I DO NOT OWN KORRA!
Mako ran around the corner with the weakened Korra in his arms. He was trying to get them both as far away from Amon as possible after he had taken Korra's bending. "He… he took my bending…" She whispered weakly as he turned another corner.
"It's okay." He tried to sooth as he looked over his shoulder.
"How?" She asked upset that he would think it was okay for her, the avatar, to lose her bending. "I'm the Avatar. It's not okay for the Avatar to lose their bending." Mako slowed and looked down at her.
"Because you're not just an avatar, you're Korra. It doesn't matter if you have your bending or not, you're still going to be Korra."
"What's so special about that?" She asked as he anger grew a bit more, despite being extremely weak from having her bending taken away.
Mako glanced over his shoulder before he slowed even more. "With your bending or without it, you're special. Korra is what makes the Avatar special, not the other way around."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked confused.
"It means I love you." He blurted out as he stopped. "Why do you always have to make everything so hard?"
"Mako…" Suddenly she was tossed from his arms hitting the ground hard as Mako was slammed to the ground, his body contorted. "Mako!" She called as Amon pulled him up into a position so he could take the young man's bending.
"I was surprised. No one's ever been able to get the jump on me." Amon told him. "So much potential. It's such a shame I have to take it all away. Be prepared to be equalized."
As Amon reached out Korra felt her heart stop. She had to do something, anything. She pushed herself to her feet. "No!" She screamed throwing a punch. "I can air bend?" She asked looking at her fist before she grinned. "I can air bend!" She yelled throwing what energy she had in her to throw punch after punch, kick after kick. Each sending a blast of air at Amon, knocking him off balance before the last gust shoved him out the window and into the bay.
"Korra…" Mako smiled at her as he stood up. Suddenly there was a sear of water that had pierced through his lower ribs. As the water fell apart, it was bent into a whip, grabbing his leg and flinging him into the bay.
"Mako!" Korra screamed as she reached out to him but it was too late. He was already gone beneath the water's surface. "Mako!" She called again and again but she was only met with the murmurs of the crowd.
"Korra!" Bolin called as he made it through the crowd with Asami, Iroh and Naga at his side. Korra dropped to her knees staring into the bay, searching for any sign of Mako.
"What's going on?" Iroh asked before Naga took off to get to her friend as the others followed.
"Korra." Asami said as they walked closer. Naga was nuzzling Korra while Asami knelt on the other side of her, reaching out to touch her arm feeling her tremble. "Korra." She whispered making her look up at her friend.
"He… he…" She trailed off with tears in her eyes. She couldn't even say what had happened to the man she loved.
"Where's Mako?" Bolin asked only to have Korra stand and stumble a few steps to Naga before they disappeared. "Korra!" He called after her but she was gone leaving more questions than answers behind her.
Before she knew it, she was on the cliffs of Air Temple Island where she fell to the ground crying. After a few minute Tenzin slowly walked closer to her. "Korra." He could see her tense at the sound of his voice. "Would you like to talk about what happened?" Korra turned her head away. After a minute he thought she was not going to talk so he turned to leave her alone in hopes, she would seek him out to talk about what happened.
"Amon." She said making him stop and turn back to her. "He took my bending and then took Mako." Tenzin watched her. He was worried about not only the title of the Avatar, and the Avatar losing her bending but he was afraid for Korra. The girl he had been watching over and teaching for almost a year. That wild, stubborn young woman was now sitting in front of him as a scared girl. "Amon was going to take Mako's bending but I knocked him into the bay with Air bending and then he water bent a spear into Mako then pulled him into the bay." Korra stood up as angry and heartbroken tears rolled down her face. "Was it all really worth it?! All that fighting, losing my bending and losing Mako, was it really worth it to stop Amon?" She cried before Tenzin pulled her to him and held her tight as he did when his own daughters cried. She was just like his own daughter, he looked after her as if she was and sometimes he really believed it. It hurt seeing her so upset. He had to do something.
