The Legend of Korra - Book Two : Spirits

by pavop

Continuation of Book One. Korra, Patrick and their friends are going to the South Pole to celebrate the Glacier Spirits Festival, only to face the Harmonic Convergence. They will be referenced and mentioned other characters, places and events outside ATLA/LOK Universe and even they will appear in the story.

6. The Night of a Thousand Stars

The group on the back of the Flying Bison were flying back to the Eastern Air Temple, heading to one of its gardens, where Pema, with Rohan on her back, was collecting local plants while her two other children were playing around.

They noticed the incoming Flying Bison, which indicated that Tenzin, his siblings, Jinora and Korra had returned and hopefully they were successful in closing that portal.

"They are back!" Meelo announced happily as the Flying Bison was landing in the garden.

Pema approached the animal and noticed that among the arrivals was Patrick. "Patrick? What are you doing here?" Then she noticed that someone from their group was missing. "Where is Jinora?"

Tenzin bent down for something in the saddle of the Flying Bison and it turned out it was Jinora, who had closed eyes and was not moving at all.

"No!" Pema yelled, dropped the plants she was holding and ran over to them.

After they got off the Flying Bison, Tenzin handed Jinora's body over to Pema. "Her spirit is trapped in the Spirit World but she is going to be all right," he explained to her about what had happened to Jinora.

"How could this happen?" Pema asked with desperation and fear over the state of her eldest daughter.

"It was all my fault," Tenzin admitted. "I should have never let Jinora enter the Spirit World without me. I could not protect her." I should have tried harder back then in the meditation circle…

"I am so sorry, Pema," Korra added. "I tried to save her but Unalaq and the Dark Spirits…"

"Do not worry, my love," Tenzin assured his wife. "I am not going to stop until our little girl is back safe with us." He then caressed Jinora's chin, hoping that her spirit in the Spirit World might feel it, to assure her that they would save her.

After Pema and the other Air Acolytes took Jinora's body to the bed to ease her condition, Bumi, Korra, Kya, Patrick and Tenzin gathered in the courtyard of the Eastern Air Temple to discuss their next step.

"So, both portals are now open and the Harmonic Convergence will begin in a few days," Kya summarized their situation.

"Everything has gone wrong," Tenzin added and turned his gaze to the direction where his wife had taken their daughter, thinking about what Unalaq is probably doing to Jinora in the Spirit World right now.

"If I had obeyed Jinora and did not open the other portal, maybe none of this would have happened…" Korra said.

"Do not blame yourself for this. If you would not have opened the portal, Jinora would be in a much worse state," Patrick replied, who, with the others present, heard from Korra how in the Spirit World, Unalaq threatened her that he would corrupt Jinora's very spirit if she did not open the other portal.

"Still… I should have done more in that moment…"

"So, what are we going to do?" Kya asked.

"The mission goal is still valid. We now just need to close one of the two portals before the Harmonic Convergence occurs and keep it closed until it ends; then Unalaq and Vaatu will lose," Patrick said.

"Are you sure about that?" Korra asked doubtfully.

"In your visions of the life of Avatar Wan, when both portals were opened and merged, he became the Avatar thanks to that. And if Unalaq wants to become another Avatar with Vaatu he has to recreate those circumstances. If that were not the case, he would not have made so much effort to make you open both portals. So even if Vaatu gets out of his prison, by keeping him and Unalaq apart, along with keeping one of the portals closed until the Harmonic Convergence ends, we win and then we would just have to put Vaatu back into his prison and take out Unalaq."

"Of course," Korra replied with encouragement because she realized that Patrick was right. Even though both portals were open now, just closing one of them and keeping it closed until the end of Harmonic Convergence meant that Vaatu would have to wait another ten thousand years. And from visions from the life of Avatar Wan, she knew that Vaatu alone could not match the power of the Avatar.

"Strategically, it would be better if we headed to the North Pole but we have no information about the area or how many of his soldiers Unalaq has left garrisoned there. On the other hand, about the other option, we know the South and we would have the support of the locals," Patrick continued.

"We will go back to the South. My father and others will help us there," Korra decided. "But what about Jinora?"

"Our priority should be closing the portal and Unalaq with Vaatu and then looking for Jinora, but we could split into two groups. One group will focus on the portal, Unalaq and Vaatu and the other will look for Jinora."

"Sounds like a good plan," Bumi agreed and nodded. "But just us will not be enough. We need more manpower for this."

"We could ask the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom for help, but even though they would join us, it would take some time before they would arrive with us to the South, which would give Unalaq more time to prepare his defense. On the other hand, Republic City, where we also have some allies, is much closer and right now, we have to also stop Varrick's plan."

"How about you teleport us all to Republic City?" Korra suggested.

"I could, but in the case of Jinora, I think it would not be a good idea."

"Why?" Tenzin asked.

"Because I do not yet know how the connection between Jinora and her spirit in the Spirit World is working. By teleporting her, I could possibly sever her connection to that place and irreversibly worsen her state so much that we could not help her anymore. So, if you want to take her along, I think the transportation by the Flying Bison would be better, but the others are welcome to teleport with me back to Republic City."

"My mother is the greatest healer in the world and Jinora will be well in her hands when we arrive there and head to the Spirit World; until then, I will not leave my daughter at all," Tenzin replied. "I am going to prepare the Flying Bisons for the journey back to Republic City." He turned around and left.

"Nor will I leave Jinora. It is my fault that she is in this state," Korra said.

"And we two will provide emotional support," Kya added with Bumi's nodding.

"So, it is up to me to be the vanguard. Alright then," Patrick remarked. He had teleported here to seek help against Varrick, but now he had to return without any help, but this time he can now play by his own rules.

Bumi and Kya followed Tenzin to help him with the preparations of the Flying Bisons for the immediate journey to Republic City and Patrick went outside of the temple to prepare to teleport himself back to Mako's cell. He then noticed that Korra was standing beside him with an expression full of regret.

"I should have done much more back there," she said.

"You did what you could. There is no reason to dwell on the past. The only thing to do now is to focus on the present. We can still stop Unalaq and Vaatu," Patrick reassured her.

"Still, I have to think about what happened in the Spirit World…" Korra paused for a moment and then tried to change the subject. "So, what are you planning after you get back to Republic City?"

"Get Mako out of prison, stop Varrick from attacking Raiko and wait for your arrival. Plain and simple," Patrick answered. "And by the way, when you get back, Naga will have some money in her own account for you, as well as Pabu has in his own for Bolin."

"Really, and for what?" she asked surprised.

"For starring as Roh-Tan and Juji, the animal companions of Nuktuk," he replied.

Several days ago, Bolin came to Patrick on the Air Temple Island to ask him if he would allow Naga to be cast in Varrick's mover along with Pabu because, according to Varrick, the presence of the animals in the mover could attract a child audience. Patrick agreed, but under two conditions: the first was that neither Naga nor Pabu would take part in any dangerous scene at all, and the second was that they both be paid for their work in their own accounts, to which, except for them, only Korra and Bolin could have access. Varrick happily agreed and together with Bolin, he made sure that those conditions were absolutely met.

"Alright then," Korra replied, completely surprised by the fact that while she was gone, Naga had made some money and then she smiled lightly. "Say hi to Mako from me. After all that has happened, I cannot wait to see him again."

Patrick looked at Korra in surprise because of what she had just said. She was not speaking at all like a girl who was about to meet her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had a rough breakup because he stabbed her in the back. Then he remembered how Tenzin told him that Korra had lost all memories for a time until she remembered thanks to the Bhanti on their island.

"What do you remember before your fight with the Dark Spirit when you sailed for help to the Fire Nation?" he asked her.

"Well… not much, to be honest," Korra answered and she paused for a moment as she was trying to remember. "I remember how you gave me that locator and how I was sad and wanted to be alone for some reason." She shrugged. "That is all."

Aw, shit… Patrick concluded in spirit. Korra was not remembering her breakup with Mako at all.

"Hopefully, I will remember everything later," she continued and then she noticed that Patrick was looking at her strangely. "What?"

"Nothing… Absolutely nothing," Patrick replied. I will have to warn Mako about this, he noted to himself. He turned his head back to the hologram display of his bracelet. "We will be waiting there for your arrival." And with these words, he teleported himself away.

