Chapter Text
Korra barely dodged the melon-sized rock aimed at her head. She sidestepped it, and counterattacked by launching a chunk of earth in her opponent’s direction. But her aim was off and her attack missed. The other woman grinned viciously, and launched into a series of rapid attacks. Korra did her best to either avoid or redirect the barrage of rocks that came her way, but she couldn’t keep up. One struck her in the hip, knocking her off balance. It was immediately followed up by two more slamming into her chest, smashing her off her feet. She landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her.
Korra rolled onto her side slowly, gasping for breath. She gritted her teeth against the pain, and forced her tired body to stand. She could do this! Her opponent watched her with a curious expression on her face. Korra spat out a glob of bloody phlegm, and raised her fists once more. Her opponent stomped the ground, kicking up a handful of small rocks, which she punched in Korra’s direction.
The small projectiles were much faster than the previous ones, which forced Korra to move faster as well. She raised an earthen wall to shield herself. The rocks smashed against it uselessly. Korra took a deep breath, forcing her mind to settle. She closed her eyes and focused on the ground beneath her feet. There! Her opponent hadn’t moved. Grinning, Korra kicked the wall towards the other woman. She sprang forward, hands raised in preparation to bend. But she didn’t notice the small rock flying towards her left leg until it was too late.
It slammed into her calf with enough force to knock her foot out from under her. She dropped to one knee. Korra didn’t have time to even notice the pain before she spotted a second, larger rock sailing towards her face. She managed to bring her arms up just in time to shield her face, before it impacted. The rock broke apart against forearms, showering her face with rock fragments and dust. The force of the blow threw her backwards several feet. Korra let out a soft groan, and tried to get back up. But her head swam uncomfortably and she decided against it. She was vaguely aware of the bell ringing, signaling that the match was over.
—
Korra hissed as she pressed an ice pack to her eye. She could practically feel the bruise growing. She was sitting in the dingy locker room of the underground earthbending fighting ring. Places like this existed all over the Earth Kingdom. They made for good practice, even if she kept losing. If her old earthbending teacher, Master Lee, could see her now, he’d be rolling in his grave. Korra sighed leaning her head back against the wall behind her.
“I thought you said you were good?” She turned her head to see Chow, the arena’s owner, standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a neatly pressed brown suit.
“I am,” Korra replied.
“Yet you still lost,” Chow shrugged. “Don’t feel too bad though, kid, you lasted longer against Li than most people do. Here, you’ve earned it.” He added, holding out a wad of money. Korra accepted it wordlessly, and counted it in front of him. “It’s all there. Look, kid, I know you said that you’re just drifting through, but if you want to make this a regular thing, I’d be willing to pay you more.”
“I don’t plan on staying around that long,” Korra said.
“Suit yourself, the offer still stands if you happen to be in the area again though,” Chow said.
“Are you that eager to watch me lose again?” Korra asked. “Wouldn’t that bore your audience?”
“Hardly, these people are always happy to pay to see someone get their ass kicked,” Chow laughed. “Besides, not everyone is meant to be a champ. Some are just better suited to losing.”
“I’ll think about it,” Korra lied, grabbing her backpack and getting to her feet.
“You should see the healer before you leave,” Chow suggested.
“I’ll be fine,” Korra replied. She slung her bag over one shoulder as she walked away. The locker room had an exit that opened up straight into the street outside to allow the fighters to come and go while avoiding the crowd. The cool night air felt refreshing against her sweaty skin. Korra counted the wad of paper money again, and grinned slightly. More than enough for some food and a bed for the night. Making money had been surprisingly easy during her trek. There was always someone who was looking for help, especially from a bender.
Just to be safe, Korra had decided to only use her earthbending while traversing the Earth Kingdom. She’d also cut her hair and ditched her usual Water Tribe outfit for new clothing. A light green shirt and dark green pants. It wasn’t much to look at, but it made it easier to blend in better. She wasn’t trying to go entirely unnoticed, yet it was nice to be able to walk down the street and not have people watch her in awe. Or demand help from her.
