I'm posting another chapter tonight. Enjoy.
It had been three days since he last saw Asami and his brother leave the swamp cave. The first night, he figured that they got lost. It was a foggy swamp and not many people planned to come visit it. The second night, he managed to carve a small trench in the cave from pacing. Korra, between her own demons and pains of being forced to go cold turkey, continued to lay on the floor of the cave listening to his rants and stories of what he has been up to since they last saw each other. The third day, he realized Korra got out of her ropes. He found her smoking outside, under a blanket and wearing the stolen jacket. He noticed that she was shivering when he joined her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
She turned to look at him. Her grayish eyes began to return to their blue color.
"I'm cold, sore and I swear something is crawling underneath my skin. This is the longest I've gone without those plants since I was hooked on them." She said softly as she tapped the cigarette with a finger. One of her bare feet was ribbing an itch on her other leg.
"And those in your hand are?"
"Taken from the Earth Empire solders that wander in here. I won't do anything crazy with these. They're just to calm my nerves." She gave him a weak smile.
Bolin chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her. He then hugged her tightly, messing her hair up a bit with his hand.
"We've missed you, you know." He continued to laugh as he let her go, "I don't know why you disappeared, twice. It's not even fair that Mako and Asami saw you two years ago before you disappeared again. How could you have not missed me of all people?"
She began to fix her hair as she answered, "It's a long story and I'm sure you don't want to know."
Bolin raised a brow, mocking offence, "Now Korra, we both know that this is a rare moment of you being sober-er. I told you my story and now you tell me yours. That's how catching up works."
"Alright," she let out a short laugh, "Where to begin?"
"How about when you left the South Pole after telling your parents that you were coming to Republic City?"
She let out a puff of smoke before speaking. The Avatar had to often back track as her mind was a bit fuzzy, but she started with leaving the South Pole on a ship by herself. She spoke of the horrors of her bending and of the hallucination of the Avatar State that haunted her. She briefly, to Bolin's dislike, went over her time with Toph Bei Fong (Bolin had a moment of freaking out) and the metal poison still in her system. Then the fight with Kuvira. She went back to the underground fights, losing them all until a woman named Li Ling took her under her wing for a bit. Korra learned what bar parties were like and along with the alcohol, she was introduced to leafy plant, dama, to smoke. They had helped with her hallucinations for a bit. Her time with the bad bending actor group was kept short, as well as her mentioning of the airbenders interrupting a show. She had told Mako and Asami about it earlier in the week.
"When more of the Earth Empire soldiers showed up, I left town to hide in the swamp. Toph said that it was the best place to hide and it was." She paused to light another of her smokes, "Soon, I found plants that had stronger effects than the cigarettes and finally the mushrooms. The sunsets were the best and the relief from the real world was welcoming. I had no one depending on me and no one to use me for their ideas and plans. Toph and the swamp people left me alone to my own devices unless those men with the red trim came in. I'd come and make them less of a threat before the swamp benders would take them away."
"I see," Bolin hummed in his disappointment, "So you have been smoking and watching sunsets this entire time?"
Korra laughed, "It must sound bad?"
"I don't think 'bad' is the word I would choose."
Her mood quickly changed, "Well, I don't expect you and the others to understand what I went through. When the airbenders lied about my death, I was angry at first, but then I realized that it was a blessing in disguise. I was not the Avatar the world wanted anymore and I didn't have to worry about what everyone thought about me when I stayed here. You would run too if everyone you thought loved you suddenly did not believe in you."
With that, she stood and walked off.
Bolin sat there and responded to her comment even if she would not hear it, "I do know what it's like."
He stood and decided to look for something to eat that would not make him sick. He was careful to avoid any of the mushrooms and settled on a dried chicken-possum.
He ate to his fill before leaving the cave to seek Korra. The earthbender guessed that about an hour had passed since she stormed off.
She laid under the canopy of the swamp, watching the clouds go by as her mind thought of the conversations her friends had. Granted, her mind was not in the best place but there was no better place and time to do it. She let out a chuckle at the colorful sky. She turned her head towards the staring, uncanny Avatar State. She knew that she should be afraid of 'her' but she could only laugh at its lumbering form.
