Broken mirrors mean we see a distorted view of ourselves
Korra isn't afraid; she stubbornly calls out "You again," so we know that she's used to this version of herself by now. Stalker Korra looks exactly as Korra did while fighting Zaheer in the Avatar State. Hair is long, with front ponytails and loose in the back. He rclothes are ripped. Zaheer's chain is wrapped around her forearm, and her eyes glow. Stalker Korra is silent as she whips the chain from her own arm around Korra's legs, pulling them out from under her. Korra falls on her back, and Stalker Korra now whips the chain around one of Korra's wrists. Korra, tired of being menaced, blasts fire at the vision, yelling at it while she does.
She is instantly returned to reality, where there is no attacker, and plenty of spectators. One wants to bring her to a doctor, but Korra zips away. How has she come to this?
It all started so optimistically three years ago, at the dock at Republic City. Though Korra was still in a wheelchair, and going back to the South Pole to rest, everyone was so sure Korra would be back soon, fully recovered. Asami offered to go with; Bolin was already writing nostalgic letters. Tenzin urged her to focus only on her recovery, as the Air Benders would be keeping the peace. But nightmares of her poisoning plagued her. When Zaheer's poison triggered the Avatar State in which he would kill her, her connection to Raava became something to resist, something dangerous to her and future Avatars. Since her poisoning and fight with Zaheer, she's been unable to enter the Avatar State. Somehow, Raava has been cut off from her.
Her mother finds her brooding at home late at night, Auroral lights playing beyond them. She and Tonraq have been patient, but they've had to worry in silence as Korra has had trouble sleeping and eating. She begs Korra to see Katara, Aang's widow and water-bending healer of days before. In Katara's bath, Korra learns that the poison caused numerous internal injuries. Katara is hopeful Korra can heal herself. But she stresses that most of the healing will need to come from Korra's own focus. Korra is relieved that someone can help her, declaring that she wants to heal and return to her Avatar duties more than anything. And Katara can give her something no one else has, when a simple visualization exercise results in Korra finally moving one of her toes. Korra is excited and ready to continue.
Physical therapy consists mostly of re-learning how to walk with parallel bars. She has numerous failures. Katara explains that her subconscious believes she is still in danger, keeping her from focusing on what she wants to do. It will just take time for her body to realize she's out of danger. Korra eventually loses her motivation, because one session just doesn't begin. Katara is patiently sipping tea, looking suspiciously like Iroh whenever he waited patiently for Zuko to realize what was right, but Korra explodes in frustration. She blurts out that Katara can't help her, and realizes a second later how rude that is to the woman who has spent her time doing just that for months. Katara takes it all in stride. Korra is right, she says. Korra must help herself. She gives Korra another visualization exercise. This time, Korra should imagine herself walking the full length of the parallel bars. At the end, Naga sits waiting for her. When she tries this, the first steps are hard, but she does manage to get to the end, where Naga lets Korra collapse on her.
It isn't long before Tenzin is called to the South Pole to see Korra's recovery for himself. She's ecstatic to see her old teacher, running into him for a hug, and insisting that he watch her spar. Her fire bending is great, but when her sparring partners attack, she instantly flashes back to Zaheer, lunging at her with his precise and perfect strikes, that Korra could not defeat herself. She freezes, and the sparring partners' fire bending knocks her over. Tenzin instantly zooms to her side, calling off the match. Korra is angry at herself. She should be out there in the world, working on bringing safety to the Earth Kingdom. Tenzin reminds her that Kuvira, formerly a guard of Zao Fu, is working on that. He's about to give her advice, but Korra cuts him off with a warning that it better not be to be patient. Tenzin must improvise, and decides that Korra should just learn to be content with the healing she's already done, and not rush things. Korra knows perfectly well that means, "Be patient."
Back in Dusty Town, Earth Kingdom, Korra once again trudges home, like a kid who got pummeled in dodgeball. She stops at the stone steps that lead out of town when a shadow flickers by her. She turns forward again to see a small, shaggy, white dog. With lovely green eyes. It's a cute thing, a bag dog, really. And it seems to like Korra right away.
Will you be my friend?
Her attention on her new bud is broken only by another sight at the top of the stairs. Fog rolls in as Stalker Korra appears. Korra looks ready to fight, but her new friend starts first. He barks so ferociously, and so squarely at Stalker Korra, that Korra realizes the dog sees her too. For the first time, she's not alone in seeing her demon. And for the first time, Stalker Korra goes away.
So, can I ask you for directions?
Instead of answers, the dog merely gives a couple excited yips, and bounds away, past the steps and into the surrounding countryside. Korra follows, realizing the dog has something to show her.
Back at the South Pole, still convalescing, Korra starts reading her mail. At first, everyone has only the news that they miss her. But that soon changes. Asami's Future Industries gets a huge contract that will totally revitalize Republic City. Mako is back at nabbing criminals. Bolin, with flowerly language and childish drawings, is setting off with Varrick and Kuvira to help the Earth Kingdom. Instead of helping her connect with her friends, their letters only serve to remind her that she's going nowhere, physically and spiritually. She finally confides to Asami, via her only letter, that she's still unable to enter the Avatar State, though she says nothing of seeing Zaheer in her mind. And she begs Asami to keep what she writes secret from the others.
Tired of being cooped up, Korra asks her parents to allow her to return to Republic City. Neither particularly wants her to go, but Korra tells them it may help her recuperate to be with her friends. Tonraq wants to send her with his trusted warriors; Korra decides to go alone, in a simple sailboat. She launches off from the Southern Water Tribe, confident she'll be in Republic City soon.