There was a public bathroom down the street that she ducked into. It wasn’t much to look at. A single toilet and metal sink. The walls and floor were dingy. A cracked and dirty mirror hung on the wall over the sink. She locked the door and dropped her bag on the floor. Her whole body ached, but she was mostly concerned for her face. She metalbent faucet open. A weak stream of water began to flow into the sink. Korra glanced up at the mirror, and winced. Dark bruises had already begun to form around her eye, and her lower lip was split.
Sighing, Korra tore her gaze off her reflection and bent a stream of water from the faucet. It began to glow as she moved it towards her face. She managed to bring the swelling down significantly, before moving to her lip. Just as she was about to start tending to her other wounds, there was a loud knock on the bathroom door.
“Hurry up in there!” A man shouted. “Come on, I got an emergency situation!”
Korra sighed heavily. She shut off the water, slung her bag over her shoulder, before unlocking the door.
“Knock yourself out,” Korra said as she opened the door. The man barely seemed to notice her as he practically sprinted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Korra shook her head slightly.
She kept walking, following the road back towards town. She didn’t really have a destination in mind, but wasn’t ready to turn in for the night either. The town she was in was a bit more modern than the others she’d seen during her trek across the Earth Kingdom. Though the streets were mostly empty and quiet at this time of night. Korra allowed her mind to wander as she walked, drifting from one thought to another.
The sound of an approaching shattered the otherwise silent night. Korra glanced over her shoulder and blaunched. The satomobile was coming straight towards her. She somersaulted out of the way, just barely avoiding being hit. The vehicle swerved to a stop. Not wanting to deal with the driver, Korra ducked into a nearby alley and pressed her back against the wall as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. She placed a hand on her head. She must’ve been beaten up worse than she thought.
As she lowered her hand, she glanced around the alley. Icy dread settled into her chest. Standing at the far side of the alley was herself. The Specter was dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt, and matching pants. It’s hair down, framing its face in long tangled strands. A broken chain was wrapped around one wrist. But the most striking part was its eyes. They glowed with the pure white light of the Avatar State. The figure was hunched over slightly in an inhuman manner, its eyes fixated on the ground.
“You again,” Korra said quietly. She wasn’t sure what it was. A hallucination? A spirit? Maybe both? Whatever it was, it had been haunting her for years now. Without warning, the Specter lashed out with its chain. It wrapped around Korra’s calf and yanked her off her feet. Korra landed on her back with a huff. Her instincts kicked in, and she punched a stream of flame in the Specter’s direction.
Her fire passed through it harmlessly. Korra jumped to her feet. The Specter whipped its chain through the air once more, aiming at her arm. Korra knocked it aside with a burst of flame.
“Get away from me!” Korra shouted.
“Are you okay?” Someone asked from behind her. Korra glanced over her shoulder to see a group of people watching her in concern.
“I’m fine,” Korra said gruffly. She adjusted her bag and walked away quickly. Great, just what she needed. Drawing attention to herself by attacking things nobody else could see. Not that it really mattered, she was already planning to leave this town anyway. Might as well leave tonight instead of waiting until morning like she’d planned. Korra ran a hand through her hair as she walked, pondering where she was going to go next. There was a slight bit of movement to her left. She turned to face it.
A small white dog was standing a few feet away from her. It barked and wagged its fluffy tail excitedly.
“Well, hey there little cutie,” Korra said, smiling. She approached the dog slowly and squatted down to pet it. “What’re you doing out here so late?”
The dog licked her hand, and barked again. Korra laughed. Maybe this night wasn’t so bad after all. She thought. Suddenly the dog turned around and began barking at something. Curious, Korra followed its gaze and froze.
The Specter had reappeared at the top of a set of stairs. It was standing still, staring down at her with its glowing, unblinking eyes. Confused, Korra looked back down at the dog, who was still barking at the Specter.
“You can see it too?” Korra asked. “Huh, maybe I’m not losing my mind after all.” She added with a sigh. The Specter vanished after a few moments. To Korra’s surprise, the dog ran over to where it had been, then turned and barked at her expectantly.
“What? Do you want me to follow you?” Korra inquired. The dog barked again. “I guess that’s a yes.”
—
Korra followed the dog out of town. The two of them walked for hours. The dog would run ahead of her, then stop and wait for her to catch up. Yet they always seemed to keep going in the same direction. Korra wasn’t sure where this dog was leading her, but then again it wasn’t like she had anywhere better to be either. Besides, the physical exercise was refreshing. By the time the sun began to rise, the town was far behind them. The sunrise also revealed an unexpected sight on the horizon. A vast densely wooded swamp. Korra frowned, as she looked at it.
