
"We have to create lightning ourselves. The way I do it is different to yours, the same way my fire is different too. When I do it, my posture is rigid. I have to train every part of my body so when I do this-" he snapped suddenly to the right, his arm thrust skyward as lightning rocketed out of his fingers. His whole body went from casual leaning to a stiff stance within a second.
"When I want to bend lighting its there. When I want to move I'm moving. I've got to put my whole body into it, and I'm trying to teach you in the same way I learned it. But whereas I'd be more precise, you'd be far blunter about it. And that's the key."
"Excuse me?" Korra interrupted sceptically. "I'm pretty sure no one calls me blunt anymore."
"Oh, they do," Mako shrugged that off, before realising what he'd said. "Uh, what I mean is... Look, back to lightning," he said, reckoning that the best way to dig himself out of that hole was to continue. "When you start moving, you don't stop. It isn't a sudden transition from stationary to action like me. Even when I'm fighting I have a stiff posture. You're far looser. Think of it like this; to make lightning I cut the air. It's like a gash, separating the energy and producing a spark. I do it the firebender way; creating something out of nothing. You're the Avatar, and a waterbender, so you are for more connected to the world than I will ever be. You don't have to create it because you know it's already there. As long as you separate the energies of yin and yang, the end result will be the same."
Korra looked at him for a second. At first, what he said made no sense. Just gibberish about him moving quickly from one place to the next. But the more she thought about it, the more it began to make sense. The stances did feel familiar. She had done this before. And all she had to do now was find that rhythm, find the energies that thrived within the world, and unlock their secrets.
She closed her eyes, breathed in and out. She opened her eyes and perceived the world around her like she wanted to, like a waterbender taking nothing and making something with it. She concentrated and an old memory of when Katara first taught her waterbending arose.
It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.
Mako said the words that echoed in her head with unabashed excitement. "Take your stance."
She breathed in and out once more, and did as Mako asked. But instead of leaning back, she cautiously crept forward. Instead of planting her feet firmly in the ground she bounced on the balls of her heels, anticipating when she would strike. And this time, she closed her eyes.
Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless. Like water.
Water could flow, or it could crash. It could be as solid as a rock or as free as the air. It never stopped, it never grew stale. It just kept on flowing, like the energies of the world.
She envisioned the target, swimming in a sea of thoughts. And then she banished it immediately. She did not have to see, only feel the pulse of the universe, pounding in her skull as she took her stance.
Mako watched, mesmerised as she moved her right leg behind her, her left knee taking most of her weight. Her right hand dipped low in the space between her legs, while her she raised two fingers in her left hand and kept it close to her face. She coiled, with the potential energy of a spring and the promised deadliness of a snake.
The earth itself seemed to stop and hold its breath. The wind faded to nothing but a gentle breeze. The birds quieted, like they were aware they were on the cusp of something mystical and majestic, something they must respect with the silence it deserved.
One, two, three seconds passed and then...
CRASH!
The world seemed to explode into life as Korra leaped from her starting position. Mako' eyes could barely keep up as he watched her jump and spin in the air simultaneously, her right leg and arm thrust outward before her left hand came around right before she landed and unleashed a massive plume of electricity crackling from her palm.
Unlike his bolts it spread and flew in a shocking blast that covered every single target he had put up. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he received goosebumps from being in the presence of such a thing. It was one of the most fantastic displays of power he had ever seen.
When Korra landed a microsecond later, and the lightning had dispersed, all Mako could see were smudge marks from where the signs had been. That and the massive smile firmly planted on Korra's face.
"I did it!" she cried with joy. "I freaking did it!" she shouted, jumping up and down in ecstasy and elation at her prowess. "Come here, cracker face!"
Before Mako could do anything he found himself tackled to the ground as Korra hugged him fiercely. "Thank you, Mako," she said earnestly into his shoulder. "Thank you for teaching me."
When she stopped hugging him, he should've noticed that Korra was now awkwardly on top of him. He should've been plunged back into painful memories of what once had been. He didn't. He was still damn near speechless. Only one thing could leave his mouth.
"Korra, that was... amazing."
She smiled at him, before offering him a hand up. "You bet it was," she grinned. "Now, let's do that again. Lesson isn't over, is it?"
He should've said yes. There was not much else he could teach her. He didn't.
"Of course not. I want you creating storms by nightfall. Let's show Shin La what awaits him the next time he decides to mess with us."
For that entire morning, no one in the district got any sort of lie in. They were too busy wondering why the sky was so clear in the middle of a thunderstorm.
The little fox licked at his palm, occasionally yawning as he tickled the back of her ear. Wan Shi Tong watched silently with trepidation as the fox nuzzled under Shin La's touch, its bare tongue out looking for attention. "I am surprised she approaches you so readily. Most would know to keep their distance."
Shin La indulged the creature with a chuckle, rolling his fingers through the animal's tufts of fur and scratching him behind the ears. "She approaches because she knows I mean no harm to her," Shin La replied over his shoulder. He smiled as the furry little canine finally got tired of his play and scampered off into the library.
"I see," Wan considered. "It is a sad reminder of what you once were."
"Easy, Wan," Shin replied, a bit too sharply to be considered polite. "You of all should know how dangerous it is to insult me."
"And you should know better than to threaten me where I am strongest," Wan Shi Tong retorted. "I meant what I said, Azran, or whatever name you take now. My library is no longer open. And I appreciate visitors no longer."
Shin La walked to the edge of the railing, surveying the drop down below. He could only imagine how far one could go. "If I were human, that may be a problem. I am anything but. And please, call me Shin La. It is only courteous to address one by their proper title."
