"Tonight I rid the world of airbending forever."
I saw my uncle and cousins tied up on that stage in front of all of the cheering Equalists and something in me stirred.
"I'll be damned if you will!"
Mako had a hard time holding back both Korra and myself, so finally he joined us, shooting a bolt of lightning straight for Amon as he turned towards Uncle Tenzin. He and Korra leaped towards the wall and ran along it, balancing themselves with the heat of their Firebending. I dropped down into the crowd below us, and the Equalists tried to hold me down but couldn't. Air was swirling around me uncontrollably, and it pushed them all away from me then carried me to Korra's side where she and Mako fought off Amon and his men.
I ran as fast as I could to my uncle and fought with the ropes around his wrists to free him. The moment he felt them loosen, he flung the ropes to the side and rushed to help Korra and Mako. I moved on to my three cousins who weren't bound so tightly, and soon they were all free.
Everything after was a blur. There were voices screaming inside my head, and next thing I knew I was hiding with Korra beneath a table. When his footsteps echoed across the floor, all the voices stopped. And I could feel him. His prescense was overwhelming. His strength suffocated me. His intentions, I could tell now, were good, but they always intend for the best. They can never see what they are truly doing. Especially when they are willing to go to any extent to achieve their goals. Yes, he meant well. But I couldn't sympathize. Not after all he'd done.
Korra's eyes filled with terror as an invisible force weaved it's way into her skin, and her body flew from under the table. I heard her screaming. I heard Mako trying to saver her but failing. But I was frozen. Something told me not to move as I saw Amon force Korra into a kneeling position and take away her bending. Korra's voiceless screams echoed in my head long after she'd fell to the ground.
"I told you I would destroy you," Amon said, thinking that it was over and that he had won.
Just then, Amon's lieutenant stepped into the room and spoke. "I just saw you bloodbend her," he whispered. "You traitor! I dedicated my life to you!"
The lieutenant took out the kali sticks that he'd used on me before and ran towards Amon with every intention of killing him, but his efforts were in vain. Amon bended him into the air and tossed him into a pile of wood as if he were nothing at all. Then, he turned to Mako, and something miraculous happened. Somehow, Mako managed to shoot bolts of lightning at the unsuspecting Amon even though his hands were entirely under Amon's command. In a burst of fire, Mako took his opportunity to knock Amon into a pile of wood.
Mako motioned to me quickly, and the three of us retreated into the hallway, Korra in Mako's arms. Running was futile. Amon was behind is in no time, and his bloodbending took control of Mako's body once again, sending Korra tumbling to the ground and Mako flying into the wall.
"I'm impressed," Amon laughed. "No one has ever gotten the better of me like that. It's almost a shame to take away the bending of someone so talented."
"No!" Korra screamed, and I knew before she did it what was going to happen. I could feel a warmth coming from Korra that I hadn't felt before as if something that had been sleeping within her had been awakened. The air swirled around her as she sent a blast of air towards Amon. She froze, and Mako and I watched her closely. "I - I can airbend," she said. "I can airbend!"
Fear emminated from Amon now, and he tried and failed to bloodbend her again. Korra overcame him with her pure spiritual strength and sent him flying from the window and into the sea below.
Amon's mask floats to the surface of the water as many onlookers turn to look up at us and accuse Korra of atrocities. But then a tornado of water rose from the ocean, carrying Amon to dry land. The crowd was amazed. Then everyone saw the truth of Amon and took Korra's side once again. Amon - no, Noatak - shot an angry look up at us before launching himself back into the water.
Everyone left Republic City after that. Well, not everyone, just all of us - my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, Lin Beifong and Team Avatar. And me. We went to the Southern Water Tribe because Uncle Tenzin thought that maybe Grandmother could help Korra get her bending back. That's where they all were now, waiting to see what Grandmother could do, but I knew there was nothing that she could do to heal her after that.
