Korra can't move, Amon's bloodbending forcing her to kneel "We've seen that these benders can't be trusted," He seems to smirk as he calls for his equalists, "Even equalized, they still cause trouble. It's in their very nature. So now we end them."

Amon grabs a knife, walking to the first figure, Korra only hears her heart pounding as he brings the knife to the bender's throat, slitting it easily.

Turning to the next kneeling figure, he looks to Korra, still straining against the bloodbender's hold, "Mako, Firebender of the Fire Ferrets," he slits the boy's throat

"Amon, kill me, kill me, leave them," Korra begs as he approaches the next figure, Bolin.

The Equalists laugh as their leader kills Bolin, before turning to the next group of people, Tenzin, Lin, her parents, the airbending kids, "Please, leave them be, kill me. Please." She strains trying to get between the knife and her friends and family, those she was supposed to protect.

"Asami Sato, a traitor to our just cause," another slit throat, "Kuvira, earthbender, Zaofu guard," the knife plunges deep into Kuvira's neck like those before. The warm sticky blood dying her knees and splattering across her shirt and face.

Korra's eyes snap open, her chest heaving. She clumsily turns on the light, filling the room with pale light and long shadows.

"Just a dream," she breathes, trying to calm herself, "It was just a dream." She closes her eyes to see a flash of the knife taking her friend's lives, feeling the warm, damp blood still seems to soak her knees. Her entire body is drenched in sweat. Looking at the clock she sees it's nearing 4am. Kicking the fur blanket off, Korra moves silently out of the room, she needs a shower, maybe that'll make her forget the nightmare. She admits to herself that it's unlikely, it hasn't worked in the 15 months she's been at the Northern Water Tribe, why would tonight be any different.

She lets the water wash over her, trying in vain to get it to move, it doesn't. After too many minutes, she slowly shuffles out, still feeling the blood, her eyes still burning with the images.

Realizing she's not getting back to sleep tonight, she pulls her hair back, before going to one of the many rooms in the Water Tribe palace, lighting a few candles before moving to the center of the room. Sitting down, she crosses her legs and closes her eyes, "Come on, Aang, you said you'd be there if I needed you, well I need isn't working, and I feel like I'm running out of time."

After over an hour, the sun starts to enter the room. Sighing, Korra stands rolling her shoulders before walking back to her room, still almost as barren as it was when she had first gotten here, a few pictures taped to the wall, a stack of crisply folded stacked letters on the desk, a quarter full closet of clothes from the Earth, Water and Fire nations, some scrolls from the various nations, a radio by the lamp, a polar bear dog statue from the boys for her birthday seven months ago, a test set of radios from Asami, supposed to be able to go much further than most, and have a much further battery life, Naga's bed at the foot of her own. Not much to write back about. Sighing, she knows she can put everything in a single duffle bag, not that that's a bad thing, "Korra," A voice says.

"Just a minute, Aunt Malina," she calls, grabbing her knives and putting them on her waist and pulling a deep teal parka on before leaving the room.

"How was your night, Korra," her aunt asks her as she leaves the room.

"Fine," Korra nods.

"Really? Cause you were up awfully early."

"I'm fine, Aunt Malina, just couldn't get back to sleep."

"If you say so, Avatar," she gives Korra a small frown, "But anyway, your uncle wants to see you after breakfast, he's in his office."

Korra nods, ignoring the nagging feeling her uncle is just pushing her through the motions, she can't feel the other elements, let alone bend them, and airbending wasn't much beyond extended punches, the scrolls can only do so much. Maybe I should leave, go back to Tenzin, or my original plan. It's not a new thought, but each time it comes up, the give it more time that follows sounds weaker even in her mind.

•••••

"You wanted to see me, Uncle?"

Korra asks, entering his office, looking around, it's almost as empty as every other room in the palace, she looks over the desk as she waits for him to look up, she notices a red White Lotus seal on one of the letters but doesn't think much of it, "Yes, Korra, I want you, Desna and Eska to prepare for a trip to the North Pole, we leave tomorrow morning."

"The North Pole? Why?" Korra frowns.

"Have you heard of the Spirit Portals?" Korra opens her mouth to speak only for her uncle to continue, "They're the points where our world and the Spirit World connects, years ago, they closed. As the Avatar, you can open them again, helping bring balance back between the Spirits and humans, reducing or perhaps even destroying the block Amon has on your and others bending. The Southern Portal we'll need to wait til the Winter Solstice down South, but our Northern portal should be much more willing to yield."