"This is my sanctuary. I will address you however I see fit," Wan intoned, his old gnarled voice like walking on gravel. "And I welcome no one. I have been betrayed by the world too many times, by human and spirit alike. Now, you will leave, Shin La. I apologise for a wasted journey."
Wan Shi Tong began to walk away, began to disappear into the darkness of the annals of history before Shin La stopped him. "Aren't you the least bit curious how I got here?" The demon called him as he turned his back. "I wager that my source of transportation is unknown even to you. And you hate the unknown, don't you, He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things."
The great sentinel paused, before slightly turning its head to look at the phantom. "You are a spirit, Shin La. You either flew, or meditated, or simply walked. I don't want to hear anymore."
"You are wrong," Shin La mocked before the old owl could start his descent. "For all your knowledge, great spirit, you are woefully behind the curve. The humans have evolved. And their rise from stumbling, frightened imbeciles to disgusting enlightened creatures yields few merits. But I see opportunity in them, and I avail of it. Tell me that you do not want to know," the ghost smirked. "Just try and tell me."
Wan Shi Tong stayed still for about a minute, contrasting the deal with the devil he knew versus the knowledge he did not. Shin La crooked a ghostly finger at him, like a puppet master pulling the strings. He knew just how to reel the old spirit in.
Wan Shi Tong could not resist. He had to know. "Fine," Wan relented, turning back to the spectre before him. "You have my attention. Explain, before I run out of patience."
Shin La grinned devilishly, his white teeth shining in the low light. In places like these, his chosen form would shimmer, and his shadow would flash as the demented creature he truly was. "Thank you. Now, you are aware of the Avatar's ability to meditate, yes? In which he or she can enter this trance to transport themselves into the Spirit World?"
Wan looked condescendingly down at the phantom. "I am aware."
"Good," Shin La said, putting his hands together like he was conducting a presentation to the Great Spirit. "Now, such a gift is not unheard of. The Avatar is, after all, 'the bridge between worlds'," he said sarcastically. "But, over the course of time, other mortals came to exhibit such a trait. You foolishly allowed one to manipulate you a few years ago, did you not?"
"I do not have to explain myself to you," Wan's voice boomed over the empty hallways. There was a slight hint of aggression prevalent in his tone. "That is your job, and my curiosity and patience is quickly leaving me, Shin La. You would be wise to get to the point," he finished with empathy, his tall frame towering over Shin La as his talons started to emerge from under his wings and his wide eyes turned to narrow slits.
"The humans are evolving, Wan," The demon stared back, refusing to be intimidated. "That is my point. And not just scholars and studiers, who dedicate their short, empty lives for the briefest of understanding. I'm talking about everyday schmucks, who pass their time worrying over the highest of trivialities and wouldn't comprehend the slightest tidbit of knowledge from our world if I myself sprung up and assaulted them with it!" he spat, his frustration making itself clear, the cool visage he concealed himself behind slipping for the first time in the old owl's presence.
Wan Shi Tong's initial response was silence. His beak was wrenched shut, his stature incredibly still as the two spirits glared at each other. They were face to face, not a hair's breadth between them. "This is your knowledge?" he finally spoke. His voice was heavy.
"Yes, it is," Shin La replied. "I am not really here. I am a thousand miles away, possessing some worthless mortal creature who is taking a nap in the middle of the day instead of attending his civic duty. Everything that I see the mortal also sees, but he cannot comprehend it. He will chalk it up as a bad dream, one that he will not remember. And that is why the Spirit World is always expanding. The humans are visiting it every time they fall asleep and every time one of them dies. That is how they travel to our world. That is how I am here."
There was more silence. Their conversation was less a discussion, more like a contest. A battle of wills, a competition to see who would break first. Neither seemed willing to show that weakness. Their confrontation dragged on and on, like a never ending staring match.
Finally, Wan Shi Tong spoke. "Leave," he said, with his eyes unblinking. "You are not welcome."
And with that, the old guardian started to walk away.
Shin La was not having it. "Are you sure?" he asked the retreating back of the barn owl. "Is that really the decision you want to make?"
Wan decided to give him one last look. "You are not human. You are something far worse. You will not pollute the halls of my library."
Shin La's frown melted off his face, to be replaced by something far more neutral. "You are making a mistake," he said blankly, before a slack chuckle escaped his lips. "I came here for knowledge. I didn't come here for permission." And then the demon let loose.
The blast of air slammed into Wan Shi Tong, sending the aged bird crashing into one of his bookshelves. He was so disorientated by the surprise attack that it took him several seconds to unleash his wings and distribute a volley of wind back at his opponent. When he looked up properly however, his nemesis had gone. His attack faded harmlessly down the corridor.
"I am here, Wan Shi Tong. I will not be denied," a voice whispered into his ear. It was all encompassing, surrounding him in every direction. Like the darkness had formed an influence of its own. The dark laugh echoed down the corridors.
"Catch me if you can."
When she walked, it felt like her feet were touching the clouds. She couldn't feel her legs, couldn't look down to see her body, but she knew she was walking. Her arms would flail out to the side, trying to catch a wisp of that fluffy little cloud, to come up only with patches of moisture that faded away as soon as they appeared. She could not look anywhere but forward, and forward she walked.
Images flashed in and out, and she kept walking. A light blue sky encompassed the world, blanketed in fog and a canopy of white. And impossible as it may seem, the clouds high above were being set upon by tiny little spiders. The insects would swarm the curtain adorning the sky, until they turned black and ugly. And then a rush of wind would knock all the bugs off, shaking like a polardog after a swim. And the world would be light and clear again.
