Legend of Korra 1. Prologue: The Man on the Throne

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

_Author's Note: I just thought I would outline a few things before we jump into the story._

_I started writing this before the finale of Legend of Korra so it does contradict several canon things. But this story is pretty non-canon anyway. Regarding the genres I've put down, those might change. The story has a lot of sub-themes and I'm struggling on whether to stick it under romance or not. Time will tell, I guess. On the subject of pairings, I can't say a thing because any pairings here are solely because I thought they worked best with the plot I have in mind and as such, would be spoilers if I told you. I plan to try and update this twice a week, maybe more if I get the time. For one final note, I expect this story to end up being pretty dark which is what the M rating is for._

_And with that, enough of my author's note drivel. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. Do leave a review if you feel like, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated since I would like to become a better author!_

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**Prologue – The Man on the Throne**

No sane person would have crawled through tunnels and scrounged through dust this far beneath Republic City. Darkness, dirt and rock should have been the only treasures to find. And yet, there was the forbidding stone wall in an unusually large cavern. A closed door stood in the center of the weathered structure. The earthbender reflected again that no sane person should be here. But he sincerely doubted that his masked captor was entirely normal or mentally stable. It seemed ironic that he was being forced to do this by the man with the mask, who had introduced himself as Amon. Amon the equalist. Who needed benders to help him get to whatever he sought.

The earthbender would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous. And his anxiety showed. He was a man of mediocre height and average build. His face was somewhat round with a thin beard covering a good part of it. His hair was a dark brown, the same color as his eyes, which were focused on the imposing sight before him. There was something about the tall walls and the gate that made him uneasy. He could see that it was having the same effect on his comrades in chains, the firebender and the waterbender. Their footsteps echoed through the cavern as they walked up to the gate and stared at it. The earthbender could make out faint scratches on the door. He presumed that there had been something carved on it, back when it was made. However, time had wiped away any inscriptions long ago.

"Get it open," Amon said from behind him, his voice flat and emotionless.

The earthbender wanted to protest but being surrounded by people who hated benders made him think that disagreeing would not have been a good idea. He raised his arms and focused his will on the stone door, trying to move it with his bending. It proved harder than he had thought, the gate being sealed shut with clotted mud. The waterbender next to him sprung into action, using what little water they had brought down into the tunnels with them as effectively as he could. As the water helped erode the mud, the earthbender found success in gradually forcing the door to slide open. When the gap was wide enough for them to pass through, he stopped. He sighed with exhaustion but he was given little time to rest.

"Move," Amon said calmly. "Light the way."

The firebender girl the equalists had captured was young, pretty too. But there was a look of terror etched on her face as she obeyed, stepping through the door first, with a flame burning in her palm. The chamber through the door was not particularly impressive, at least not compared to the door and wall. It was a long room with plain stone walls and a high roof. The walls were lined with sticks of wood that were likely meant to serve as torches. Of course, none of them paid any attention to that at the time. That was because the sight at the opposite end of the room had robbed them all of their breath.

There was a throne at the other end. It was not particularly impressive, more of a stone seat than a throne. But on the throne sat a man. The earthbender could not see a face since the man was dressed in a baggy and tattered brown cloak that covered his body and its hood fell across his face. The earthbender promptly assumed that whoever the man was, he was dead. This was a sealed room and the air was incredibly musty on the inside. No one had been in here for a very long time. Amon walked past them, striding towards the throne. There were few other things of interest in the room. Some chests were lying in the corners along with a few boxes, all closed tight. The earthbender wondered if his captors had come here in search of treasure. He also quickly realized why they had needed to kidnap benders. There was no other way they would have got to this chamber otherwise. His fellow benders were silent as the grave, their eyes fixed on the figure who sat on the throne.

And then the impossible happened. The man who sat on the throne stirred. His head rose slightly, the hood slipping back a little. He looked unbelievably old, wrinkles covering every inch of his face, his mouth a thin line covered by his unkempt and overgrown white beard. His hair was a ragged grey that fell about his face. The only things about the man that betrayed any strength or will were eyes that were still alive. And they were unusual eyes, a light grey in color. Light enough to almost be white. Driven by pure curiosity, the earthbender took a few hesitant steps forward. Amon was now directly in front of the waking man.

"So, someone has finally freed me," The old man finally spoke, his voice sounding incredibly tired. "I suppose I should thank you."

"It would seem the legends were true," Amon said quietly and then turned towards his thugs. "Out, all of you. Benders, stay."

The earthbender turned and saw his comrades unmoving as the other equalists walked out the door. The thought of assaulting Amon crossed his mind, but what good would that do? The goons outside would probably just kill him for it. He stood his ground, somewhat apprehensive of the old man who should, by all rights, be a corpse.

"A legend?" The old man murmured. "Is that all I am now? Ah, my body feels so week. And I fear it has been even longer than it feels like."

"An obscure legend is what you are," Amon answered. "That tattered scroll I read once, which I doubt many other have read, spoke of you. Even I dismissed it as a work of fiction. My name is Amon and it was desperation that drove me to seek you and now I find that you are real."

"Desperation? So you have come here because you seek something," The old man said softly. "I suppose I will do what I can. It is only fair that I repay you for releasing me."

"The legend only spoke of an immortal wishgranter's tomb here," Amon said slowly. "Who are you?"

"You may call me the Man on the Throne for now," the old man replied with a hint of a smile. "And I am certainly not immortal, I simply age very well. And while it is true that I have bestowed gifts before, there is only so much I can do. What is it that you have come seeking?"

There was a moment of silence before Amon spoke again. "I want a weapon to destroy bending."

"You wish to destroy bending?" The old man asked with a hint of surprise. "Why?"

"Is it surprising that I would wish to destroy the source of all conflict in the world?" Amon replied, his voice laced with undisguised anger. "That I would seek to end the very thing that destroyed my life? And I am not alone. There are many people in this world who would be glad to see bending die forever and for everyone to have an equal opportunity in life."

"I suppose it is your desire to become the embodiment of this… revolution," the old man said quietly. "And you want a weapon to destroy bending to make your war possible."

"It will also give the common non-bender hope that the benders are not all powerful," Amon said. "But tell me, can you give me what I seek?"

"You say you thought I was a character of a fictional tale, a wishful fancy," The old man said, apparently ignoring Amon's question. "And yet you have clearly made an incredible effort to get here. I assure you, this tomb was meant to stay buried. I also doubt those benders behind you are here of their own volition."

"There was nowhere for me to turn other than obscure myths," Amon said flatly. "Chi-blocking can only go so far. And every tale and myth is concurrent on the fact that the Avatar is the only being capable of removing someone's bending forever."

The earthbender noticed the old man's face contort with rage for a second at the word 'Avatar'. But when he spoke again, his tone was level.

"So the Avatar lives on?"

"Of course," Amon said, a little surprised at the question. "The Avatar is an endless cycle that supposedly exists to bring balance to the world. But every Avatar has been the same, enforcing the hegemony of the bending elite. But enough of this. Tell me plainly, can you give me what I seek?"

"How much the world seems to have changed," The old man mused out loud. He then paused for a long moment before speaking again. "Yes, I can give you what you seek but could you do me a small favor first?"

"What?" Amon asked carefully, but the excitement in his voice was palpable.

"Do not fear. I merely wish the torches on this room's wall lit," The old man said with a smile. "Your firebender is getting tired of maintaining that meager flame and I find myself unable to rise from this throne."

"Of course," said Amon as he turned to the firebender.

He didn't have to say a word. The girl obeyed automatically, lighting the sticks lining the wall. She then extinguished the flame on her palm with relief. The earthbender had so much he wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut for the sake of safety. He wondered how mad Amon was to be listening to some ancient old man who had been sealed in a tomb. Or perhaps the masked man was willing to try anything to achieve his goal, even if it meant speaking to someone who should undoubtedly be dead.

"And your request is fulfilled," Amon said quickly. "What weapon do you intend to give me?"

"The very thing you mentioned of course," the old man said calmly. "I will give you the capability to energybend. You will be able to take the bending of anyone you wish and you will find the knowledge of how to do so will come to you instinctively. Would that be sufficient repayment for my freedom?"

"That would be perfect," Amon said quietly. "So you _are_ a wishgranter, then?"

"Perhaps one day in the near future, when I am able to rise from this throne and walk the world again, I will explain myself," The old man replied. "But for the moment, I have no such desire. For me, it is enough that I am giving a skill the Avatar is known for to someone more ordinary. The time for questions is not now, though. Come forward Amon, and accept your gift."

Their captor stepped right up to the throne and knelt on one knee, his head bowed. The old man's hand moved slowly and eventually came to rest on Amon's head. The earthbender simply continued to watch, entranced as faint white wisps surrounded Amon and then simply melted into him and there was a single soft flash of light and then the old man removed his hand. Amon rose from the ground and didn't say a word. He turned towards the firebender girl and began to stride in her direction. The earthbender's body refused to obey him and the waterbender had nothing to work with. The girl snapped however, and sent a bolt of flame towards the masked man who jumped out of the way and closed the distance quickly. There was nothing the girl could do as Amon grasped her head, his thumb on her forehead. He kept the position for a while and then let go.

The firebender moved her arm and her eyes widened as nothing happened. Shock gripped the earthbender, there was simply no way. There was no way that old man had actually given Amon the ability to take people's bending. What happened next was far more jarring though. Amon pulled a knife from his belt. The firebender girl had a moment to scream before Amon thrust the blade into her throat. Her shriek of terror turned to gurgling as blood spurted from the wound. He withdrew the knife, apparently unconcerned that he had just killed someone and that his clothes and mask were stained in blood. The Man on the Throne showed no reaction either.

The waterbender fell to his knees and began to beg wildly as the masked man approached him. "Take my bending!" He shouted. "Just don't kill me!"

"You must be equalized," Amon said as he placed his hand on the waterbender's head, his thumb on the forehead. "And unfortunately, I cannot have anyone else know of this place's existence."

He raised the knife. The waterbender began a sentence, likely to shout about how he would never breathe a word of this place but he never got a chance. Amon was seemingly unconcerned about what the man had to say as he slit his throat and let the body crumple to the ground. He then turned to the earthbender who had decided to simply accept his fate. There was no real point in fighting. He had never been an incredibly skilled bender and Amon was clearly a very competent fighter. He bowed his head and waited but before Amon reached him, he heard the old man's voice.

"Leave him."

"What?" Amon asked in surprise, turning towards the throne.

"You have had a chance to experiment with you newfound power," The old man replied patiently. "Leave this one here; I have a use for him."

There were several seconds of silence during which the earthbender raised his head. Amon and the old man were staring at each other. Apparently, the masked maniac was unwilling to let his prey go.

"It would be another favor to me, Amon," The old man said. "And you have seen that I am more than able to repay people. You can leave this place now and raise your revolution. But our interactions need not end with this. Be sure to come by here once in a way, it will be a while before I am able to move. And I am certain that we can continue to help each other. We have the same goal, after all."

"We do?" Amon asked slowly.

"In a sense," the Man on the Throne replied. "While I may not strive to destroy all bending, we both seek the end of the Avatar."

