[ actually that makes bolin the best impromptu sparring partner right now because when he goes down, korra actually feels like she's accomplished something. though really, when she comes down from her adrenaline high she'll feel bad for taking advantage of bolin like that. ]

Yeah, you heard me! [ but her voice trembles and she looks like she could set something on fire, which makes it good that her bending is nerfed here.

otherwise she'd burn every tree to the ground. ] Just sitting there with that smug face and acting like nothing was wrong!

[ and she feels helpless, so, so helpless because she can't do anything to make things even between herself and grell. she knows almost nothing about the reaper other than the fact that she has a crazy powerful weapon and — there's nothing she can do. korra's never been one for cold-blooded revenge, but a dark part of her feels that she'd be okay being the one to claim grell's shard.

she can't say that, though. she can't put words to that dark part of her because she doesn't want to shed light in the shadows. that part needs to stay under wraps because korra doesn't want to slide down that slippery slope.

protection is her motivation. protection, not murder.

but as she stands there, going over and over this in her head, she feels her hands start to shake, closing her eyes tightly as she fights back tears, hating this feeling. this is almost as bad as facing down amon and knowing there's no way she can defend or attack against someone with a psychic connection to his bloodbending. the breath she draws into her trembles and she has to take a step back. ]

I was so scared... [ her voice is quiet, matching how tiny she feels in this great big war. ] I thought—... I was too late.