"You are really messed up in your priories, you know. You could join me here instead of lingering with the chains wrapped around your arm. It just may make you happier. Spirits know, it makes me happier."
The hallucination made a sudden move, startling Korra before disappearing. She let out a shout.
"Korra?" she heard Bolin call. He was rubbing his hands together, "Where are you?"
"Up here."
He looked up, seeing a series of woven vines together. Korra was laying amongst them as if they were a hammock.
"How did you get up there?"
"I floated, letting the wind guide me up as if I were a small, green leaf set free from the bondage of a tree."
"Floated you say?" Bolin's brow furrowed, "I assume that is mushroom speak for airbended? In which that would mean you ate another mushroom and our plans of helping you took a step back…"
He watched as she rolled to her stomach to look down at him. Her right arm hung out of the vines, swinging to and fro. She would then tap the smoke in her hand before shouting.
"I'm out! We need to head into town."
"Out of what?"
Korra shouted with pure terror in her voice, "Moon peaches! The wicked sun king is bearing down on us with its evil purple glare and only the moon peaches can save us from the sun king! 'She' also wants them."
Bolin smacked his forehead, "Of course, like I was expecting a logical answer. You're really bringing out a side I don't feel comfortable showing, Korra. It kinda feels like impatience, which is bad for an earthbender, if you have forgotten."
"You can't earthbend."
"Yes, of course, because you took it from me. I'd actually like to have it back, if you don't mind coming back down."
He watched her stick the cigarette in her mouth before somersaulting over the edge and dropping herself.
"Alright," she said looking at him, soon cocking an eyebrow up, "Though, it does seem weird giving a turtle-duck earthbending."
"Just give the turtle-duck his bending. I'm more than ready for it."
She snorted with laughter, "Alright little guy. I'll give you your earthbending back."
She placed a hand on his forehead and the other on his chest. They stood there for a moment before Bolin spoke up.
"Am I supposed to feel nothing?"
"Hm?"
"I'm supposed to be feeling some sort of spirit bending, aren't I?"
Korra raised a brow, "What are we doing again?"
"You are returning my bending."
"Oh right. Yeah, you should feel something." She snorted with laughter.
Another moment of awkward silence passed.
"Korra?"
"Hm?"
"Are you going to return it or not?"
"Return what?"
"My earthbending, woman! You have been standing there for about five minutes now."
"Right, right. I will return it."
"Now?"
"Now."
She finally took a deep breath and focused enough to return his bending. All the focus drifted away as she busted out laughing.
"Now what's funny?"
"There's something in your chest that is beating rapidly. I hope it doesn't mean your heart is broken. I'd hate to see Opal sad over your death."
Bolin frowned, giving his friend a look of crushed hopes. He let out a sigh before heading back to the cave.
"Hey, where are you going?" Korra called out.
"Go enjoy your hammock, Korra. I'll talk to you again when you're sober."
"Bolin wait. You have to try this."
"No thanks Korra." Bolin paused, watching her roll something and light it, "What are you lighting up now?"
"Spirit vine, I think. Every puff I breathe in tastes like the buttery, light flavor of Raava filling my veins with its light goodness. Makes me think that I may have a spirit actually in me. Weird huh?"
"I'm going." He continued to leave her behind.
It was not until the next morning when Korra returned. She gently placed her hand on Bolin's shoulder, shaking gently to wake him.
"Bolin."
He shot up from his deep slumber, "Did I miss something?"
The Avatar shook her head, "No. I was just letting you know that I'm back and I have food from town."
Bolin looked at the leaf wrapped dumplings, "You went into town? Did you see Mako and Asami?"
She shook her head again, "No. I didn't see them but the town is crawling with the Red Collars."
Bolin unwrapped his breakfast, eating them quickly. It had been a few days since he had a true meal. Living on whatever Korra had around proved to be hard to do as there was not much of a choice.