"Let's search the bay and see if we can find him. He may be hurt somewhere in the bay waiting for you to find him." Tenzin said as he pulled back to look at her. "Let's get the others and search before we go to my mother. She may be able to do something to give you back your bending." Korra looked up at him, tears still falling. She was glad he was there; through everything, he had made sure she was safe and taken care of, just as he did with his own daughters. She felt as if she was part of his family and it helped a little to know she had a family here in Republic City even though she was completely alone. Tenzin led the way, still with an arm around her shoulders, walking back to the temple, to give what support he could.
"Korra!" Bolin and Asami called running to her. "Thank the spirits you're okay." Bolin's smile fell seeing how broken and lost Korra looked. "What's wrong?"
"Bolin." Tenzin said, pulling the attention away from the hurting Korra. "Amon injured Mako and pulled him into the bay." Bolin froze at the words and barely registered the gasp Asami gave.
He shook his head in shock. "What? No…" He refused to believe his brother was missing and possibly dead.
"Before we come to conclusions we need to search the bay." Tenzin announced. Bolin turned his fearful green eyes and found Korra crying silently again. Bolin had lost his parents when he was young, and his big brother was all he had. Now he was alone. "Let's go search." Tenzin interrupted his thoughts.
Asami glanced at the others. "I'll take this side, Korra. you and Bolin take Naga and search by the city where he was pulled in."
"I'll search from the sky with Oogi." Tenzin added. The five moved as fast as they could in hope of finding an injured Mako somewhere waiting for them to help him.
"I'm so sorry Bolin…" She said softly as she looked over her shoulder at him. He was sitting on Naga's saddle behind her, silent. "I… I tried, I just couldn't…" She shook her head as more tears fell. Asami reached out and pulled her into a hug, the two young women may not have seen eye to eye when it came to a relationship with Mako but they were good friends and always stuck together. Bolin could not move. His body was frozen as everything filtered through his head at once.
"I know you wouldn't have just let it happen." Bolin told her as he tried to wrap his head around what they were saying. He knew Korra would not have just sat by and watched but he did feel angry at her for not doing something anything, no matter how much he really did know she did everything she could. he was trying to listen to that side of him that didn't blame Korra, he know it was right but the pain from thinking about never seeing his brother again brought other thoughts.
"I should have got in the way or… or… don't something." Korra was clearly frustrated with herself, he knew there was nothing she could have done but seeing the man she loved be taken away and now the look on his brother's face was too much. She shook her head before she climbed from the saddle and took a step away. "Take Naga up the bank that way. I'll go this way. We'll be able to cover more ground."
Bolin looked out at the bay. It was too large, and if Mako was hurt, they needed to be able to find him as fast as they could. He furrowed his brow seeing something in the water. It was not a person but he could not make out what it was. "Korra, what's that?" He asked making her look out at the object. She took off running into the water without a word prying it was a sign that Mako was close. "Korra!" Bolin called after her as she continued to run. He jumped for Naga's saddle and ran after her.
"Mako…" Korra whispered as she dropped to her knees in the water as Bolin stopped behind her seeing her began to shake with silent sobs.
"Korra." He reached out to touch her shoulder, making her look at him as she held a scrap of soaked red fabric close to her. "No…" He said as she slowly and shakily handed the fabric to him.
"Bolin… I…" Bolin clutched the fabric tight. He felt the tears burning his eyes and he was just so angry. He turned and walked away without a word, leaving Korra to call after him. "Bolin!" Naga made her way to Korra's side with a whine. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she buried her face in Naga's fur. "I'm so sorry." She cried. She had always been the strong one, the one to stand up and push though pain and fear but she felt empty, like there was nothing left. Her bending had been taken, Mako was missing. She felt so lost.
A month passed and Korra was given a second chance to be the Avatar. Aang had come to her and gave her, her power as the Avatar back. He also gave her the knowledge to give other back their bending as well. She had given Lin's bending back in the South Pole and surprised everyone. She was feeling more alive again but there was still a large piece of her that was lost. Tenzin flew everyone back to the island where Korra quickly began giving those attacked by Amon, their bending back. The city was alive and happy, the citizens were rejoicing with their newly revived bending. Korra was glad she could help but there was one person she felt like she was failing more and more each day. Bolin.