"Really?" Korra beams, forcing herself to remain restrained, after over a year, the idea that she can feel the dancing of the water, the heartbeat of fire, the steady breath of earth again, is almost overwhelming.

"Possibly," he nods, "Now, you and your cousins go prepare."

"Yes Uncle." Korra bows slightly before leaving the office, almost skipping down the hall, ignoring the looks the palace guards give her.

Almost running into her aunt in her hurry to prepare Naga for the trip and find the twins, "Good news I take it?" Malina laughs.

"We're going to the Spirit Portal, Uncle Unalaq thinks it could give me my bending back, give everyone their bending back."

"Well, don't let me stop you, Korra." She motions down the hall.

•••••

The next morning, Korra's up before the sun, helping the guards put the last few things on the Arctic Camels the Twins and her uncle are using as well as Naga, "Sleep well girl?" She asks, petting her animal guide as she tightens her bag on the saddle. Nags turns to her master, licking her face, "Yeah?" She laughs a bit.

"Ready, Korra?" Her Uncle asks, the twins flanking him on either side. They smoothly get on their mounts as Korra nods, pulling herself onto Naga.

"Yeah," Korra nods again, she looks to the sky, seeing no sign of an approaching storm, good, that's the last thing they need. She pulls a mask over her mouth and her Parka hood up, even if she can keep her body warm with airbending, she can't bring herself to trust it completely, not when they're going so far north.

The trip to the Portal is long and awkwardly quiet, the Twins have never been ones to talk, and Unalaq is only minutely more likely to speak, so they're nearly silent for the entire nine and a half hour trip.

Eventually, they come across a spirit forest, the trees leafless, "This it?" Korra asks, dismounting Naga, pulling the mask away, feeling the stinging cold. Keeping hold on Naga for a moment as her feet haven't been used for most the day.

"Yes, the Portal should be at the center. We can't go any further, you have to go alone. We'll wait for you here."

"Alone?" Korra nods sighing slightly before nodding, feeling her eyes harden, "I can do alone."

"We'll set up camp, and I'll come after you if you take more than six hours." Unalaq promises behind her.

"I got it," Korra snaps, pulling the mask back over her mouth and nose, grabbing the smaller bag attached to Naga's saddle, "Stay girl," securing the bag over her shoulder before making her way down the hill and into the forest.

What really strikes Korra is how silent the forest it, as if even the wind dare not tread amongst the trees, even her footsteps seem muted. A pull in her chest leads her deeper into the forest.

She's unsure how long she walks in silence, in near darkness. Eventually light begins to cast long shadows of the trees, attempting to trip her as the finger shadows attempt to wrap themselves around Korra's ankles. As she approaches the light, the pull in her chest now almost painful as she spots an orb of pure light in a clearing of the forest.

"This must be the Portal, now how to open it?" She mumbles, running her hand along the bulb.

Before she can even attempt to open it, something grabs her ankle, pulling her to the ground, as she rolls onto her back, she looks up to see a deep purple dark spirit. Grunting in pain as it raises two legs, digging them deep into her shoulders. Trying to pull away, she feels the spirit move to slam onto her again, when it rears up, she pulls her right hand up, pounding into the Portal.

Cursing as the creature bears down on her again, "How else…" she gets an idea, closing her eyes and taking a breath, she goes into the Avatar state, tapping the Portal again and bending herself away from the spirit, stumbling into the portal as a sharp wave of pain overcomes her.

Blinking slowly, she looks around, "The Spirit World!" She cheers looking around a bit, spotting a large tree, she slowly approaches it despite her brain screaming at her not to.

Before she can get close enough to truly inspect it, a huge dragon-eagle spirit, the tell tale purple and indigo of a dark spirit, picks her up in his talons. Struggling, she twists and turns, trying to get out of the spirit's grasp, barely even feeling the sharp talons digging into her shoulders as they climb higher and higher. Eventually she breaks free, suddenly free falling down, down, down, closer and closer to the trees of the forest, reaching her hand out, desperately trying to airbend to break her fall. Managing to bend just enough to stop herself a bit, she still hits the ground with a thud and she hears several cracks and pops.

Groaning she blinks slowly as a figure approaches her, she attempts to get up, only to let out a cry of pain as she takes in a breath, dropping back to her side, she extends her palm outward careful, her eyelids heavy, a small orange flame glows in her palm as she sees human feet get even closer. Before she can look up, her eyes fall closed and she can't force them open again.