"Why do you wish the Avatar's destruction?"

"Are my reasons truly important?" The old man asked. "I can assure you, though, that I will be a useful ally to you. Come to me when you end up facing trouble with the Avatar and I will lend you my aid."

Amon considered the proposition for several seconds before he voiced his agreement.

"Very well, I will leave this bender with you. Expect to see me again and thank you for the gift."

With that Amon turned and left the room. The earthbender took a moment to recover from the surprise and then relief washed over him for a moment. He was still alive but he wondered if it was going to stay that way. He turned towards the old man.

"Come here," the Man on the Throne instructed.

The earthbender obeyed, not bothering to question the command. He walked over and looked the old man in the eyes for the first time. His apprehensions and questions seemed to vanish as the old man looked at him.

"What is your name?" the Man on the Throne asked softly.

"Katashi," He replied, still feeling hypnotized. "And thank you for saving my life."

"You have seen that I help those who help me," The old man said. "Amon freed me and I repaid him. But it works the other way too. I helped you and now I expect repayment."

"What… what do you want?" Katashi asked hesitantly.

"The adequate repayment for your life," the old man said slowly, "is the rest of your life. I require a servant now that I am awake but unable to rise from this throne. I believe that you will fill that role perfectly."

"I-" Katashi began to protest but the Man on the Throne cut him off.

"Disagreement is not really an option," He said flatly. "If you think I am incapable of dealing with you, you would be sadly mistaken."

Katashi had left his family back in the Earth kingdom and moved to republic city seeking better fortunes. He really had no one close in the city except for a few friends. It would be easy for him to meet the old man's demand. And it didn't seem like he had much of a choice.

"I would be honored to serve you," Katashi said quietly.

"Very good," the old man said with a smile. "And do not look so morose, I _do_ reward service."

He gestured with his eyes and Katashi sank to his knees as he felt the old man's touch on his head. And then he was engulfed in the most euphoric feeling he had ever experienced. Power and knowledge seemed to surge through his body and ingrain themselves in his very being. His eyes were closed so he could see nothing of what the old man was doing but suddenly he felt much more comfortable with his earthbending. New techniques seemed to come to him instinctively and even the some of the most complex ones seemed obvious to him all of a sudden. He opened his eyes and looked up.

"And that is your gift," the old man was still smiling. "I trust you will enjoy being an earthbender of rare caliber."

"How did you do that?" Katashi asked, still reeling from the intense high.

"I doubt that is the question you want answered most," the Man on the Throne said frankly. "Why not ask that which is truly on your mind?"

"Why did you give that madman energybending?" Katashi asked softly, averting his eyes. "And then you gave me enhanced earthbending. What do you want?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," the old man said simply. "He seeks the destruction of the Avatar as well. And you should get used to Amon, you will be working with him a great deal since I will need a messenger."

"Of course," Katashi said through gritted teeth. He was strongly contemplating killing this strange and powerful man with his newfound abilities. But that seemed so unseemly considering this old man had saved his life and improved his bending. Either way, there was a question he had to ask first. "But why do you want to destroy the Avatar?"

"I had a life once, Katashi. I had dreams that I wanted to see fulfilled," the old man said bitterly. "But my life was taken away in one terrible moment of treachery. I called the Avatar a friend once, and was betrayed. It put me in a coma and sealed me and what meager belongings I had into this tomb. The Avatar took my life from me and soon I will have it back. But I cannot let that betrayal go unpunished. I _will _have my revenge. I will destroy every last shred of the Avatar for what it did to me!"

There was silence in the room. Katashi could not bring himself to look the old man in the eye. He spoke up nonetheless.

"I… have more questions," Katashi said slowly. "If I am to serve you, I would like to know who you are."

"And you will have answers," the old man replied, his voice calm once more. "I will tell you everything you wish to know. But first, remove those bodies from this room; the sight is unseemly."

Katashi turned to the task immediately. He wanted answers. And then he would decide if he wanted to end the mysterious old man's life.


	2. A Flower Cast Adrift

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

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**Chapter One – A Flower Cast Adrift**

Republic City had been founded on a dream. Every stone laid in its construction was progress towards a symbol of peace and unity in the world. It was meant to stand for the highest ideal, a place where people from all nations could live in harmony, benders and non-benders alike. This great city had, however, fallen from the grace it was meant to embody.

There had always been trouble in Republic City, mostly from criminal gangs. But that was only to be expected in the beginning. People had come to the modern city from around the world, seeking better fortunes. But, of course, not everyone could find what they had come looking for. And so, their ambitions seemingly shattered, they would turn to crime. But that was kept reasonably well controlled by the city's metalbending police force.

Eventually Republic City did face a problem it was not equipped to handle. Perhaps, in the humble beginnings of the movement, the Council had underestimated the threat of the Equalists, led by the mysterious figure known only as Amon. However, that seemingly small problem spiraled out of control at a terrifying rate after Amon displayed his ability to take people's bending away. From then, it was only a matter of time before things became violent. The members of the Council ended up adopting increasingly extreme measures against any non-bender, made irrationally paranoid by the Equalist threat.

Even the Avatar could only do so much. She was still young and her powers were not fully realized. Nonetheless, she fought Amon while trying to be a voice of moderation. And then, there was the incident of Korra being kidnapped by Tarrlok, a council member who was a bloodbender. There had been hope that the incident would not become known to the public at large but Amon was not one to let such a valuable tool of propaganda go by. The rumors raced through Republic City about one of the most influential members of the Council being a bloodbender. And that was it. The majority of the non-benders threw in with the Equalist movement.

All out war engulfed Republic City, with Amon seizing control almost effortlessly. He made Air Temple Island his new seat of power, after driving the last airbenders into hiding and forcing the Avatar and her friends underground. The statue of Aang that had been a symbol of everything Republic City was meant to be was defaced with Amon's mask upon its face and an equalist flag in its hands. The city had finally fallen.

Fallen, perhaps, but not abandoned. The United Forces were on their way to retake the city, and Avatar Korra was only waiting for the appropriate moment to strike. And even as Amon took the bending of every bender the Equalists could capture, he was preparing for the inevitable battle that would come. Both sides had very different ideas about what Republic City should stand for.

* * *

Katashi strode across the chamber and bowed before the Man on the Throne, the master to whom he had pledged his life. The chamber had not changed since that fateful day he had opened it. The only difference was the torches on the wall that he had to consistently replace. His master, however, had changed a lot. When they had awoken him, his face had been covered in wrinkles and he had looked impossibly old. And now he merely looked elderly. The wrinkles had vanished with time and life had returned to his face. Katashi had shaved his beard away for him. It was as though the Man on the Throne was aging backwards. His servant, of course, knew exactly why this was happening. Every question he had asked that night had been answered and Katashi had pledged his life away without any apprehensions.

His master had performed other seemingly impossible feats after that. He had 'bonded' his soul to Katashi's, at least that was the only way Katashi could wrap his head around it. What truly mattered was the end result, which was that his master could see through his eyes and hear through his ears and always be in contact with his servant. Katashi distinctly remembered the first feelings of his master when he had emerged from the tunnels and into Republic city. There had been an overwhelming sense of childlike wonder and an intense, insatiable curiosity. And now, the Man on the Throne finally understood how the world had changed since the last time he had been able to move; a feat that was still beyond him.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Katashi," his master said with a smile. "So, the Equalists have captured Republic City?"

"Yes," Katashi replied. "Amon assured me that he has the city under control but he is growing impatient regarding when you intend to fulfill your promise."

Katashi found it impossible to hide the distaste in his voice when he mentioned Amon or the Equalists. He had not an ounce of respect for those extremists and he put up with them only because his master saw them as important tools. The Man on the Throne ignored the bitterness in his voice.

"So, he fears the Avatar?" His Master asked pointedly.

"He would never admit it," Katashi said carefully, "but I believe that the girl has him worried. She is tenacious, if nothing else, and a symbol that Amon fears his enemies will use as a beacon to rally around. Also, you had said that when he had trouble with the Avatar, you would step in and help. He expects you to do good on your word."

"He is impatient," his master said dismissively. "There is no one in this world who desires the destruction of the Avatar more than me. I have waited so long, what is a little longer? But, I believe it is finally time to act."

"Of course," Katashi said, his heart pounding in his chest. It was finally time for his real duties to begin. "What would you have me do?"

"You spied on the Avatar and those closest to her," his master said. "Is the information you gave me accurate or is it conjecture on your part?"

"I presented things to you exactly the way I saw them," Katashi replied. "I have every faith in what I said."

The Man on the Throne leaned back in his seat, thinking for a moment. And then he spoke, his voice carrying not even a hint of doubt, "bring me Asami Sato."

"Master?" Katashi asked in confusion. "She is always with the others so even if I found them, how could I-"

"If what you told me is true," his master said, cutting him off, "then she will seek time by herself to contemplate what afflicts her. It is only human nature. Take her when she is isolated and bring her before me. Finding them should be no trouble for you; you simply have to pretend to be a bender seeking refuge. This task should be easy for you to perform."

"I will do it," Katashi said firmly. There was no point in raising more doubts. He had been given an instruction and he was going to fulfill it.

He did, however, have a single question to ask.

"Forgive me, but I must voice my doubt. This girl, Korra, she is not the one who wronged you those many years ago. Is it necessary that she suffer?"

"It is her misfortune to bear the soul of the Avatar then," his master said coldly. "If she is incapable of bringing her past lives into her body and ascending to the state of a true Avatar, then I will traumatize her into doing it."

"But what does this have to do with the Sato girl?" Katashi pressed.

As ever, the Man on the Throne had an answer.

* * *

Asami was growing incredibly tired of the food they had in the underground shelter. She thought that calling it food was probably an undue compliment. But she made do with the gruel, everyone did. It was a necessary evil when you were scared to show your face in the streets. They had escaped into the sewers of Republic City after Amon had taken Air Temple Island. They had followed rumors of an underground resistance movement until they had found this makeshift camp for those seeking refuge from the Equalists.

She looked up from her bowl, inadvertently catching Mako's eye. He severed eye contact almost immediately. She concentrated on the food again. It was easier to pour all her frustration and stress onto the simpler things. She hadn't really given herself time to reflect on everything that had happened since events around them had progressed so quickly. But now that they were in hiding and simply waiting, she found it difficult to ignore some of her thoughts.

Every time she considered the battle that was looming on the horizon, she could only think of her father's face. He had been her only family for so long and they had been so close until she had discovered who he truly was. She still wanted to believe that she could make him see sense, that she could talk to him and convince him that he was serving someone who was completely insane. She wanted to tell him that nothing he was doing would change what had happened to her mother and that her mother wouldn't have wanted any of this.

On Air Temple Island, she had still had someone to confide in. But her relationship with Mako had been on the rocks for some time now. She had considered the fact that she was blowing the situation out of proportion, but every time Mako looked at Korra, that thought simply vanished. The thing that stung the most, she had convinced herself, was the lack of a true pillar of support. She had considered talking to Korra, who she had come to call a close friend before things had begun to go crazy. But the Avatar had enough problems of her own, and things had become inadvertently awkward between Asami and Korra. She looked around at the other three people who comprised 'Team Avatar'. That had been so recent but those already felt like more innocent days. Happier days when the four of them had been convinced that they were going to drag Amon behind bars and put an end to the equalist revolution.