But the spiders always kept coming back. The resilient creatures could be smashed, crushed, left failing down thousands and thousands of feet and yet still they climbed, never stopping in their mission to destroy the clouds. And each time they returned, with each blast of wind to shake them off, the clouds slowly started to disappear. The spiders would not quit, would never stop. They would chip away at the world until there was nothing left.
More flashes. There was fighting. Violence. A webbed claw replacing her hand. A voice that was not her own. And a body of cloud, leaping down to destroy all that remained.
She felt herself sinking, but she still could not look down. Her gaze was fixed only to the world above, as the spiders overwhelmed the last gasp of cloud until there was nothing.
"Korra," Opal said, her dream self compelled to speak. And then she was swept under entirely and all she saw was black.
She awoke with a gasp, nut not much else. There was a something sticking out of her arm. She tried to fiddle with it, but it was like her fingers were made of jelly. She couldn't get any grip. And say, were her fingers a different colour? Some bits of her hand were wrapped in something. Was her skin harder than usual?
And then she saw a familiar face and all her worries melted away.
"Bolin!" she cried with joy, trying to shout but the sound coming out as a whisper. "You're here!"
"Of course I'm here," he replied warmly. "I'm always going to be."
The delight on Opal's face remained, but her expression scrunched into a decidedly more puzzled one. "What?" she asked, her face looking adorably confused. "Your horse likes beer?"
For a second, the earthbender was left speechless. For another second, he was worried. What if she was left with some unforeseen consequences of the blunt force trauma? What if she'd been pushed too far? But then, he remembered.
"This anaesthetic has been tested and is highly effective in numbing pain. It may, however, result in temporary... consequences."
Oh... Oh my...
A small smile appeared on Bolin's face. It was filled with mischief. "Yes, he does. We call him Shergar."
The bamboozled expression left on Opal's face was impossible to ignore. "Now you're just not making sense," Opal said, those wide eyes taking in his laughter sincerely in a way only a recently woken up person on anaesthetic could. "And when did we get a horse? How are we going to fit it in the apartment? Does Mako mind?"
Bolin's grin was as wide as the room. "I was joking," he clarified, even as another fit of giggles threatened to derail him entirely. "No horse, babe. Think we should wait before we grow old and miserable together."
"No horse?"
"No horse."
"Oh, that's a relief," Opal exhaled, sitting up on the pillows behind her back. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but Shergar is an awful name."
"Uh huh," Bolin nodded, delighted to see her up again. His enthusiasm was dampened somewhat when she went to move her arm and he caught her wince.
"Easy, easy," he said as he rushed to her side. "Probably best not to mess with that for the moment," he told her as he gently moved her arm back to its original position. The crook of her elbow nestled itself into the pillow, and he softly coaxed her to lean back and relax. She closed her eyes and complied, before breathing out a sigh of relief.
For a moment the only sound was the little puffs of Opal's breathing. She opened her eyes languidly, finding Bolin smiling at her. She smiled back. "I like you," she said, trying to keep eye contact.
"I like you too." Bolin chuckled, feeling his heart melt at the sight of her. He hadn't felt this happy in what felt like forever. His life had been ravaged by worry and heartbreak in such a short space of time and Spirits, he needed this.
This is what home felt like. He was the most comfortable he'd ever been just looking at her and he felt complete.
"No, I like-like you," Opal empathised, her face completely serious as she explained, like Bolin wasn't getting it. "I like-like you a lot."
"I know honey," Bolin smiled, and he reached forward to gentle clasp her hand. "I know."
The airbender looked at her hand in his, and then shyly inverted her gaze to his face. She looked absolutely adorable. "I like it when you smile," she told him.
"You do?"
"Yeah," she said, offering him one of her own. "Your teeth are so white. It's amazing."
"Thanks for that," he replied, before smiling as cheesily as he could. The laugh he elicited from her made his heartbeat quicken.
She continued laughing for a short time, before a thought seemed to strike. Her look turned inquisitive. "But you haven't been smiling recently," she reflected, and suddenly her delightful expression turned somber. "You haven't been smiling at all."
Bolin didn't know what to say. He could only turn her palm into his, hold her hand a little bit tighter. She noticed the gesture, and then held out her arms. Bolin dutifully complied.
Bolin wrapped his arms around her as he scooted onto the bed, mindful of her arm and the tubes still sticking out of her. She felt frail. "Why?" she asked. She sounded melancholy, sad. Something he wanted a million miles away from her expression right now. "Why haven't you been smiling?"
Bolin knew what the answer was, but it was painful to talk about. He'd give almost anything to see her smile again. But Opal wanted an answer. He knew he had to give her one. "It's complicated," he sighed. "Opal, you... Shin La took you from me. He taunted me and your beautiful eyes looked at me and they weren't yours, they were his. And so you go running off and Korra, always the hero, goes running off after you. And all that time I was so worried. I saw my future, our future, go up in smoke. I saw caskets instead of children, funerals instead of weddings. And then I saw you, and all that anger, all that concern just welled up inside me and... Korra did this to you. Maybe she could've helped it, maybe she couldn't. But when I saw you after the battle, and flashes of Lin's state crossed my mind, and the picture of Mako, crying his heart out over our parents while I looked on, too young to understand... I saw another tragedy. I saw the person I love most vanish. I saw the line of people I care about on the chopping block. And I needed someone to blame."
