DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS.

Apologies to those who read this for the rather late update.

CHAPTER FIVE: REASONS AND REVELATIONS

Raava floated around aimlessly in the dark void. Around her, blue squares of light showed scenes of a tan, dark-haired girl, fighting off enemies or just sitting around. In front of the spirit of light, an massive oval displayed what that girl was seeing right then. Silvery strands of light peeled off it, eventually transforming into more squares.

This was, of course, Korra's mind.

The spirit looked around. She found it curious that there weren't any memories of the destruction of the factory; it only took place the night before. Did Korra not remember? Raava looked down. How could she not have noticed this before?

But there was still hope. Maybe Korra had shoved it to the back, thinking—or maybe hoping—that it had been but a nightmare.

Raava swam through the air, away from the oval. Around her, the memories began to grow a reddish tint, showing darker memories: Korra, embracing Mako; Amon, stripping her of her bending; Unalaq, towering over her... But nowhere was the vision Raava was looking for.

She hurried back to the oval. She knew she would have to come out and explain everything eventually. Hopefully Korra would understand. Raava hoped that Korra wasn't in too much trouble.

She glanced at the oval and saw Chief Lin Beifong, shouting at Korra.

Raava stared. Eventually would have to be soon.

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The interrogation room was a dull gray. A table lay in the center, two unused chairs on opposite ends. A single bare light bulb dangled from a chain on the ceiling.

Beifong sneered at Korra from the other side of the desk. "It won't do you any good to deny it!" she snarled. "Admit to it, and your punishment won't be as harsh!"

"I can't even get rid of that slime in my cell," Korra retorted, "much less a whole factory!"

"Then explain to me," growled Beifong, "who that blue giant bending down by the river was! Your twin sister?"

"Whoever it was, it wasn't me!"

"Who else in this city—no, this world—can do that, then?"

Korra glared up at the woman. "I was in my cell! I couldn't attack anyone!"

"Your guards claim to have seen some sort of blue essence come out of you when you were asleep and fly through the walls of your cell!"

"I doubt I could do that in my sleep; I could barely do it when I was awake!"

"You—"

Korra, a feminine voice whispered.

Time froze. Beifong was trapped in mid-sentence. An invisible force pried Korra's mouth open.

White fog poured out, followed by a glowing white squid squeezing its way out. Once freed, the squid grew in size until it could barely fit in the room.

Korra crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

I have come to apologize for the trouble I've caused you, Raava said.

Korra's eyes widened. "You mean...you did this to me?"

Raava remained silent. The answer was clear.

"Why? Why would you do this to me?" Tears stung Korra's eyes. She blinked, holding them back.

The state of the river...it was too much for me to handle. There was a tone of guilt in the spirit's voice.

"It was just one river!"

One river that would turn into two rivers, then four, then eight... It would go on and on until there would be nothing clean. Humans and spirits alike would die. It must be stopped in its early stages, before it envelopes the world.

"But why would you use me? Why couldn't you do it yourself?" There was very little keeping Korra from flat-out screaming now.

I will admit, I wasn't thinking very straight. But together, our powers are much stronger than what I could have done alone. No...that foolish woman would continue to pollute the river.

"You could have just, I don't know, asked, without any violence!"

Korra, when have you ever asked for something and gotten it? No, she wouldn't have listened. Violence, I hate to say, was necessary.

But Korra was far too enraged to process these words. She hurled a blast of fire at Raava, shouting, "You're just as bad as Unalaq! Get out!"

The spirit dodged. Korra, be reasonable! I only create destruction to prevent destruction.

"You made me out like a monster! My friends hate me, Mako's almost dead, the world thinks I'm a psycho, and I'm stuck in jail, because of YOU!"

Please, Korra—

"NO! Get out of here! I never want to see you again! You did this to me!"

Raava, seeing that Korra wouldn't calm down until she was gone, sighed. Her long body began to disperse, tiny particles left behind. Finally, Raava was gone.