And this is not the last chapter...
It was a few days before Harmonic Convergence when Korra and Unalaq set off for the South Pole. The tension was growing thick between them. Unalaq felt like he figured out the Avatar's plan and she was brushing him off every time he wanted to interrogate her mind. If anything, her arrogance will be the end of her, he though. Raava and Vaatu could not survive being one, but that assurance did not ease his mind about Vaatu. All would be for naught if he was betrayed. It was a gamble that he would not normally make.
It was the day of Harmonic Convergence when they reached the South Pole. He watched the Avatar put on a glove with the shocking device attached to it. Why she felt like she needed it, he did not know. What he did know was that she liked to try out new ways of hurting people and he figured that this was just another way. It made him ponder why the Light Spirit chose her in the first place.
It did not matter. He had explained his theory on opening the portals and she was determined to open them. Butterflies filled his stomach as the portal opened and she returned to retrieve him before they both entered the Spirit World for the first time in their physical form.
Korra did not speak as she went towards the other portal. She stopped before it to take her outer jacket off and started to glance around the new world. Unalaq caught a wavering look from her face before her brow knotted and her now ungloved hand touched the orb. Like the first one, the second portal flashed before streaming upwards into the sky.
Then they waited.
The Avatar let out a bout of laughter when the Northern Water Tribe army walked through the portal. She crossed her arms before berating the Chieftain. Her laughter fell short when Zaheer and his following came in.
"What are your crazy friends and my brother doing here?" she asked. Unalaq was now standing beside her under the Tree of Time.
Close the portals.
"They are here because time has called for a shift in the universe. We are going to bring true balance back to the world."
Do not allow Vaatu to become free.
Korra snorted, "Lovely. I don't suppose you will tell me what my part of this mess will be?"
"You have done your part by opening the portals, allowing Vaatu to come free from his prison once Harmonic Convergence begins in a few minutes."
"Then what?"
As the Avatar finished her last question, Unalaq shoved her away before calling the water to his arms. A series of clicks sounded off in the distance before P'li shot her attack at the Avatar. The Avatar was forced to flip out of the away. She tore her suit jacket off and set it, and her hat, on fire before lifting a wall of stone to block incoming attacks from the army.
"I can feel it Raava. My power is returning to me. The hatred gives me strength."
Korra grunted as she had to extend her wall, "Go suck a tree, Vaatu. I'm busy at the moment for your taunting. Bother me after we join."
"You will not have to listen for much longer, Raava. Harmonic Convergence begins!"
The fighting ceased as the two portals bended to meet each other. A feeling of despair ran through the Avatar before being replaced with a grin. After months of waiting for this moment, Vaatu could finally give her the only power to rule with fear. The tree was hit by a storm of lightning before all light vanished.
When the light came back, it pushed everyone to the ground. The air was filled of laughter as the dark spirit rose above them. Korra glanced up to see that Unalaq had beaten her to his feet. He was shouting at the spirit of darkness as his arms opened wide. She pushed herself to her feet before the ground exploded before her. She was sent back to the ground as her earthbending master met her. The ground before started to glow with heat as Ghazan gave her a smirk. He was soon blasted with air as she moved to avoid the ground. Once her feet touched again, she flung the lavabender with ease back towards his friends before rushing towards the Water Tribe Chieftain. By that time, it was too late.
Unalaq beckoned to the dark spirit and was met with a rush of power as they combined. Once he shifted towards one of the portals and made the connection permanent, he gave them all a wicked grin. His eyes glowed red as he prepared to finish his quest.
"This was not part of the plan, Unalaq!" Zaheer shouted, "We were supposed to release him and then kill the Avatar."
"Yes," Unalaq answered, "And there was a major fault to our plan. Even if we end all forms of government, others will step up in their place. By becoming a Dark Avatar, I will ensure that this won't happen. Don't worry Korra. You have no room for my plan. I will destroy you."
As the bantering between Korra, Unalaq and the Red Lotus continued, Mako elbowed his brother and Asami. He gave them a nod that this would be a good time to get out before the fight restarted. They started to move towards the Southern Portal before being forced to a halt.
"You ain't going anywhere, City Boy. You and your friends decided to go against me. You can join us for the ride into the ends of the world like they will."
The soldiers of the Northern Water Tribe glanced between their choices of death before running back into the Northern Portal. Their Chieftain did not hinder their retreat; death was bound to occur when he gave back victorious. The Red Lotus then separated themselves to face both Avatars.
"What's the plan Zaheer?" P'li asked, "We could handle one Avatar, but not two."
"The plan is the same. We must still end them."
A loud, exaggerated yawn was then heard. Korra then glanced at her watch, "Are we done with the drama? Now that my plans are ruined, I suppose I am left to clean this up, Avatar Style."
"We wouldn't be in this mess if you were a good Avatar." Asami spat.
Before Korra could return with a sarcastic comment, she was sent backwards by a blast of air. With a moan, she sat up slowly from the surprise attack. Zaheer held his hand out as the attack was from him.
"Enough! Destroy them both!" he shouted in a commanding voice. Questions about his sudden ability to airbend would have to be answered later as the Red Lotus began their engagement.