Opal looked on, and even though Bolin knew she was groggy from the medicine he appreciated her ability to listen. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't know what to think anymore. Shin La got in my head and made everything blurry. And now I'm left wondering whether I'm the bad guy for blaming Korra or whether I'm the only one calling her out on it. I... I just want things to go back to the way they were."
He finished his speech, and it felt good to let out. Opal gave no response initially, instead just held him as tightly as her bones would allow. And that message was clearer than anything she could have said.
Bolin felt the deep, solid block of resentment in his chest finally start to loosen.
"I love you," she said simply. "Korra loves you too. Not in the same way, I hope," she added, and they both let out a chuckle. "I'm here, Bolin. Against the odds, thanks to Korra. I don't think she's worthy of your love just yet, but... I think she deserves your forgiveness."
Opal yawned at the last sentence, and he could feel her grip start to loosen as the sweet promise of non-coma sleep called. He brought the covers up and tucked her in more securely. He made to leave the bed when Opal grabbed his arm. "Stay with me?"
"Always."
She gave him one kiss before their heads hit the pillows. She'd been waiting to do that since she woke up. "You haven't shaved," she noted, her voice trailing off.
"I forgot."
"You should grow a beard."
"I shouldn't."
"You should. Then you'd be my manly man."
"There's only one thing I'm ever going to be for sure," he answered her.
"And what's that?" she asked, as her eyes drifted shut.
He heard the soft snoring before he could respond. "Your Bolin," he whispered, before he kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, love. Sweet dreams."
He stayed with her till she woke up again.
The darkness was thick around him as he stalked the halls of his library. Every so often, a book would fall or a gust of wind would ride up and ruffle his feathers. If he listened intently, Wan Shi Tong could hear his laugh emanating from the walls. The foxes had long since scattered away to their hidey holes. They knew what was coming.
Shin La's first instinct was to destroy the candles and banish the light, but Wan knew that would bring him no advantage here. Any human would have been rendered completely helpless but he was the great owl of the forgotten library. He would always be able to see him.
The Great Spirit was in no hurry. "Come, Azran Ekaal." His talons knocked against the wooden floor as he slowly walked down the endless corridors. "It is pointless to play this game. Leaving is your best option."
"My name is Shin La." The darkness spoke, and Wan opened his ears to triangulate his position. If he could just keep him talking...
"That is the name you took to strike terror into the hearts of mortals so you could prey on their fears." Wan rebutted. "That is the name you wanted when you took on the guise of a monster. But I remember you differently, Azran. I remember you before the Avatar. Before your downfall."
"You know everything of the past but nothing of the future," Shin La shot back, as Wan took a left down another narrow hallway. The old barn owl was starting to realise where the demon was going. The implications of his destination were unsettling.
"And how is that?" Wan spoke into the air, knowing that the message would carry through.
"You remember a different creature," Shin La retorted. "From a different time. Now, you have no idea what you are dealing with."
"Oh, but I do, Shin La," Wan mocked him as he took another left. The voice was getting stronger. "I know what you plan, I know what you intend to do with the world. There are no secrets you can hide from me." The Great Spirit turned another corner.
"Who said I was hiding?" Shin La said as Wan found him reading one of the books in his collection. He was less than twenty metres away from the old guardian, yet Shin La didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. He even had the gall to slip the book into a pouch once he'd closed it.
"I would return that," Wan said politely, though the threat was clear. He slowly started to spread his wings.
"Yes, you probably would," Shin La replied, as he leaned nonchalantly against the crooked old bookcase. "You know, you speak a lot of falsehoods, but you were right about one thing. I came here looking for something very particular. It seems I have found what I was looking for."
Wan had the nerve to chuckle in front of the demon. "Blocking the sun is impossible. Not since Ezrath gave his spirit to it so long ago. Now, why don't you-"
"Leave? I've certainly learned enough. But maybe I could educate you for one second?"
"You are testing my patience, I-"
"Do you know what happens on the Winter Solstice?" Shin La interrupted him again, his grin beginning to widen. "Of course you do! The cursed sun sinks beneath the dusk, and the lines between the Spirit and mortal worlds begin to turn frail. One world bleeds into another just for a few hours, just long enough for spirits to pass through and vice versa. The darkest day on the human calendar. And that is where I shall stage my revolution."
"Revolution?" Wan repeated, the owl hesitant to even humour him at this point. He'd clearly gone mad; nothing he said made any sense. "What kind of preposterous game are you playing?"
"No game, just fate," Shin La chuckled, his grin and his smile started to unnerve Wan Shi Tong. When the great owl looked at him, he saw nothing of the presence he knew long ago. Now, only a monster stood in its place. "You see, before, what I planned was impossible. I would never be powerful enough to carry out such a task, and the world was too rigid, too unyielding. But with the Avatar, that all changed."
"I will indulge this no longer," Wan threatened, and there was steel in his voice. "Get out, Shin La. Get out of my library."
"I'm going to tear it all down, Wan," The demon laughed. "The fabric between our worlds has never been so weak. The portals, the endless mortal intrusions. You know what I say is true. You know it can be done."
Wan was ready to strike him down. He really was. His giant wingspan had nearly fully extended itself, and he was poised to attack. But that last sentence caught him cold. An incredible unsettling feeling shuddered its way down his back. "No," he muttered, half to himself as the thought rolled around in his head. "No, that's... that's impossible."
Shin La cackled at his denial. His white teeth momentarily became his fangs as he threw his head back. Almost as if on cue, the darkness around them started to thicken, solidify as the demon asserted his grip on the old wooden bookshelf.
