Korra woke up on the shores of Air Temple Island. Her head throbbed painfully. The memories of the previous night hit her all at once. Hands trembling, Korra lifted her arms and tried firing a punch into the air. No flames burst from her fist. She tried again, this time with a sweeping waterbending gesture, and again, with a hard earthbender's punch. Instead of the usual rush of power, the sense of seamlessly flowing energy, she felt like her energy was trapped behind a dam. It was like trying to sneeze with clothespins around your nose.

Korra started to cry. Jinora found her soon after.

—

Tenzin wrapped her in a blanket and sat down beside her. "We've summoned a waterbender from the city," he told her. "The best healer I could find. And I set a telegram to Katara. If you want to go home, we will arrange it immediately. Or you can stay here, and she'll come immediately, if you want. You don't have to decide now." The older man wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry, Korra."

Korra leaned into his embrace. She felt drained, and no wonder: if she'd cried any more, she thought that she'd have shriveled up like a prune. "I wish you'd been there, Tenzin," she said. Her voice was raw and hoarse. "I mean—you'd have known what to do."

He rubbed her shoulder. "Can you tell me what it was like?"

She told him. After she finished her story, Korra blurted, "I've never been so scared in my life. He was…so confident, Tenzin. Fearless. And he has reason to be."

Tenzin nodded. "I had no idea that Amon possessed such powers," he said. "This makes the Equalists far more dangerous than we had ever thought. I sympathize with their cause, but…"

"You sympathize with them?" Korra wasn't sure if she'd heard correctly.

"With their cause, yes." Tenzin sighed. "You've only been in Republic City for a short time, Korra. Have you noticed the state of things?"

She thought about the bender gangs. "But those Triad thugs—surely the police hunt them down? That's a law-and-order issue, not benders versus non-benders."

"It's not just the triads, though yes, they are an issue. Political representation, membership in the police force…among other problems. If you want, I can set up a meeting with one of my colleagues, Yvonne. She's a non-bender advocate, opposed to Amon but fighting for much the same ends. You'd like her, I think."

Korra considered that. Tenzin was right: she hadn't been in Republic City long at all. And already, I've screwed everything up. Korra looked down and flexed her hands. "Tenzin."

"Yes?"

"I'm…" She hesitated, then tried again. "I'm no longer the Avatar, am I?"

Articulating it hurt more than she had expected. Her eyes watered again, and she blinked away the tears, furious with herself. Haven't I cried enough yet?

But it was true, and she needed to face it. The Avatar was supposed to be the master of all four elements, brining them into harmony and balancing the world in the process. Who had ever heard of a non-bender Avatar? She was useless now.

"Oh, Korra." Tenzin hugged her tight. "You are so much more than your bending. You are still the Avatar, bending or no. And besides," he added, smiling down at her, "don't give up yet. We have no proof that what Amon did to you was permanent."

She tried to smile back. "Thanks, Tenzin." She knew he was just comforting her because it was all he could do. What choice did any of them have?

—

She hadn't expected the healer to be able to help. So why did it still hurt, when her chi remained blocked?

Korra barely listened as the healer stammered his apologies and bowed his way out. Yes, she had expected this outcome. What was more surprising was that, as the shock faded and she focused more on her body, she thought she could still feel her bending. It was like being hit by a chi-blocker, except it felt more final. When she mentioned the sensation to Tenzin, he perked up. "Amon blocked you, then, instead of removing your bending entirely," he said, sounding relieved. "If that's the case, you can possibly learn to unblock it." He smiled at her. "Maybe you won't get out of that spiritual training I'd planned for you after all."

Korra tried to laugh at the weak joke, and failed. To think that yesterday, she'd complained about airbending training.

She needed to get away from the island. Korra stepped outside and gazed at the Air Acolytes meditating in the courtyard. They followed the teachings of the Air Nomads of Avatar Aang's childhood, but without any of the bending. She wondered what it was like, to live a philosophy like that without any of the abilities that were its foundation. Shaking her head, she whistled for Naga, and mounted up.

—

Mako and Bolin rushed out to greet her before she even made it inside the Arena. "Korra!" Bolin yelped. "You're here! You're safe!" He lunged at her, arms wide, and Korra laughed as he enfolded her in a hug.

"We were worried," Mako said. Before he'd seemed reluctant to interact with her, but now genuine concern darkened his eyes and furrowed his brow. "When we couldn't find you after that distraction…"

"Well, I'm here now," Korra said, forcing herself to smile for them. "Bolin, are you…are you okay?"

Bolin grinned. "I got a few bruises, but that's all," he said. "Big brother saved me, as usual."

"You should thank Korra, too," Mako told him. Addressing Korra, he said, "If it wasn't for your distraction, I never would have got him out of there."

To her intense shame, Korra felt the bitter stirrings of resentment in her throat. She swallowed, hard. She'd known the risks, going in. She hadn't stopped to think about what the consequences would actually mean.

"Korra?" Bolin asked. "Are you all right?"

That was all it took. "Fine," she gasped, but she wasn't; she'd started crying again. Korra hiccuped and tried to laugh. The noise came out much more bitterly than she'd intended. "I'm as fine as I can be," she amended. "I…he got me, guys."

She wondered how many times she'd have to confess this. Bolin hugged her again, fiercely, and Mako squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry," Mako said, and Bolin murmured, "Oh, Korra."

She stopped trying to stem the flow, and let herself sob. They'd understand, both of them; wasn't bending their life, too? The resentment faded from her, flowing away along with her tears. It wasn't Mako or Bolin's fault that any of this had happened. It was Amon's.

Amon. She hadn't forgotten her vow.

"Tenzin said I could consider running home," she said at last. "But I can't. I have to take him down…"

The brothers didn't need to ask who 'he' was. "Come on," Bolin said firmly. "I know a great ramen place. My treat. We can plan our revenge there."