Bolin had cut himself off from everyone as much as possible. He had stopped hanging around with Korra and Asami, and mostly stayed in his room at the temple avoiding contact with anyone. Korra did not know what to do, it was hurting more and more with each day that passed that Bolin refused to talk to her or even look at her, she felt his blame and she could help but feel she deserved it. She blamed herself for Mako's disappearance and even after a month, she still had nightmares about it every night. some nights she was able to control herself and not wake anyone up while other nights she woke half the island as she jolted awake with screams in her throat. She was glad that Asami was the only one who went to her rescue. She did not want anyone else to see her so broken, she did not even what Asami to see it but she was glad to have her friend at her side when she could not hold herself up any more. Tenzin did his best to help without Korra really knowing. He knew about her nightmares and he knew she was still blaming herself. He tried to get her to train and build her air bending as much as she could, he found different things to keep her mind from wandering back to Mako and Bolin, but he could only do so much before she crumbled at the face of her dreams.
One night Tenzin stood speaking with the white lotus guards when he saw Bolin wandering in the dark. He called the young man over as the guards left. "I'm just off for a walk." Bolin told him looking out into the dark towards the shore. Before Tenzin could say a word, they heard screaming coming from the girls dormitories making both men jump as they looked in the direction. "What's going on?" Bolin asked worried as Tenzin only gave a sigh.
"It's Korra. She's having another nightmare." The screaming stopped and the island was silent once again.
"She's been having nightmares?" Bolin asked. A part of him was angry that she did not save his brother but he was still friends with her, she was still like a sister to him and he still worried about her.
Tenzin nodded as he looked at Bolin. This was the first time since the attack that Bolin seemed to be coming back to his old self when talking about his friends. Tenzin knew Korra did not like people knowing how broken she was but maybe it would help her and Bolin both if he knew what she has been going through. "She's been having them a lot since the attack. Asami told me it's been nearly every night that she goes in to sit with her until she falls back to sleep."
"Why didn't she say anything?" Bolin asked aloud mostly to himself.
"Because she doesn't want anyone to see her like that. She's tough, and she wants others to only see that. besides she thinks you blame her for what happened to Mako." Bolin's eyes shot to the older man. "You haven't talked to her, she blames herself and assumes you blame her as well. She wouldn't want to tell you about this to make it seem like she wants sympathy from you." Bolin furrowed his brow wondering how she could think something like that. "Asami is most likely in with her now. Perhaps you should talk to her in the morning."
Bolin thought a minute, remembering what Mako did when they were younger when Bolin had a bad dream about something they had been through while in the gang. "I'm going to see if Asami needs any help."
"Bolin." Tenzin said stopping him. "Don't rush in. She may not want to admit it but she is fragile right now." Bolin gave a quick nod before making his way to Korra's room. Stopping at the door, he wondered if it was a good idea to try to talk to her now. Then he heard Asami's voice.
"It's okay. It's all over." She soothed as Korra tried to control herself again.
"it's been so long. Why won't it go away?" Korra cried. "I know it's my fault why does my brain have to keep reminding me?"
Bolin looked down. He knew he had not helped the situation any. He was brought back to the conversation hearing Asami again. "Sh. I thought we settled this when we went to the South Pole. There was no way you could have saved him. We are all hurt and wish we could have done something. If only we didn't let you two go alone maybe we could have done something. Maybe if you two went with us none of this would have happened. There are so many what if and maybes, it's no one's fault. You know Mako wouldn't want you to be crying over something you had no control over."
He felt his heart break. He had been so broken over losing his brother he never realized that Asami had lost a close friend, and Korra had lost someone she loved. "How can you not blame me? I blame me and Bolin blames me. Why don't you? I was right there. I could have… could have…" Korra was desperately trying to control herself and pull her emotions back to normal. She could not understand why she was falling apart so easily, more and more.
