Trigger Warning: Mention of blood, descriptions of severe pain.

Korra swore as she was thrown back from the portal, the power of the Avatar state sinking back into the recesses of her body. Unalaq had done it. He'd bought enough time by kidnapping Asami. She couldn't close the southern portal, no matter how hard she tried. Harmonic Convergence was upon them.

"I'm too late," Korra shouted, though she doubted Mako and Bolin needed her words to realize it.

The brothers could see for themselves the way the portals bowed towards one another, linked in a thunderous clash that spewed golden lightning across the green sky, and sent a purple pulse sweeping outward, over the spirit world.

Behind her, Unalaq's triumphant laugh was swallowed up by Vaatu's as his prison quaked and shattered in a haze of crimson light. He twisted free of the Tree of Time, spiraling in the air, growing grander with every passing second. Dread crushed Korra like a tidal wave as Vaatu reigned in the sky above her. Spirits gathered around the edge of the barren land surrounding the portals. In horror, Korra watched them mutate into dark beings with claws, razor teeth, deadly spikes.

"You've lost, Avatar!" Unalaq shouted gleefully. "Now Vaatu and I will fuse and destroy you and Raava for good!"

At this, Vaatu swooped low and made a beeline for the crazed man. Unalaq spread his arms wide as if to embrace the spirit of darkness.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Mako shouted as he sent a jet of flame straight at Unalaq's face.

Unalaq blocked it, pulling water from the stream at his feet to meet the flame. It swallowed up Mako's attack in a hissing cloud of steam. But Unalaq failed to see the sizable chunk of earth coming at him from the left. It hit him squarely on the hip and sent him sprawling to the ground. Bolin's cheer followed shortly and Korra wanted hug him. But she had more pressing matters, namely dealing Vaatu. And holding back the spirits now creeping towards them all.

She was about to send a roaring gust to knock them all back when Vaatu swooped low and bellowed, "You cannot stop me, Raava! I will not let you or your weak human companion seal me away again!" Vaatu reared back as if to strike and Korra tensed.

He's about to blast us! came a voice in her head that startled Korra so badly she nearly didn't jump in time as Vaatu shot pure, purple energy out from his center.

"Raava?!" Korra yelped as she staggered to her feet. She quickly sent two quick jabs of air and grinned fiercely when they landed solidly, tearing through Vaatu, shrinking him.

Yes, Korra. We need to end this quickly. Draw on my power. I don't think I have to tell you how bad it will be if Vaatu successfully merges with Unalaq. Or if Vaatua escapes into your world.

Korra rolled as Vaatu lashed out at her with a black, whip-like appendage. "Okay. Let's do this together."

Maybe it was because it was Harmonic Convergence, or because she was hyper aware of Raava, but as Korra entered the Avatar state, she felt more powerful than she ever had before. Her body glowed like Wan's and her hair blew around her face as she surrounded herself in a whirlwind.

"It's pointless, Raava!" Vaatu shouted but the deep voice didn't rumble with nearly as much confidence.

Go! Raava shouted and Korra sprang straight up, a tornado forming beneath her feet. Several boulders ripped from the ground followed her upward at the slightest movement of her ankles. Korra punched once, twice, and burned two circles into Vaatu's belly with fire hotter than she'd ever bent before. She clenched her hands and heard the crack of splintering stone, and sent hundreds of shards of earth sailing straight at the spirit. Vaatu twisted and stretched his body in a way only a spirit could. Infuriatingly enough, he dodged almost all of the incoming attack, only sustaining a few nicks that barely diminished him at all.

A scream below broke Korra's focus and her head snapped down. The dark spirits rampaged, surrounding her friends. Bolin and Mako were doing their best, but the boys were outnumbered five to one. Not to mention Unalaq sent the occasional ice barrage their way. They were on their way to being completely overrun.