"About yesterday," she started, rubbing her arms before violently scratching them, "I'm sorry about that. I was wrong; I took my anger out on you and teased you with your bending issues. Since Mako and Asami took my dama and most of my mushrooms that I'm so dependent on, I started to freak out and needed something to lessen the pain. Then I took a bit much."
"Yeah, that was more than a bit much," Bolin grabbed one of her hands, "So you'll return my bending without teasing me?"
She nodded, pushing up the long sleeves of her jacket, "You might want to put those down for a second."
He nodded, setting breakfast down. He felt the familiar pressure of her hands pressing into his forehead and chest. Then came the shock and the power he had had.
"It feels so weird, having someone bend my energy."
"I know."
"Can we go find them now?"
She nodded, "I suppose you want to go now?"
He quickly gobbled down the rest of breakfast before nodding, "It's been four days now. You are coming right?"
"I don't think I have much of a choice, do I?" She said, lighting a cigarette, "With your bending back, you could easily drag me along, remember?"
"I do."
She nodded, walking about the cave gathering her things. Bolin stopped her, checking her patched bag and oversized jacket for anything she did not need anymore. He buried the cloth wrapped mushroom to much of her dislike. The look he received was very much a look of agonizing pain and hurt.
"Korra, I love you like the sister I've never had, but I am sticking by Mako and Asami's decision of making sure you will be clean from all of this."
The Avatar breathed in deeply before nodding. Korra crushed the dying smoke before lighting another. She then left the cave with Bolin quickly trailing.
With Korra leading, it took them about two hours to reach the town. Bolin took note of her constant searching the swamp with certain paranoia. The slightest noise would through her off track and she once attacked the air with a bit of fire screaming something of 'her' wanting to inflict harm to them. He was beginning to miss the carefree yet fanatical Korra that slept in the hammock.
The streets were empty of all signs of life. The pair thought of it as especially odd considering that Korra was in town earlier in the day trading unspecified things for food. They continued into the center of town, finally finding life. There was a crowd gathering and they both noticed the Red Collar soldiers standing around and within the crowd.
"-These are the leaders of the Resistance and with all of the tales you might have heard, you will see that they are scared of our Emperor Bataar; scared to face their own mortality. If you join them, then you too will find death by our hands."
Bolin raised a brow as he began to shove his way through the crowd.
"Death; may the spirits remind you of your horrible lives."
He forced his way, stopping at the edge of the crowd. The sounds of ten arrows being let from their bow whistled and he realized what was going on. He stood there as he watched his two friends collapsed from the arrows' force. The crowd knew right away that the young woman had instantly died; the five arrows meant for her punctured her chest and one in her throat. Bolin saw that Mako still breathed.
By this time, Korra had caught up to him.
"Korra, we need to save him." He shouted amongst the gasps and cries of the crowd.
"For the Earth Kingdom and Republic City!"
Korra stood there, eyes widened and mouth hanging slight from the shock of the sight. He waved his hand in front of her.
"Korra."
Bolin growled as he began to make the earth quake beneath the town. The crowd began to disperse, leaving the soldiers there to react to his bending.
"He's a part of the Resistance. Kill him!"
Bolin stopped the quake, only to slam the ground with his fists. A line of lava formed, forcing those lucky enough to avoid it tremble for a bit. Their senses regrouped and they began their counter attack.
"Korra, I could use your help."
Bolin lifted another wall of stone to block the soldiers' attacked. From behind, he heard the whistles of steel blades soaring his way before stopping right before him. He turned to see that Korra had stopped them, heated them and then returned them to their owners. It didn't take long though for the soldiers to pick up on Korra's weakened fighting. She held back, using only earthbending to hold her ground as she panted. Her hesitance was beginning to annoy Bolin.
"Korra, some Avatar power would be nice now."
Korra seemed to look fearful again as he commented. When a couple of mech-suits appeared, Bolin scared her again.
"Korra, we are going to die if you don't focus!"
She began to panic, stepping back each time she blocked until she bumped into Bolin's back.
"Korra, quit running and fight."
She saw a vision of herself stand behind the soldiers, glaring down. Turning to her right, she saw her friend's lifeless bodies.