Her first stop, finally out of cold waters, leads her to a small fishing town, probably in the Earth Kingdom. She's instantly recognized by someone who is a huge fan of Aang, his most famous customer ever. He's literally been making a living off of selling the same treat Aang had years ago, and Korra is happy to accept some from him, too. And she's happy to help out when thieves strike further down the beach. But, after confronting them, she's terrified suddenly by a vision. Of herself. In the Avatar State, just as she was when fighting Zaheer. She flounders, and the thieves make off. The two onlookers gather, now wondering whether she really is the Avatar after all. After defeating Zaheer and Amon and Unalaq, she's lost a fight to simple thieves?
Hoping that Republic City will be a little easier than the fishing village, she proceeds on. And she's almost there. She can see the city. And she can see Stalker Korra again, perched high above the entrance to the bay. They don't fight, but Korra is spooked enough to think she's not ready to return. Her boat heads away. Camped for the night, Korra decides it's time to go undercover. She drowns her traditional Southern Water Tribe garb. She cuts her hair. And Korra's journey begins for real.
She starts by returning to the South Pole, where the portal between Spirit and Physical Worlds remains open, streaming cosmic energy far into the night sky. It's cold, but Korra somehow gets by with just a hoodie. She steps into the Spirit World, to see the Tree of Time, right where she left it. It's now surrounded by spirits, one of which looks like a gargantuan gray whale. Her, she tries to repeat her meditation from years ago. The last time, she reconnected with her own spirit. She now hopes to reconnect with Raava. While she tries, a small spirit notices her.
He's short, with four arms, two legs, and leaves for ears. The other spirits don't believe him when he points out that it's the Avatar, because they can't sense Raava's spirit with her. When they also decide that this woman looks different from the Avatar, Korra can't resist contradicting them. The spirits realize that Korra's tale of her recent past explains why they can't sense Raava with her. Leaf Ears offers to help her find Raava. But, after years of being told she can be helped, Korra rejects any hope that anyone can help her. Not even the Tree of Time has been able to show her Raava. She rises to leave, and informs the spirits that she'll have to find Raava by herself.
What could you do, anyway?
Why not just go to Jinora, who found Raava last time? It's sure a lot easier than crossing the realms, enduring lava and heat at volcanoes, and the cold, and the desert. All to the narration of one of Korra's fake letters home to her parents. Stalker Korra is everywhere she goes, always in the distance. Always menacing her, convincing her that she'll never fully recover. Finally, crossing sand dunes in the Earth Kingdom's desert waste, she looks up from a valley to see... Raava!
Really? Here in the desert?
In all her glory, suspended in air at the top of the next dune. Or, rather, she is, until Korra actually reaches her vision, to find it's nothing. There are just sand dunes going on to the horizon.
Finally, tired from the road, Korra manages to walk into Dusty Town, Earth Kingdom. Where Stalker Korra appears again. This time, Korra wants a confrontation. She decides that she's ending Stalker Korra, and follows her over rooftops. Stalker Korra appears at the entrance to an arena, featuring earth benders fighting for money. When Stalker Korra appears in the ring, Korra gets the message. And a beating. The spectators think two anonymous women are fighting. But really, Avatar Korra loses horribly to Stalker Korra, until she collapses. Can Korra ever defeat her nemesis?
Little White Bag Dog gives her hope, and she follows him all through the night until he proceeds into the wild swamp beyond town. Korra hesitates at first, but when she breaks through into the trees and bog, the dog instantly transforms into Little Leaf. Korra at first feels deceived, but Little Leaf reminds her that she's refused his help before. Korra, after admitting Little Leaf is right, then asks what she's looking for. Little Leaf capers off, but not before telling it's not what, but who's she's looking for. Korra follows for an explanation, but ends up falling into a pool when she sees Stalker Korra blocking her path.
Here to ruin all your travels...
After her defeat the night before, she's cautious. And after months of being followed, she's adamant that Stalker Korra is only in her mind. Which she realizes is a false hope the second Stalker Korra knocks her into a tree with fire bending.
Korra tries to flee up a gigantic swamp tree, but Stalker Korra once again uses her chain to trap Korra. First, though, Stalker Korra slams the chain into the ground at her feet, causing an unexplained white goo to form on the ground. Once Stalker Korra has Korra caught by the ankle with the chain, the white goo starts sucking her down and under. Korra can't keep herself from being pulled from the tree, falling into the white goo and being sucked under with barely a call for help.
Korra awakes in a dark cave. The only other person there is an obviously old woman, bent over a fire and pot. Korra asks how the woman found her. She confidently tells Korra that nothing happens in the swamp without her knowing, and asks what Korra was doing there anyway. Korra says she was supposed to find someone, and wonders if this old woman was the someone. The old woman isn't sure, but says that Korra should trust her Avatar instincts. Korra is worried. How does this woman know who she is? The old woman calmly tells Korra that she'd know her old friend Twinkletoes anywhere. Korra lights a flame in her hand as she realizes her host is....
Toph?
With the return of the always-confident Toph Beifong, will Korra find out how to defeat Stalker Korra? Or, will she learn she always had the capability? What is Stalker Korra? Maybe a manifestation of Korra's insecurities following a year of constant fighting for her life and bending abilities, and the life of Raava? Is Stalker Korra a reminder of what's blocking Korra from the Avatar State and Raava- that the last time, the Avatar State could have cost her her life and broken the chain of future Avatars? Or, is Stalker Korra simply the break with past lives catching up with her?
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