What she really needed was Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya to come back. Or maybe if Asami was here, she could get the spirits to chase after another haywire mech. She couldn't fight the spirits, Unalaq, and Vaatu all at the same time, Avatar or not. Not to mention that, as part spirit herself and the alleged bridge between them and humans, it felt incredibly wrong to blast the spirits with the elements.

Even though they were trying to kill her and her friends.

Korra knew it was Vaatu's very presence that turned them dark, that most of the spirits gathered wouldn't attack her if they were their lighter selves. So for every move she made against Vaatu, she made two more to ward off the spirits encroaching on her or her friends on the ground, hoping Tenzin and the others would find Jinora quickly and return to help.

As the minutes passed, and no one arrived, though, Vaatu's gloating came back. Mako and Bolin were panting hard and barely able to dodge Unalaq anymore. "You're losing, Raava!" Vaatu said, and this time, when he sent a blast of energy her way, it clipped Korra.

It burned deeply, permeating her body, like she'd been struck with a flaming rock. And it sent her spiraling far enough away that Vaatu had just enough time to fly straight into Unalaq's waiting body. Mako and Bolin were too preoccupied fighting for their lives against the spirits to try and impede Vaatu.

Korra recovered just in time to see the two villains join. Unalaq's eyes glowed red. In the blink of an eye, he stood within reach of the northern portal. With a sure hand, he touched the blazing, bowed column. Immediately, his body altered in the most grotesque fashion. His skin turned to ash and fire. He looked more monster than man as he and Vaatu permanently fused with help from the portals' energy. A red light built up in Unalaq's chest and released, blinding Korra. Then, just as suddenly, he returned to his former human appearance, though his eyes still glowed with Vaatu's light.

In a voice not entirely his own, Unalaq said, "We've done it. You've failed. I will become the next Avatar leading humans and spirits and ushering in a new era."

"You can't even bend all the elements! You're only a fourth of what I am." Korra sprinted hard, body already aglow with Raava's white-blue light. At least I only have to fight one thing now, if Mako and Bolin can hold off—

Twin screams drew her up short. Her friends fell to the ground and did not rise. Korra tasted bile in her throat. But she couldn't think about whether they were…or if they weren't…

She was alone. She was the only one left to defeat Unalaq and Vaatu.

And now that their foes were no longer fighting back, the horde of dark spirits turned to her, scurrying to where she stood. "Stop!" she shouted, Raava's own voice infusing with hers. "Can't you see you're being manipulated to fight?"

The spirits didn't so much as flinch. They continued on as if Korra had remained silent, completely encircling her within seconds. She tried blasting them away one at a time but it was tiresome, ineffective. And Unalaq finally seemed in control of himself again, as he was racing towards her on a ramp of ice.

She couldn't fight them and Unalaq at the same time, so with as much force as she could muster all in one go, Korra gathered the strongest gale she'd ever bent before and unleashed it upon the spirits. While it drove away a majority of the smaller, squirming spirits, there were still over a dozen larger spirits that were only knocked back to the rim of the portal clearing.

The action was made just in time, for when Korra turned, she narrowly dodged Unalaq's ice-wrapped fist. His face more skull-like than human. He charged at her again, closing the distance by creating ice under both of their feet. He slammed into Korra and they tumbled onto the hard ground.

Korra was quick to respond though, bending the earth beneath her to giver her arm more room, then wound back and punching him in the face hard enough that he rolled off and away by sheer force. He growled and Korra was more than a little disturbed that his obviously broken nose wasn't bleeding. Was Unalaq even part human anymore?

She stood and swung her arms in smooth, practiced circles, drawing water from the rivers to her, and surrounded Unalaq's body as he seemed to be stunned by the hit. Korra hit him with two chunks of ice, a kick of air, a blistering streak of fire until he was tumbling backwards, pathetically throwing up weak ribbons of water in defense. She cut through them easily and then pulled a massive amount of water from the flowing river closest to her.

