Chapter: 2
"Korra, Korra, Korra?!" "Hmm." Korra said looking over too Asami. "Are you alright? You've been zoned out all day. Is everything alright?" she asked with a worried look in her green eyes. Korra gave her a tired smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine it's just a headache. I didn't sleep well last night." "Are you having nightmares again, is it anything you want to talk about?" Asami asked as they made their way towards the ridge. The sun was just reaching its apex. "Not really." Korra said with a grimace. "I don't wanna ruin our vacation." "Come on Korra if something's bothering you I want to help, and I highly doubt this will be our last vacation. Now spill it." Asami said with a stern look in her eyes, and a grin on her lips that screamed I win.
"Alright already." Korra said with a chuckle. The smile left her face quickly as she thought back to her nightmare. "It wasn't like the ones I've had about Zaheer, and the Red Lotus. It felt more like the ones I had when I first came to Republic city. Back when Amon was waging his revolution."
"Didn't those turn out to be warnings from Aang?" Asami asked with a worried look. "Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense. Ever since Rava, and I were separated during Harmonic Convergence, i've been unable to connect with my past lives. I have tried everything, but I still haven't been able to reconnect with them." "Maybe it wasn't a vision then." Asami offered puzzled. "Maybe it was just a nightmare. Do you remember anything from it?"
Korra looked down in disappointment. "Not much, just people calling my name, some voices, and then everything becomes blurred. All that's left is this headache that seems to be getting worse, and a feeling that something bad is going to happen." "Maybe we should go back to Republic city. If you think something is wrong then maybe we should cut this short." Asami suggested. "I can always see the Tree of Time some other time." "No, no it's fine. We're almost there anyway. Look you can see the the top branches from here." Korra said pointing just above the ridge.
Five minutes later Asami was staring in awe at the landscape before her. It was a massive circular clearing, about four air ships big, with both north, and south spirit portals on either side. Then there was the tree of time which stood firmly rooted in the center. The tree was massive, and looked every bit of ancient, as the name would lead one to believe. Korra could only smile at the look on her girlfriends face. "This" she said proudly is where Wan the first Avatar, imprisoned Vaatu for 10,000 years. Most recently though it has become one of several sites in which I whooped Vaatu's evil ass into oblivion." Korra explained with a smug tone in her voice.
"Wow Korra this is amazing." Asami said, still too awestruck to pop Korra's inflating ego. "Do you wanna see the inside?" Korra asked, already knowing the answer. "Are you kidding? Asami asked with a playful gleam in her eyes. I'll race you there!" with that she took off down the slope toward the tree. "Hey no cheating" Korra yelled, as she took off after her.
….
A half mile, and an exhausting climb later there they were in the center of the tree of time. "Oh yeah victory is mine!" Asami laughed; hands on her knees, and out of breath. "Yeah yeah yeah; congratulations cheater." Korra laughed back, equally out of breath. "What do you mean cheater, you can bend all four elements." "So I didn't use them." Korra argued back. "Oh yeah?" Asami grinned at her" and me getting tripped up on a rock five times isn't cheating?" "Maybe you are just a klutz." Korra offered. "It was the same rock five times in a row Korra." "You noticed that huh?" Korra said as she glanced sheepishly at Asami."Yeah I noticed".
After they caught their breath, the girls began to look around, the look of awe returning to Asami's face. "And I thought it looked big on the outside". Asami said, her voice tinged with amazement. "This tree serves as a focal point for cosmic energy. Legends say that its roots bind the mortal world, and spirit world together. Kind of like a cosmic lynch pin". Korra explained, a look of wonder entering her own eyes. "Okay I get all that, but why do they call it the tree of time"? asked Asami. "Long ago humans would come here, and meditate. As they let the cosmic energy flow through them, they were able to see everything from their past as well as what is happening now". "Can it show the future"? "No I don't think so. Do you wanna see it in action"? Korra asked. "You know it"! Asami said excitedly.
Korra assumed the lotus position in the middle of the ancient chamber, facing away from the opening. After a few minutes Korra found her center. It would have been quicker if her migraine would just go away already, but it only seemed to be getting worse. The foot race probably didn't help. Korra closed her eyes, and took a deep calming breath in, and out. With her mind clear, and her heart beating steadily, Korra could feel the cosmic energy flow through her once more. She opened her eyes, no longer blue, but glowing white with the power of the Avatar state.
Suddenly the room began to glow with a blue energy, and random scenes, and images began circling around the room from floor to ceiling. Asami could only stare awestruck. She had been doing that a lot during her week with Korra in the spirit world. It felt like a mover show, she realized. The only difference was color instead of sound. "Let's see how everyone's doing". Korra said, her voice sounding ancient, and powerful. Images of all their friends appeared near the center of the back wall. There was Bolin, and Opal holding hands in Republic City Park. Then there was an image of Kai following Jinora through a library carrying a stack of books half as tall as he is. That image was soon followed by one of Varrick, and Zhu li returning from their honey on Ember Island. Finally it shifted to one of Mako in Lin's office. He was wearing his police uniform, and his left arm was out of its sling, and only in bandages. With Wu back in Ba Sing Se, Mako's hair was back to normal, thank the spirits. This scene looked like a mother telling her son to do his chores. Asami could only wonder what orders Lin was giving him that he would disagree with this much.