Back in Republic City, in the jail, Mako was sitting on the bed in his cell and waiting for Patrick to return with Tenzin and Korra to free him. A whole day passed and still nothing. Either something had happened at the Eastern Air Temple that had delayed Patrick's return with help or Patrick had decided to leave him in the lurch.

Then the door of his cell opened and Metalbender appeared.

"You have a visitor," Metalbender announced and he stepped away for Bolin to enter the cell.

Mako looked at his little brother, who was dressed in an elegant jacket with a green waistcoat, pants and boots. It kind of reminded him of how Asami had dressed him on their first date and he also knew that Bolin was not dressed like this just to visit him in jail. He was dressed for the event in the Arena.

"Hey, Mako," Bolin said.

"Hey…" Mako replied in a weary tone. "Did you just come from that premiere?"

"No. I am on my way there now. Everyone will be there…" Bolin proclaimed in a boastful tone but he quickly realized what he had just said. "Everyone except you, you know… because you are in jail and stuff."

"Thanks for the reminder," Mako said in a sarcastic and annoyed tone.

But Bolin decided to maintain the conversation between them in a friendly spirit. So, he pulled a roll of paper out of his jacket and unfolded it in front of his brother. It was a poster of him dressed as Nuktuk, holding Ginger in his arms in the middle of some sort of tundra, with some text on the poster. "Hey, I brought you something. I thought this would brighten up your new place. Read the inscription." And he handed the poster over to Mako.

Mako looked at the text on the poster and started reading it aloud. "Dear Mako, Nuktuk says: Keep smiling." And with great frustration, he turned his gaze back to Bolin, who was happily smiling at him. He had a very strong desire to throw that thing at him, but right now he desperately needed any ally he could find. "You just came here to give me a poster?"

"No," Bolin answered with a nervous expression, but quickly turned it back into a smile as he figured out what to say next. "I came here to give you my sincere, heartfelt words of encouragement. I know our lives have been moving in two different directions but I want you to know that I will always be there for you." He turned his smile into a more confident one. "We are brothers, after all, even if one of us is a member of high society and the other one is a criminal."

Now Mako had lost his nerves. "I AM NOT A CRIMINAL!"

Bolin gestured for him to calm down. "Of course, I know that, but… you do kind of look like one because you are in jail and that is where criminals live."

Mako was this close to standing up and doing something to his little brother that he would regret later. "Me and Patrick were set up! Varrick knew we had found out that he hired gangsters to dress as Northern soldiers to attack those ships and blow up the Cultural Center to get Republic City to join the war. That is why he framed us!"

But Bolin was looking at him like he was oblivious to everything that Mako had just said. "Ah, I see what you are doing now. You are going for the insanity defense. Smart, but not as smart as Patrick's smart, to be honest."

Oh, come on! Mako yelled in spirit as he stood up. He knew very well that his brother was not the sharpest person in the room, but this right now? "No! I am trying to tell you that Varrick is not what he seems to be." He turned his gaze to the door of his cell, which was closed because he needed to talk with someone else other than his brother. "Where is Asami? She will listen to me."

"When I heard that you were arrested, I asked her to come but she said it was too hard for her. You being in jail like this reminds her of her father. Plus, I heard that Beifong had surrounded Air Temple Island with the airships and declared a manhunt for Patrick. So, if they catch him and you run into him, could you please give this to him?" Bolin reached into his jacket and pulled out another rolled-up poster. "This also has encouraging words for Patrick written on it." He handed it over to Mako. "So, I have to go now but I will be back with the best attorney that fame and fortune can buy, just for you and probably for Patrick, if they catch him." And he headed to the door of the cell.

In that moment, Mako understood that if Patrick did not return, the only remaining person to stop Varrick was now Bolin. "Bolin, wait! Something might happen at the premiere. Promise me that you will keep your eyes peeled, please."

Bolin turned his head toward him and smiled carelessly at him. "Alright, big brother. I promise." He winked at him as he knocked on the cell door to let Metalbender know that it was time to go. "Whew! That insanity defense is definitely going to work," he added as he walked out of the opened cell and went down the hallway.

Mako watched his cell door close, hoping that Bolin would listen to him this time. He then returned to his bed and lied down.

An hour later, he noticed that someone else was in his cell. He looked up and saw Patrick standing in the middle of the cell.

"It took you long enough!" Mako barked at him in frustration.

"Yeah," Patrick replied.

Mako sat down on the bed and noticed that Patrick was with him alone and that the door of his cell was not opening. "Where is Korra or Tenzin?"

"Something happened at the Eastern Air Temple and I am here to get you out of here and stop Varrick."

"And I told you that I would not run away like some criminal."

"And I am telling you right now that we do not have the time for you to play boy scout. We have to stop Varrick and then immediately head back to the Southern Water Tribe to liberate it from Unalaq."

"Why?"

"Because we are facing a much bigger threat than Amon was." And then Patrick told him everything that he had learned and everything that had happened at the Eastern Air Temple.

"That is just great…" Mako remarked with frustration after Patrick was done. He would rather face Amon and the Equalists than face a bunch of Dark Spirits led by the Great Dark Spirit. "And Jinora is alright?"

"She is stable for now." Patrick paused for a moment. "So, are you going to sit through all the action or are you coming with me to stop Varrick?"

Mako sighed. He could see that there was much more at stake now and he could no longer wait in the cell to be freed. "Let's go."

"That is the spirit, Mako," Patrick commented as he prepared his bracelet to teleport them both into the Arena.

Mako stood up and walked over to him. "By the way, Bolin was here. I told him to keep his eyes peeled for anything suspicious at the premiere. Hopefully, he will listen to me."

"Hopefully," Patrick remarked.

"And he left something for you: A poster with encouraging words from Nuktuk."

"He can keep it." And Patrick was about to teleport them away when he remembered that he should inform Mako about the status of Korra's memories. "There is one more thing… When Korra arrives back here, she will act to you as if you two are still together."

Mako looked at him shocked. "What? Why?"

"She was attacked by the Dark Spirit when she sailed to the Fire Nation and that attack caused her to lose all her memories. Luckily, she managed to recover the majority of them, but the ones regarding your breakup were not among them."

"So, what should I do with it?"

"Well, you can explain to her that you two are no longer together or hope that she will manage to recover the rest of her memories during her journey here. Anyway, consider this a forewarning to think about what you are going to say to Korra while we stop Varrick." And with these words, those two disappeared from the cell.

An hour earlier, in front of the Arena, a large crowd of people gathered to witness the premiere of The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South, also announced by a large poster of Bolin and Ginger hanging above the entrance, but also to meet the stars of the mover in person. And while the adults were impatiently waiting for the arrival of the main stars, their children were meanwhile taking pictures with Naga and Pabu, who were painted black due to the fact that they were playing talking animal companions in the mover.

Then, finally, the waiting of the crowd was rewarded by the arrival of the Satomobile limousine that stopped at the red carpet laid in front of the entrance to the Arena.

The first to come out of the limousine was Bolin, who then helped Ginger, who was dressed in an elegant white evening gown, out of the vehicle and then walked with her through the red carpet arm-in-arm.

"There they are, folks! The sweethearts of the big screen and Republic City's most famous couple, Bolin and Ginger!" Shiro Shinobi commented on their arrival, accompanied by shouts of joy from the crowd.

Bolin and Ginger ascended the stairs to the Arena, turned around and waved to the crowd before stepping inside. And at the exact moment when the doors of the entrance closed, Ginger took a few steps away from Bolin and took out a pocket mirror to check on her makeup.

"Wow, that was fun!" Bolin commented about their walk on the red carpet. "And did you hear what Shiro said? We are Republic City's most famous couple," he added to his partner.

Ginger turned her head toward him. "Bolin, you are a doll, but you are dumb as the rocks you Bend. We are not a couple." And she walked away from him.

"That is not what Shiro said!" Bolin said as she left him.

Meanwhile, in front of the Arena, Lin Beifong was with several Metalbenders because they were providing security for President Raiko and his wife during the premiere. There was also Lu with Gang, but both were focusing their attention on eating the Varri-cakes that were distributed for free at the premiere instead of even watching the crowd for any possible threat.

As Beifong watched them, she had to admit that Patrick was right back then in the interrogation room. Ever since those two had served under her, she knew very well that those two had never been industrious in doing police work. That also had to make her think about the other things that Patrick said in the interrogation room. Like that those attacks had always happened in the same area and that those Northern soldiers, who, according to witnesses, had done those attacks, might really have been wearing fake uniforms. The more she thought about it, the more she had to admit that the whole thing was pretty suspicious. But all that meant was that she had to admit that Patrick, the suspicious man from another Universe from whom she could almost smell the odor of crime, was right in everything and that she was never going to do that. But perhaps he was right about one more thing, and it was her ego.