But those halcyon days were over. The storm had come when Amon had launched an all out assault on Republic City. And despite whatever Team Avatar did, it simply wasn't enough. They had been driven into hiding and Asami could see that Korra had been visibly affected by that. The Avatar wasn't used to running. It had pained them all to leave Republic City in Amon's clutches and bring themselves to wait for the United Forces to arrive. They were mostly silent these past few days, Bolin being the only one who retained some cheer, characteristic of his personality. But the stories they head every day from the people who went to the city to do reconnaissance were more and more horrifying.

Asami had seen jarring scenes herself when she had gone on her last reconnaissance trip with Bolin. They had been wearing Equalist uniforms to hide. But those uniforms also forced them into inaction when they had seen a bender attempting to resist capture. The Equalists had beaten him mercilessly after he tried to fight them. Then they had paraded him through the streets to the jeers and taunts of the common people as they carried him to Air Temple Island, where Amon awaited. Asami had lived in Republic City all her life and never had she thought the city could devolve into this state. She finished her food and set the bowl down before getting to her feet.

"I'm heading to bed," she said as the others nodded, almost done with their own meals.

She collapsed onto the mattress on the ground but sleep did not come easily as she drifted in a state of being half awake. She noticed Bolin settle onto his makeshift bed soon after. As she finally found sleep, she noted that Korra and Mako were nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Asami woke up early and cast her gaze around as she rubbed her eyes. Bolin was lying spread eagled on his mattress, snoring. The sight actually brought a small smile to her face before she noticed that Mako and Korra's mattresses were empty. She assumed they had woken before her and went about her morning rituals as best she could. Routine was a gift to her. To do a set of things mechanically was comforting and presented the illusion of normalcy. And that illusion was immensely valuable in a time this troubled.

As she walked through the makeshift camp, she noticed a few people waking up. Their faces all looked haggard and haunted and she couldn't blame them. Even she had been initially terrified of the Equalists discovering this place and attacking at night. But apparently it had been hidden well enough. Or Amon wasn't trying very hard to find them. She cast her eyes in the direction that Naga, Korra's polar bear dog, normally slept. The sight of Korra and Mako lying asleep against Naga's belly holding hands should probably have affected her more strongly than it did. As the situation was, the only thing she felt was a need for fresh air and some time alone to think.

She maintained her calm as she strode into the tent where they stored stolen Equalist uniforms. She nodded to the man, a firebender, who manned the tent as she grabbed one of the uniforms from a rack.

"Heading out for some early recon?" He asked, yawning.

"Yeah," Asami replied shortly.

"It's a good time," he muttered. "The streets will probably be empty. You're taking someone with you, right?"

Asami simply nodded and left the tent, killing the opportunity for any further questions. They wouldn't have let her leave if she had admitted that she intended to head out alone. She was, however, confident in her ability to take care of herself if nothing else. She slipped into her Equalist uniform and grabbed her electricity glove as she headed into the tunnels. She navigated the maze-like underground easily enough, having been through it several times now.

Eventually she slipped out into the early daylight and looked out across the water towards Aang's statue. While her gaze may have been directed there, she was lost in thoughts. She had come to the simple conclusion that if Mako had strong feelings for Korra, then he should be with her. But her emotions were not eager to agree with her rational side. Either way, she had no intention of forcing any sort of confrontation until the current situation was behind them. Worst come to worst, she hoped that she and Mako could still remain friends. And maybe, after all this was over, she would be able to spend time with Korra again without the situation being needlessly tense.

A small smile crept across her face. She had enjoyed spending time with the Avatar. Korra had been brought up far away from the city and she was Asami's opposite in many ways but maybe that was what made them click as friends. She glanced around her and, seeing no one, she removed the Equalist mask and took a deep breath of fresh air. She felt somewhat better about everything. She would come to terms with what that had happened, of that she was certain. All she needed was a little time, she thought.

As she looked at the defaced statue of Avatar Aang, she suddenly felt her body jolt into the air, something closing around her hands and legs. She acted on instinct but found herself unable to move. She looked around to find her hands and legs held in solid rock. And she also saw the person who had assaulted her. He looked very unremarkable, wearing an earthbender's clothes. He was of average height and most of his face was covered by a dark brown beard.

"What're you doing?" Asami snapped. She thought she had seen him at the resistance camp before. "I'm not an Equalist!"

"Oh, I know who you are Asami Sato," He said plainly, his face expressionless. "I'm sorry that I have to do this but I doubt that you would have agreed to come with me of your own volition."

"What do you want?" Asami asked pointedly. "We're on the same side."

"I expect you are correct about that," He said with a hint of a smile. "My name is Katashi, Ms. Sato. And my master would like to see you."

"Who is this? And why does he want to see me?" Asami was trying hard to remain calm as she struggled to break her bonds, to no avail.

"You would not know him," Katashi replied as he moved his hands. He levitated the rock that was binding Asami into the air, lifting her as well. He marveled once again at how easily bending came to him after his encounter with the master. "But trust when I say that meeting him will be to your benefit."

Asami realized the simple truth that she wasn't going to break her bonds. And screaming would have only attracted Equalists, not help. She took a deep breath as she tried to maintain her calm. She would have to accept her fate for the moment and look for the slightest chance of escape. Or maybe her friends would find her before that. Either way would work.

"Why does he want to see me?" Asami asked again as her body lurched forward with the movement of her restraints. She noted that they were heading back underground. Maybe, if she was lucky, they would pass close enough by the resistance camp that she would be able to call for help.

"He wishes to restore purpose to your life," Katashi replied. He paused in front of a boulder and momentarily released his hold on Asami's bonds as he shifted the rock aside. He lit a torch and stepped inside the revealed tunnel, dragging Asami behind him as she realized that she was unfamiliar with this passage. "He wishes to give back to you, to make up for all the Avatar took from you."

"I don't think you know what you're talking about," Asami said flatly as the path spiraled deeper. "Korra's done a lot for me and she's never _taken _anything from me."

"Hasn't she?" Katashi scoffed. "You don't have to take my word for it. Believe me, Ms. Sato; the Man on the Throne is far more convincing than I am."

That phrase meant nothing to Asami. "I have no idea what that even means. You should just let me go and we can forget this ever happened."

"That I cannot do," her captor replied. "I do not intend to fail my master."

As Katashi dragged the girl deeper underground through forgotten passages, his thoughts kept going back to the last thing the Man on the Throne had said to him before he had begun trying to accost Asami Sato. It had been some days, but the words lingered.

"_What do you intend to do with her?"_

"_I will use her to render unto the Avatar an insult it cannot ignore. Let the spirits be aware that I am awake once more. Let the Avatar fear its reckoning."_

* * *

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank the people who reviewed the story and everyone who added this to their alert list! I hope you all continue to enjoy what I have to offer. A few more chapters of setting the stage and we should be ready to get started with the action proper._


	3. Enforced Equilibrium

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Enforced Equilibrium**

Avatar Korra found it hard to ever shake the feeling that the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. And in a way, it did. She was responsible for maintaining balance. But in all those days of training at the South Pole, never had she imagined where her path would lead. She had found it so difficult to comprehend how people could hate benders; she had come from a place where bending was valued and appreciated but non-benders had never been treated any different.

Korra had been blind to the fact that the difference was a possible line of true conflict. That was until she had seen Amon. Initially, she had been possessed by the bravado and confidence that were a part of her. She had tackled the problem aggressively, head on. She would always remember the moment she had felt her world shatter around her. It was the day she had witnessed Amon take someone's bending away. And suddenly the Equalists were more than a minor threat that she could throw fire and rocks at. They were a challenge to her base existence. Without bending, the Avatar was nothing.

The other thing that stung was the fact that only the Avatar could take someone's bending, Aang had discovered that skill. That Amon could do it was a challenge to everything the she stood for and lent credence to his claims that spirits themselves wanted him to destroy bending. She still had nightmares about the night Amon had ambushed her. She had been helpless, unable to do a thing. He could have destroyed her that night. But he had done so much worse. He had left her alive, and broken. He had displayed complete power over her, that her purpose in life lay in his hands and he could take it away whenever he chose.

It had taken time for her to regain her confidence from there. At every moment, she thanked all the people who had helped her through every moment of it. Her mentor, Tenzin and his wife and children. Mako and Bolin, who were the first real friends she had made in Republic City, and Asami, who more than being a friend, stood to show that there were non-benders out there who saw Amon for what he was - an extremist. Her dreams had calmed themselves; she had been suffering from fewer nightmares. She even thought she might be making progress towards connecting with her spiritual side since she had received visions from Aang's spirit. This night, she had slept a comfortable and dreamless sleep, the calm before the coming storm.

Korra awoke feeling comfortable. The feeling lasted several moments until she forced her eyes open and glanced around. At first she simply thought she had fallen asleep on Naga instead of on her mattress. Then she realized that Mako was right next to her and that she was holding his hand. She jerked away and could feel her face reddening. She saw Mako beginning to stir as her mind raced through what to say. She was honestly unsure of what she even felt anymore. It was true that she once had a strong crush on Mako. However, with time she had accepted that he was with Asami and thought that she had moved on. And yet, with Asami and Mako's relationship on the rocks…

She forced herself away from that line of thought. That was neither the person she was nor the person she wanted to be. She was forced to divert her thoughts from the confusion as Mako awoke and looked at her.

"Um… hi!" She said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Hey," Mako replied sleepily. Then he got a grasp on his surroundings. He averted his eyes almost immediately. "Did we fall asleep here together?"

"Yeah, we must have been really tired," Korra chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded. There were a few moments of tense silence between them. "Um… let's get breakfast."

He got up and walked into the camp. The Avatar sighed in relief before going about her morning, hoping that Asami hadn't chanced upon the sight of her and Mako. She didn't want to inflict that on her friend. More tension between them about issues like this was the last thing they needed while Amon tightened his grasp on Republic City. She didn't see Asami for a good part of the morning and her worry gradually cemented. Mako and Bolin had no idea of her whereabouts either. Eventually, Korra began asking around camp and found her answer. Asami had gone on a reconnaissance mission, seemingly by herself.

"She went alone?" The Avatar demanded loudly, glaring at the man who handled the stores. "And you let her go?"

"Hey, she said she was takin' someone with her," the firebender snapped defensively. "Just came in here, took a uniform, and left. Been a while, though."

"Korra, relax," Mako said calmly. "She can handle herself. I'm sure she has a good reason for being gone this long."

"Yeah, haven't you seen the Equalist butt she can kick?" Bolin said with his typical enthusiasm. "I'm sure she's busting up some major rally or something."

"I don't know, I'm worried," Korra replied softly. "I'm going to go look for her."

"Where are you going to start?" Mako demanded. "Republic City's a big place. And it's crawling with Equalists!"

"You expect me to do nothing when one of my friends could be in trouble?" The Avatar demanded hotly.

"No," Mako said softly, his eyes suddenly downcast. "I wasn't thinking straight. This whole situation has me on edge."

