The Legend of Korra : Mark of the Moon

Fate and Free Will

RAYS OF the morning sun gleamed off Korra's face; her eyes pressed tightly as she fought through the sounds of explosions and the rushing winds of the fall. She gasped and flung up; her breath rapid and panicked as she took in the clear waters of a stream to her right, the sands of the bank she sat upon spreading out to her left and the figure of an man clad in frayed clothing approaching her.

"Zaheer?" Korra was spurred upward, nearly tripping as she stood and watched the man calmly sit near a smouldering pile of firewood. "Wh-what're you doing out of prison? Where am I?"

"Calm down, Korra."

"Calm down? I was in the middle of a battle and – oh no." Her eyes widened in realisation. "Mako, Asami – where are they? What have you done with them –," She recoiled and clasped a burn on her left shoulder that was coated with herbs.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not here to harm you." He spoke calmly.

"Then where am I?" Her voice lowered as she began to think. "How did you escape from prison?"

"I didn't escape; I was rescued."

"By who?"

"They wouldn't say. They wore these uniforms: dark blue – nearly black – with hoods and masks."

"The Mark of the Moon; terrorists who want waterbenders to rule the world." Korra groaned and rubbed her head. "Man, those guys are all over the place."

"They wanted me to work for them, something to do with communicating with spirits, but we were attacked on the way to their leader by this ... creature."

"Creature?" Her face lit up, the charred footprints quickly coming to mind.

"I thought it was a dark spirit at first, but it was different." Zaheer's eyes thinned. "It was like a human being, around seven feet tall with red skin and black trousers. It was wrapped in chains and had two large, black, curved horns."

"Horns?"

Zaheer frowned. "I have heard of spirits taking many forms and I have seen several, but none were like this one. This was no spirit. It was a ... devil."

"A devil?"

"It walked in an ever-burning flame, gutting everything in its path. It vaporised the seven men and four mechatanks that I was with and I'm lucky to still be alive."

"That must be what I'd been sensing in the Spirit World for the past few months." Korra scowled. "First the Mark of the Moon then magic and now a devil; this can't all be random." She huffed. 'Man, how am I supposed to fight all this?"

"I don't think there's a man alive who can stop that thing, but there is still a chance the Avatar can defeat it."
"How? The Mark of the Moon are always a step ahead, I can't close the Spirit Portals and now there's a devil?" Defeat showed on her face. ".... I-I can't do it."

"We can never be sure that we'll succeed with the odds we face, but we still have to strive on even when things seem bleak." Zaheer's voice warmed then became stern. "There isn't much I can do to help you stop what's coming, but I can give you a fighting chance."

"How?" Korra asked.

"I will teach you how to fly."

LING SCOWLED as she looked at the cloudless azure sky; the sun gleaming off lush green leaves of the trees that littered the forest encompassing the clearing she stood in. Taking in the wreckage of wood, fallen oak and damaged mechatanks, the woman checked her watch and became impatient – the flames of rage rising in the glare she shot at the metalbender police officers that searched the area.