"Spirits, please come out," Jinora pleaded for the umpteenth time since entering the Spirit Wilds. She had tried to meditate and use her spiritual energy to locate the spirit that kidnapped the little girl, but it was as if her connection was being hindered by something. The notable absence of the familiar, beautiful creatures no matter where she looked was not all too comforting either.

The chances of finding the child were growing slim with every passing moment and she knew her father, Chief Beifong and the girl's mother were all counting on her. Sighing in defeat, Jinora retraced her steps back through the Wilds. Moving aside the vines as she reached the exit, Jinora was met with the child's mother rushing forward to greet her, wearing a look of relief. Met with empty arms however, the woman's face fell.

"Where is she?"

Jinora looked down at her feet just as her father and Chief Beifong came over.

"I'm sorry—" the girl began and that was all it took to set the woman over the edge once again.

"You have to find her! Please!" she openly sobbed as another officer, one Chief Beifong had called over, gently guided her away.

"Dad," Jinora looked up, "we need Korra. I can't use any of my energy to locate the angry spirit, but Korra can."

Tenzin stroked his beard, deep in thought. "There has to be a way —"

"There is no other way," Lin cut across him, folding her arms. "Surely if Jinora can't solve this, then we both know no one else can besides Korra herself."

"She —" Tenzin began but was cut off yet again, this time by a voice calling out from high above them.

"Korra! Next time we're taking the ferry!"

The trio turned their surprised eyes and watched as the avatar manoeuvred her glider down towards them.

"Huh," Lin said simply.

Korra landed neatly, Mako clinging onto her as if his very being depended on it. "Have you found her?" she asked immediately, turning to Jinora before any of them could question her presence.

"It's like my connection is being blocked by something, I just don't know what," Jinora explained after a moment, looking down at her feet. "I don't even know if the little girl is okay."

"Hey," Korra smiled comfortingly as she placed a hand on her shoulder, "you did what you could. Plus, I'm going to need your help getting her when I go in there, okay?"

Jinora nodded, surprised at how optimistic Korra could be in a situation like this.

"Avatar Korra!"

She turned upon hearing the oddly familiar voice, though Korra blinked in surprise after seeing who it belonged to. A gasp escaped the avatar's lips as she put two and two together. The girl missing wasn't just any girl…it was Jia.

Her mother ran up to her, grabbing onto her shoulders. "Please, Avatar Korra, you have to get my baby back."

"I will, safe and sound," Korra vowed as she placed a hand on the crying mother's chest and gently extricated herself from the woman's desperate grip. "I just need you to go with my friend now. He can take you to a safer place than here."

Korra motioned towards Mako as she spoke. Jia's mother hesitated but eventually gave in and let him lead her away.

"I'm going to take you to get some water," she heard Mako say as he placed a hand on the woman's back and guided her past the police barriers.

"You know that woman?" Tenzin asked with a raised brow.

Korra simply nodded. "We met earlier today, but I didn't exactly plan on running into her again so soon, especially like this."

"Well, what's your plan now?" Beifong asked as she watched her detective guide the distraught mother away.

"To find Jia."

Korra nodded at Jinora and the two turned and walked towards the Wilds until they came face to face with the curtain of vines that marked the entrance.

"Be careful," Tenzin bade them, growing nervous.

Several moments after the girls had disappeared beyond the vines, Lin spoke quietly. "They'll be fine."

"You never mentioned Jia to us earlier," Jinora spoke up eventually.

Korra let out a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry, I didn't really think anything of it."

"But what would the spirits want with her?"

Korra sighed, shrugging. "I really don't know…" Cerulean eyes scanned her surroundings. "Speaking of which, did you see any when you came in here earlier?"

"No," Jinora replied, "not even the faintest feeling of one."

Korra looked around, feeling uneasy. "If this is a spirit attack, shouldn't there be some around?"