"No, it cannot be," Wan Shi Tong said, his restlessness slowly turning to horror. He looked at Shin La in parts disgust and part disbelief. "You would... No, the layers are much too strong..."
The crazed phantom slowly pushed himself off the rickety shelf. "Say it, Wan. Tell me what I'm going to do, and tell me that it is not possible. It is."
The great old spirit turned the thought around in his head but it refused to stick. It was fundamentally wrong, and they both knew it. The consequences of such an action would be... catastrophic. Not just for humans, for everyone. Only one would benefit from it.
Wan Shi Tong looked at the entity once known as Azran Ekaal. Took a long pause and just looked at him. The candlelight that reflected off his eyes danced in the deep dark pools of his eyelids, like a deer waiting to be devoured. There was no good, not even empathy left. Just pure, pure evil.
"You're going to tear the barrier down between our world and the human's world," Wan said. The words struggled to escape his beak. "They would collide with each other, the ensuing results would be..."
"Enough to block out the sun," Shin La finished for him triumphantly. "The world would rip itself apart, unable to cope with the strain of imbalance. The spirits that left our realms would transform into nothing more than feral beasts, and the humans would be sent back to the primitive ages of playing with sticks and stones. And I will remake the world as I see fit. I will-"
The words were taken from him in a gush of wind as Wan Shi Tong flapped his gigantic wings and sent the demon crashing down the hall. He didn't stop until he met the hard wall. The floor shuddered from the elder guardian flexing his might. Shin La picked himself up to see the long neck of the owl bearing down on him.
He bounded out of the way only to be met with the long tail of his adversary, pushing him back up the hallway and down into the deep recesses of the owl's old sanctuary. Groggily, the phantom picked himself up as He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things landed right behind him.
With his beak bared and his wingspan fully extended, he looked every bit the monster. "You know too much, Shin La. I cannot allow you to leave. I will finish what the Avatar started so long ago."
Wan roared, but found himself blasted back as Shin La clapped his hands together and the resulting wind buffeted him back. Cracking his knuckles and removing his cloak, Shin La allowed himself an arrogant boast.
"The Avatar could not kill me, not then nor now. And neither will you."
One second later they came together in a rush of wind and lightning.
She loosened the screw on the gauntlet once more. She could probably get a bit more power if she made a hole further up, she reasoned, adding in another cable. She reached back for her screwdriver and went to work.
It had been an awful long time since she'd been focused on weaponry. The Railroad Scheme had been going so well, and it only continued to grow. Every year, as their scientists and engineers continued to innovate and discover more of what the world had to offer, Future Industries was at the forefront of creation. For a good cause, she reminded herself. For Republic City.
She cursed when the screw slipped from her grasp and landed on the floor. She was rusty at this. Sure, she kept her weapon on her at near all times, her past excursions basically conditioning her to expect danger whenever and wherever, no matter how unlikely the situation. Board meetings could get aggressive, but not that aggressive.
Yet here she was, dusting off old armaments and flexing muscles that, honestly, felt tired. This part of her life was meant to be over. She'd lost too much to it already.
Yet she knew she'd lose more if she didn't prepare. So that's what she did. A pull-up bar adorned the entrance to her office. She'd transferred the contents of her workshop and basically cleared out an office block so she could have the peace and quiet to tinker away as she saw fit. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice her secretary knocking away at the glass until a few minutes had passed and a decidedly worried expression had crossed his face.
She unlocked the door and let him in. "Tenshi," she greeted warmly. "Come in. Sorry about the… mess."
"Oh, that's all right," he smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth as he did so. He was holding a clipboard and a pen while dressed in a full business suit. Asami internally rolled her eyes. She didn't care much for dress code and she'd already told her staff that as long as she didn't have to cite them for public indecency, they could wear whatever they wanted. Tenshi, though, was insistent on being smart. Asami suspected he secretly liked dressing up.
He'd been a lifesaver the past few weeks. When Kuvira attacked, she let most of her employees go home to be with their families, but Tenshi insisted he stay and help run the company. Most young men would find such a task incredibly daunting, but Tenshi really stepped up to the plate. With her old secretary retiring and the position being vacant, it just made sense. And he'd basically been working overtime the past week, what with all that had happened.
Yet he never complained. He joked about being a fashionable slave from time to time, but when push came to shove he put his head down and the work in. How he kept coming in with his perfect brown hair and ridiculously chipper attitude was beyond her.
"So, what do you have for me?" she asked, making sure to keep any apprehension out of her voice. She knew she'd missed the last two board meetings, one for being kidnapped and the other for Lin's coma. Then again, she was the CEO. Screw the rules, she made them.
"That board meeting," he said excitedly. "It got cancelled today, so you have a free morning, Ms Sato."
"Tenshi, I told you," she smiled as she went over and put her electrified glove on the table. "You don't have to be so formal. Asami will do."
"Thoroughly understood, Ms Sato," he replied cheekily, nodding so quickly that his glasses nearly came off.
"All right, Mr Lang," she responded in kind, turning round to face him. "Anything else?"
"Um, yes actually," he said as he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose. "A man came in to see you this morning. He's, well, he's still here. And he's quite… something."
"Okay," she shrugged, "Send him in," she said as she turned back to her stun gauntlet. She caught her secretary eyeballing the weapon meaningfully. "Want a try?"
"Probably best I don't," he put his hands up. "Someone could get hurt."
"You saying I can't handle it?"
"I'm saying you'd kick my ass after I broke it."
Asami laughed at his self-depreciation. "All right, Tenshi. Do your job, send him in. Fun and games are at one."