"Korra." Asami said more stern this time. "I know you wouldn't have just sat there while Amon attacked. I know you and I know your feelings for Mako. I also happen to know that if you had gotten in the way and it was you missing that Mako wouldn't be half as pulled together as you are now. He and I dated but I saw it more and more, how much he really cared for you. We only had an attraction to each other, what I saw between you was love." Asami explained as Korra sniffled. "No one who loves a person would let anything happen if they had a choice. So don't blame yourself, blame Amon for doing this."
There was a moment of silence. Bolin was hurting and at times he felt like there was nothing left, he felt so empty without his brother there; he knew everyone was hurting but he felt like he should be hurting the worst. He never knew just how much Korra was truly hurt from the event. "I'm sorry I woke you again." Korra whispered
"I told you when I first started coming in to you, I'm here for you. We all need to stick together. We need to keep going and carry each other in the hard times. You helped me when I found out my father was an Equalist and I couldn't hold up. Now I can hold up the world for a while so you can feel better." Asami paused a minute. "Try to go back to sleep. You know you're going to be exhausted if you don't."
"Thanks Asami." Korra said softly. "Good night."
"Any time." Asami said before opening the door to leave. Bolin quickly hid in the shadows as Asami walked to the door and made her way back to her bedroom. He pulled out the scrap of fabric that was once a part of a long scarf that was passed from his father to his brother. He had been so selfish. He loved his brother but he knew the others did too and he knew Korra held a different love for Mako, one that tore her apart about as bad as he was. He held the fabric close remembering how Mako had been around Korra. He had teased his brother about his feelings for Korra and had even gotten him to admit his true feelings while they were waiting for the allied forces. Now it all seemed like some dream.
Bolin slowly opened the door and found Korra curled up on her bed with her back to the door, still shaking with silent sobs. He quietly walked over and laid a hand on her arm making her jump and turn to look at him, surprised as he knelt down beside the bed. "Bolin." She sat up seeing tears fall from his green eyes. Korra wiped her own tears away trying to pretend nothing had just happened.
"why didn't' you tell me?" He asked her. "Why did you blame yourself? Why did you think I blamed you? I might be hurting too but I would never blame you for what happened and I could have helped somehow with your bad dreams."
"Bolin…" She trailed off.
Bolin shook his head, clenching the fabric in his hand as more tears fell. "I loved my brother. He was always there and always knew what to do. Now he's gone. I don't know what to do."
"I'm so sorry." Korra started to cry again.
"I'm mad he's gone. I'm mad he left me when he always promised he would be there for me no matter what. I'm mad at him for not coming back, I'm mad at Amon for doing this, and I'm mad at myself for being so mad." He looked at her as seriously as he could. "But, I was never mad at you." Korra tried to wipe the tears away as they fell from her dull blue eyes. He never realized just how dull they had gone since Amon attacked. He remembered what Mako had told him about his feelings for Korra. Mako had made sure of Bolin's feelings first before he admitted what he really felt for the avatar. "Did he…? Did he say anything before…. Before everything?" Korra blinked at him a minute as Mako's voice fluttered through her head again. All she could do was nod as she remembered what he said. "What did he say?"
"He… he.." She stumbled on her words knowing that at one time Bolin had feelings for her and she did not want to cause any more problems than there already were.
"Did he tell you?" He asked as she looked at him confused. He sounded hopeful. Again, she nodded and she saw a smile spread across his face as he grinned at her. "Mako was trying to keep it secret. I started teasing him after we got you back when Tarlock took you and then finally before you guys left to fight Amon he admitted it. I made him promise that he would tell you."
Korra gave a small smile. "I'm glad you got him to tell me." Bolin wiped away another tear from his face. "I think he's still out there somewhere." Bolin looked down at the fabric in his hand a minute before he slowly handed it to her.
"Here you keep it. It really does help a little." He offered.
Korra could not believe he was handing over the piece of fabric that had once been part of a scarf his brother never ever took off. "Bolin, I couldn't it was your dads and then Mako's…"
"I think my brother would have wanted you to have this. You were the only one he ever let wear it besides me. And even then it was only a few times." He explained and watched as she slowly took it from him and held it close to her.
