So far it had been three days since Korra had been attacked and so far the young avatar hadn't left her room in the compound which really worried Katara. Although she understood that Korra needed to be alone she still knocked on the girls door every two hours to see if she wanted to talk.
"Korra I know I can't begin to imagine what you're going through but you can't stay in your room forever."
Just as she started to walk away she heard the faint click of the door unlocking and swinging open to show a distraught Korra. Her eyes were red and nearly overflowing with tears.
"And why not? I just killed two people! I'm nothing more than a monster that deserves to be locked away someplace where I can't hurt anyone else."
"Korra that's not"
"It's exactly what I deserve and everyone else knows it!" she retreats back into her room with Katara not far enough. "I heard the guards talking when you got me back here, even the ones that I thought were my friends called me a monster."
Katara made a mental note to personally set each and every guard straight for making the girl she thought of as her granddaughter feel so terrible.
"And is that what you want Korra? to be trapped here forever away from the world and the people in just because you lost control of yourself when your life was in danger?"
"But Katara I'm a dark avatar even if I didn't stay here I'd only bring chaos to the world that's always been the case for dark avatars."
Even though all Katara wanted was to make the girl in front of her feel better she knew that if she did if would just be a matter of time before she would feel guilty again. So even though it would cause problems she decided to go another path.
"Korra I'm not going to lie to you your life will probably go down a darker path than most but that's your advantage."
"Huh?"
"Most people in this world live their lives thinking that there is only good in this world, but when they come face to face with the bad they don't know how to handle it and they become broken. You on the other hand were born knowing of the evils of the world."
"Me being one of them." Korra said faintly which earned a small whack on the head.
"Don't interrupt people it's rude, now like I was saying because of this your eyes are open to the bad and the good which allows you to take everything this life will throw at you and use it to make you stronger." When Katara was done she thought that Korra might just say she was wrong but instead she used one of her sleeves to wipe her eyes as a small smile graced her lips.
"Your right Katara I might be cursed but I'm going to help this world wether it likes it or not."
"That's the Korra I know now come on if we want to make it the city by nightfall we need to pack and leave in the next two hours."
"Alright... wait what do you mean we?"
"Did you forget that I'm the only one who can make your potion at night? Besides I thought it would be easier for you to interact with people if you had an old friend with you."
Before Katara knew what had happened she saw clothes flying from Korras dresser as Korra threw what little clothes she had onto her bed before being placed in a sack.
"Well then lets go!."
Not long after that the two girls were on their way toward the main gate where Tenzin was waiting with his bison ready to leave. Korra tensed a bit when she saw the guards on the walls but one wave of Kataras hands send them flying from the walls.
"Mother, Korra if you are ready then we'll leave at once."
Korra didn't hesitate and jumped right on top of the bison while Tenzin and Katara used their bending to get on. But as the bision started to fly and was a few dozen feet over the walls Korra suddenly stood up and looked back at the place she had always thought of as her cage.
"Wait Tenzin stop for a second." Tenzin pulled back on the reins telling the bison to stop in mid air.
"Why did you forget something?"
Instead of answering Korra got into a stance before using both hands to send a massive fire ball into her room engulfing it flames in moments before turning to face the two masters.
"Now I don't have anyplace to run back to if things get hard for me. Whatever the future holds I'll face it head on."
Both masters smiled at this and once again flew away from the compound as Korra watched the flames grow bigger as people rushed to contain and put out the flames. Within a few hours the ice covered lands of the south were long gone and now the glowing lights of the city were surrounding them as they flew past a giant statue of Aang before finally landing on Air Temple island.
"I can't wait to start my training in air bending Tenzin."
"Yes and that's why first thing in the morning we'll start with morning meditations followed by a series of breathing excises then my personal favorite focusing on feeling the wind while we remain motionless for a few hours."
Korra had to really fight back the urge to complain at this. She just never fully realized how boring Tenzin was seeing as she had only met him a brief number of times.
"But first we'll get you setteled in and then we'll head into the city so that you can get a good feel for the city."
"Okay sure... wait a minute where s Naga?" Korra immediately started to panic when she realized that in her haste to leave she had forgotten her life long friend at the compound.
"Don't worry dear I made sure that Naga was put on the first ship to the city before we left she'll be here in the morning." Upon hearing this Korra calmed down a little but she was still pretty panicked that she wouldn't have Naga by her side tonight like she always did.
As the air acolytes came to unload their gear Tenzin showed Korra to her room which was at the far end of the room and if that wasn't enough had two separate doors the first being made of wood but the second being made of metal.
"I know it seems like a cell but the only way the white lotus would agree for me to train you here was if you had a specially made room."
Although Korra didn't say anything as she opened the door to her room Katara had known the girl long enough to tell that she felt she had traded one cage for another. Inside the room however was a different story, although Tenzin believed that possessions and extravagance was a unnecessary thing in this life she could tell he had put a lot of effort into making the room feel more like a room then a cage. The bed was a gigantic square covered in fire nation silk and beside that was a full length crystal mirror along with a fully detailed wooden dresser. The last piece of the room was a small waterfall contained in a rock fountain in the far corner
"Tenzin don't tell me you did this yourself?" Katara said takeing in the room. Tenzin did his best to look innocent as he stood in the doorway.
"I don't know what you mean mother I just told the workers to build the avatar a special room, if by some off chance they decided along the way to add what you see here well lets just say it's to late to build another room."
Korra smiled knowing that at least life would be better here then at the compound but that smile died when she opened the window to to see the sun descending in the sky.
"Thanks for the room Tenain but the suns going down and I really should be alone when it finally goes down."