"We're all on edge right now," Korra replied, lowering my voice. "Sorry I yelled. I'm not sure where I'll start but I'm still going."

"Then we're going with you! Right, bro?" Bolin said.

His brother nodded and they began to reach for disguises when shouts began to ring through the camp. And every voice was speaking of the same thing.

"The United Forces are here!"

* * *

Katashi continued to stride through the tunnels with single-minded purpose. Asami Sato was still being dragged through the air behind him. She had protested, bargained and threatened him enough that Katashi was considering gagging her. He felt an immense sense of relief as the large stone wall came into view. He could hear the Sato girl inhale a sharp breath and her protests ceased. He smiled as he led her through the door that stood wide open.

He had no doubt that the girl's eyes would be focused on the Man on the Throne, who sat at the other end of the chamber. He forced the girl in front of his master and then set her down. She took a moment to find her feet and then looked up at the old man in the tattered brown cloak. He opened his eyes slowly and regarded Asami. Katashi assumed that his master had been meditating, that was typical of him. He moved to stand behind the girl and forced her to her knees, which took some effort.

"Bow for the Man on the Throne," Katashi growled to her.

"Please, there is no need to be so harsh," his master said sternly. "Back away and await further orders, Katashi."

Embarrassed, the earthbender hastily bowed and quickly walked to a corner of the chamber and waited, watching the proceedings without expression.

"Please, Ms. Sato, rise," the Man on the Throne said warmly. "I apologize for my servant's overzealous behavior. I trust he did not inconvenience you _too _much?"

"Who are you and what do you want?" Asami demanded as she got to her feet unsteadily, still bound by Katashi's restraints.

"You need not worry," the old man said soothingly. "I only wish to help you."

"Why would I need help from you? I don't even know who you are!" She snapped, locking eyes with the Man on the Throne.

"You need my help because I am the only one who can help you," he replied gently. "Asami Sato, you are lost on an unfamiliar path. And I promise you, it leads only to despair."

"Wh- what are you talking about?" Katashi heard the girl's voice waver for the first time. He could see the nervousness on her face as his master's eyes bored into her own. He was reminded of himself on the day he had first met the Man on the Throne.

"Forgive me for being frank Ms. Sato, but you have nothing," his master replied. "Everything you had that defined you has been taken."

"You're wrong," Asami replied with narrowed eyes. "And even if it were true, why would you care?"

"The Avatar has stolen your life away," he said sadly. "Having been betrayed by that wretched entity myself, I can sympathize. And that is enough to make me want to help you."

"You two keep mentioning how Korra stole my life from me," she growled. "Do you even know what you're talking about?"

"I understand it better than you, child," the old man shook his head. "You had a family once. The death of you mother was such a tragedy. But you still had your father and your father had you. And that was worth something, wasn't it?"

"How do you know so much about me? Have you been spying on me, or what?"

"If something is worth knowing, then I am well aware of it," he replied simply. "Now on the subject of your father-"

"He's an Equalist!" Asami snapped. "And don't you dare talk about my life. Let me go!"

"Anger is the basest form of denial," the old man said, still calm. "You will be glad you heard me out, of this I am certain. And it does not matter if you father is an Equalist. He is simply reacting to his grief by seeking vengeance. But in all of this, he was still completely dedicated to you. He simply wanted the best for you. You two were close."

The girl simply glared at him. Katashi was clear that she was having trouble mustering a response. He was not surprised.

"Think of before the truth about your father became known," the old man continued. "Avatar Korra overheard a simple conversation that could be interpreted in many ways. And what was her very first reaction? To accuse your father of being an Equalist without a single shred of real evidence. She took it to the police and to the Council. At that point, if your father had been innocent, the defamation of his company would have been terrible. Did this girl you respect so much show an ounce of respect or concern for you, your father or the family she was threatening to tear apart? Do you think she cared if her actions would have had lasting repercussions if she had been wrong?"

"But she was right."

"Does that justify her actions then?" the Man on the Throne laughed bitterly. "Would you call me justified for arresting anyone on the street I heard saying something even potentially suspicious in a conversation I had not completely heard, without any other evidence? I'm sure I would be right once in a way. Regardless, my point is that the Avatar did not seem to care much that she was destroying you and your father's reputation."

"She was doing it for the good of the city!"

"Without any worry of trampling over you in the process, I see. Do you have any self respect Ms. Sato or are you merely Korra's devout slave?"

"Shut up!" Asami was screaming by this point. Katashi could empathize. He remembered what it felt like to have his eyes opened as the Man on the Throne tore down the illusions around him that he had taken for granted.

"I apologize for being harsh, Asami," the old man said quietly. "I am merely concerned as to why you need to justify the obviously rash and poorly thought out decisions of the Avatar. Your father wanted the best for you. You would have inherited Future Industries. You were always intelligent; you could have led the world to a brighter future with those resources at your disposal. You could have done so much. But Korra shattered that dream when she began ranting about your father. Future Industries was ruined. Everything that was meant to be yours is gone now. Simply because the Avatar wanted the glorious publicity of unmasking Equalists."

"I'm not going to blame Korra for doing her job!"

"If only it ended there," the Man on the Throne sighed. "After she was done calmly tearing your family apart, destroying your future and throwing you out onto the street, she offered to let you stay on Air Temple Island. How very kind of her. But in all of this, you still had one pillar of support left, didn't you? One place to pour your love and one place where you could find support. Someone to whom you could confide your deepest feelings and find comfort with. Mako was so much to you after the tragedy and I can see why."

Katashi could see the girl's eyes widen. She should have figured it out by now. There were no secrets that could be kept from his master. If he wanted to know something, there was someone he could use to find out. In this case, he had used Katashi.

"I told you," the old man said, locking eyes with Asami again. "If there is information worth knowing, I am aware of it. Isn't it funny how, in the wake of everything that was happening, Korra still found the time to take the last thing you had? Your biases prevent you from seeing the true nature of the being you revere. But me? I see through the Avatar. Judge it by mortal standards and do not presume that it has a right to anything it wants, for the greater good. If she truly wanted to compete with you for the boy's affections, couldn't she have at least waited for tragedy to pass? Couldn't she have waited for you to be in a stable emotional state before she took the only thing you truly had?"

The girl had fallen completely silent. The only thing she could do was to stare emptily into the old man's eyes as his words echoed through the chamber.

"But what competition do I speak of," the Man on the Throne scoffed. "How could you _ever _compare to Korra? What are you? A simple, ordinary, non-bender. She is the incarnation of an immortal, godlike being with the capacity to do the impossible and she holds the fate of the world in her hands. I wonder if you could even delude yourself into thinking that anyone would choose you over her. Defend her now, Asami. Tell me how I have wronged this great person who is nothing more than a petulant child with illusions of grandeur and a superiority complex."

Katashi silently observed the girl who opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of what to say. He felt bad for her, the truth hurt. And the Man on the Throne did not seem to care to soften the blow.

"You will eternally live in her shadow if things continue this way," the old man pressed. "You'll be nothing but some girl who followed the Avatar around. Anything you ever get or ever achieve, Korra will take from you. She will leave not a shred of happiness to you, convinced that she is entitled to it all. Your life, your potential and your abilities will all be wasted. You will be no one when you clearly deserve more. All I want is to give you a gift. A gift that will return purpose to your life, something that no other force in this world could confer upon you. And in exchange, I want only a small favor from you. After what I have shown you today, I sincerely doubt you will find it distasteful. I dare say you may even enjoy it."

Asami looked uncertainly at the Man on the Throne. There were several moments of silence. Katashi unconsciously held his breath until his master spoke again.

"Do you accept the gift that I offer?"

"Yes."

* * *

Korra stared out at the sea. It was a misty morning but even through the mist she could clearly make out the silhouettes of battleships in the distance. They would be in Republic City within a few hours. And there had still been no sign of Asami at all. Shad had no idea what she wanted to do. Conflicted between duty and a friend.

"We need to join the battle as soon as they get here," Mako said, breaking the silence. "They're going to need all the help they can get. I'm sure Amon's prepared for them."

"We still have no idea where Asami is," Korra replied quietly. "Maybe, we have enough time-"

"I know you're worried," Mako cut her off. "We all are. But our best shot at helping her, if she's in any trouble, is to take back the city from the Equalists."

The Avatar nodded. If her friend was in trouble, they would help her by taking the city back. Then she would be easy to find. All the training she had done, everything she had been through seemed to have led up to the coming battle. She earnestly thought it was going to be the end of all this. She was going to beat Amon and this waking nightmare would be done.

* * *

"Step forward, Asami," the Man on the Throne said.

Katashi watched as the girl stepped forward. He was alert though, his master had asked him to undo the restraints. If she tried anything aggressive, he would do whatever was necessary to protect the Man on the Throne. But Asami Sato seemed to have no such intentions as she bowed down at the base of the throne. His master placed both hands on her head.

Faint white mist seemed to surround the girl and then quickly tightened into a glowing white cocoon that lasted for a second and then everything was normal again. His master's hands glowed faintly as he pressed them harder upon Asami's head.

"Accept your gift," he murmured quietly. "Bend, Asami, bend every element you wish."

With that he lifted his hands. The girl's reaction was immediate. She snapped to her feet and recoiled back a few paces.

"You- you couldn't have," She said, trying to keep a level voice, but her face betrayed thinly veiled excitement. "No one can…"

And then she moved her hand and fire sliced through the air. Her eyes widened as she moved her hand again, shifting the earth beneath her feet. Air danced around her as she continued to experiment.

"How did you…"

"Is it surprising?" The Man on the Throne laughed. "I gave Amon energybending and the knowledge to use it. It is easier to give someone the ability to bend the elements and the knowledge on how to do so. It is ironic that Korra spent her entire life training to learn the complex arts associated with bending every element. And yet, in less than a minute I have made you far more capable and powerful than her."

"Thank you," the girl said reverently. Katashi marveled at the gift but was not surprised at what the outcome of the encounter had been. No one denied the Man on the Throne and whether the girl knew it or not, she belonged to the master now.

"Now, for the small favor that I wished to ask of you," the old man said. Asami's smile reduced as she looked on attentively. "I want you to destroy the Avatar for me. I have made you more than capable enough. Now, you will help me have my revenge."

"Of course," Asami replied plainly. Katashi would have dared to say that there was a small smile on her face. The girl continued though. "Was your gift just a way for you to get to Korra?"

"That is merely a fortunate side effect," the Man on the Throne replied calmly. "The spirit of the Avatar will have to acknowledge me now. It is largely defined by its uniqueness and now I have made a mockery of that. Amon rivals its capacity to energybend, you rival its capacity to bend the four elements and I rival its ageless nature."

"You expect me to work with Amon?"

"You do not have to like it. He is a useful pawn for now and the world will be rid of him by the end of this. Before I dispatch you, I am certain you have questions that linger. Please, ask away. That is how I earned Katahi's trust."

"But," the old man said before Asami could say a word. "I will give you a warning first. I have made you powerful, but do not presume to use that power against me. I promise that such action would not end well for you."

Katashi silently observed the girl ask and receive answers, just as he had done. With every doubt she raised, she came closer to knowing the truth and closer to belonging to the Man on the Throne completely.