Luckily, she was interrupted from more thinking by the sight of Lu and Gang picking up another batch of Varri-cakes and starting to shove them into their mouths like they had not eaten for a whole month. It was time for them to start doing their work.

"Stop stuffing your mustaches with Varri-cakes and get to your post!" she ordered them as she walked over to them.

Lu and Gang immediately dropped the cakes and stood at attention. "You got it, Chief!" Gang replied and he and his partner walked into the Arena to their guard posts.

"You two are the pinnacle of refinement," Beifong remarked sarcastically as she watched them leave. Then her attention turned to the end of the red carpet and to the arriving vehicle. The source of her worries for a few hours had just arrived.

President Raiko helped his wife out of the vehicle and they both waved to the crowd in front of them. Varrick, who was also waiting in front of the Arena, did not waste any time and quickly approached them.

"There they are, my two most honored guests," Varrick said as he shook Raiko's hand and kissed the hand of the First Lady. He then led them both over the red carpet to the entrance. "No expense has been spared; I brought in the finest entertainers from Ba Sing Se and the best food from around the world." He then pointed at the very red carpet they were walking on. "I even had this red carpet imported from the Fire Nation! They make the best red stuff over there. And that is a fact!"

"Varrick, you did not have to do all this for us," President Raiko replied and by the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was not impressed by all those things.

"I wanted to," Varrick said with a sly smile. "Mister President, I took one look at your wife and I knew that you were a man of exquisite taste."

The wife of President Raiko put her hand on her left cheek while expressing that she was very flattered by Varrick's words. Her husband, on the other hand, was still unimpressed.

"And that is why I know you are going to love this mover!" Varrick continued.

"Varrick, I know what you are doing and I very much doubt that your propaganda is going to change my mind about going to war with the Northern Water Tribe," President Raiko said.

But Varrick still kept his sly smile on his face. "Oh, I think you will be surprised at how persuasive I can be." Just wait and see…

A few moments later, the Arena was completely filled. Some people were even sitting on the floor by the bleachers due to the shortage of available seats, but they did not care; they all came to see Nuktuk on a giant double-sided screen hanging above the Playing Field, on which speakers were placed.

Bolin was sitting with Asami, who was dressed in a very dark red evening dress, and Ginger in the VIP booth. Left of them, in another VIP booth, were Naga and Pabu, who were being served food by a waiter, and on their right were President Raiko and his wife, who were sitting in a very special VIP booth that Butakha had built shortly after Raiko's win in the election in case the head of the United Republic of Nations would visit the Arena.

Bolin was watching the people in the bleachers, his fans, and was thinking about what to say to Ginger next to him. Then he felt that someone had placed his hand on his shoulder. He turned his head toward the person and saw that it was Butakha, all dressed up in new, expensive clothes according to the latest trends, and he was looking at him with the most satisfied smile that Bolin had ever seen on him.

"Bolin, my golden boy! You did it again!" Butakha proclaimed.

"Butakha… I see that you are doing well," Bolin replied.

Butakha straightened his expensive jacket. "You bet!" He beckoned his head toward the giant screen above the Playing Field. "That thing is making at least ten times more than any Pro-Bending Tournament. And I have managed to make a deal with Varrick for at least ten more events like this. I even now have an assistant! Is that not right, Hikkon?" And he turned his head to the left.

Bolin turned his head in that direction and saw standing at the door of the booth a young boy, dressed not as stylishly as Butakha but also expensively.

"My name is Xih, sir," the boy corrected his employer.

"It is now Hikkon!" Butakha ordered. "I cannot have an assistant whose name is "Xih". It does not sound very classy."

"As you wish, sir," the boy replied with a little bit of frustration in his voice.

However, Butakha did not seem to notice that as he turned his head back toward Bolin. "So, anyway, you got any plans after this?"

Bolin tried to think of an answer, but nothing came to his mind. "Well…"

"I will tell you what. If some genius like Varrick comes to you with an offer of another mover, you will tell them about me and my Arena, right?"

"Of course."

Butakha, with satisfaction, patted him on the shoulder. "That is my boy. I will let you enjoy your moment of glory now." And he left the booth with his assistant.

Bolin turned his attention back to the crowd and started thinking. Glory… Of course.

Then all the lights in the Arena switched off, except for the one spotlight that was focused on Varrick, standing in the middle of the Playing Field, who got there via a sliding bridge, and who held a microphone.

"Thank you all for coming for the finale of "Nuktuk: Hero of the South"!" Varrick began his speech with a smile toward the waiting crowd. "You know, when I first started this project, there were a lot of naysayers. "You cannot make pictures move," they said. "You cannot take some knucklehead Earthbender and make him a star," they said. "You cannot teach a Polar Bear-Dog to speak," they said. Well, they were wrong! Thanks to the magic of the movers, our furry friends have found their voices and you will be shocked to hear what they have to say." Then Varrick's expression became more serious. "They speak of the injustice that is happening in the Southern Water Tribe right now." His eyes now turned their focus toward President Raiko. "My hope is that their words and this epic mover, will inspire a real-life hero to rise up and help." Then Varrick again put his smile on as he turned his attention back to the crowd. "Thank you again and enjoy the show!"

And the screening began, but as it continued, Bolin felt somehow empty, and why should he feel that way? He was now a famous star in Republic City; he had money and everything, and now thousands of people were watching the fruits of his labor, but still there was something missing, or more specifically, someone missing. Korra, Mako and Patrick were missing here and even though Asami was sitting beside him, he wanted to enjoy his success with the whole Team Avatar. It was like being back at the Spirit Glacier Festival again; again, he felt alone.

"I think this is your best mover yet," Asami said to him with a supportive smile as she turned her head toward him.

Bolin happily nodded in a sign of silent acknowledgment, but honestly, deep down, it was more of a sad nod. I just wish others were here to see it too.

Meanwhile, from the sea, a boat was approaching the Arena. On board was a group of four men dressed as Northern soldiers. They stopped the boat under the pier, at the side of the Arena that led to the sea, and began to climb up. It was time to enact the plan of their boss. But when they climbed to the top floor of the Arena and silently opened the window, their gazes settled on something beyond belief: A pair of detectives who were discussing Varri-cakes and passionately eating them.

"Mmmm. I like to eat the top of the Varri-cake first," Lu said to his partner while licking the cake.

"Me, I just love to shove the whole thing in my mouth at once," Gang replied and he stuffed the whole cake into his mouth and ate it.

Lu laughed. "I love our job."

And then there was a moment of silence when both detectives turned to the opened window and saw a group of Northern soldiers, who were looking at them with shocked and kind of disgusted expressions.

A group of men did not waste a second and immediately used their Waterbending to take them down. When Lu and Gang were unconscious, they tied them up, gagged them, and put them in a nearby locker so no one would find them before the foursome did their job.

"For what I just witnessed, I should get a bonus," one member of the group remarked when they were done with hiding the detectives.

"Me too," the other one replied.

Meanwhile, the screening of Nuktuk: Hero of the South continued, but Bolin still could not get rid of the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. The mover got into the part where Juji sacrificed his life to save Nuktuk from the Northern Water Tribe's automatons, which in reality were painted Mecha Tanks.

I need some fresh air, Bolin thought as he stood up, left the booth and headed to the balcony of the Arena.

Asami, who noticed that something was wrong with Bolin, immediately followed him, while Ginger did not pay any attention to it.

On the balcony of the Arena, Bolin, with his eyes fixed on the night horizon of the ocean, approached and leaned against the railing beneath the gazebo with a golden domed roof. Perhaps this will make him think about something else.

He then heard the incoming footsteps and turned his gaze to their source. It was Asami who walked over to him and stood next to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked with care. "It seems like this mover is really getting to you. You do know Juji is not really dead, right?"

"Of course I know. Juji is alright. He comes back to life in the end when the doomsday device shifts the polarity of the Earth," Bolin answered boredly, but quickly realized that he had just spoiled part of the mover to her. "Oops. Spoiler. Sorry."

"Then what is wrong?"