Excitement filled Bolin as the earth now beckoned to his calling. Having to run and dodge Avatar Korra's attacks was not as exciting. He, Mako, Asami and Zaheer were fighting off her while the others were working on stopping Unalaq. The newer Avatar had other plans. After diverting Ming Hua's attack around him, he used it to send Korra to the other side of the circle. While he had been taking the fight seriously, she had been messing with the two brothers. The Red Lotus chased after the dueling Avatars.
Asami helped the brothers up when a hand grabbed her shoulder.
"You three should get out of here." The man they knew as Amon spoke. Noatak did not speak with them much while they were waiting in the North Pole for Harmonic Convergence, but his words spoke clearly to them now, "Korra is bound to get flustered with this fight and you three still have lives before you. The last thing you all need is to become weapons for her to use."
Mako nodded, knowing well what that was like. He led Bolin and Asami towards the Northern Portal. Noatak let out the breath he was holding before rushing to the fight. Before they exited, they took one last glance back.
It seemed to them that the Red Lotus had temperately joined with Unalaq for the last time to stop the bloodbending Avatar. Noatak was correct about his sister; she was now flinging the combustion bender around before burying her. As Korra was suddenly busy with Unalaq again, they watched as the new airbender leaped over the bloodbender to ram a fist into her shoulders. As her bending went out, Unalaq seized the moment. The three teens were confused as to what he did but a small white object was thrown from the fight. The arm-less waterbender had grabbed it before tossing it away from Unalaq.
Mako and Bolin stood in awe before realizing that Asami had started running towards the white object. They called her name out in hope that the former owner of Future Industries would come back. When they knew that she was not going to stop, they gave chase. By then, the non-bender had dove to catch the object, finding that the thing looked much like Vaatu. Unalaq did not seem pleased as he tried to attack her, only to drop from being shocked.
Asami had to give it to the bloodbender. She did not think that the former Avatar could make the shock gloves better, yet she had and saved her life. The glove's device to send a shock through a medium, being two wires with prongs, worked well.
The Red Lotus then began to fight Unalaq. Mako and Bolin caught up to the non-bender.
"What were you thinking?" Mako shouted, "Come on, let's get out."
"What do you have?" Bolin asked, curious as to what was in Asami's hands.
"I think it's the Light Spirit." She said softly before opening her hands to show them, "It's so small though."
"I must reconnect to Korra." The spirit said scaring them.
"But she's so… evil." Bolin stated.
Mako glanced up to see where the fighting was taking place. The Red Lotus members were still chasing after the Dark Avatar but they had moved away from the Southern Portal. The bloodbender was struggling to get up.
"I don't think she's up for fighting right now." The firebender stated.
"It is urgent that I bond with her again. Vaatu must not win or the world will succumb to ten-thousand years of darkness. He must not win! Please, do not hinder this fight. You cannot even start to conceive what will happen if Vaatu wins."
Mako looked to Asami for her opinion. She sighed having no other choice, "Alright. Let's go get her then."
They rushed towards the fallen Avatar. The two brothers lifted her up. She gave them a growl as she was carried towards the closer portal.
"What are you three doing?"
The firebender shook his head with disbelief that they were giving this woman back her power. Bolin shrugged at the question. Suddenly, the brothers were pushed away as they felt Korra stand. Asami was pushed forward to the portal as the bloodbender managed to divert Unalaq's sudden attack away from them. With her shock gloved hand out, Asami sought to catch herself on the rocks containing the portal. She held onto the Light Spirit before a rush of power ran through her.
"You've got to be kidding me." Korra muttered, now on one knee. She, as well as the two brothers watched as two bonded. Asami, unable to contain all of the power collapsed on the ground. The trio rushed to her side. The bloodbender placed her bare hand onto the woman's neck.
"She's alive, but I don't know for how long." Korra said before trying to create a pool. In frustration at the circumstances, she shouted at Bolin to make a shallow hole before calling the spirit water to the pool.
"Wow," Bolin said as the gangster began trying to revive the fallen woman, "I didn't know you could heal."
Korra snorted before giving him a grin, "I learned from Katara; the best there is."
Another crash went off over them as Harmonic Convergence came to an end. Cries of pain were heard as the Red Lotus, minus Ming Hua and Noatak, had defeated Unalaq. Korra glanced over her shoulder to see them drag the Chieftain towards them.
"Come on Sato," Korra urged the woman's unconsciousness, "You're a tough kid. Get through this."
"We don't have much time." Mako shouted.
A coughing fit alerted them to Asami's return. Korra grinned, "There she is. Let's go before they come for us."
"Oh no," the firebender interrupted as he got into a fighting stance, "What makes you think we're letting you come with us?"
Bolin widened his stance, preparing for an attack.
"Because if you don't City Boy," the bloodbender growled, "Then you aren't going to live through whatever Zaheer has planned for us. If you want your girlfriend to live, then you need a master waterbender to help us get through the frozen wasteland in record time. Plus, I can always drag you with me. I am still able to bloodbend at will."
She then picked Asami up and handed her to Mako for him to carry her, "Carry your new Avatar, City Boy. You'll get laid for that, for sure."
Mako blushed as he and Bolin followed.