There was no resistance whatsoever to their foray into the Wilds, only an eerie air of quiet. They both made sure not to trip over any vines as they rounded a corner and the sense of uneasiness only grew stronger.

"Wait here."

"Why? What are you doing?" Jinora asked but received no response as Korra made her way over to a large tree enveloped in vines, placing her hands onto it. Korra knew what she was doing was a long shot, but she had to find Jia.

Jinora watched in absolute amazement as the wind picked up around the Avatar as she began to glow. She's bending the energy from within, the young air bending master thought. But how is she able to tap into the spiritual energy if I can't even feel it?

Korra realised her idea was working when felt her spirit being pulled from her body and guided towards an empty building in the centre of the Wilds. Jia's presence was strong there. Getting a fix on the girl's location, the avatar began to draw back to herself, at the back of her mind tentatively wondering if that was that. Had she worried for no reason? Her last attempt to tap into spiritual energy had allowed -

"Let me in…"

Korra gasped as a sharp pain shot through her very being. She immediately retracted her hand and stumbled back away from the vines.

"Leave me alone!"

Jinora rushed forward. "Korra, are you okay? Who were you talking to?"

"I'm fine," she said plainly as the younger girl helped her keep her balance.

Jinora took the hint and dropped the subject. "Did you find Jia?"

Korra nodded as she tried to ignore the nagging voice in her mind. "She's in an old abandoned building right in the center of the Wilds." She began walking, pulling Jinora along as she continued. "There aren't any spirits, though. It's almost as if there wasn't an attack at all."

"That's impossible," Jinora said. "Chief Beifong said her officer witnessed a lot of people coming out of the Wilds."

"I didn't feel any when I used the vines," Korra replied as they rounded another corner.

"Or perhaps you're too inept to tell the difference. Tell me: how you do you know the girl isn't already dead?"

The voice in her head was persistent. Korra remained silent as she walked, quickening her pace. The voice laughed at her.

"As I expected; you have no idea, do you? But I do. I could help you see even further, Korra. You would know in an instant. All you have to do..."

The avatar growled under her breath, grinding her teeth together at the mere suggestion. Thankfully, after the voice had said its piece, Korra was met with perfect silence, and at that she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. That was when, as they came upon the abandoned building, a piercing shriek rent the air.

Both girls turned immediately, jumping in shock. Korra's eyes grew wide at the sight of a beast diving down towards them. Almost in the same moment, docile vines rose with a vengeance. Jinora screamed as several slithered menacingly towards her. The giant creature pounced on Korra before she could do a thing to protect the airbender, throwing her to the ground. Thrown onto her back, Korra squirmed underneath the angry spirit—which appeared to be a mix between a dragon and a turtleduck—as it opened its jaws and threatened to devour her whole.

With all of her strength, Korra spat a jet of flame into the creature's mouth. Its screech of pain stung her ears as her desperate attack threw it off of her. Korra scrambled to get up off the ground, turning her eyes to find Jinora.

With the use of her glider-turned-staff, the avatar sent a slicing gust of wind through at least two of the vines hounding the girl. She used the brief moment of respite to close the distance between them, more vines sliding up through the cracks in the ground. Korra grabbed Jinora as she flicked the glider open.

"C'mon, we need to get out of here!"

Holding tightly onto the girl, she propelled them both high with a strong leap and complimentary burst of firebending. "They're coming!" Jinora's screamed over the whistling of the wind as Korra opened her glider, her eyes round in horror as the vines chased them into the air. Jinora kicked out a blast of wind at the ghastly looking things, but one snapped forward and wrapped around her ankle.

The girl tried desperately to wriggle free, but Korra could feel the girl slipping from her grip. She tried to hold on to both her glider and the girl as the vines tried to yank her out of the air. And then, with the worst timing, the flying spirit swooped up to attack the women, screeching wildly.