The spirit transformation technique wouldn't destroy Vaatu, Raava informed Korra, but the light spirit thought it would cleanse the darkness from Unalaq and Vaatu would dissipate into tiny pockets of darkness that would take hundreds of years to reassemble. Hopefully longer.

But just as the water surrounded Unalaq's body, Korra was struck hard across the back. Her body went into a panic and she fell out of the Avatar state. As her normal vision returned, Korra spotted the spirit who'd attacked her from behind. It was flanked, to her dismay, by over a dozen more. And in the distance, she saw more dark spirits scrambling towards her. She raised her fist to send them packing again when a slab of ice slammed into her shoulders.

She let out a pained scream as she was thrust forward, into the waiting claws of the eight-legged spirit with a long, slinky tail. The tail wrapped around her, binding her arms to her sides. She struggled, breathed fire, burnt the spirit until it relinquished her, but it was a useless effort, for though the spirit retreated, two more took its place, binding her again.

Korra! Raava's voice echoed in her head, alarmed. Do not give up. This fight is not over.

As if he could read Korra's mind, Unalaq stalked forward and said, in his double-edged voice, "Oh, but it is, Raava!"

In a flash, he was a foot in front of Korra. He shoved her back until they were flying, until she and her spirit captors where half submerged in the southern portal's base. Korra's entire being vibrated from the power and lightning ran all over her body, though curiously, it didn't hurt her. Raava fluttered inside of her and Korra knew the feeling wasn't a good thing. She had never felt Raava as a separate entity before. Was it the energy from the portal? It had fused Raava and Wan to begin with. It couldn't reverse the process, could it?

Korra watched in disgust as Unalaq's neck twisted unnaturally for the human body. His mouth snapped open, as if his jaw had been dislocated, and Vaatu's purple light poured out in tendrils. The solidified light crept like vines towards her. Korra thrashed, breathed fire, puffed air, but the energy worked around her attempts. A third spirit wrapped a tentacle around her and she thought they were just going to crush her before Unalaq could do anything terrible.

She was wrong.

The purple tines shot forward suddenly and sank deep into her chest, like hot needles. Korra screamed as she felt the Avatar state overwhelm her. She and Raava tried to force Vaatu out, and for a second, it seemed to work. Some of the tendrils snapped and withered away into nothingness. But then she felt the hooks, felt her power waver.

And then, Raava started to inch out of her. Slowly, agonizingly, the spirit of light was drawn out like a piece of loose threat from a shirt. Korra was aware she was in pain but the adrenaline and the Avatar state spared her from suffering too greatly. She tried to will Raava back into her, but Vaatu physically dragging the spirit out was a little more compelling.

With one last violent tug, Raava slipped free of Korra's body and spooled on the ground between her and Unalaq. Korra sagged as a deep emptiness settled in her. "Raava," she mumbled, terrified at how weak her own voice sounded. "Quick, you have to fuse with me again before—agh!" She bit down on her tongue until she tasted blood.

Before her very eyes, Unalaq struck Raava diagonally with a slash of ice, splitting off a piece of the light spirit. The moment of impact set Korra reeling as Aang flooded her mind. Just as quickly, he disappeared in a flash and a bang inside Korra's head.

And it happened again, with Roku, as Unalaq struck Raava once more, pinning her to the ground with a large icicle so the spirit couldn't fly free. The same with Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, dozens more Avatars all disappearing in explosions, one after the other until Korra thought her head might explode itself. It seemed like it would never end, that she would be doomed to live out ten thousand years of explosions, but then Wan was there before her, frowning. I failed, she wanted to tell him as tears streaked down her face, but he, too, disappeared in the biggest explosion of all.

Something snapped inside of Korra and all the fight and energy left her. She was nothing more than a floppy bag of flesh and bones. The spirits must have let go of her because she was suddenly freezing, breathing in snow, unable to move.