“Is that where you’re taking me?” Korra asked. The dog looked up at her and barked. “Right. Okay then.” She shrugged, and kept walking. The dog trotted alongside her happily. The two of them reached the swamp roughly an hour later. As soon as they reached it, the dog began to glow with a bright white light. Korra watched in surprise as it changed into a familiar looking spirit.
“Wait, I know you. You were at the Tree of Time.” Korra said.
“I was,” The spirit confirmed.
“You should’ve told me who you were,” Korra replied.
“If I did, would you have followed me?” The spirit asked.
“I get your point. But why’d you bring me here?” Korra asked. “What am I going to find in the swamp?”
“Not a ‘what’ a ‘who’,” The spirit replied.
Before she could say anything else, the spirit disappeared. Korra shook her head in disbelief. Of course her new animal companion would turn out to be a spirit. Though she probably shouldn’t be surprised. She was the Avatar after all. Sighing, Korra adjusted the straps of her backpack, before venturing into the swamp. The ground slowly became more and more muddy as she walked. She pushed her way past the thick vines that hung down from the tree canopy far above her head. Bugs buzzed around her, occasionally landing on exposed skin, only to be swatted away immediately.
Korra muttered a curse under her breath as she stepped into a puddle, soaking her shoe. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she turned around to see the Specter standing a few feet away. It watched her in silence, its glowing eyes unblinking. Korra squared her shoulders. She’d been haunted by this thing for the last three years, and she was tired of being afraid of it. She shifted into a defensive stance and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Before she could even exhale, the Specter attacked. The chain around its arm whipped out at her. Korra dodged it easily, and retaliated with a burst of flame. The Specter avoided her attack, and countered with a powerful burst of flame. Korra barely managed to dodge in time, stumbling backwards in her attempt to avoid the flames. It wasn’t the first time it had bent the elements at her, but she was still uncertain if it could really hurt her.
The Specter kept up its attack, alternating between swinging its chain and hurling the elements at her. Korra dodged and weaved as best she could. The muddy ground didn’t help much, occasionally making lose her footing momentarily. Eventually she felt her back hit the trunk of a large tree. Determined to put some more distance between them, Korra launched herself into the air with a burst of airbending. She grabbed onto a nearby vine-covered branch and began to pull herself up.
The Specter’s chain lashed out again, this time wrapping around her ankle. Korra gasped in surprise, and tried to knock the chain off, but it refused to budge. She watched in rising horror as the ground underneath the Specter started to morph and shift into a large puddle of silvery liquid metal. A chill crawled down Korra’s spine. Slowly, the Specter began to sink into the puddle of metal and yanked back on the chain. Korra desperately tried to hold on, her hands grasping at the closest vines. Yet each one snapped underneath her grip and suddenly she was falling.
Korra screamed as she fell. She splashed into the metal back-first, and immediately began to claw and push against it in a desperate attempt to escape. But it was useless. The more she struggled, the deeper she seemed to sink into it. Another scream tore through her mouth as the puddle of metal swallowed her up entirely.
—
When Korra woke again, she was surrounded by darkness save for a faint blue light. She was surprised to find herself laying on a bed. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was falling into a puddle of metal poison.
“Feeling better?” A woman’s voice asked. It sounded vaguely familiar, though Korra wasn’t sure why.
“What happened?” Korra asked. She sat up to see a hunched figure standing next to a campfire. The woman appeared to be stirring something in a large metal pot. They seemed to be in some kind of cave.
“I was hoping you could tell me,” The woman replied. “I found you passed out in the swamp.”
“I followed a spirit here,” Korra replied. “It said that I was supposed to meet someone here.”
“Huh, well if your Avatar senses lead you here it must be for a reason,” The woman replied. “You should trust them.”
“Wait, you recognize me?” Korra asked in surprise. She stood up and summoned a small flame in her hand. The woman turned and began to walk towards her.
“We were good friends in your previous life,” The woman said as she stepped into the light.
“I don’t believe it,” Korra gasped. “Toph?”
“It’s good to see you again, Twinkletoes,” Toph said with a grin.