"I guess I just miss my friends. Everything is going so well for me, but it feels empty without everyone around. Korra is gone, Mako is in jail, Patrick is gone and wanted and you are doing… business-lady stuff. Team Avatar has fallen apart."

Asami sighed. "I know. Things have changed too much since we first met." Her gaze turned to Air Temple Island in the distance, where several police airships were flying above it. When they told her that Mako and Patrick were the ones responsible for the stealing of the Mecha Tanks and Biplanes from the warehouse, she deep down knew that it was not true and she was hoping that when it was all over and those two would clear their names, she and Patrick would talk about what happened between them in the warehouse. "Why do you not come back in and finish watching the mover with me?" she suggested to Bolin.

"You go ahead. I need another minute," Bolin replied and Asami went back inside. A minute passed and Bolin was about to go as well when he spotted something quite suspicious. There was a boat tied to one of the wooden pillars of the pier under the Arena's side that directly led to the sea. "That is weird." And something in his mind, with Mako's voice, was telling him to investigate it.

So, he entered the part of the Arena under which the boat was docked and walked through the hallway to look for anything suspicious when he suddenly nearly slipped on something on the ground. He turned his gaze to it and it was the remnant of one of the Varri-cakes. He then heard something banging from within a nearby locker. He quickly opened it and saw that the locker was filled with two men who were tied up with gags on their mouths. He immediately recognized them from Mako's work as detectives Lu and Gang. Bolin removed the gag from Gang's mouth so that he could tell him what had happened.

"They are after the president!" Gang yelled.

Bolin gasped at the information. Mako and Patrick were right! He then quickly put the gag back into Gang's mouth.

"What are-mmmm…" Gang reacted, but the rest was just mumbling due to the gag that Bolin returned into his mouth. He and his partner then watched as Bolin closed the locker and walked away, leaving them in this state.

A few minutes later, Mako and Patrick teleported into the hallway that Mako recognized as the one they had teleported into when, several months ago, they attempted to reveal Amon's true identity to his followers.

"Seems clear," Patrick said and he looked at both sides of the hallway. "But we should get moving."

"Agree," Mako replied and he took a step forward when he felt that he had stepped on something soft. "What?" he asked as he looked down at his shoe.

"Butakha should finally hire someone to do some cleaning," Patrick remarked as he watched Mako remove the purple matter from his shoe.

"That is Varri-cake!" Mako announced as he recognized what he had just stepped on.

"Varri-what?" Patrick asked.

"A Varri-cake!" Mako answered. "Bolin once brought a box full of them and ate them all. I would recognize them anywhere."

So, not only the movie and weapon industries but also the food industry. Varrick is a proper businessman, Patrick thought.

Then they heard that something inside a nearby locker started banging. So, they both approached the locker, opened it, and saw Lu and Gang, whose eyes widened in shock when they saw them, tied up with gags and stuffed inside. This meant that Varrick's plan to attack President Raiko was already in motion. Mako was about to run and stop it, but Patrick gestured for him to wait a minute as he removed the gag from Gang's mouth.

"How many were there? And where did they come from?" Patrick asked.

"Tphhh!" Gang said after the gag was again removed from his mouth. "What are you two doing here? Mako, you should be in jail!"

"Answer my questions and we might be able to save the president."

Gang sighed. "There were four of them and they came from that window." And he motioned to the window, where he and his partner saw those men before they got stuffed into the locker. "A moment ago, Mako's brother was here—"

"Thanks," Patrick interrupted him and he returned the gag to Gang's mouth.

Gang mumbled at him through his gag, as did Lu, but Patrick completely ignored it and closed the locker.

He and Mako then ran down the hallway to stop Varrick's men.

"Why did you waste time with those stupid questions when Bolin and President Raiko may be in danger?" Mako asked, not even bothering to ask why they did not free Gang and Lu from the locker because it kind of pleased him to see them like this.

"Stupid questions? Firstly, we know that there are at least four attackers we have to deal with. And secondly, that window they came from is leading to the sea, so if they did not use their Waterbending to get to the Arena, then they surely have—"

"The boat," Mako interrupted him because he already understood. "So, we now know their escape route and if they take Raiko with them, we know what means of transportation they will use."

"Finally, you are starting to learn, Mako," Patrick remarked.

Meanwhile, President Raiko and his wife continued watching the mover, which started coming to an end when suddenly some people grabbed them by their heads and covered their mouths with their hands in order to prevent them from screaming for help. Raiko instinctively looked at his bodyguards, who were supposed to be present with them in the booth, but he could see that they were lying unconscious on the ground. He could also see that those men who had grabbed him and his wife were dressed as the Northern Water Tribe soldiers.

A short moment later, Raiko and his wife were tied up and gagged. The Waterbenders then started to move them toward the closed door of the booth when, in the next moment, Bolin barged them and knocked them out of the wall.

"I do not think so!" Earthbender proclaimed.

One of the foursome did not waste any time and immediately pulled water out of his bottle on his belt and launched a water stream at Bolin.

Bolin quickly acrobatically dodged the stream, just like in the old days when he was a Pro-Bender along with Korra and Mako. He then used his Bending to yank out a part of the wall of the booth behind him and throw it onto the attacker, knocking him over into the trench.

The attacker's fall into the water immediately caught the attention of the crowd and Beifong from watching the mover.

Bolin punched into the floor of the booth and created an earth wave that accurately sent the remaining three attackers against the ceiling of the booth, freeing the captured couple from their hold. Bolin then quickly sent more rocks at them, throwing them out of the booth into the Playing Field below.

He then quickly ran to Raiko and his wife to untie them.

"Mister President, step back; I am here to help," Bolin said and ran to jump down from the booth onto the Playing Field to personally deal with the remaining trio of attackers. As he landed, the sleeves of his jacket ripped open. So, he tore the sleeves completely off so he could freely move his hands for the upcoming fight.

Bolin slowly approached the trio of attackers, who, on the other hand, started to retreat further into the Playing Field because Bolin was blocking the only way out.

"Looks like there is nowhere to go," Bolin commented about their situation.

One of the Waterbenders immediately attacked him with the water stream from the Playing Field but Bolin simply dodged his attack.

The audience gasped in shock at what they were just witnessing. Beifong, who was standing by one of the bleachers, turned her head toward Butakha beside her.

"Is this part of the show?" she asked as she was about to act to secure President Raiko but did not want to if this was a pre-planned part of the screening that Varrick had come up with.

"As far as I know, no, I am as surprised as everyone else," the owner of the Arena answered.

Beifong quickly turned her head toward the group of Metalbenders that were standing by her side, waiting for her orders. "Secure the president and call for backup immediately!" She watched them leave in the direction of the booth where President Raiko and his wife were and then turned her attention back to the fight on the Playing Field, prepared to intervene, but watching it, it was clear to her that Bolin was able to hold off against the trio of Waterbenders.

And she was right, because except for the water for the Waterbending Pro-Bending athletes, there were Earth Discs in the Playing Field that Bolin immediately started using against his adversaries. As the fight continued, he could have sworn that he heard Ginger yelling from their VIP booth to watch out, but he did not have time to confirm it.

He used his Earthbending to pull out all the Earth Discs from the Playing Field and straighten them into two stacks, which served as cover against the combined water stream from all three attackers.

Bolin knew that he could not cover behind the Earth Discs forever as his adversaries began to increase the strength of the water stream. So, he quickly put together a plan for his next move and was about to execute it when he saw something behind the attackers that made him smile.

"Guys!" he yelled happily.

All three attackers stopped the water stream and, with puzzled expressions, looked at him. Then the one on Bolin's right side felt that someone was behind them and thought that it was probably Bolin's backup, so he quickly pulled out water from the Playing Field and turned around with a jump to launch a water blast at the newcomers. But he only managed to do the first two things as his hand, through which he was using his Waterbending, was stopped in the middle of its motion by a hand with a metallic gauntlet that, to his shock, belonged to Patrick.

Patrick looked at the man dressed as the soldier of the Northern Water Tribe and immediately recognized him as one of the two goons that Varrick had sent to force him and Mako to meet him, the one who had grabbed him by the shoulder. "Did I not tell you that I will break your nose if you touch me again?" And then, with his free hand, he punched the goon right into his nose.

The man quickly grabbed his broken nose as it started to bleed in hopes of stopping it as well as the pain.