* * *

Hiroshi Sato sat hunched over blueprints in a brightly lit workshop. He was alone, he had demanded solitude. He had not expected to have been discovered by the police or the Council. The Avatar had put a significant dent in the speed at which he could produce new designs to aid the Equalist efforts. And he often found his thoughts lingering on his daughter. He was completely convinced that once the Equalists secured this city and the Avatar was crushed, Asami would see the light.

He knew that those bender friends of her had brainwashed her or led her astray. He had been a fool to allow her to associate with them at all. But those thoughts would have to be postponed; he was expecting a visit from Amon. He doubted that the leader of the movement was happy with his progress. As if on cue, the door sprung open.

The masked man walked in and regarded Hiroshi who greeted him silently.

"Hiroshi," Amon said calmly, "it would seem that your capacity to produce new weapons has slowed. Significantly."

"I am sorry, Amon. I am working as fast as I can. The Avatar's early interference was a problem," Hiroshi apologized.

"Work faster then. You will have as many men as you need but you will not leave this base until your work is complete. Is that understood?"

"Of course. You will spare my daughter, won't you? She will be useful once I make her see the truth, I promise!"

"I will do what I can," Amon said as he walked out of the room.

He reflected that someone else seemed to have shown the Sato girl the truth already. His order to Hiroshi had been a way to stop him from learning what had happened to his daughter. Amon did not need one of his greatest assets traumatized. The message Katashi had given to him was somewhat concerning. The Man on the Throne had created a bender with the powers of the Avatar, is what it seemed like. He doubted that the girl even understood she was nothing but a weapon for that old man.

Amon had no illusions about his own place, either. He was useful to the Man on the Throne and vice versa. But when the time came, he would strip Asami of her new gifts in public and hang that old fool for the world to see. He would destroy the coming United Army for them and let them destroy the Avatar for him and then he would cast them aside like the pawns they were.

He was no fool; he could see the obvious, even if no one else could. Whatever that old man could do, it was obviously some twisted form of bending. And Amon would stamp him out along with the rest of the benders. He would have to be careful though. They were both waiting to stab each other in the back. It would all come down to who moved their hand first.

* * *

_Author's Note: This chapter took a little longer than I expected, apologies for that. I had to edit it a bunch of times to make sure it felt right. Anyway, once again I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who reveiwed, favorited this, put this on their alert list or just plain old read it!_


	4. Let Slip the Dogs of War

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

* * *

**Chapter Three – Let Slip the Dogs of War**

_I had a dream. I stood on the edge of a great cliff, with her by my side. We looked across a world made utopia, eternally at peace, eternally happy._

_The dream remains, but now I stand alone. Alone, with the bodies of traitorous pawns cast adrift on the wind. Blood stains my hands, a sword glistening red hangs at my belt. But what sprawls out before me is still perfection. _

_Some dreams, some wishes, are eternal. This one, I shall see fulfilled. All that follows before that achievement is the product of her foolish decision. I ask myself if this cannot all be left behind. The doubts rise often and yet I can see that giving into them is not an option. _

_It is cruel that another should suffer for her to face justice, but her… its nature has made this inevitable. I do, however, refuse to torture more than is needed. My ideals are higher than that._

The Man on the Throne set down the scroll he had been writing on. Katashi would store it away with the other writings when he returned. Those simple pieces of paper were his most valued possessions and he was glad they had been buried by his side. They told his tale, they told of all the discoveries he had made about his abilities. They insured against his death. One day, if another like him was born, he intended that person to have all his knowledge. The world would always need someone like him, that fact had become obvious to him long ago.

His personal desires and the eternal dream were his sole motivations now. He wished he could rise from his seat but his legs did not have the strength. Soon, when his youth was restored, he hoped his legs would be as well.

Until then, he would focus on setting the stage for his revenge and he would think of his wish. The waking dream was freedom.

* * *

The battleships' slowed their pace to a crawl as they entered Republic City's harbor. Silence permeated the misty day, with not a soul in sight. Soldiers on the deck of the ships seemed weary, looking out for the resistance they had been expecting. General Iroh was a man confident in his strategies, but careful. Everything he saw screamed that they were walking into a trap. And yet, he had little choice but to proceed. They could scarcely retreat now and leave Republic City to the Equalists.

He had, however, deigned to make arrangements in case a frontal assault went particularly badly. He could feel anger swell in his chest every time his eyes glanced at what Amon had done to the statue of Avatar Aang. He was distracted from his thoughts by a shout that rang out across the ship's deck.

"There's someone in the water!"

Iroh prepared to call out an order to his waterbenders when he was deafened by an explosion. He spun to see smoke and flames billowing from one of the ships, a handful of Equalists on its deck. To his credit, he didn't panic at all.

"They're trying to climb onto the ships, keep them off! Waterbenders, dive in and flush them out! And increase forward speed to maximum!"

He dashed from his position towards the ship's deck as the sound of more explosions filled the air. He managed to keep his footing as the battleships accelerated. Their best shot now was to make it to land and fight the enemy there. By the time he reached his ship's deck, it was already crawling with Equalists who were pushing his benders back. A few of them looked to be setting some sort of explosive. Flames burst from his palms and struck true, burning a number of the Equalists, forcing them into the water. Chaos raged around him, they had already lost one of their ships and another one was in bad shape. The landing point looked close though, and for that he was grateful.

He made a move for the explosive but several chi blockers intercepted him. Iroh was unwillingly forced into a defensive stance as he tried to avoid the blows coming his way. He ducked beneath a kick and let a fireball loose from his hand, knocking one of his foes into the air. And then pain surged through him as he felt a hand on his shoulder, electricity coursing through his body. He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain as he jumped, angling his flames to gain some additional height. It took him a moment to recover after landing and he barely managed to avoid a blow that was aimed at his face.

He could see his fellow soldiers were not doing well. A number of them had already been disabled and were being dragged off the ship. He had, admittedly, not considered the possibility of such a large scale attack on the ships. Now that he had a good distance between him and the Equalists, he could easily keep them away. He cursed his inability to advance forward though and his fears were realized a few seconds later as the bow of the ship was engulfed in an explosion. The ship shook violently and began slowing down. Iroh quickly found his feet and resumed the process of trying to keep the enemy away from him. He dared a glance around him, noticing that three of their ships were lost. The others looked like they were going to make it to the landing point without too much trouble. What he feared for now was his own well being.

Almost all the other soldiers on his ship had been subdued and that left him to stand alone against a dozen Equalists. Another explosion rocked the boat, this one sounded like it came from inside. The smoke from the fire was obscuring his vision. His stomach lurched as he felt the ship begin to sink. He knew his best chance would be to make it to one of the other vessels. He made a dash for the edge of the deck, fire flying indiscriminately from his hands in the direction of the chi blockers. He looked behind him and his eyes widened as he slid onto the floor, a bola flying over him. He jumped to his feet and felt blows rain across his arms as they went numb. He spun around, only to have his legs kicked out from under him. He crashed down onto the hard floor. His vision splotched as he tasted blood in his mouth. He had a suspicion that his nose had been broken but he couldn't be certain.

He had a vague inkling of the Equalists walking up to him. Then he felt water rush around him and the next few minutes were a blur. When he could see straight again, he could tell he was on solid ground. He was looking up at a brown skinned girl who was dressed in a traditional water tribe outfit. The girl was moving rapidly, fire flying from her arms. And then she struck the floor with her foot, sending a shockwave through the ground, knocking down a group of chi blockers. He immediately realized who had rescued him.

"Are you alright?" She asked turning to him.

"I think so. Thank you Avatar Korra," He said as he stood up trying to get the feeling back into his arms. He introduced himself quickly and then evaluated the situation. The Avatar had pulled him to safety some distance away from where the battleships had landed. His troops were already off the ships, fighting the Equalists who were swarming the docks. He nodded to the Avatar who returned the gesture and they both rushed into the heat of battle.

* * *

Korra did not have the opportunity to form much of a first impression of General Iroh, considering she had rescued him in the heat of battle. He looked capable right now, from what she could see of him in her peripheral vision. She had let her instincts take over for the most part. She had been more than happy to see the arrival of the United Forces but somehow she had thought it might have been a little easier than this.

As she was rushing to join the fray on the docks, several of the warehouse doors had been blown open to reveal a number of Equalist mecha-tanks and now the situation looked somewhat grim. She dodged past two chi blockers and jumped into the air raining fire down on a mecha-tank. It turned to face her and she retaliated by throwing a flurry of rocks at it. She avoided the grappling claw the tank released and called forth a torrent of water from the bay, knocking the machine aside.

With the immediate threat out of the way, she had a few moments of calm to survey the battle around her. The other members of the underground resistance camp had joined the United Forces in battle and she quickly noted Mako and Bolin take down a group of chi blockers. But the Equalists seemed to be everywhere around them. She gritted her teeth; Amon had certainly arranged quite a reception. She also noticed a number of chi blockers dragging captured soldiers into a number of vans. She rushed in that direction, knocking aside the resistance in her way.

She slammed her foot onto the ground, disrupting the earth beneath the vans and toppling them. One of the Equalists hurled a bola in her direction which she ducked beneath, slipping past the incoming blow of one of the other chi blockers. She raised her leg and struck her foe in the stomach, winding him. A burst of fire knocked the Equalist aside, rendering him unconscious. She dispatched the remainder of the group with a flurry of rocks. She used firebending to cut the captives free, allowing them to rejoin the fight.

She turned again to analyze the battlefield. The situation looked even worse now. It felt as though the United Forces were grossly outnumbered. Korra rejoined the larger battle, focusing on taking down the numerous mecha-tanks. That was until she noticed a higher priority target. She recognized Amon's lieutenant easily. He was using his electrified weapon to back General Iroh into a corner.

She grimaced; maybe she shouldn't have let the general join the battle. His face was bloody from his earlier injury and the Lieutenant was a capable fighter. She ran in that direction, letting loose a few balls of fire. One of them struck true, knocking back the Lieutenant who immediately turned to face her. Iroh took the opportunity to recuperate and launch a counterattack which the Lieutenant avoided with relative ease. Korra closed the distance and hurled a large piece of earth at her foe, who ducked under it and swung his weapons at her feet. She jumped over the batons and swung a punch which barely missed. She parried two of the Lieutenants blows and rammed her forehead into his face, pushing him back. Iroh took the opportunity to strike him with a bolt of fire, which Korra followed with a large rock. The combined effect sent the Lieutenant skidding across the ground.

"I'll handle him from here," Iroh assured her. Korra nodded and turned again.

For the first time in the day, she felt relief wash over her. The battle seemed to be going much better, with most of the mecha-tanks disposed of. She allowed herself a small smile as she saw Mako and Bolin simultaneously disable two more of the machines. She jumped back into the fray, quickly becoming confident of victory.

* * *

"I'm hoping you have a better plan," Katashi said blandly.

He was standing on a rooftop beside Amon, surveying the battle at the docks. All he needed to know was that his master would prefer it if the Equalists maintained control of the city. And for that to happen, winning this battle was important. If they lost here then the battleships would essentially hold the Equalists hostage. They would then be able to threaten bombardment without hitting their own soldiers. He wondered what Amon was thinking; the mask made him unreadable.