What would Korra do now that she could only airbend? Is she really even the Avatar anymore? I knew the others were thinking the same thing, but no one would discuss it. Korra was broken enough as it is. After all the training she'd put into master the elements, losing her connection to those elements was like losing heself.
"Grandfather, please, help her," I pleaded as I sat out in the snow outside of the village.
"Perhaps, the one to help Korra is not me but you."
I looked up, startled by the appearance of my grandfather in his younger years. Was I dreaming again? "What do you mean?"
Grandfather's spirit knelt in front of me, and he sighed. "I told them when you were born with these powers that it would be wrong of me to seal them, wrong of me to do to you what Amon has been doing. But I will right that wrong now, and I can rest in peace knowing that you will be here to guide the next Avatar."
He placed his hands on my head, and there was light all around me. The feeling that overcame me, it must have been the same as when Korra airbended earlier. When it was done, my grandfather was gone, but his voice had one final farewell: "The world needs the Avatar, and the Avatar needs you."
I stayed in my seat for a while, but then I knew what I had to do. I don't know how I knew. I just did, so I ran as fast as I could back to Korra.
When I opened the door, everyone was sitting around, still waiting as Grandmother tried hopelessly to heal Korra's bending. No one spoke a word until the door to the other room opened. Grandmother and Korra walked out, as everyone stood up.
"I've tried everything in my power," she said. "but I cannot restore Korra's bending."
The whole room was in disbelief. Uncle Tenzin was the first to speak. "It's going to be alright, Korra," he said, but Korra would not listen to that.
"No, it's not." Korra started for the door, wanting to leave, but I stopped her.
"Yes, it is," I said, placing my hands on her head just as my grandfather did to me before. I closed my eyes and felt inside of her soul for the broken connections to the elements. My soul joined with hers for a moment, long enough for me to mend the breaks. Then I opened my eyes and dropped my hands to my side.
Everyone stared at me in amazement, and Bolin looked sort of scared. "You - you were glowing, and your hair was..." But Bolin didn't finish.
It was silent for a while, until Grandmother broke the silence. "You've seen Aang?"
I nodded in response, and she understood immediately. Her hand flew to her heart. "What he did to you as babe, it always bothered him. I guess he couldn't let you alone until he gave your bending back to you. It was my fault. I hope you never blame him. When you were born with that power, you couldn't control it. We had to do something."
Korra lifted her hands, summoning fire in her palm and crying that it had worked. She turned to my grandmother immediately. "How did she do this?"
"Zuri is an Energybender. Not much is known about it. It's a lost art, but Aang had a minor understanding of it. His powers were nothing compared to hers, or so he said."
"But all the people who lost their bending, I can give it back to them. That's what's important now. Korra can do it, too," I told them. I guess that last part needed some clarification because of the way they looked at me now. "When I fixed her bending, I shared the knowledge of energybending with her. I only gave her what I have right now though, but there is more for me to discover about it. I can feel it."
Korra and I didn't see too much of each other after that. Korra was the one who restored Lin's bending, and Mako finally got over whatever was holding him back and tell Korra how he felt. I spent a lot of time alone or with Uncle Tenzin meditating. At first, I was going to ask Grandmother about what I'd done as a child that scared them so much, but I was afraid to know. I didn't want to be afraid of myself. In the end, meditation seemed most helpful.
Bolin stuck with me mostly. Asami did, too. They both felt a little out of place with the two lovebirds, I guess, but watching me do nothing had to be boring. Asami could use the silence, but Bolin had a difficult time not talking. He kept asking me a lot of question, most of them pretty dumb, and he was extremely excited about my bending. But then again, what wasn't Bolin excited about?
Anyway, for now, all I can do is train in whatever way I can. My grandfather told me that the world needs the Avatar, that the Avatar needs me.
I won't fail the Avatar. I won't fail the world. We aren't past the worst. I can feel something more coming, something strange happening in the gentle folds of the spirit world, and I won't be the useless girl I have been so far. Next time, I will fight.