Mako, on the other hand, did not wait for the remaining two attackers to react and he ran toward them, jumped up and with his right leg sent a fire kick at the first attacker and simultaneously sent a fire blast at the second one, launching each of them into each side of the Playing Field, nearly making them fall into the trench.

And while the attackers were recovering, Mako and Patrick joined Bolin to form a battle plan.

"Mako, how are you not in jail right now?" Bolin asked, pleasantly surprised by the presence of his older brother.

"Patrick got me out of there," Mako answered and smirked at his little brother. "Glad you actually listened to me this time."

"Well… yes. I have already managed to take down one of them when they tried to kidnap President Raiko and his wife."

"Good job, Bolin," Patrick said. "Mako, do you recognize the one whose nose I broke?"

Mako looked carefully at the attacker. "Yes! He is one of those two goons who escorted us to Varrick on his ship."

"You are right. I saw him several times talking to Varrick in secret during the shooting," Bolin added.

"I think we have found our middle man, the one Two Toed Ping mentioned," Patrick said.

"So, what is our plan?" Bolin asked.

Patrick observed how the man whose nose he had broken stopped his futile attempt to stop the bleeding, and with a face full of anger, he stood facing them, and a second later he was joined by his other two associates. It was three against three.

"It is quite simple, Bolin," Patrick replied and looked at the attacker on his far left, who was standing opposite Mako. "I will go this way. Mako," he continued as he turned his gaze to Mako and then shifted it to the attacker he was facing, "you will go this way. And you, Bolin, go through the middle."

Both brothers, for a short second, looked puzzled at him but quickly understood what Patrick meant.

Meanwhile, the trio of Waterbenders pulled the water from the Playing Field and prepared to attack them.

Patrick waited until they made the slightest move for an attack before he gave the signal, "NOW!"

With activated rocket outsoles, he flew at tremendous speed to his target and gave him a right hook under his chin before he could even react, knocking him unconscious. At the same time, Mako ran to his target and with the greatest fire blast he was able to make, he sent the man over the Playing Field into the trench, while Bolin shot all the Earth Discs at the last remaining man and launched him several meters away from them onto the sliding bridge.

The audience started to cheer over what they had just seen, just like if they were watching a real Pro-Bending match.

"Not bad for the first and probably last match of the new Fire Ferrets," Bolin commented about their teamwork on the Playing Field.

"Not at all," Patrick replied and he approached the man with the broken nose, who, after Bolin's attack, was still lying on the sliding bridge. He grabbed him by the collar of his fake uniform to bring his head closer to his extended hand with the bracelet, where the loud microphone was now activated, strong enough for everyone in the Arena to hear the man's words. "Who sent you?"

"It was Varrick… He was the one behind those attacks on the ships and the bombing of the Cultural Center…" man replied.

And as his words echoed through the Arena, everybody, including Bolin, Mako and Patrick on the Playing Field, turned their gazes to the booth where Varrick, who was watching it all with a very worried expression, was with Zhu Li.

Realizing that his presence in Republic City was no longer welcomed, Varrick turned to Zhu Li. "I think this is our cue to leave."

They both quickly turned around to run away to the ship in the dock, but they did not even make the first step when they saw Beifong with several Metalbenders standing at the opened door of the booth.

"Going somewhere?" she asked.

The only thing that Varrick was able to do as a response at that moment was a nervous laugh.

Meanwhile, the audience was still cheering for the trio of heroes on the Playing Field, who saved the president and beat the bad guys, but mainly because they had seen "Nuktuk" vanquish the evil on the big screen as well as in real life. But Bolin did not care, as he, with regained happiness, wrapped his revealed arms around the necks of Mako and Patrick.

"Glad you are here, guys! You can now finally see my mover!" he proclaimed with a wide smile.

But that was the last thing that Mako and Patrick wanted to do as they were trying to break free from Bolin's grip.

"We would like to, Bolin… but we have more pressing matters…" Patrick replied and he turned his gaze to Mako. "Will you tell him?"

"You tell him," Mako answered.

"Tell me what?" Bolin asked, still smiling.

Great, Patrick thought. "We have to return to the Southern Water Tribe."

Bolin's smile slowly disappeared as he remembered what was waiting for him at the Southern Water Tribe, or more precisely, who was waiting for him there. Eska. "Why?"

"It is about the fate of the world, Bolin. We have to go there."

"But I do not want to…" Bolin said with a whine.

"Come on, Bolin. Let's get you outside; probably there will be a bunch of reporters who want an interview and a picture of you as the hero who saved the president. That will brighten your mood."

And what started out as Bolin's happy celebratory hugs over the fact that his brother was free and his friend was back turned into the two of them being forced to support him as they were leaving the Playing Field as he became a lifeless body because he had just learned that he had to return to Eska.

A moment later, outside of the Arena, everybody who was present inside the Arena, gathered to discuss while giving interviews to the reporters that were there from the beginning and to the newly arrived ones who had just learned what had happened. Varrick and his assistant were taken in handcuffs to the truck that would take them to the prison, while another truck arrived for the thugs dressed as soldiers of the Northern Water Tribe.

As soon as the trio of tonight's heroes stepped out of the entrance of the Arena, all the reporters immediately ran to them and started to bombard them with flashes from their cameras. Patrick was right; as soon as the flashes from the reporters fell on Bolin, he immediately started to smile again and looked much better, so Mako and Patrick let him go and stepped aside.

Then some person ran around them directly to Bolin. It was Ginger who grabbed Bolin and kissed him.

"I cannot believe that my boyfriend is a real-life hero!" she yelled happily.

Bolin quickly came to his senses from the fact that he had just learned from his brother and his friend that he had to return to the Southern Water Tribe with them for some reason, to the fact that he had been bombarded by the flashes from the reporters and kissed by Ginger, to hear from her that he was now her boyfriend, and he looked at her in confusion. "Boyfriend? Wait, stop. I thought you said that we were not a couple."

"You really are as dumb as those rocks. Of course we are a couple," Ginger replied and grabbed him to kiss him once more in front of the reporters.

"Do we save him?" Mako asked Patrick.

"Let him enjoy it for a moment. After all, we are asking him to return to the cold South, to Eska," Patrick replied.

"Right."

Patrick then noticed that Asami, dressed in a seductive red dress, was making her way through the crowd to them. He started to think about what he would say to her when, to his relief, two Flying Bisons appeared above the Arena with Bumi, Kya, Korra and Tenzin on the back of the first one and Pema and her children with one Air Acolyte on the other one.

As both Flying Bisons landed in front of the Arena, Korra jumped off the animal and ran to the president. Patrick also went to Raiko.

"President Raiko!" Korra said.

"Avatar Korra? What is wrong?" President Raiko asked.

"Sir, I know I have asked for your help before but things have changed…"

"We need your help to attack the Northern forces at the Southern Water Tribe immediately; otherwise, Unalaq will destroy the world," Patrick took the floor when he was by them.

President Raiko turned his head toward him. "What do you mean by that?"

"He is about to release a powerful dark entity during the Harmonic Convergence that will soon occur," Patrick answered as the others gathered around them, except for Mako, who was standing in the back and probably hoped that Korra would not see him just yet.

"He is right, sir; that is why we desperately need your help," Korra added.

Raiko put both hands behind his back and started to think about this new turn of events. "I am sorry, Korra, but my answer is still no."

Everyone except for Patrick, who kept a neutral expression because he was used to this kind of response from politicians, looked at Raiko in shock.

"There are lives on the line!" Tenzin snapped. "And my daughter is one of them!" He motioned to the Flying Bison behind him, on whom his wife and his children were taking care of Jinora. "Raiko, you must reconsider!"

"I am aware that lives are on the line. And that is precisely why my soldiers are staying here. If the world is going to be thrown into chaos, as you claim, I need to protect my citizens. I am very sorry," President Raiko replied in a cold tone.

"Your weapons are useless against the Spirits as well as most of mine, Mr. President," Patrick said. "If you really want to protect the citizens of Republic City, help us to free the Southern Water Tribe from Unalaq's control. If we were able to get into the Spirit World, close one of the two portals and keep it closed until the Harmonic Convergence ends, then the threat of that Dark Spirit and Unalaq would be no more. Then you can call off your forces back to the city."

"Listen to him, President Raiko," Korra added.

But Raiko still maintained his expression that he would not change his decision on the matter.

Then Bolin decided to try to change his mind as well and approached him. "Sir, Nuktuk needs your help. I know you love helping people."