"I had expected this to be easier, I admit," the leader of the Equalists replied calmly. "It would seem they are more competent than I thought."

"My master would not appreciate a defeat here," Katashi said frankly.

"I do not work for that old fool," Amon snapped. "There is a limit to the impertinence I will tolerate from you, _bender_. Do not fear though; you will have your victory."

Katashi noticed the way the masked man spat the word bender. He didn't find himself truly caring. He simply raised the obvious question.

"How do you expect to win with the tide turning so decisively?"

"I will join the battle myself, of course," Amon said plainly. "I expect the morale shift itself will be enough. And I am a more than capable combatant."

"The Man on the Throne still sees use in you," Katashi said. "By all means, join the battle, but be sure not to get yourself captured and avoid dying, if possible."

"Please, dealing with this will not be an issue," the masked man replied calmly. "But the Avatar is something of a concern. With some help, she may be a threat to me. I loathe admitting it, but the girl has a measure of talent."

"The Avatar is not your concern," Katashi said, suppressing a smile. "My master has made arrangements to have her dealt with. Win the battle Amon, ignore the girl."

"If that promise is hollow, you will regret it," the masked man said with finality before jumping from the roof.

Katashi stood his ground and continued watching. He had his orders. He looked at the Avatar. She was certainly a sight on the battlefield, undoubtedly powerful. Perhaps, some part of him regretted the inevitable future. The girl was so young.

But he had his orders. That was all that really mattered.

* * *

Amon walked calmly towards the docks. He could see combatants at the fringes of the battle take notice of him. He smiled as he saw a look of recognition and fear cross the faces of the benders and a new energy overtook his soldiers. One of the benders rushed in his direction, fire flying from the soldier's hands.

Amon calmly avoided every bolt, his face flashing in anger beneath his mask. Every time he saw a firebender, the incident that changed him passed through his mind. He was almost upon the soldier now. The man gave up and turned to retreat. Amon jumped forward, grabbed the man by the shoulder and pulled him back. He slammed his thumb onto the firebender's forehead, releasing him a moment later. Now that the soldier was powerless, Amon knocked him out with a blow to the base of the neck.

He proceeded to walk calmly into the battle, easily dispatching anyone foolish enough to engage him. Satisfaction surged through him as he could feel his presence inspire his followers and terrify his enemies. The tide of the battle began to change around him as he joined in earnest.

He soon found himself facing two young benders who looked familiar. And then he recognized them, Korra's friends.

"This ends here, Amon," Mako said flatly.

"You two will send an excellent message to the Avatar," he laughed lightly, waiting for them to make the first move.

It seemed he was going to accomplish more here than he had expected.

* * *

Korra had noticed that the battle was beginning to go badly. She located the issue soon enough when she saw Amon facing Mako and Bolin. Fear surged through her for a moment, she had to help them. She had barely taken a step forward when the earth erupted beneath her feet, knocking her off balance. Before she could recover she felt a gust of wind blow her into the air and a large object collided with her. She could feel her body sail through the air like a ragdoll before landing unceremoniously in a heap.

She jumped to her feet and winced as pain surged through her for a second. She tried to get her bearings. It looked as though she had been knocked onto the roof of one of the warehouses. The strongest feeling was that of confusion. Whoever had assaulted her had been a bender and that made no sense. It also felt as though airbending had been a part of the attack, which made even less sense.

And then with a surge of wind, there was someone standing opposite her. She instinctively fell into a combat stance. Her eyes widened a second later when she recognized the person in front of her.

"Asami?"

"Hey, Korra."

That was when the Avatar noticed the flames in Asami's hands.

* * *

_Do I regret seeing truths that escape ordinary people? I did, once. In those days, I would never have done any of this. I was a different person._

_Naïve. Innocent. Unmarred by betrayal. _

_The artistic irony and cruel beauty of the pain she must suffer is invisible to all but me. The Avatar State; that is all I want from her. And then all the suffering will end. Forever. I can promise that._

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, this one is definitely up later than expected, sorry about that! The next few updates should be quicker, especially the next one since this chapter kinda leaves you hanging. Oh, and a thumbs to everyone who gets what the chapter title's quoting :)_

_A big thanks to all readers, reviewers and everyone who put this on their alerts / favorites list and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!_

_Review reply (I'm planning to reply to anonymous reviews at the end of each following chapter):_

_Anonymous: Thanks so much for the review! I'm glad you liked the story. You'll get to see Asami use her powers soon enough... next chapter in fact ;)_


	5. Eye of the Storm

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Eye of the Storm**

_I wonder if my intentions too often rely on others doing as I expect. It nearly ended my life once and yet I find myself with no other choice. But, in this case, the spirits do not have a real choice. They will have to show her who she is fighting. And from there, it should be easy enough to achieve my aim._

* * *

Korra dropped her combat stance, mostly without thinking. It took her a second to find her voice.

"Asami, wha-"

She never got an opportunity to finish her question as two jets of flame flew at her. She dodged them on instinct and then turned to Asami with wide eyes only to be struck with a large rock that knocked her across the roof. She found her feet as quickly as she could, her training taking precedence over a situation that wasn't adding up.

She jumped aside, barely avoiding a ball of fire. Asami closed the distance between them and aimed a kick at Korra's skull. The Avatar blocked with her arm. Asami made a motion with her hands as a gust of wind forced Korra off the roof. She crashed unceremoniously to the ground, quickly scrambling to her feet to avoid a volley of flame. She retaliated in kind as Asami jumped from the roof, landing next to her. Korra rammed her fist into the gut of her unlikely opponent, winding her. Asami stumbled back, ducking under a chunk of earth that the Avatar sent flying in her direction.

She destabilized the ground under Korra's feet. As the Avatar struggled to find her balance, Asami's kick struck her in the rib, knocking her aside. There was a pause in the battle as they both eyed each other, keeping distance between them.

"Asami, what are you doing?" Korra shouted. "And, are you _bending_?"

"Of course I'm bending," Asami replied with a small smirk on her face. "As for what I'm doing, it should be obvious enough."

The Avatar struggled to form a reply as the words ran through her head. As such, she found herself unprepared for the assault that followed. She managed to avoid the gust of air, but the bolt of fire washed over her arm. She growled in pain as she glanced at the burn mark. She hurled a fire ball but Asami simply sidestepped it and let loose a huge wave of wind.

Korra noticed they were in an alleyway between two buildings. Her eyes widened as she realized she had no place to run. She slammed her foot into the ground, raising a wall of rock to deflect the wind. Asami vaulted over the wall, letting loose another bolt of fire. The Avatar met it with a fireball of her own and moved to punch Asami in the face. The heiress deflected the attack and the two exchanged blows for a few seconds, neither successfully making contact.

Korra let fire flow from her hands but Asami rolled out of the way. The gust of wind caught the Avatar off guard, knocking her into a wall. She was momentarily disoriented but a fresh wave of pain jolted through her as a large rock struck her in the stomach. She doubled over, only to have the heiress' knee smash into her face. She stumbled backward, feeling blood flow across her mouth. She had no time to recover as a bolt of fire forced her into the wall she had erected earlier. She tried to move forward only to have a gust of wind slam her back. Asami leapt towards her and struck Korra's gut with her right hand. The Avatar grabbed the heiress' shoulders in desperation and shoved her aside.

She took the moment's reprieve to gather her wits. Worry filled her mind for a moment. She had already been fighting for some time and she was tired. Her opponent seemed fresh, though. She had already sustained injuries and still had no comprehension regarding what was going on. She barely avoided a blast of fire and a rock as Asami resumed her assault.

"I had expected more," the heiress chuckled. "This is almost too easy."

* * *

Mako was unsure whether to praise his luck or curse it. He and his brother were standing opposite Amon in the midst of a battle. There was nowhere for the leader of the Equalists to run. He and Bolin had the opportunity to end the crisis in front of them. On the other hand, none of them had truly seen Amon in combat.

"Be careful," Mako murmured to his brother.

"Don't worry bro, we got this," Bolin shot back.

Mako couldn't help but smile as he let loose a bolt of flame in Amon's direction. The smile fell from his lips quickly as the masked man sidestepped the attack calmly. Bolin launched a flurry of rocks but Amon slipped through the flurry, his motions deliberate and controlled. Mako let loose a bolt of lightning as his brother sent a shockwave ripping through the earth. Amon jumped into the air and barely avoided the arc of lightning as he landed next to Bolin.

Mako spun around in time to see the masked man strike several pressure points across Bolin's right arm, before falling back. He dashed forward, flames flying from his hands as he tried to overwhelm his enemy. Frustration filled him as Amon evaded his assault almost casually. The masked man lashed out at him. Mako blocked the kick aimed at his rib and fell back. Amon advanced and continued the attack until Bolin hurled a rock at him using his free arm. The Equalist leader fell back to avoid it.

Mako pounced again only to have the masked man slip behind him in a maneuver that he didn't quite comprehend. He felt blows rain across his arms and back, seemingly feather light. But a moment later he could no longer move his hands. He managed to turn around, the mask filling his vision. He could see Amon's hand rising towards his forehead but a renewed attack from his brother saved him. Mako fell back to stand beside Bolin, trying desperately to get the feeling back in his arms.

"You benders are so predictable," Amon said calmly as he pulled a knife from his belt and began walking towards them.

"Um, since when does he use knives?" Bolin chuckled nervously.

"We have to keep away from him, I can't move my hands," Mako said hurriedly.

His brother moved his free hand and his foot, using it to send shockwaves tearing through the ground. The masked man's pace did not change as he stepped in between safe patches of earth. He seemed to move in tandem with Bolin's attacks, but always one step ahead. A few seconds later, Mako signaled his brother and retreated into the chaos of the battle, waiting for the chi-blocking to wear off. He could see that the battle was not going well.

Amon's presence seemed to have instilled fanaticism into his followers. Benders were being subdued all around him and the Equalists seemed to have arranged for additional reinforcements. They fell back to a group of four soldiers who were sticking close to each other and holding their own.

"You two okay?" A waterbender asked them.

"Amon," Mako muttered quickly.

A look of worry flashed across the waterbender's face as he and his compatriots noticed the masked man, who seemed unconcerned about being outnumbered. All four of the soldiers attacked in unison, three of them attacking with fire as the waterbender siphoned a wave from the bay. Amon avoided the attacks with lightning speed. Mako was going to shout a warning but the Equalist leader was upon the soldiers already. The four of them must have been exhausted and were slow to react.

Amon's knife flashed through the air. Mako gasped and Bolin's eyes widened. The weapon had cut clean across the waterbender's throat. Blood sprayed from the wound as the man collapsed. The other three soldiers tried to attack again, but to no avail. The masked man jammed the knife into the chest of one of the firebenders as his hand grasped the other one by the head, his thumb on the soldier's forehead. Amon let the man go a second later and jumped at the last of the four, stripping him of his bending after delivering a blow to the soldier's rib.

"H-he killed two people," Bolin's voice wavered. His right hand was now capable of limited movement.

"So he's nothing but a murderer," Mako hissed, his eyes narrowing in anger. He found himself able to move his arms again. He got up and stared at the Equalist leader with undisguised hatred.