"Thanks Bolin." She whispered as more tears came to her eyes.
"Mako would never forgive me if I didn't help somehow." Korra smiled at him as they cried together. "In the morning we can go look around. I think he's out there somewhere too." Korra gave a small laugh. "We better get sleep so we can go looking." The two said their good nights before Bolin went back to his bed feeling better than he had since Mako had gone missing and Korra fell off to sleep with less troubled dreams, still holding the fabric tight to her.
It was now over a year since Mako had been pulled into the bay and disappeared. Korra and the others held strong and pulled the city back in order as well as kept each other moving forward. Asami walked out to see Tenzin training his children as Korra and Bolin ran off towards the pier. She heaved a sigh as Tenzin walked over. "They going off to look again?" He asked sadly. Since the day Bolin had spoken with Korra, they had made it a deal that they would find Mako. Even a year later, they refused to give up saying they would find him.
"Of course." She replied just as sadly. "I want him to be alive just as much as they do but it just hurts more and more to keep thinking they might bring him back today but they never do."
"Some find it easier to hold onto any hope there is until it's completely gone." Tenzin explained. "I have a council meeting soon, if you would like a ride to the city."
"I should check on the company." Asami nodded before grabbing their things and they were off on Oogi to the city passing overhead of Bolin and Korra.
The two friends combed the bay just as they did every day before moving into the maze of tunnels under the city making sure they left no place unsearched. "Today for sure." Bolin's voice echoed in the dark.
"You've been saying that every day." Korra told him as she felt her hope slipping away more and more each day they went home without Mako.
"Don't lose hope on me now." Bolin told her as they came to a junction. "That way today?"
"What are ya snooping around for?" Came a call before they were under attack from every which way. Bolin and Korra only had time to jump at the sudden voice before they were knocked out. Their captors tied them up and dragged the two with them.
"Wake up!" A man yelled as he kicked Korra hard in the ribs.
"Leave her alone!" Bolin yelled as he tried to get his bearings.
A second man laughed. "Looks like someone's got a girlfriend." Korra slowly pushed herself to her feet with a deep glare at the men surrounding them.
"Don't crowd our snooping guests." An older man called making everyone back up. Korra and Bolin could see him sitting on what looked like a thrown. "You two from that gang, the triple triads?" Korra furrowed her brow as Bolin shook his head.
"We're just looking for someone we lost." Korra told him. "Just let us go and no one will get hurt."
"You go wandering around my territory and expect me to believe you were just looking for someone?" He laughed. "If that's true, I'm the avatar."
"Actually you can't be the avatar." Korra smirked as the room went silent. "First the avatar's a girl."
"Korra what are you doing?" Bolin whispered. He did not want to be in any more trouble than they already were.
"So obviously you're not the avatar." Korra continued.
"And what makes you so sure?" He played.
"Because I am." As the room burst with laughter Bolin watched, Korra twist in her restraints, planting her body the push up a block of cement before she did a flying kick releasing flames, intensified by air bending before she and Bolin pushed the cement at him. As it came up to him, it was knocked away by a blast of flames. Bolin and Korra could not believe their eyes as another man walked closer.
"Lock them up." He said. "Don't let them bend."
"Mako!" Korra and Bolin yelled in unison as tears came to their eyes at finally finding the man they both loved.
The leader looked at the man beside him. He stood nearly six foot tall with messy brown hair and bright amber eyes. Korra could not help but smile seeing the amber eyes that were accompanied by an old, torn red scarf around his neck. Korra smiled but it soon faded as Mako stood looking at them confused.
"How do you know my name?" He asked making Bolin and Korra glance at each other worried before looking back at him sadly.
"You're my big brother." Bolin told him. "You don't remember?"
Mako frowned at him before shaking his head. "I don't have family." Bolin felt like his chest was just crushed as he stared unbelieving as Mako continued to frown at them. Korra was frozen in shock before she felt her anger rising.