"See you then," he beamed, before walking out the door to her workshop. She heard the door open to her office and a couple of words exchanged between the two men as she put her shock glove away. Funny, that voice sounded familiar…
"Asami!" Varrick shouted, as he came bounding in to her workspace, leaving the door swinging behind him. "Long time, no see!"
She groaned. It was telling that she didn't even bother to hide her distaste. "Varrick," she acknowledged. She still had her back turned to the door, but now she'd no inclination to face the man talking to her. She actually enjoyed Tenshi's company; Varrick on the other hand…
"Well, he's a cute one," Varrick remarked as Asami continued to show her back to him. "To be honest, I'm surprised to see you here. Big booming businesswoman you've grown into."
The woman in question sighed. "Why would you be surprised? I own the building," she replied, finally turning around to converse with the inventor. "Now, why are you here?"
Varrick theatrically put a hand on his chest, feigning surprise as his mouth opened like a fish. "Can't an old inventor come around to catch up with old friends?"
"No," Asami deadpanned. "Especially when it's you." She folded her arms and leant against the workbench. "I'll ask again. Why are you here?"
"Hmm, straight to business then," Varrick harrumphed. "You know, if you need to relax, you can just call Korra. She's not a million miles away. Or is it Mako that you admire? You youths, I can never keep up with who's with who."
Asami narrowed her eyes. He was annoying her, and he was doing it on purpose. Any curiosity she had as to why he had deigned to show his face was fast running out. Varrick noticed it too, and promptly stopped.
"Ahem," he coughed. "Apologies. So, anyway where were we?"
"I was about to kick you out of my office," Asami sardonically intoned. "Or I was about to listen to whatever you came here to say. Start speaking, I can do both."
Varrick nodded, and a rare serious expression came over his face. "I'm going to need a table," he said as he reached into his coat and brought out some rolled up parchment. "I've got something that you in particular might want to have a look at."
Asami's eyebrows raised, just a little. Varrick wasn't as good as building and engineering as she was (she reckoned anyway) but he did possess a knowledge of science unparalleled to anyone else. When he had an idea for an invention, it usually worked.
They walked out of Asami's workshop and into her office proper. She sat down on her chair, while Varrick unrolled his paper onto her desk. "I wouldn't get comfortable," he said. "What you're about to see will make you pace for hours on end."
The way he talked certainly piqued her interest. She looked down on her desk as Varrick finished unveiling his project.
She stared at it intently. They were… blueprints? No, more likely schematics. Intricately detailed and plotted out thoughtfully. Words and instructions ran down each line drawn of the design. It looked like a beefed up skeleton. Like it was a stand for a suit of armour.
Asami looked up. "What is this?"
"This is a proposed suit of power armour," Varrick explained. "Devilishly powerful little number, in theory at least. What you're looking at now would best be described as the skeleton, the frame. The actual pieces of armour itself would be drafted on, for more inventive customisation. Think of them like a more army based equivalent of those hummingbirds we used against Kuvira."
Varrick allowed her a couple of seconds for her to digest his words. "All right," she said, studying the instructions before her. "You'd need to ease up on the frame a bit, otherwise it's too heavy to walk around in. It would take quite a lot of power to run as well. But what interests me is… why? Why come to me with this?"
Varrick's smile that had stayed on his face for most of their meeting turned into a thoughtful frown. He scratched his chin in contemplation. "I guess I had this idea. For everyday uses, I must say. No chitty chitty bang bang for me. But then I had the pleasure of meeting the ever illustrious enemy you call Shin La."
"Oh," Asami replied, suddenly a lot more understanding. She hadn't known that he had had an encounter with that monster. A meeting with Shin La would leave its mark on anyone. "What happened?"
"Ah, I and he tussled. I had him on the ropes a couple of times. You should have seen it! Well, no you wouldn't have, because the battle took place inside my head. But I assure you, it was epic," he continued. "But it got me thinking. He got inside my head, tried to see everything. But when I resisted, he left himself open. A nice little chink in the armour! And so I went on a little adventure inside his own mind. And I found something worth noting."
Varrick took a breath, and was about to continue, when Asami abruptly sat up. "Wait, wait," she said, trying to wrap her head around what he just said. "You resisted Shin La? How? How on earth did he not possess you?!"
"Oh, a little mind-deficiency," Varrick waved it off. "You'd never guess, but something is wrong with me! Zhu Li reckons it's something called ADHD or something similar. Anyway, it got me thinking. The guy is averse to light, but he's getting stronger. Soon he'll be more powerful, more capable of resistance. He'll never be completely safe from the sun or whatever, but he will be able to form in its presence. What I'm saying is that…"
"He'll be able to survive in the light," Asami finished, the ramifications of such a development starting to sink in. "He won't suffer from fire or the sun anymore. Meaning he could be free to attack us anytime, anywhere."
"Exactly," Varrick clicked his fingers. "Now, benders, they have a measure of resistance. And everyone fighting him is a bender. Except you. And I know you'll be combatting him. So, in addition to help getting this off my chest, I want to give you the schematics for this. It's more than just armour. It's designed to withstand Shin La's possessive intrusions. And while I frown on it, there is the possibility of… violent application. Right, cheerio, that's me, I'll see you whenever. Bye!"
With that, the inventor eagerly made his intent to leave, but Asami pulled him back before he could. "Wait!" she said, grabbing him by the arm. "I thought you didn't make that kind of stuff anymore. And why me?"