Patrick rolled his eyes over Bolin's attempt to persuade Raiko to help them through the influence of his movie character named Nuktuk. He alone had already given up hope that they would be able to convince Raiko after all.

Raiko turned his head toward one of his three saviors. "Son, I appreciate you saving my life and I am… a big fan of your work but my decision is final." And with these words, he walked away to join his wife in the vehicle that would take them home.

Bolin looked at him bitterly as he walked away from them. "Never should have saved him."

Asami stepped forward. "If you need my help, I am in."

"Me too," Bolin added.

"Thank you all. Any help will be needed," Korra replied and then she spotted Mako standing at the back of the entrance to the Arena.

A few moments ago, while the group was trying to convince Raiko to help them stop Unalaq, Mako was approached by Beifong, Lu and Gang, who got freed from their imprisonment in the locker.

"Sorry that I did not believe you, Mako, and you did a good job tonight. You are going to make a great detective," she said to him.

When Lu and Gang heard that, they exchanged confused glances with each other because the police had a limited number of detectives.

"But Chief, we do not have any openings for detectives right now," Gang said.

Beifong turned her head toward him and his partner. "Actually, we have two openings." By which she implied that Lu and Gang were no longer police officers after tonight's debacle in protecting President Raiko. In the matter of the second detective position, she turned her gaze to Patrick and started to wonder if it would be even worth it to offer it to him because of the nerves in future arguments.

Mako, who now had the feeling that his life and career were starting to get back on track, was about to say something to that offer when suddenly Korra rushed over him, hugged him and, with a great smile, kissed him.

When Korra was done kissing him, he first looked at her in shock and then his eyes focused on Asami, Bolin and Patrick in the back, who were looking at them with expressions of expectation of how Mako would react to this.

"Mako, I have missed you so much," Korra said to him.

Mako, who now remembered that Patrick had told him that Korra had lost her memories about their argument and breakup, nervously gulped. "Korra… hey, I missed you too," he started with a diplomatic tone. "So, you are not still mad at me?" he asked in hopes that she had perhaps now remembered their breakup.

"Why would I be mad?" Korra asked him back.

Great…She does not remember… Mako thought with a sigh. Patrick told him to come up with something that he would say to Korra when they were stopping Varrick but he had nothing. "We kind of had a fight before you left; do you remember now?"

"No, not really. I got attacked by a Dark Spirit and I lost my memory for a little while. Maybe I will never recover it all. Was it a bad fight?"

In that moment, Asami and Bolin expected that Mako would tell Korra the truth, while Patrick maintained his cynical view on the matter.

"Uh…" Mako started his answer with embarrassment. "No. No, it was not that bad."

Asami and Bolin looked at him upset, while Patrick just shook his head.

Mako, even with the forewarning, you manage to fuck it up, he thought.

Meanwhile, Tenzin approached Korra and Mako from behind. "I am sorry for interrupting your reunion, Korra, but we do not have much time. We need to figure out how to deal with Unalaq."

Korra turned to the Airbender. "When President Raiko is not willing to help us, I am afraid we are out of options here in Republic City. And getting help from other nations will take time."

Then Bolin stepped forward and cleared his throat to get their attention. "There is actually one more person here who can help us."

A few moments later, Asami, Bolin, Korra, Patrick and Mako in the presence of Beifong were standing in front of the bars of the cell where Varrick was being detained and rather than a prison cell it reminded them of a room in a very luxurious hotel. It had a large bed, a mirror with a table and even a kitchen and bathroom and other amenities and all of it was on the red carpet that had been laid in the cell.

"Hey!" Varrick greeted his guests while sitting in a very expensive chair. "What do you think? Varrick Industries built this prison and I had this cell made specially for me. I had a feeling I would end up here one day." He smiled at them, showing his white teeth, which gleamed. "Zhu Li, come on, we have guests! Prepare that green tea I love!" he ordered his assistant.

Zhu Li quickly showed up behind him and nodded. "Yes, sir." And she went to the fully equipped kitchen in the cell to make the tea.

"Zhu Li is in prison with you?" Korra asked surprised. On one side, she admired Zhu Li's loyalty to Varrick, but on the other side, it quite frightened her.

"Of course!" Varrick replied. "I do not go anywhere without my assistant. Do you?"

"We are not interested in your tea. And this is not a friendly visit," Mako said angrily.

"Do not tell me you all are still mad about everything that has happened. I did some good things too," Varrick said, probably a little bit insulted by Mako's tone. He turned his gaze to Korra. "Korra, who warned you about Unalaq? I did."

And Korra's angry expression at Varrick quickly changed into a considering one after hearing Varrick's words.

Well, I was the first one who suspected Unalaq, but whatever, Patrick corrected Varrick's statement in spirit.

Varrick's gaze turned to Bolin, who was looking at him the same way Korra had a few seconds ago. "Bolin, who got you into the movers? I did." And Bolin's angry expressions softened. Varrick then turned his gaze to an angry Asami. "Asami, who saved your company? I did." Asami's expressions softened and Varrick's gaze skipped Patrick and looked at Mako. "Mako, who got you into jail?" Mako frowned at him even more. "I did." And then Varrick realized it. "Of course… that was a bad thing."

"You stole everything from me and you tried to kidnap the president. Those are pretty bad things too," Asami added.

"I was not going to hurt him. I just needed to start a war. But let's keep focusing on the good things I have done," Varrick replied to her and turned his gaze to Patrick and Mako as he made a step closer to them. "I have managed to make you two, mortal enemies of each other, work together. And as well as the others who were in the Arena, I could see that you two together can do anything." And with a sly smile, he leaned forward toward them.

Patrick looked at the bars of Varrick's cell and could see that the space between them was large enough for two fists and that Varrick's face was quite close. "He is right, Mako," he said to the Firebender beside him, "together we can do anything."

Mako, for a short moment, looked at him confused but quickly realized what he was planning to do and he was willing to join in. "Right…"

"So, I go this way," Patrick announced and motioned to the left behind Varrick.

"And I go that way," Mako replied and motioned to the right behind Varrick.

Varrick was puzzled by what those two were talking about when, in swift motion, they both, through the space between bars, punched him in the face at the same time and he fell on his back on the ground in shock. But that did not stop his positive attitude. "See, like I said: Together you can do anything!"

Patrick turned his head toward Beifong, who was looking at the scene calmly, while Asami, Bolin and Korra were quite surprised at what Mako and Patrick just did. "I think that Varrick just slipped on the floor."

"It seems," she replied.

Patrick turned his head back toward the lying Varrick, whom Zhu Li immediately started to help get to his feet. "So, Varrick, where are all the Mecha Tanks and Biplanes you stole from Asami and that you were supposed to transport to the Southern Water Tribe instead of including them in your schemes? Or you would prefer to slip once more on the floor before you start talking?"

"Everything is on my battleship," Varrick answered.

"You have a battleship?" Korra asked again surprised.

"Of course I do! I bought the first one they made!" Varrick replied and sat back into his expensive chair while Zhu Li returned to the kitchen for a coaster with the finished tea. "Named her "Zhu Li"."

"You named your battleship after your assistant?" Bolin wondered.

"Of course! They are both cold, heartless war machines," Varrick declared with great pride.

"Your tea, sir," Zhu Li added as she placed the coaster with the tea on the small table beside Varrick's chair.

Varrick picked up the cup with the tea and blew on the tea to cool it. "Look, I am truly sorry for the mess I caused. So let me make it up to you; take Zhu Li." He then noticed that everybody was looking at him in silence, because, except for Patrick, they thought that Varrick meant his assistant. "I mean my battleship. Take it; it is yours and everything on it."

"Well, it is not the fleet we need, but it is at least something," Korra remarked.

"All right! Team Avatar is back in business! HAHA!" Bolin yelled ecstatically. He then, in a moment of pure joy, grabbed Korra by her shoulder and pulled her toward Asami, Mako and Patrick, whereupon he wrapped his hand around their shoulders and they all huddled together, forming a group hug.

While the others shared his joy, Patrick was doing his best to wiggle out.

Bolin! he thought and he was relieved when Bolin let them all go after a few seconds. Now that their team duty was done, it was time to head to the South. Then it occurred to him that they could use Beifong there. "You are not going with us?" he asked her.

"My duty is to be here and protect the city," she replied. "You go and save the world. Again."

"We will; do not worry," Korra said.