All of a sudden Asami heard a groan of pain behind her. Spinning around she saw Korra clutching her head in pain. The blue glow that filled the chamber moments ago, turned purple, and the images began to shift. Looking around in panic Asami saw the images from Korra's past. There was Amon taking away her bending, and Raava being ripped from her soul. The Red Lotus forcing the poison into Korra's body, Zaheer pulling the air from her lungs, and most recently Kuvira beating Korra into the ground at Zaofu.
Asamis attention was ripped from the past as Korra cried out in agony. Korra fell to her side, and curled into the fetal position. Eyes shut tight, and tears falling down her face. Hands clutching her head as she screamed again, and again. "Korra what's wrong"? Asami yelled running over too Korras side. Asami was in near panic with no idea what to do. Still screaming Korra rolled onto her back, limbs shooting out in all directions. Her hands were gripping at the floor in desperation. As she screamed again, Raava's markings began to glow on her torso.
Slowly the energy in the room began to shift again. What had started out as something peaceful, and serene, had become tense, and unpredictable. As Korra screamed again long, and loud the markings changed from blue to crimson. A red glow now filled the chamber, as the images changed to ones of Vaatu. As Asami stared into the eye of chaos incarnate Korra screamed again. Her body spasmd, and her eyes shot opened now glowing red as well. "Korra"! Asami screamed as she grabbed her shoulders. Suddenly a large pulse of energy radiated from Korra, launching Asami back into the wall.
Dazed Asami looked up. "Korra"! Asami yelled, but was drowned out as Korra gave one final scream. The longest, and loudest scream yet. As she did, red, and black energy erupted from her mouth. As the last of the energy left Korra everything stopped. As Asami pulled herself to her feet, she looked around, using the wall for balance. It was silent as Korra lay passed out on the chamber floor. The only source of light was the dim red glow from the shifting energy above them. Asami stumbled over to Korra's prone form, and knelt beside her. "Korra? Come on Korra speak to me". She said as she pulled Korra up to lean against her. "Uhh. Asami what happened"? korra asked, as she opened her eyes, now back to an ocean blue.
As soon as the words left her mouth, a sinister laughter filled the tree of time. "Vaatu"! Korra yelled out, as she stumbled to her feet. The energy above them surged, and cascaded to the floor. After a few moments the dark energy gathered together, and condensed into solid form. There before them stood a middle aged water tribe man with purple robes, and glowing red eyes. "Unalaq"? Korra whispered in disbelief at the sight of her deceased uncle. A cruel grin, and a dark chuckle cast aside any doubt about who they were dealing with. "My apologies Raava". He said with a grin. "Unalaq is dead, and gone. What stands before you is all Vaatu." Seeing the shocked look on the girls faces he kept speaking, arrogance dripping from every word. "I've had many puppets in my time, but I must say Unalaq is one of my favorites. Besides Koh is not the only one who can keep mementos."
"So you're not a dark avatar anymore". Korra said taking up a shaky fighting stance. "You're just a dark spirit whose about to get his ass kicked again". She finished with a grin of her own. Vaatu went silent at the quip, a scowl appearing on his face. "I underestimated you once girl it won't happen again." Vaatu replied, his voice laced with contempt.
As soon as the words left his lips, Korra lunged forward, sending out blast, after blast of air. Vaatu dodged them all, ducking left, spinning right, and crouching down to his hands, and feet on the third. Staying down Vaatu looked up, and into Korra's eyes. A smug grin appeared once more on his narrow face. "As fun as it would be to rip you apart Raava, I have something worse planned for you". As he spoke red energy spread out over the tree from where his hands made contact. Korra, and Asami watched in shock as every inch of the tree of time inside, and out began to glow a hellish red.
All of a sudden spirit vines shot out of the walls, and restrained Korra, and Asami. No matter how hard they struggled, the vines held firm. With an evil laugh, and a flash of dark energy Vaatu shifted into his true spirit form. "You are going to suffer Raava. You're going to watch as I rip your world apart, and turn everything you've ever loved into ashes". Vaatu said, his voice echoing with power, and hatred. "And there will be nothing you can do to stop me". "No"! Korra screamed as he flew out of the entrance. With that Korra's eyes began to glow as she entered the avatar state. She swiftly incinerated the vines holding them, and ran to the entrance.
The skies were dark, and the wind was howling. Vaatu's very presence was already twisting everything. The tree of time still glowed red with his power. Korra made it to the entrance just in time to see Vaatu fire a massive blast of energy right at them. "Asami get down"! korra yelled as she pushed the heiress behind her. Then just as she did with Kuvira's spirit cannon, she bent the energy around them. Vaatu saw what Korra was doing' and poured more of his power into the blast. Korra was tiring quickly, but all she could do is endure. All the energy Korra deflected began to flow around them clockwise in a perfect sphere.
Just as Korra's strength was about to give out Vaatu stopped firing. As they were nolonger in danger Korra passed out, and fell back into Asami's waiting arms. After making sure Korra was ok, she looked up at the glowing red sphere of energy that surrounded them. "I think we can rule your dream as a warning vision now". Asami said in a worried voice.
….
In a flash of red energy Vaatu was once again in the form of Unalaq. He couldn't help but grin at the sight of his handy work. "Let's see how you like being stuck in that damned tree for a few thousand years Raava". He chuckled to himself. Evan after clawing his way out of Raava, and sealing her in the tree of time, his power was already returning. It would take time for him to return to his full powers, time of which he now had plenty of. "Let the Era of Vaatu begin". He laughed as he turned around, and made his way into the spirit world, corrupting everything in his wake.