You can't expect to deal with future enemies if you're still fighting the old ones.
Come on Avatar. Get up and fight.
It's obvious that this woman before us is not the Avatar. She's a low life; selfish and greedy.
The world doesn't need you anymore.
Korra, quit running and fight!
With what strength she could muster, she went into the Avatar State.
"Yes, Team Avatar is back to butt-whooping!"
She began using the metal on the soldiers' uniforms, turning the material against them.
"The Avatar isn't dead." Voices said.
The townsfolk soon poured into the streets ready to free their town.
"We don't need the Earth Empire. For the Earth King and the Earth Kingdom!"
The Red Collar soldiers got up and began to fight again, bringing down homes and shops as they engaged the townsfolk and they would fight until their lives were taken.
Korra collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit. Her body was not used to the abuse she just received and she had been scared out of the Avatar State again. The mixture of the fighting, a sudden surge of energy and the lack of feeding the addiction left her on the ground looking up into the sky with an empty look on her face. She could hear the townsfolk tear down Earth Empire flags and banners, the cries from Bolin as he hugged his brother's and friend's lifeless bodies. Finally her mind started to understand. She began to laugh at the situation. In the depths of her mind, she knew that she shouldn't be laughing. If she wasn't feeling so messed up, she would be there with Bolin crying her eyes out too. She could go back into the swamp and not have to worry about dealing with it though…
She took out a cigarette from its package and lit it. Korra coughed again before rubbing her aching arms. She ran her hands through her hair before resting her head on her hands. Her moment of peace was short lived when Bolin flicked the smoke from her lips.
"It's your fault! If you didn't take Mako's bending and weren't smoking those, they'd be alive." He shouted, ignoring the curious eyes, "And you don't even care! You are just lying there like nothing happened. What kind of an Avatar does this?"
She would take out another cigarette, only to have Bolin smack it away. She grunted as she rolled and pushed herself onto her bare feet. The Avatar would bend down to pick her precious items up before turning to look at the earthbender.
"What would you like me to do, Bolin?" Her tone changed to a mere whisper, "I don't have the power to bring them back. I'm powerless to do anything of use."
She rubbed her arms, pushing past him. She brought the smoke to her mouth one last time before flicking it away. Korra would drop to her knees in between them looking them over. Now closer, she noted their most distinct appearances: the arm that should have been there and the thick beard from having to hide away. Those were new.
Bolin couldn't tell what she was doing. He heard her voice, like she was talking to them, but that could have been a lingering after effect of her bad habit still talking. He watched her gently take each of the arrows out, avoiding ruining how they fell into each other. When Korra finally fell onto her elbows, he realized that she knew how heavy of a loss it was. He heard her apologize to them both. A part of him felt guilty for shouting at her but she had helped cause this in some way.
The townsfolk later helped them bury the bodies of their friends. Martyrs they were called as the southern Earth Empire was awakened from an ignorant slumber. After the crowd left, the two friends stood by the graves. Korra had lit another one of her cigarettes, holding it to her side as she wrapped her left arm around Bolin.
"Are you coming with me then, Korra?"
She shook her head, "I can't. I'm not ready."
"I can't just leave you here. You'll disappear again."
Korra laughed, "I have thought about it. I would like to disappear again as I can't help anyone in this state. I'm… going to try to stop my bad habits with the mushrooms and other stuff, but for me to help anyone I need to get back into shape. I'm tired, sore and I feel cold from being out of fighting shape. Not mention that I still need to fully convince myself that I should come back. You know that I don't want to. I fear a repeat of last time."
"Alright," Bolin said, still questioning her, "What do you want me to do when I return to the Resistance army?"
"Don't mention it to anyone and let it be a rumor for a while. Then, when I am completely ready, I will return and we will stop Bataar and the Earth Empire."
"Korra, not that I want to doubt you," Bolin started, "But what if you don't come? You don't exactly have the best record at the moment."
"You know where to find me then."
"Okay, two months and then you will show up and we'll take it to Bataar."
She nodded.
"Two months or I will find you and drag you out."
Korra looked away, "I just hope I can find myself."