"Before we go, I have to get back to Air Temple Island for something," Patrick announced as the group left the Police Headquarters.

"For what?" Mako asked.

"For something I have been working on since we got back to the city. It might be useful to us in the Spirit World," Patrick replied and in the next moment he teleported himself away.

Sometime later, Varrick's battleship, named Zhu Li, was making its way through the ocean toward the Southern Water Tribe. Korra was standing on the deck and watching the night sky, thinking about what had happened in her homeland in the meantime, when she was trying unsuccessfully to gain help for her people. She was thinking if her family, Ama and Katara were alright. Then her thoughts changed about her possible future fight with Vaatu. She was thinking about what had happened when she and Jinora had entered the Spirit World and how she had failed to protect her. And as well, remembering Vaatu's words, who had boasted that he would destroy her right before she returned to the physical world.

From further thought, she was interrupted by the sound of incoming steps behind her. She turned around and saw that it was Patrick.

"Cannot rest?" he asked as he leaned against the railing of the deck beside her.

"No. I must still think about Jinora being trapped in there and both portals being opened. And all of it might not have happened if I would have listened to you in that cave at the South Pole," she replied and turned her gaze back to the ocean.

"And like I said, all of that is in the past now; we have to focus on what is now." He paused for a moment. "We will stop Unalaq and get Jinora back. Just like we stopped Amon."

Korra turned her head toward him and looked at him a bit surprised. "Somebody here has a positive attitude."

"Someone has to. You certainly took on the role of the pessimistic one."

Korra smiled, but it quickly disappeared. "I hope my Father, Mother, Ama and Katara are alright."

"They sure are," Patrick assured her.

Meanwhile, in the night, at the Southern Water Tribe, Tonraq, accompanied by all the rebels, watched Wolf Cove from a nearby mountain. Ever since Korra and her friends had sailed out to Republic City to gain allies against Unalaq and his forces, Tonraq had been leading the rebels in a hit-and-run tactic against the Northern soldiers, mainly targeting their attacks in the area of the fortification that Unalaq had built around the portal that Korra had opened while Rokkuk and the other members of the Council of Chieftains and Elders were gathering support from other settlements at the South Pole and even though they were successful, it still was not enough. Unalaq's forces were still controlling the capital city of the Southern Water Tribe and sooner or later they would vent their anger on its citizens.

"Should not we wait another day?" one of the rebels asked Tonraq. "Korra still might come with reinforcements."

"We cannot wait any longer," Tonraq answered. Ever since Korra left, they had not received any news about her or her progress in gaining allies. And they could not wait any longer without giving Unalaq's forces much more time to fortify themselves in the city. And he personally wanted her to be as far away from whatever Unalaq was planning as possible. It was time for a direct attack now, or never. So, he turned to the other rebels behind him. "It is time to take back what is ours! It is time to take back our city!"

"Yes!" all the rebels yelled simultaneously.

And it is time for me to talk to my brother, Tonraq added in spirit as he Waterbent a sheet of ice from the snow on the mountain and used it to slide down the mountain into the city.

Other rebels quickly followed his example and all of them charged at the city.

In one of the watchtowers facing the mountain, one of the soldiers of the Northern Water Tribe spotted the incoming rebels and started ringing the alarm bell. The soldiers quickly mobilized for the upcoming fight, but it was no use, as the rebels under Tonraq's effective leadership forced them to retreat back into the streets of Wolf Cove.

In another part of Wolf Cove, Captain Danrok, armed with his trusty spear, led a regiment of soldiers on a regular patrol through the streets. The last few days were tough due to the frequent attacks from the rebels and the hostility of the civilians toward them, so, Danrok was doing his best to keep the soldiers serving under him and the other officers from somehow starting to harass or even assault the innocent civilians. Even though most of the officers were easier to check, amongst the soldiers began to rise the urge to be aggressive toward the civilians, especially after Seke returned from his punishment early due to the fact that they needed every soldier because Unalaq insisted on diverting all resources and manpower for the protection of the portal.

"We should teach these Southerners some respect for us!" Seke yelled in the back of the formation and from the mumbling among the soldiers, it was evident that they were agreeing with him.

"Seke, shut up!" Danrok ordered as he was fully frustrated by that.

"Perhaps we should burn down some of the houses to let them know who is now in charge!" Seke continued.

And in that moment, Danrok had had enough. He gestured with his hand for the regiment behind him to stop. He turned around and made his way through the formation of the regiment until he saw Seke's face. He grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face very close to him. "One more word, Seke, and I will send you back to the ship for good! Is that clear?" he said through his teeth.

Seke glanced uninterestedly into his eyes. "Yes…sir."

Danrok looked around at all his men, and he could see in the expressions of most of them that they were agreeing with Seke, but they decided to remain silent. Danrok knew that it was only a matter of time before the citizens of Wolf Cove would pay the price and he was afraid that he would not be able to stop it.

Then the bell of a very distant watchtower started to ring and its sound echoed through the streets. The rebels had attacked the city.

He quickly let go of Seke's collar and ran to the forefront of the regiment. "Soldiers, let's go!" he ordered and gestured for them to follow him.

They made it through several streets until they spotted a few other soldiers of the Northern Water Tribe running toward them. With a quick motion, Danrok grabbed the nearest one to find out about the situation.

"Report!" he ordered.

"The rebels have entered the city. Several of our men are still fighting them but most of us have fallen back," the soldier answered with a shaking voice.

Danrok quickly began to put together some strategy for the defense, but still, it was necessary for him to see the situation with his own eyes. "Alright, you and your men will regroup with us and together—"

"We are not going back there, sir!" the soldier interrupted him.

Danrok looked at the soldier as if he had just insulted him. "Excuse me, soldier?!"

"Sorry, sir, but… we cannot go back there!"

"Why?" Danrok asked and tightened his grip.

"Chief Unalaq is there…"

"Then that is another reason to go back there! Or is there something else you are not telling me, soldier?"

"He… he is not alone… there are several Dark Spirits with him. He is commanding them against the rebels, sir."

Danrok, with a very bad feeling about that whole thing, slowly loosened his grip and the soldier quickly joined the other retreating soldiers. He then turned his gaze in the direction of the fight that was happening several blocks from them, hoping that the bad feeling was wrong.

Tonraq and his men kept launching water streams at the retreating soldiers. It seemed that they managed to make them retreat across half of the city. For now, they were winning.

"They are falling back!" Tonraq announced to his men and he was about to give more orders when he and the others heard some howling nearby.

They all turned to the source of it and saw several Dark Spirits hanging on the walls of the nearby buildings, watching them all like a pack of hungry predators. Tonraq looked up and saw his niece and nephew standing on the roofs of those buildings. Then they heard that something was flying above them, so they all raised their eyes higher and saw that a huge Dark Spirit in the form of a stingjelly was flying among the buildings toward them, with Unalaq standing on its back.

"Hello…brother," Unalaq said as the Dark Spirit he was standing on was slowly descending to the ground.

"Into the formation!" Tonraq ordered and in that moment, he knew that they would face a very tough fight.

Danrok and his men rushed through the streets of Wolf Cove to support their Chief in the fight against the rebels. The sound of fighting and strange, almost non-human howling let them know that they were getting closer. Then they encountered a few men dressed as civilians, who, as soon as they spotted them, started launching water streams at them, letting them know that they were rebels who had split with the main group of rebels when they entered the city.

The Waterbending members of Danrok's regiment quickly rushed forward and blocked the streams with their Bending.

"Bakaq, take half the men and deal with them! I will take the other half and go help Chief Unalaq!" Danrok ordered the officer.

"Yes, sir!" Bakaq replied. "Forward!" he ordered the half of the regiment that he now commanded.

Then Danrok and his half of the regiment went through the alleyways to continue on their journey to help Unalaq.

Tonraq and the rebels were doing their best, but their Bending was quite ineffective against the Dark Spirits, and even though they were able to at least hit them, the Dark Spirits were able to retaliate the attacks with much greater force and speed. It also did not help their fight that they were being bombarded by water streams from Esna and Desna. Among the many rebels who had been hit by the streams was also Tonraq, who quickly got back on his feet to see that the enemy reinforcements led by Danrok had arrived to aid the twins and the Dark Spirits. The battle they were first winning, they were now losing.

Tonraq quickly dodged the incoming water stream, and with another rebel, he took cover behind the corner of a nearby building from another volley of projectiles.