"Make it easy on yourselves and allow me to cleanse you of your taint," Amon said calmly.

Mako snapped and rushed forward, attacking with everything he had. Fire and lightning tore through the air. Bolin joined in quickly, levying boulders at their enemy. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as Amon was having some difficulty in evading the continuous stream of assaults. He still looked as though he was simply flowing in between their efforts but his movements were no longer calm.

Mako jumped close to the Equalist leader and swung his fist at Amon's face, fire trailing from his arm. The masked man slipped beneath the blow. He heard Bolin shout a warning to him and he tried to move backward when a searing pain ripped through his stomach. Mako jerked back and stumbled, noticing the bloody weapon in Amon's hand. He glanced down, seeing the gash where the Equalist leader had stabbed him. He stepped back further, wincing with every step as Amon drew closer. And then a flurry of boulders sailed towards the masked man. Mako turned his gaze to find a look of intense anger across Bolin's face. He had never seen his brother looking that way before.

To his further shock, Amon failed to avoid the attack. The Equalist leader was knocked to the ground and struggled to his feet. Bolin rushed towards the masked man, still hurling chunks of earth. Mako let loose bolts of flame with what strength he had, shouting to his brother to not be rash. But he could see that it was too late for that. Bolin was too close to that maniac. Mako couldn't help the thought that ran through his mind.

Amon's going to sidestep his attack and stab him in the throat. And there's nothing I can do to stop it.

He stood paralyzed in horror as the masked man slipped past Bolin's attack and raised the knife. His brother's eyes widened. Before Amon could bring down his arm however, an arc of lightning struck him and he fell to the floor with a shout of pain. Mako looked shakily towards their savior, a young man in a red uniform. He had learnt the identity of the man quickly enough during the battle, General Iroh.

Mako walked forward slowly. The pain in his stomach was almost unbearable and his clothes were a bloody mess. His brother was bruised but otherwise seemed alright. General Iroh's face was almost unrecognizable from being smeared with blood but he stood firm. Amon struggled to his feet and glanced around him. Behind him was the bay and he was surrounded from the other three directions. The Equalist soldiers seemed to not have noticed the situation.

"Surrender yourself and call off your men," General Iroh said flatly. "It's over, Amon."

"Why should I surrender when you have already lost this battle?" The Equalist leader shot back. "Look around you."

Flames appeared in Iroh's arms and Mako reached for fire with the last of his strength. He could see his brother getting ready to attack. They never got the chance to launch their collective assault on Amon, though. The ground beneath them shook violently and the earth rose up in jagged shards. Mako collapsed to the ground. He struggled to his feet a few moments later when the ground stopped shaking. He saw Amon disappear into an alleyway at the other end of the docks. He also saw a stranger wearing an earthbender's clothes follow after him.

He glanced around to find General Iroh already on his feet. Bolin seemed alright as well but one of the rock shards had cut his leg. Mako moved towards the alleyway when he felt an arm on his shoulder.

"We won't catch up to him," Iroh said frankly. "Also, this battle is lost. Do you know somewhere safe we can retreat to?"

"There's an underground camp through the sewer system," Mako muttered in reply.

"Then we retreat with as many soldiers as we can help. We have to hurry!"

"Hey guys," Bolin piped up. "I don't see Korra."

* * *

Amon strode furiously through the alley. He could feel the wretched earthbender following him.

"Aren't you at least going to thank me?" Katashi asked pointedly.

"The situation was under control," he growled.

"Of course it was."

Amon spun around and glared at the man. "You know the Equalist soldiers would have noticed the problem and helped me," he hissed.

"And you would have had a hundred broken bones and third degree burns," Katashi laughed derisively. "The great Equalist who needs a bender to save him. You're lucky the master wants you alive."

"Mind what you say. One of these days you may regret it."

"I doubt it. Not as long as we are both indebted to the Man on the Throne," Katashi said frankly.

"I don't owe the old man a thing," Amon snapped.

Katashi simply shrugged. "Come with me, if it pleases you. The master wishes to see you. With any luck, he'll have the Avatar's corpse for us to admire."

Those words did instill a sense of excitement in Amon.

* * *

Korra had lost track of how long she had been fighting Asami in that alley. She had abandoned her doubts, confusion and questions long ago. She was operating on the basic facts. Asami was bending. Asami was trying to kill her. And she was injured.

She jumped over a gust of air and met a bolt of fire with one of her own. She slammed onto the ground, sending a shockwave ripping through the earth. Asami leapt elegantly into the air, a vortex of wind propelling her higher. She fell towards Korra, leg extended. The Avatar grabbed her leg and slammed her into the wall. The heiress seemed dazed for a moment as Korra hurled a boulder and a ball of fire at her. Asami barely evaded the projectiles, only to have the Avatar's fist smash into her cheek.

Korra pressed the attack but the heiress duck under one of her blows and kicked her legs out from under her. She tried to get up as Asami's foot smashed into her chest. She screamed in pain as she was sure she felt her ribs crack. For the hundredth time, Korra wished there was a water source nearby. Asami seemed to have isolated her from her native element, however. She sent a jet of flame at her opponent's face and rose shakily to her feet as the heiress backed away.

She moved her hands and sent a pair of rocks flying at Asami who jumped over them with the help of airbending and sent a powerful gust of wind in her direction. Korra did not have the energy to retaliate quickly enough and the blast of air knocked her to the ground once again. The ground lurched beneath her and she was knocked upwards. A gyre of wind carried her higher and then its direction reversed. She crashed violently to the alley floor, pain shooting through her back. Another blast of air knocked her into a wall as a bolt of fire struck her in the face. She was momentarily blinded as a large flurry of rocks rained across her body.

She collapsed to the floor, her breaths shallow. She felt like little more than a training dummy at this point as she felt gusts of wind slam her between the walls and occasionally a large chunk of earth strike her body. Every assault brought a fresh wave of pain, each more intense than the last. Korra had no way of telling what state her body was in. Eventually the attacks stopped and she cracked her eyes open. Her vision was blurry. She was at least grateful that nothing seemed to hurt anymore. All she felt was a distinct sense of numbness and an inability to move any of her limbs.

She noticed Asami standing over her, tired, a bloody cut across her left cheek but smiling. The heiress bent down and leaned over her. Korra could feel hot breath wash over her ear.

"I could kill you right now, you know?"

The Avatar wondered if she should have panicked but she seemed incapable of it. There were several moments of stillness before Asami got up again and looked down at her. Korra swore she saw the green eyes soften a little, losing some of their coldness. She pondered the fact that the heiress looked much more like her familiar old self.

"No Avatar state?" Asami murmured. "Looks like you're going to live."

"Wh-why are you d-doing… this?" Korra sputtered weakly, blood leaking from mouth.

"You need to ask?" Asami said disdainfully. "All you need to know is that the Man on the Throne wants the Avatar dead."

"Wh-who?"

"I'm sure you'll discover that in good time," the heiress said flatly as she turned away.

Korra could see Asami walking away from her. She didn't have the energy to move. She wondered if anyone was going to find her at all.

"I enjoyed our little dance, Korra," Asami's giggled as she walked away. "But do try to put on a better performance next time."

Korra wasn't sure how much longer she lay there before her vision began to waver. She was so tired. All she wanted was to sleep.

To sleep. Perchance to dream.

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, Asami sure is acting weird, right? We'll get to that in good time. On a different note, I'm going to not hint at update schedules because the universe takes great amusement in screwing up my writing plans :P (I will, however, try my best to stick to two updates a week at least)._

_And now, after all those action scenes, we can slow down a bit again. Thanks to everyone for reading, following, reviewing etc. Hope you're all enjoying the story!_

_P.s. Couldn't resist using the Hamlet quote at the end._


	6. Memories of Eternity

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Memories of Eternity**

She could see. She could hear. But she could not feel. Korra felt for a moment as though she was floating in a void. And then the world took shape around her, and yet she was detached and without a body. There was only one experience she had that equated with this. It was when she had seen the vision of Aang and Yakone. Her thoughts and memories felt distorted. So she simply absorbed what was in front of her.

Unlike her earlier vision, everything about this one was unfamiliar.

* * *

The mountain seemed to pierce the skies. It rose from the ground like a great spear, stabbing the heavens. Its slopes and cliffs were entrancing as forest turned to snow covered shrubs. A river roared down the mountain's side, slowing only at its base. The ascent was not steep, though, and it was littered in pathways that were frequented by merchants and travelers. The base of the mountain was a popular place for groups to set up camp, with its convenient access to food from the forests and running water.

The woman stumbled blindly upwards, trying to keep her balance. She was higher than most people cared to go, and the snow was proving a challenge. Her difficulty was only amplified by the numerous wounds across her body. She collapsed into the snow, nearly delirious from the pain but still crawling desperately forward. Her hair was dark and short, her skin pale. She stood reasonably tall and she had kept herself in good shape. But you could have guessed that from the fact that she wore armor. That, however, was in tatters now, barely holding together. Her back was mostly exposed to the cold winds and covered in still bleeding cuts. Her right arm had suffered several lacerations and there was a gaping wound in her stomach. To compound this were the burns on her legs and the bruises that had come from scrambling up the mountain desperately.

She was thankful that she had lost her pursuers but doubted that she was going to make it much further in her state. She had wanted to believe the rumors, they had been her greatest hope. She still thought they were true; there was nowhere else to put her faith. A while later, when she had all but give up on moving, she thought she heard muffled footsteps in the snow. She looked up to find a man staring down at her in concern. She tried to speak but only succeeded in a painful groan. The man was dressed in leather armor dyed a pale white, with a grey travelers cloak covering him. She could barely make out his face under the hood. His hair seemed to be silvery and his eyes were the palest grey, almost white. He cursed under his breath.

"You are badly off," he murmured. "Would you be able to walk if I helped you? I have shelter nearby."

She nodded faintly as he helped her up. She leaned her weight across his shoulders as he aided her along the mountain path. Even like this, every step sent nightmarish jolts of pain through her body. Every gust of wind nipped at the bloody tears on her back. After what seemed like an eternity of crawling past snow banks, shrubs and rocks, she could see something. It was a simple hut made of wood with a thatched roof. A faint light glowed from its windows, likely from a fire. The sun had almost set and the entire mountain face was painted in eerie scarlet hues.

She would have noticed many other details about the outside of the house if she had been able to pay proper attention but that was beyond her. The man helped her into the house. The hut was a simple, one room affair with a single fire burning at its center. In one corner lay a straw mattress on the floor with a plain white sheet on top of it. The rest of the house was sparse, with a single chest and a few boxes scattered around. There was also a shelf filled to the brim with rolled up scrolls. An empty pot lay beside the fire.

The man set her down on the straw mattress, causing her to wince. He cast his cloak aside haphazardly as he rushed to open the chest. She noticed that he had a sword at his belt which he detached moments later. His hair fell to his shoulders, somewhat unkempt. The man retrieved a small wooden box from the chest and returned to the woman's side. In her rapidly blurring vision she could notice that the box contained small pieces of cloth and small pots with various pastes in them. She guessed that they were some sort of herbal ointments.