"You do!" She yelled as the others started dragging them away. "Bolin's you're younger brother! You have to remember! Please Mako!" she cried out as the cement doors shut behind them.
"Shut up!" A man yelled at her before throwing her and Bolin into a cage and leaving.
"This can't be happening." Bolin was on the verge of tears. "We find him and he doesn't even remember I'm his brother. How can he forget taking care of me since we were little kids?"
"He must have hit his head or something." Korra tried to reassure him. "We'll just have to make him remember. We have to." The two fell silent as they sat staring at the walls as everything sank in.
They dozed off, woke up dozed off again, time faded into nothingness in the dark. Seconds turned to hours and hours seemed like days. They could only hope that Tenzin and Asami realized they were missing and not returning to the island. Korra looked over at the snoring Bolin wondering how he could have fallen into such a deep sleep once again at a time like this. She sighed as she tried to light the room with a breath of fire but nothing came. She tried repeatedly and still nothing. Suddenly she was startled as the cement door opened.
"It's specially made." She heard as Mako walked closer holding a torch. "It's made to hold benders."
"Why would you need something like this?" Korra asked as she watched him kneel down on the other side of the bars.
"For the cause." She shrugged before continuing to explain. "We are in the process of ending the existence of the bending gangs. They run around killing and scaring everyone so they can rule the city, they need to be stopped. They killed my parents and I can't let them get away with that."
"You don't remember?" Korra asked as it finally sank in that this was not the Mako she knew and had fallen in love with.
"I would remember if I had living family." He scoffed.
"You don't…. remember…. Me either. Do you?" She asked afraid of what the answer would be.
Mako shook his head. "That one says he's my brother, but what about you? How do you know me?" Korra glanced at Bolin to make sure he was still snoring.
"We were all teammates, the three of us; we were the fire ferrets in pro-bending. We've been working together to keep the city and its benders safe from Amon and Tarlock. We went to fight him and he took my bending. You saved us and ran but Amon caught up to us and pulled you into the bay with him. Bolin and me have been looking for you for over a year."
"A year?" Mako was confused as she nodded.
"Figures we finally find you and you don't even remember us." She scoffed looking away.
"Why have you two been looking for me for that long? If what you're saying is true."
"Because." She gave a small smile. "You're family. You would do the same for either of us. You and me did it when we first met. We went looking for Bolin."
"We're family?" He asked raising a brow.
"Well you and Bolin are. Your parents were killed when you were young and you took care of Bolin ever since."
Mako looked curious. "What about you?" Korra paused. She did not know what to say. They weren't going out when he went missing but they admitted their feelings right before. She gave a small sigh as she settled on what to say as she locked her blue eyes with his amber ones.
"Why are you so curious? I thought you didn't want to know anything considering you don't know us and don't have any family." She threw back at him and watched him rub the back of his head as he looked away.
"I… I don't know. Look I don't know what's going on. I just… I…" He ended with another heavy sigh, becoming more frustrated with his mind. Korra could not help the little smile that came to her face. "What" He asked.
"Nothing." She shook her head, amused. "How long have we been in here?"
"Almost two days." He answered as Bolin gave off a loud snore. "You must be hungry." Mako said looking back at Korra as she rolled her eyes at Bolin and gave a nod. "I'll make a deal. You tell me what supposedly happened and why I can't remember you and I'll get you food."
"Ever the negotiator." She rolled her eyes at him.
"Are you always so annoying?" He asked
"You always tell me I am." She grinned proudly. "Do what do you want to know first, Mr. Hat Trick?" She watched as his eyes went wide hearing the nickname.
"That… that name…" He trailed off as he tried to think. Something clicked but nothing connected. "It's so familiar."
"It's one of the nicknames I call you." Korra started. The two sat for hours as she explained everything she knew while Bolin snored on, deep in sleep. Mako felt something pulling him to the two but he could not understand what it was. After two days, he finally gave in to get the answers he wanted. He could not take his eyes from hers until a crash shook the room making him and Korra jump to their feet. Mako ran into the other room to find out what was going on as Bolin looked around.