"Get the men and fall back," he said to the rebel as he peeked around the corner, only to quickly move his head back to protect himself from another water stream.

"What about you?" the rebel asked.

Before Tonraq could say anything in reply, he spotted, across the opposite alleyway, Unalaq leading the Dark Spirits and the soldiers. Then he got the idea of how to win this battle, just like his father had taught him, by cutting off the head.

"I am going to end this right now," he replied. "GO!" he ordered as he jumped out of cover and, with his Bending, created a massive ice wall by which he separated Eska, Desna and the soldiers, which created a temporary window for the rebels to retreat.

Tonraq then quickly ran through the alleyway and knocked out two of the four soldiers that walked by with his Waterbending, and with a swift motion, he imprisoned the remaining two in the ice before they could even react.

He took a deep breath and turned around to see that Unalaq was waiting for him on the other end of the street.

Both brothers were looking at each other in silence for a few seconds, waiting for the first of them to make the first move. The first was Unalaq, who shot a large water stream at Tonraq.

Tonraq dodged his attack, and with all of his strength, he charged at him at enormous speed. Before Unalaq could even react, Tonraq picked him up in his run and they both crashed through the wooden door of the building that was behind Unalaq.

The building they both crashed into was probably a restaurant due to the tables Tonraq bumped against as he continued to run while keeping his brother in midair. Unalaq was slamming his elbows into Tonraq's back, but he also growled in pain from the impacts caused by Tonraq slamming him against the tables.

Then Tonraq stopped running and threw his younger brother against the opposite wall with all his strength.

Unalaq hit the wall hard and fell to the ground.

Tonraq took a deep breath and watched his brother slowly get back on his feet. "WHY?" he yelled.

"Why…what?" Unalaq asked a little bit confused.

"Why did you have me banished? Why did you kill our father?" Tonraq continued to ask questions and slowly prepared himself to continue the fight.

Unalaq at first did not understand how his brother knew about his plot to banish him and about the true nature of the death of their father, but then he realized it. "So, Hotah was talking."

"He was our father, Unalaq! Why did you do it?!"

"Our father… Our father…" Unalaq repeated and then started laughing. "Our father…" His expression then turned hateful. "You mean YOUR father!"

"He was a father to both of us, Unalaq."

"No. He was a father only to you. To his perfect firstborn son. I was never good enough for him."

"He never had it easy after our mother died, Unalaq. He was doing his best to raise us."

"Oh, he had it much easier back then. Because mother was the only one who could understand me."

"So, this was the reason why you killed him and banished me?!"

Unalaq made a step forward and then another to the right. Tonraq quickly reacted by making a step to his right with his eyes still fixed on his brother. So, they both began to circle around in the middle of the dark room, among the broken wooden tables.

"I killed him because he was a narrow-minded fool with no ambition at all and you would be no different if you ascended the throne." He then averted his gaze from his brother to the ground as he started to think about something. A second later, he turned his gaze back to Tonraq and smirked. "Do you know why I was poisoning him so slowly, brother?"

Tonraq, deep down, knew that the answer to that question would not make him feel any better, but he had to know the truth. "Why?" he asked with a little shaking voice.

"Because I wanted him to need me. I wanted him to lie there, dying, calling my name if he needed anything, but… despite the pain, despite everything I was doing for him, he was still calling your name." Unalaq raised both hands with his palms upward. "Then I have decided to end his suffering."

In that moment, after he heard that, Tonraq was utterly shocked and disgusted by his brother.

"What kind of monster would do this to his own father!?" he yelled.

"The one you and the father have created, Tonraq," Unalaq replied.

Tonraq, with a mind full of anger, lunged at him to strike him, but Unalaq was quicker and dodged his attack and quickly, with his Waterbending, he pulled out the water from the bottle attached to his belt, making a water whip with which he hit the backside of Tonraq's knee.

Tonraq growled in pain and got on all fours. He was about to quickly get back on his feet and continue fighting, but Unalaq hit him again with the water whip, this time aiming for his head, making him completely collapse on the ground.

"Back then, Hotah was not sure that our plan with the barbarians would work. He was sure you would not destroy that forest, but I know you well enough, Tonraq. You were and are still acting on your emotions and not thinking at all. You are still predictable." Unalaq smirked. "Just like your daughter."

Tonraq looked at him with anger.

"I must confess that I was quite furious at first when I learned that you of all people had managed to father the Avatar, but now I see it as a kind of reward because I will enjoy destroying her while you are watching," Unalaq continued.

"Stay… away from Korra!" Tonraq said and with great struggle he tried to stand up.

Unalaq raised his hand with a water whip and prepared to give his brother another strike.

Danrok led his men to advance against the rebels, most of whom they managed to drive out of the city and capture the rest. But this victory was also due to the presence of the Dark Spirits that helped them, which also made him further question Unalaq's motives. When the situation was more or less under control, he looked around to find Unalaq but he could not see him anywhere. The only ones of the royal family he could see were Esna and Desna.

"Prince! Princess! Have you seen your father?" he asked as he approached them.

"Father was fighting the rebels in the next street but we saw our uncle heading there through an alleyway," Esna answered and he motioned to the alleyway behind Danrok.

"Stay here and when it will be safe, go see the healer," Danrok replied and he headed through the alleyway to the next street.

He looked around and saw a freshly smashed wooden door leading into the building. He quickly deduced that Tonraq had probably dragged Unalaq inside, so he ran to the building to help his Chief. But when he was just one step away from the door, he heard Tonraq's voice.

"Why did you kill our father?" sounded from the entrance.

Danrok stopped and started listening to the conversation. After a few minutes, after hearing the truth from Unalaq, he clenched his fist in anger. He took a deep breath and then rushed inside to fulfill his duty to the royal family of the Northern Water Tribe, not noticing at all the person a few steps behind him who had also overheard the conversation between Unalaq and Tonraq.

Unalaq's hand with a water whip was in the middle of striking Tonraq when suddenly the tip of the spear slashed the air in front of him, forcing Unalaq to dodge backwards.

Unalaq turned his surprised gaze to the one who was holding the spear and it was Danrok who got into a defensive pose between him and Tonraq.

"Captain Danrok, what do you think you are doing?" Unalaq asked.

"I am protecting the royal family!" Danrok replied and quickly looked at Tonraq behind him, who, thanks to his intervention, started slowly getting up. "Prince Tonraq, run! You have to get out of the city before the army retakes control!" He then quickly focused again on Unalaq.

"Captain Danrok, you are helping a traitor, which makes you a traitor as well."

"I heard everything, Unalaq. I know what you did. And you will pay for that!"

Unalaq smirked. "I guess this must be my lucky night because I shall eliminate another father's favorite." He then launched a water stream at Danrok.

The captain ducked his attack, leaped forward, and thrust his spear toward his chest. Unalaq deflected his attack with his Waterbending, but that did not stop Danrok, as he kept thrusting and slashing. Unalaq managed to deflect most of Danrok's attack, but the captain then saw an opening in Unalaq's defense, and he struck him in the face with the end of the hilt of his spear.

Unalaq staggered to the back, holding his affected face. He then, with pure anger, looked at Danrok.

Danrok took a deep breath and was about to continue fighting Unalaq, so Tonraq could escape, but suddenly a huge water stream came from the side and sent him over to the other side of the room, pinning him against the wall.

"Danrok!" Tonraq yelled and looked to the source of the water stream. It was coming from a soldier of the Northern Water Tribe, who was smiling mischievously at the pinned Danrok.

"Seke…you little…" Danrok said as he was struggling to get free from being pinned by the water stream.

Seke, before Danrok could do anything to fight back, quickly sent a water blast at him, knocking him out. He then quickly turned his attention to Tonraq, who was about to attack, but Seke managed to bombard him with several water blasts, forcing him to collapse back to the ground.

"Good job, soldier," Unalaq said while observing both defeated men.

Seke bowed down. "I was just doing my duty, Chief," he replied in a humble tone.

"Your name and rank."

"My name is Seke and I am a private."

Unalaq turned his gaze toward the lying Danrok. "Private Seke. That does not sound good. How about… Captain Seke?"

"I would be very honored, my Chief," Seke replied with a mischievous smile.

Unalaq turned his head back toward him. "That is good because very soon I will need soldiers like you, Seke." He then walked over to Tonraq and saw how his older brother was slowly closing his eyes. "Because very soon, the world will change forever and the Avatar will mean nothing."