Tenzin had personally never seen Korra at night but had been told about by his mother and so he said his goodbyes and left to see his family just as Katara pulled a small purple vial from her pocket and handed it to Korra before leaving with her son.
When she was sure they were gone she shut the window and locked the door knowing that the second door would keep her in but she liked to lock the doors herself. As the sun descended lower and lower Korra felt the darkness inside her coming to the surface and so with one hand uncapped the vial and poured the contents down her throat as always nearly choking on the vile taste.
"Now to get through the night." she pulled a her bag from the floor and pulled out a small wooden chuck of wood riddled with teeth marks. As soon as the sun was completely gone the darkest part of herself rushed to the surface mostly rage, hatred and a deep need to devour something. She bit down on the wood as her teeth changed and she curled up on the bed as a flood of images and urges flooded her mind. All avatars were linked through the cycle but for dark avatars it was a bit more intense for at night they actually saw memories of their darkest moments. Kataras potion helped to suppress the worst of it but Korra still had to deal with seeing images of war and death and people screaming in fear. She knew that if she fed off of someone this wouldn't happen but that ment killing them in the process so like most nights she held her body as she bit down on the wood in her mouth to stop from screaming as she did her best to block out the images of the things she did in her past lives as hours after hour passed before she finally passed out. When morning came Korra sat up takeing the wood out of her moth in the process but stopped to examine the marks on her arms. It only took a second to realize that her nails had broken the skin no doubt from holding her arms to tight. With one movement she pulled a small amount of water from the fountain to heal the marks so nobody would see before making her way out of her room and to the kitchen. She heard the cries of small children and figured that Tenzins family was already there. When she peeked around the corner she saw a sight that although happy brought a very painful memory to the surface. A young acolyte was happily talking with one of Tenzin's daughters who seemed to be enjoying. A single tear slid from her eye as she remembered herself years ago in a similar position talking and having fun with a person she had considered friend, that is until one night she woke up to find the women who she had considered her best friend standing over her with a pillow and crying as she said that she was sorry but that this had to be. She tried to fight back but she was very young and hadn't had much bending training. Everyone at the compound remembered it as the day everyone saw what she was capable of but Korra remembered as the day she first killed someone. In all honestly she didn't remember much after blacking out from lack of oxygen and then waking up in Kataras arms and being told not to turn around but like any child being told not to do something did it anyway. What she saw when she turned around was something that haunted her dreams for years to come, her friend and attempted assassin dead with a hole in her neck but the worst part came when she looked down to see her blood covered hands and mouth. A gentle hand on her shoulder ripped her from her memory and she turned to see Katara with a worried expression on her face.
"Are you okay Korra? you looked like you were miles away."
"Yeah just an old memory." She said removing her masters hand.
She knew if she told Katara she'd try to comfort her but that would mean telling her and that was a bridge she didn't ever want to cross.
"Alright then Korra but just to let you know you have a surprise waiting outside."
As Korra was about to ask she heard a sound she'd never get tired of hearing followed by a giant white mass poking it's head into the kitchen.
"Naga! I missed you girl." she hugged her life long friend and felt all her discomfort melt away.
"She arrived a few minutes ago and has been looking for you ever since. Now hurry up and have breakfast I want to show you the city before Tenzin comes and tries to get you to meditate all morning." Korra looked at the food on the table but all she saw was bread, fruit and milk but to her dismay no meat. She looked to the nearest person and got their attention.
"Where's the meat?."
"I'm afraid avatar Korra that everyone on the island is a strict vegetarian so no meat of any kind is allowed but everything else is fresh and home grown her in our gardens." Unfornatly for the young acolyte she'd stop listening after the word vegetarian and turned to Katara a look of pure horror on her face.
"I guess we'll get breakfast in the city." Katars said as she noticed the absence of meat on the table. twenty minutes later the two women plus one polar bear dog were enjoying their second helping of seal jerky while walking down a very busy street. As they went Korra took in everything around her. But one thing caught her eye the most at the far end of the street gorgeous raven haired women was picking up flower after flower on a corner shop while a young man chased after a small red creature that scampered about while a young woman wearing the stores logo laughed. The women had just picked up a lovely purple flower when two large men came up behind her grabbing her arms. The young man instantly got into a fighting stance but stopped when one of the men said something about protection before they started walking the girl down a ally.
Without thinking or knowing why she rushed after the girl and down the ally just in time to see her being backed up against the wall holding a trash can lid as a shield while one man produced a flame.
"Two on one that's not very fair." she said getting their attention n anger the men launched a fireball which she dodged before sending a slab of rock into his gutt but she didn't see the other one blindsided her with a pipe.
The blow struck her mostly across the shoulder causing her to let out a scream. As he raised his hand for another strike her anger at the situation took over and with her good hand launched a point black fire-ball at him sending him into the garbage.
"Look out!." she heard before a fire-ball shot past her. The first man was up although holding his gut.
"You're dead girl! nobody messes with the triads!"
With one good arm Korra knew her options for bending was limited she resorted to what most people would call a low blow and send a pillar of rock from below the man straight up into his...family jewls. It was on this day that Korra learned just how much a man can sound like a women when in enough pain. After the man toppled to the ground Korra turned to the girl she had just saved.
"Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? you're the one that got hit by a pipe! and look it's bleeding!"
Korra looked at her shoulder and noticed the stream of blood flowing down it.
"Oh this is nothing, a little rest and I'll be just fine."
"No you are going to a healer and I won't take no for an answer."
She said takeing Korras good arm and dragging her from the alley and down the road.
"Fine but who are you and why were those men after you."
"They were just some triad punks who thought they could make some easy money kidnapping me."
"Okay but who are you?"
"Names Asami and it's a huge honor to meet you miss avatar."