He dipped a piece of cloth into one of the pots and turned to her with a concerned look. "Your wounds are grievous but I should be able to tend to them adequately. I'm afraid this will sting, though."

He set the cloth aside on the ground and quickly unclasped her bloodied armor and tossed it aside. At any other time, she would have been concerned about being nude. He gently dabbed the wound on her stomach with the cloth as the woman hissed loudly, a burning sensation engulfing her. She didn't remember much of what followed, except surges of pain and the feeling of something being tied tightly around her injuries.

Eventually, the pain dulled and she opened her eyes which had been skewed shut. She could feel herself panting and tears staining her cheeks. The man was sitting next to her, packing the ointments back into the box. He looked relieved when he saw her alert.

"That must have been traumatic for you, I'm sorry," he said gently.

She tried to murmur about how there was no need for him to apologize and she should only be grateful since he had saved her life but she found herself unable to speak, her throat completely parched. She tried to sit up but grimaced at the strain. The man calmly pushed her back down onto the mattress.

"Please, try to avoid moving. You need rest. I will bring you some water."

The woman lay still, staring at the ceiling and lost in her own thoughts. A little later, the man returned with a bucket of water. He took a small amount of it in a cup and gently helped her drink it.

"Thank you," she whispered, able to find her voice at last.

"It was the least I could do," he replied. "Now, sleep."

The woman finally gave into injuries, pain and exhaustion and let sleep fall over her. And as she slipped into dreams, Korra slipped momentarily into the waking world.

* * *

"Korra, Korra! Are you awake?"

The voice sounded distant. It reminded her of someone. Tenzin. She tried to murmur something but couldn't. Her vision was too blurry to see anything. And then everything went dark again.

* * *

The woman awoke with a start to silence. A sheen of sweat covered her and she panted as she recovered from the nightmare. She took in her surroundings as she attempted to move. She winced as she stretched out her arm, still wrapped in cloth. The man who had saved her was sitting cross legged in the opposite corner, his eyes closed. She licked her dry lips before raising her voice.

"Um…" She said uncertainly. His eyes cracked open immediately and a small smile graced his lips.

"Ah, you're awake!" He said as he got up and moved to her side. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she croaked faintly.

"Forgive me, you must be thirsty," he murmured as he got up and moved towards the bucket of water that sat by a wall.

He filled a small bowl with water and helped her gulp it down. The woman sighed with relief a moment later. He removed the sheet that was covering her and a blush colored her cheeks as she noticed that she was still naked. If the man noticed, he said nothing.

"This will probably hurt, but I must see how your wounds are doing."

He slowly began unwrapping the cloth that he had tied around her injuries. She hissed softly as an ache filled her limbs. She tried to make conversation to detract from concentrating on the pain.

"I hope I didn't disturb you just now," she whispered. "I mean your eyes were closed and…"

"Oh, please don't worry about that," he chuckled. "Tending to you is significantly more important right now. I was merely meditating."

She nodded and laid her back down onto the straw as he finished removing her bandages. She saw him grimace and was quickly drained of the courage to look at the state she was in.

"You are not doing well, I'm afraid," he muttered. "You clearly have a high tolerance for pain. But I suppose I should expect that from a soldier."

She opened her mouth and closed it again. Her armor must have made it obvious. The man seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"I worry that I will not be able to administer sufficient treatment quickly enough," he said frankly. "If the wounds festered, it would be a grave problem."

He then glanced towards the bloody pile of her clothes and armor before looking back to her. "The symbols on your vestments, they mark you a bender. It pains me to ask you to strain yourself further, but would you be able to heal yourself with the water I have?"

"I-I don't know how to heal," she stuttered.

He leaned over her suddenly and she found herself staring hypnotically into his light eyes. She felt his palms pressing gently against her temple. The world seemed to flash white for a second as a feeling of euphoria rushed through her, suppressing all the pain for a few moments. And then the man stepped away. She suddenly felt an instinctive knowledge in her.

"You can now," he smiled as he brought the bucket closer to her and helped her sit up.

"Wha- how?" She asked, stunned.

"There will be time for questions later," he said gently. "Heal yourself and then get some more rest. I will arrange something to eat and salvage what I can of your clothes. I trust you do not wish to remain nude any longer than needed."

She nodded faintly and then bent the water in the bucket, using it to heal her myriad wounds. She was shocked at how easy it felt. It seemed as though she had been doing it forever and yet she had never been taught a single thing regarding healing techniques. When she finished, she collapsed back onto the mattress, completely exhausted.

Her eyes began to slip closed as she saw the man leave the hut. She let sleep take her.

* * *

Korra could hear the murmur of people talking around her. Something about how she was going to be fine and would surely wake up soon. Some other talk of how she could have possibly ended up like this. But she still didn't have the strength to say anything, even though she wanted to. And once again, she drifted away from the waking world.

* * *

When the woman awoke again, she awoke to an empty hut. She tried moving her limbs and was startled to find that there was no real pain anymore. She gathered the courage to examine her body and a smile lit her face as she noticed that only dull bruising remained. Her wounds were mostly gone and she had healed them herself. She sat up and leaned against a wall, lost in thought until the man returned, holding a handful of berries, leaves and vegetables.

"Well, I see the healing did you good," he smiled. "You must be hungry. Give me a moment; I should be able to cook something passable."

He reached for the sticks in the fireplace when she spoke up. "Let me do that for you. It is the least _I_ can do."

She reached her hand out and a small stream of fire spewed from it, lighting the fireplace. He nodded his thanks to her and began dumping the leaves and vegetables into a pot of water before hanging it over the fire. He then retrieved a pile of clothing from a chest and placed it near her.

"I have managed to repair some of your clothing, to an extent," he said. "Your armor is unsalvageable though, I'm afraid."

"That's fine," she replied, her voice wavering. "I don't even want to see it again."

She began putting on her clothes, glad to finally be decent. A few moments of silence persisted before the man spoke again.

"It occurs to me that I haven't had the chance to introduce myself," he said apologetically. "My name is Ryou."

She finished putting her clothes on and smiled at him. "My name is Kokoro; it is truly a pleasure to meet you. And thank you once more for saving my life. I will be eternally grateful."

"Please, I could hardly leave you dying in the snow," he replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I do wonder though, what were you doing on the mountain with those injuries?"

"I- I was looking for you, at least I think you're the right person," she muttered softly.

Ryou raised an eyebrow quizzically, his smile faltering slightly.

"I heard rumors about… about a hermit who lives alone in these mountains," she explained quickly. "Someone who is always willing to give shelter to the needy. And… and I needed that."

"I suppose that would be me," he replied quietly. "I am the only person who lives on this mountain, at any rate. What do you need shelter from? Were you a prisoner?"

"A prisoner? I suppose that's one way of putting it," she said bitterly, casting her gaze downwards. "No, I was a soldier. But I couldn't fight for them anymore, I just couldn't. I don't want any part of those bloody wars, never again! I just want to live a life without having to spill blood at some crazy warlord's command! But it's not like they let benders go…"

She let her voice trail away when she realized that she had been screaming and her breathing had become heavy. She looked up slowly, to find Ryou looking at her with a sympathetic gaze.

"Some fresh air may do you good while the food cooks," he said softly. "Let me help you stand."

She got to her feet unsteadily with Ryou's help as he guided her outside. She looked up to find the sun had risen only recently. The snow around them glistened with the sounds of birds and the wind surrounding them. She took a deep breath and felt herself relaxing. This place was peaceful. Her nostrils weren't clogged with the scent of blood, her skin was not scorched by raging fires and her ears were free from tortured screams.

"How bad has it become down there?" He asked, his eyes staring blankly into the sky.

"What do you mean?" Kokoro asked softly.

"How severe are the wars that plague the world? The world down below, the world I do not see."

"It is bad," she said simply. "Every day some new warmonger claims himself a king and hurts and tortures until he has an army. The warlords are all at each others' throats. Everyone has to learn to fight; so many people are forced into one army or another. Villages burn and new ones rise in their place. And benders, we only exacerbate the problem. I- I was forced to burn a small town to the ground once. I went with two others."

She choked back tears for a moment before continuing. "I was reluctant but my fellow soldiers didn't seem to care. They… they killed everyone. The smashed children to death with rocks, they raped the women. I just… couldn't take it anymore."

The tears were streaming freely down her face now as she sobbed. Ryou showed no reaction. "We were camped at the base of this mountain. I heard the men talking about a hermit who lived up here and the myths surrounding him. I was desperate. So I ran. They saw me trying to escape and gave chase. I got away from them but they wounded me badly. I guess they thought they were leaving me for dead. Then you found me."

"My little hut in these mountains is very detached from the problems of this world," he said in a distant voice. "I have become blind to all that afflicts the people below. In fact, that is exactly why I began living here."

"Those men, they said you were a sp-"

She couldn't finish the sentence before being cut off. "They were right," he said flatly.

"Is that how-"

"Yes, that is how I gave you the knowledge to heal," he sighed. "We should go back inside, the food must be ready."

He helped her inside and she hesitated a bit before speaking again. "I'm sorry if I offended you in some way."

"You didn't offend me Kokoro," he said, a small smile returning to his face. "You just brought my attention to things I have willfully ignored."

"I mean, I don't know what you are capable of," she whispered. "But with being so unique in this world, maybe you could do something to help."

"I am but one man, nonetheless," he replied. "I trust you will learn what I am capable of in time. If you choose to stay, that is."

"You would let me stay here?" She said, her eyes wide.

"Of course. It does not sound like you have anywhere to go. You are welcome to stay with me as long as you wish," he said. "The rumors of my kindness to strangers did spread for a reason, you know."

She flushed and cast her gaze aside, at which he laughed good naturedly. She couldn't help but smile. She felt so distanced from her troubles. And she had somewhere to be, somewhere to think about what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go.

"Thank you," she smiled. Her tears were gone. "How do you manage to get by up here though?"

"Travelling merchants often use the mountain pass," he replied. "I give them knowledge or some other gift in exchange for things I need. And for basic necessities, the area around here supplies them well enough."

He filled a bowl with the stew he had cooked and handed it to her with an implement before filling a bowl for himself. Kokoro and Ryou ate in silence. But it was a comfortable silence. Kokoro could not place the feeling, but there was a nagging thought that this was only in the beginning of something that would become far greater than her or him.

* * *

The Avatar's eyes opened slightly and her sight wavered; she thought she could make someone out.

"Korra! You're awake!"

_You must see the truth, Korra._

"Can you hear me?"

_Things are not what they seem._

"Say something! Please!"

_Be careful. You will see more when it is time._

Korra found her voice at last.

"Tenzin, is that you?"

* * *

_Author's Note: I edited this chapter a bunch of times which delayed me putting it up by a little bit. But I wanted to be careful with a chapter like this one to make sure it hints at the right things and in the way that I want it to. I'm pretty satisfied with it on the whole, I think. I hope you all like it as well! We shall be returning to our regular plot now :)_

_Mind you, I've found myself quite enjoying writing this particular subplot which we just got started on! The next update will be up as soon as possible. A big thanks to all my readers and reviewers! And another thanks for being patient with a slower than expected update schedule!_


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