A/N: Hi everyone! I'm gonna do something a little different with this fic. Instead of writing from a brooding/introspective Mako point of view (which I absolutely LOVE doing haha!) I decided to challenge myself and write from Korra's point of view, much like Winter Sun. This prompt was suggested to me by my twin brother (who is AWESOME, by the way!) and I thought that I'd do it. Anyway, let me know what you think. As always, please review! Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I can't firebend. Mako is not my boyfriend. Therefore, I don't own The Legend of Korra.
The Trouble with Airbending
She just couldn't do it. And that made her three different types of crazy. She had excelled at the other three types of bending. Waterbending was the first of the four elements that she mastered, and it came easily to her. Water was calm and gentle, push and pull, Yin and Yang. Even though it was her native element, she wasn't the most like it, but she could be at times. She was the kind of person to go against the flow, but occasionally she went with it. Water provides healing, and to do what was necessary, she could be kind and gentle when the need arose. Earth was the second element she mastered. It came as easily and as naturally as water had. She couldn't say that she was down to earth or a grounded person all of the time, but she was comfortable with who she was, confident, and was never afraid to speak her mind.
But fire. Fire was most like her, came the most naturally. She was like a flame herself, both a small spark and burning inferno. Fire was life, and she brimmed over with it. Fire was destruction, and sometimes she caused more harm than good. Despite her various mistakes with learning each element, she felt attuned to the physical side of bending. She was good at it, and she knew it. So she expected air to come as naturally. But she never airbended once. Even as a child, she could lift a pebble, produce a small flame, and form a whip of water. Yet she couldn't airbend.
Tenzin once told her that the hardest element for the Avatar to master was the one most opposite of his or hers personality. Air was the element of freedom. And come to think of it, she never felt really and truly free. The moment she was discovered to be the next Avatar, what little freedom she had as a child ceased. She was no longer allowed to live with her parents. She was shut up in a compound, her only human contact was with the White Lotus Sentries watching her every move, her teachers, and the visits she had with her parents. She knew no one her age. Every day was planned out for her, following a strict training schedule. No, early on she never felt free. Her first true glimpse of freedom was when she left for Republic City. She made that choice on her own, and in secret. She was independent, experiencing cultures and lives different than her own. For the first time in a long time, she felt free.
But even though she had a little taste of freedom, she still couldn't airbend. She tried everything. She meditated morning, afternoon, and night. She walked herself through stances for hours on end. She went through the spinning gates until she was bruised and battered. Still, she couldn't produce one measly puff of air. And it frustrated her to no end.
So it made no sense to her that the first time she airbended was when he was in danger. Amon had him in his blood bending grip, forced him to his knees, fingers mere inches from his forehead, about to take his Firebending away forever. Thinking her bending gone for good, she did the only thing she could do. She punched outward with all her might, and was thoroughly surprised when a whirlwind or air whooshed through her fingers, blasting Amon out a window. She could finally airbend.
But it puzzled her. She had followed Tenzin's training exactly. She put in hours and hours of concentration and hard work. She had done anything to try and airbend. So why did she, when her one true love was threatened? Maybe it was because Amon had blocked her access to all the other elements, unlocking the one that was originally blocked. Perhaps it was because she was under extreme pressure, seeing him about to lose a part of himself. But, as she stood enveloped in his arms in the remains of the shattered window that Amon had made his exit, she would like to think that it was love. For isn't love the greatest freedom of all?
End
A/N: So what did you think? I'm actually quite proud of this one. I have one last Makorra fic lined up for the week, and I've made sure that its chock full of fluff, so no worries there! Expect it sometime tomorrow, or Monday at the latest. So keep your eyes peeled! Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and please REVIEW!