Varrick squared his jaw gingerly, like he'd wanted to avoid saying what he was about say. "Maybe it's an apology for my many sins. Maybe it's because Shin La hurt Zhu Li and I, and him continuing to be alive is a big no-no. And maybe it's because I am not as incredibly awesome in a mech suit as I am at everything else. Either way, you stand a better chance to gain from this than I do. And I'm tired of big explosions and world dominating threats. I think me and the wife will chill with the books on this one."
Asami opened to her mouth to respond, but for a moment she hesitated. Her and Varrick had never been friends, but here he was, handing her the keys to his latest invention. And he seemed mightily sincere about it. At least, if it wasn't another gambit he was playing.
"I… Thank you, Varrick," Asami finally said, extending her hand to him. Varrick mistook it for a high five.
"No problem, Iron Lady," he answered, before doing a giddy jump at the notion of the name. "Oh, that could be your superhero name! Anyway, that's me. I'll see you around, Asami."
"Thanks," she replied, as the door swung behind him and she looked down once more on the blueprints. She studied it with scrutiny, and her mind started to wander. An idea began to flourish, germinating and coming to full bloom like a flower. Reaching into her desk, she brought out a pen and wrote the words 'Light Suit' on the top as a heading. "I'll make real good use of it."
She picked up the blueprints and went straight back into her workshop.
"This is pointless!" Wan screamed, his wing slicing the space where Shin La had been moments prior. "You will not win and you will not escape. The world was better off without you!"
"I agree," Shin La replied, dancing away from the guardians attack. "And you helped the one who imprisoned me. You are going to wish that I remained locked away."
With talons bared, Wan Shi Tong attempted to lock the demon in place as he rolled away. Shin La avoided such a manoeuvre and sprang up instead, delivering a roundhouse kick to the creature's neck. The impact sent the owl crashing into a bookcase.
"You will not leave here, Azran," Wan bellowed. He rose immediately from the wreckage and spread his wings to their full potential. "I cannot permit it!"
"Do no call me that!" Shin La exclaimed, his palms lighting up with fire and surprising the old spirit. "That is a name long since buried. I go by it no longer. The world does not deserve me to bear it!"
He blasted the owl but with one flap of his gigantic wings any plume of flame was extinguished, and the phantom was sent flying back. He rolled with the fall though, landing on his feet and thus evading Wan's next lunge, somersaulting over him as he attacked and landing behind the tail of his enemy.
"I helped stop you once," Wan breathed, the fight clearly having an effect on him as he turned to engage. The narrow corridors, normally funnelling his opponents in proving a disadvantage against a nemesis that could evaporate at will. "Because what you became was a despot. A tyrant! Who would disregard the world entirely and let it fall into chaos!"
"Chaos is what this world deserves!" Shin La roared back, leaping forward and striking at the owl. His human form was flickering, and the more intense the fight became the more he shed his visage. Already, demonic claws grew out of where his hands once were. His shiny white molars had turned to fangs. And his eyes held no pupils, just complete and utter darkness in their dreadful depths.
They rushed at each other once again, Wan's neck extended to spear Shin La with his beak. The demon avoided his mid-air lunge and slashed at his neck. The great owl took a tumble as blood emerged at the sight of his wounds. He tried to rise but Shin La kicked out and the ground beneath his feet billowed and sent him crashing through his precious library once more.
"Chaos is what this world deserves," Shin La repeated more quietly. "And I will provide it. I was something beautiful and the Avatar tarnished me. Changed me from what I was and made it so I could never go back, never feel the planet's heartbeat ever again. I will have my vengeance. I will not be denied."
Wan hurried to his feet and rushed at Shin La again, but the ghost was ready. He caught the massive bird by the beak and flipped him over his shoulder, his body slamming into the ceiling as a result. Wan tried to smother him with his weight as he fell down but black tendrils emerged from behind Shin La's back and pierced his hide, and he was left suspended in the air as Shin La watched, his smile mocking and gaudy.
"You… would punish the world… for the wrongdoing of one human?" he gasped incredulously. "An act over two thousand years old!" he howled, as he tried to wriggle free but without success. "That is not revenge. That is an excuse to murder, to destroy!"
With a callous fling of his arm Shin La threw Wan Shi Tong across the corridor and into another of his bookcases. Unable to deal with all the destruction and the strain the fight had put on its supports, the old shelf toppled, trapping the old guardian inside his own library. Wan tried to raise a wing to shrug it off but his wound was still fresh. He was powerless to do anything but look up as Shin La slowly approached.
He had lost. La knew it and so did he. He had lost and now the world was poised to as well.
"Maybe it is," Shin La agreed as he knelt down to converse with him once more. "But humans have been nothing but a blight for years. Disregarding everything which they cannot understand, trampling and abusing our world? Resorting to violence at every opportunity? They are a plague, a blight. In my world, I see no problem in erasing them like the vermin they are."
"You are no better," Wan struggled. He winced from Shin La's foot being pressed into the wrecked bookcase. "You list human sins that are identical to your own. And you would destroy spirits that have had nothing to do with your punishment."
"Spirits like yourself?" Shin La asked, and now the smile had emerged. The claws and fangs were gone, replaced by sneers and gestures. "You are a paranormal hoarder. Gathering knowledge and sealing yourself away so no one can avail of it. You preach non-violence yet you participated in your fair share of bloodshed back in the days, Wan. And always, no matter how the world changed, you stood back and did nothing. Acted like you were above it all. You and so many of your brethren. You say I am on the verge of doing something despicable. At least I act. You never saw fit to raise a talon for anyone but yourself. I admit I'm a monster. Why don't you?"
Wan breathed heavily, and it resulted in a retching cough. "Ezrath was right," he wheezed as he writhed on the ground. "You... you eldritch abomination. You are no spirit."