Korra swerved just in time and manipulated the air around her in order to boost up the side of the building. Jinora was pulled up from the tight grip of the vine, able to twist around and blast the spirit trying to cut them down. Jinora took note of the spirit's retreat as well as the vines and let a breath of relief escape her lips. At last, the pair reached the roof of the large building.

"Miss Korra?" a young voice called out and the girls turned as Jia ran towards them, tears spilling down her rosy cheeks. The little girl wrapped her arms around the avatar's waist as she bawled. "Miss Korra, the spirit is so angry and scary! I want my mommy! I should have listened to her!"

"Jia, we're going to get you out of here, okay? You're safe now," Korra said as she lifted Jia off the ground and held her as she cried.

"Avatar's promise?" the girl said, voice muffled by the collar of her shirt.

Korra couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes. Avatar's promise."

Jinora, however, wasn't so sure about their chances when the spirit landed on the roof. "Korra, we have to go, and fast!"

"Take Jia," she said, handing the trembling girl over to Jinora's awaiting arms. Korra opened her glider and handed it off as well. "Fly as high as possible and whatever happens to me, don't turn back."

The girl clenched her jaw as Korra's words replayed in her mind seconds later, looking back over her shoulder to watch her blast off the roof with airbending. Tightening her grip on Jia, she navigated them both out of the Wilds.

"Will she be okay?" Jia asked, trying to swallow down a sob.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Jinora replied, but wasn't sure who those words were meant to reassure.

The girl, or herself?

"You're scared, aren't you, Korra?"

It was a truth she did not want to admit, even to herself; she was scared. Korra grunted as the ferocious creature clawed at her, sending her flying backwards into the tree that had wound its way up the side of the building and onto the roof.

"Why don't you let me lend you a hand?"

Korra let out a frustrated sigh as she rolled out of the way, barely missing the swipe of the spirit's tail. Nothing was working in the avatar's favor; no matter the form of her attacks, they were only making the spirit angrier. She needed access to water, and then maybe she could really gain an advantage on the beastly thing.

Lost in her thoughts and trying so desperately to ignore the nagging voice in her mind, Korra dodged the spirit's claw coming straight for her. In a panic she dug her heel into the rooftop, thrusting her hands up to form an earthen wall. The spirits' claw broke straight through the wall and sent Korra flying off the edge of the rooftop.

"If you would just let me help you…"

Korra ignored the voice as she enveloped herself within an air bubble, shielding herself from the debris. Landing on her two feet, she looked up, expecting but not seeing the spirit chasing after her.

"You won't survive this on your own, Korra."

"Shut up, will you?" she screamed. "I don't and will never need your help!

"Then you will die."

Korra snarled and opened her mouth to respond – but then she was suddenly thrown into the side of a building, air escaping her lungs as she collided with a brick wall.

She fell onto the ground, groaning in pain as she tried to focus her vision. It was blurry, but Korra could see the spirit making its way towards her limp body. She didn't register how close it actually was until it pulled her off the ground and threw her through the crumbling walls of another building.

Korra screwed her eyes shut as the pain coursed throughout her body, gasping as stinging tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Her head was pounding and she was just glad it hadn't cracked open.

"How much longer do you think you will last? How long until you breathe your final breath, Korra?"

She inhaled sharply and braced herself on both hands. Wobbling, Korra pushed herself up to her knees and tried to get off the ground to fight back. How was she being tossed around like this? What was she, one of Ikki's dolls? No; she was the avatar. She was Korra. She was strong. She was a fighter. Then why the hell was she letting this happen to her?

She pulled herself up, a scowl shaping her features. Korra swayed as she let her vision focus – just in time to see reality warped into the form of the spirit reappearing right in front of her. The ugly thing grabbed her, and with little effort slammed her straight into the ground.

Korra had had enough.

"Fine," the avatar said through clenched teeth as she struggled against the creature's grip, "help me!"

Korra screamed moments later when a sharp pain sliced through her body, blooming out from the middle of her back.

"I have you now," the voice cooed softly.