"Raava is destroyed. Now there is nothing to stop us from reshaping this world," Unalaq's voice said.

"N-no," Korra moaned. He couldn't have destroyed her. Wasn't that impossible?

Then, Vaatu's voice overtook his host body. "No, now there is nothing to stop me!" The ground shook beneath Korra, jouncing her enough that she actually flipped over without having to move herself. A few yards away, Unalaq's eyes were wide with panic for only an instant before red light consumed them. Harsh black and red light stretched over his body. He grew in size, changed shape, until it was Vaatu, in a more humanoid form, towering above her. Unavaatu. "Ten thousand years of darkness begins!"

Unavaatu's clawed hand reached up to touch the center of the bowed portals. Lightning flashed. It was the last thing Korra remembered seeing as her adrenaline finally burned off and the searing pain consumed her.

When she opened her eyes again, she was soaking wet, a faint blue light surrounded her, and Jinora looked down on her, looking like she was about to cry. "Oh, Korra," she whispered.

Just as Asami spotted the light of Katara's healing hut in the distance, the air changed, as well as the sky. Instead of stars, the atmosphere turned a bright purple and the green southern lights slithered across every inch of sky. When Asami glanced back and saw the portal still standing in the distance, her heart sank. Had Korra failed?

A second after the thought crossed her mind, a smattering a pain hit her. Korra was fighting, maybe with Vaatu or Unalaq or both. A man sitting behind her asked if she was all right as a mighty shudder broke over her body after a particular striking sensation in her gut. She felt like she was on fire. "Soulmate," she managed through clenched teeth. "I'm fine."

It surprised her when he said, "She seems strong. Don't worry too much."

A mixture of pride and relief overwhelmed her then and she sat up straighter. "Thank you." How he could tell she was worried sick was beyond her because she thought she'd been keeping it together well enough.

Then, just as Oogi braced to land outside Katara's, Asami let go of the reins and slipped sideways off the air bison, curling in on herself as a sharp sting set across her shoulders. She was sure the fall into the mercifully fluffy snow a few feet below hurt a bit, but it was drowned in Korra's aches. She recovered a moment later and was able to push up onto her hands and knees.

Light spilled out across her face and crunching, quick footsteps caught in her ear. "Asami? What are you doing here?" It was Senna, holding a lamp, her hand extended to help Asami up.

Asami gripped it eagerly and found her footing. "I brought back some injured soldiers." And removed myself from Unalaq's twisted game, she added on mentally.

Senna glanced up at the saddle. A few of the men and women still able to walk were sliding down Oogi's tail. "What about the others? Are they okay?"

She's asking about her husband and Korra, Asami thought. "They were running off to fight Unalaq when I left. I—" the rest of the words fell away and a scream burst from her lips. Her head felt like it was caught between two boulders that an earthbender was slowly pushing together. And her chest felt like a firebender was pressing a blazing palm to her bare skin. Her limbs throbbed, too, but it was nothing compared to the building pressure in her head.

Arms wrapped around her and it took Asami several seconds to realize she was twitching against Senna's warm body, her legs having given out on her, pitching her forward into the woman.

"Asami, what's wrong?" Senna sounded alarmed. Asami tried to answer but she was suddenly struck with the sensation of being torn in two.

"K—" was all the answer she could force herself to give before she released a hiss of pain and snapped her teeth together. Her tongue throbbed hard in her mouth. Korra, what's happening to you?!

"It's her soulmate." Asami made out Katara's weathered, old face through her blurry eyes. Was she crying or was she in so much pain, she couldn't focus? Katara gestured back to the open door of her hut, or what Asami assumed was the door All she could make out was a yellow rectangle of light. "Help the rest of the soldiers down and get them inside. I'll try to help her anyway I can." The old waterbending master brushed Asami's forehead, where the mostly healed cut was.

Senna carefully shifted Asami to the ground as the pain started to lessen. What was happening to Korra now? Was Unalaq torturing her?