"On that we finally agree."
With those words said, there was silence. For a moment they stared at each other, Shin La bloody and victorious, Wan Shi Tong bruised and beaten. And then the demon relinquished his hold on the bookcase.
"I won't kill you," Shin La said. "You are important to the world. Even I realise that. But just prepare yourself, Wan. My time is coming. Your days of solitude however, are at an end."
As the Father of Nightmares walked away, his form started to flicker. He flashed in and out of shadow, and Wan couldn't tell whether he was really disappearing or it was just the effects of the blunt force trauma he had endured. Until Shin La turned around with a smile.
"See you around, Wan," he laughed. And then he was gone, disappearing in a plume of smoke and shadow.
And He Who Knew Ten Thousand Things now knew one more thing. "The world is doomed, Shifu," he remarked fearfully as the small little foxes started to clear the wreckage he was pinned under. "The world is doomed."
"I'd like to thank you all for coming," Korra announced excitedly, as the sun began its heavenly descent. They were still mostly camped out in the hospital, but there was time enough yet for a meeting before nightfall. And Korra had something monumental to announce.
With a flourish, just like she had the in the morning, she took a stance. The wooden platform she stood on, overlooking the roof and the people on it, cricketed slightly as she turned and unleashed a mighty bolt of lightning into the afternoon sky.
Even for Mako, who'd witnessed it first-hand that day, it was breath-taking. For the others, the sight was simply spectacular.
"Wow," Asami said, as she and others watched. She beamed with pride as Korra smiled at her accomplishment. She wasn't the only one to sound and look amazed.
"I'm so proud of you!" Tonraq exclaimed as he climbed aboard the platform and embraced his daughter. The sentiment was similar echoed by her friends and relatives, as they surrounded her with praise. All Korra could do was acknowledge their support.
And somehow, in all the raucous, she heard a voice. One specific, male voice.
"Wow, Korra. That was… that was pretty badass."
She slowly put her arm out and split the crowd. Was that... Was that who she thought it was?
It was.
Bolin stood on the roof, obviously a little late to proceedings. He scratched the back of his neck gingerly, like he was guilty of something. Korra knew he wasn't.
"Thank you, Bolin," she smiled. That simple compliment spoke volumes. And it was all she needed to hear. It was all he needed to give.
When he smiled back, relief in the way he relaxed his shoulders, she knew. She knew she was on the path to forgiveness. And that thought warmed her to her very core.
It was a shame the next thing she heard chilled her to the bone.
The radio hadn't been on for a while, the monotonous drone something they preferred not to hear. But with the artificial storm Korra had just kicked up, it had sprang to life. And after the normal radio caster had announced his arrival, and an apology for being late, a new voice came over the broadcast. One she knew far too intimately at this stage.
Everyone's joy and happiness at Korra's development turned eerily quiet as the new broadcaster started speaking.
"Republic City. You have heard about me. You have been warned about me. You have seen the evidence of my existence plastered on the streets when you wake up. You have been advised to keep the lights on before you sleep. And for years and years and years, you have been ignorant of my existence. No more. In four months' time, I promise you will come to know my name."
Even if they didn't know who it was they would have seen that something was not quite right. The voice seemed to boom and crackle, commanding the attention of anyone who was in audible distance. He spoke in the normal caster's voice but it was deeper, more authoritative, more imposing. The forceful tone compelled the city to listen.
And listen they did. Wives and husbands. Gangs on the streets. And all the while, Korra and her friends, gathered on the roof, listened with dawning comprehension.
"You are all on the cusp of a great event, just coming over the horizon," he said, his drawl captivating. "Yes, that which you call the end times are fast approaching. On the Winter Solstice, on humanity's darkest day, you will understand. You may flee, if you wish. It will not save you. You may gather in your little social circles and gossip like children until that fateful day arrives. And you will see that the consequences of my rebirth will change the world you know forever."
Korra had no doubt who it was. And her suspicion was confirmed seconds later.
"Avatar, are you listening? I know you are. These are your people I will kill. Your city I will burn. And do not worry; I have not forgotten what you did to me. Your reckoning is coming, Korra. You can train, you can prepare, and you can surround yourself in the warmth of the people that love you. None of it will matter. They were all dead the moment I escaped."
The whole city slowed to a crawl. People in traffic stopped their commute. Workers in factories left their positions unattended. His tone was almost hypnotic, compelling the city to take note. And it only got worse.
"There are going to be changes in the next few weeks. People will die, buildings will fall and lives will be ruined. Just a taste of what the new world will be like. Make no mistake, citizens of Republic City, this monolith is mine. No matter what the politicians or the Avatar may say, they are all powerless to stop me. And so are you. So don't try. Stock up on supplies. Make sure your loved ones are secure. Or don't. Everyone is playing against the odds now. And I hold all the cards."
There was a pause, and Republic City seemed to hold its breath. And then one final message leaked out of the radio before the broadcast dropped into static.
"To the Avatar, I say this," the voice said, and he started to cackle with glee. "One last message; you will die. My only regret is that you may not see the look of horror on the world's face when everything you ever cared about comes crumbling down. I am Shin La, Republic City. And you will never forget me again."
Really hope you liked it. I put a lot of effort into this one.
As always, read and review. Noticed a drop recently. That could be the lack of regular updates, and I am working on that. Fallout 4 eats up a lot of time. :)
A few references here and there. Those who either watched his movies or followed his work will notice a bit of Bruce Li in there. The others I'll leave for you to find.
Stay classy, Fanfiction.