"I can carry her." Asami opened her eyes enough to see the man who'd been behind her.

Just as he stooped, his hands hovering around her, a severe blow inside her overwhelmed her senses. She blacked out for only a moment and came to in the man's arms. Just before he passed through the threshold of the hut, the sky flashed red and black. That definitely wasn't good.

Asami allowed the man to carry her to a cot inside only because she was certain she couldn't stand. While the intensity faded from her body, she still ached terribly, as if her body were covered in bruises.

Once she was lying on a cot, Senna sat beside her a placed a thick fur blanket over her. Asami tried to rise but her back muscles spasmed and Senna put a light, brushing hand on her shoulder. "Careful, honey. Please don't strain yourself."

The older woman stroked Asami's hair and Asami was suddenly very self-conscious. This was Korra's mom, fussing over her. Korra's mom, who was probably worried sick about the wellbeing of her daughter. Asami's heart clenched and she shied away from Senna's touch. It was only making what Asami had to say harder.

"Korra," she tried to speak, now that she didn't feel like screaming anymore. "Something happened to her." And here's the part where I have to tell you I'm your daughter's soulmate.

Senna looked exhausted all of a sudden. "I figured as much."

Asami colored instantly. "What makes you say that?"

"You were in so much pain." Senna looked away, misty-eyed.

"So you know we're soulmates?" Asami flushed deeper and fought the urge to hide under the blanket.

"Korra's not very subtle, I'm sure you've noticed." Senna smiled, still not looking at her. "And the way you look at her, look after her..."

Asami was surprised her face didn't burst into flames. Normally it was Korra who'd get this flustered. But Korra wasn't here. She was out there, hurt, maybe in danger. Tears formed in Asami's eyes. She had to do something. Maybe get out there and find Korra. What if she needed help or—

"I...this might be rude or selfish of me to ask but, can you still feel her? Or..." Senna choked off.

Asami didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes, I can." Her whole body still felt part of what Korra felt. Which meant Korra was, at the very least, still alive. She found Senna's hand and gripped it with as much strength as she could muster. "She's still alive." Saying it out loud brought her an unexpected amount of relief.

"Thank goodness," Senna breathed. "Tonraq told me he's okay, but still fighting." A long sighed escaped her and Asami thought the woman aged another year in the short span of time.

But Senna's words reminded Asami. She sent the three pulses to Korra even though her fingers ached and nearly cried when she got two back a second later. "She's okay, too, she just told me."

A sniffle from the woman beside her made Asami more alert. Senna's free hand darted up to her face and away. Asami considered breaking Senna's plea to rest in favor of hugging her when there was a sudden commotion across the room. The sound of water sloshing about, followed by several gasps made both women look up.

Katara held Jinora upright in the healing pool. The young girl coughed feebly. Asami started to get up slowly, her sore-feeling muscles protesting, and Senna helped her to her feet, tucking the blanket around her before steering her to the pool's edge.

"Jinora what happened?" Katara asked, pulling the girl from the water and swaddling her.

Jinora shivered but her cheeks held more color than they had in days. "Dad's helping Korra with a plan to defeat Unavaatu."

"So they fused?" Asami paled. Korra hadn't been able to stop them?

Jinora nodded grimly. "It's not good. He even Raava, the light spirit, right out of Korra."

So that's what having your spiritual half ripped out of you felt like, Asami joked darkly. No wonder Korra was in such excruciating pain. "She said she was okay," Asami whispered. Jinora's description sounded like the contrary.

"She wanted you to know she survived. But I think she will be okay." Jinora shivered again, but her brown eyes were bright and hopeful as she looked right at Asami. "Dad thinks he knows how to help get Raava back."

Let me know if something doesn't make sense. I copy/pasted sections of this from three different devices and I got a little mixed up rereading it, so hopefully it's okay, but if not, like I said, let me know and I'll fix it. Thanks for reading!