"What's going on?" Bolin asked as he tried to clear his mind from sleepy cobwebs. "We getting food?" Korra and Mako looked at him wondering if he was serious.
"No, I think there's a fight," She said looking at the door as it burst open and Naga barreled through running full force at the cage to break it open. "Good girl Naga." Korra smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around her.
Mako skidded to a stop as he ran back into the room. "Whoa!" Naga looked up at him. It only took a second before she knocked him down and licked his face. Korra pushed her back, as Mako looked up shocked.
"She missed you." Korra laughed as she helped him back to his feet.
"What's going on?" Bolin asked as another crash sounded.
"Police raid." Mako explained. "Come with me. I'll get you out safe."
"They're here looking for us." Korra stopped him. "They're not going to hurt us or arrest us." He looked at her confused. "Come with us. Maybe we can get your memory back somehow."
"Maybe Tenzin's mom can get his memory back." Bolin whispered.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Mako looked worried.
"Just follow your gut. It's saved me and you for all our lives." Bolin told him with a smirk.
"You can trust us. Just look inside. You know you can." Korra added. Mako looked into her eyes before there was another crash and the walls began to crack. He nodded and she grabbed his arm as they heard the others in the other room.
"Korra!" Asami called. "Bolin!"
"We're okay!" Bolin yelled as they made their way into the large room. Asami ran over relieved but stopped in her tracks seeing who was with them.
"Mako!" Asami was shocked to see him there. Mako looked at Korra confused.
"He doesn't remember anything." Bolin explained. "He doesn't even remember me." Asami looked at Bolin sympathetically. She knew how close Bolin and Mako were and to have one not remember the other had to be tearing him apart.
Tenzin stepped forward. "Let's go back to the island and we'll figure out what to do there."
That night they had all sat for hours talking about what had happened and what to do from this point. Mako was overwhelmed. There was so much he should know but he couldn't remember a thing. It was getting late and Mako decided to take a walk, to clear his head. He started for the door, noticing Bolin snapping from his own thought from his bed.
"Going for a walk?" Bolin asked and saw his brother nod. "Want some company?"
"Sure." Mako shrugged before Bolin joined him and the two brothers started their walk into the cool night air. "So." Mako started as they walked around the temple. "You're my younger brother."
"Yeah." Bolin grinned. "I don't remember much before our parents were killed but you did everything to take care of me and make sure we were always together."
"Korra said we were pro-benders."
Bolin nodded. "We did it for a few years before Korra came to the city. It paid for food, a place to live and some extra stuff. You had a job in the electric factory for a while too. Korra joined our pro-bending team when our water bender didn't show up for a match."
"So you and Korra…" Mako looked confused as Bolin chuckled and shook his head. "What?"
"I used to like her but we're not meant to be together like that. I realized she's like a sister to me not a girlfriend. Besides she didn't like me like that anyways." Bolin looked at him more serious. "You don't remember anything about her?"
Mako held his head as he tried to think. "I… I don't know." He shook his head. "I think there's something I'm supposed to tell her. It's like I'm supposed to stay with her or something…. I don't know." He was so frustrated that he felt something connecting and then it would just fail. He could not remember anything.
"I bet you'll remember her before anyone else." Bolin chuckled as Mako raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't-" He was cut off by a scream. "Korra." Bolin said before running off quickly, with Mako following him to the women's dorms. As they arrived at her door, they found Asami reaching for the knob. Asami took a step back. She and Bolin had been taking turns taking care of Korra when she had her nightmares and Bolin running down the hall meant he wanted to take his turn. She looked at Bolin confused seeing Mako standing behind him.
"Bolin…" She trailed off.
"We got her." He smiled at her.
"What's going on?" Mako asked confused as Bolin slipped into the room. Asami paused not sure, if she should tell the man who could not remember anything about the nightmares Korra was having about him. Maybe this would help though. She took a breath.
"Korra's been having nightmares about what happened to you. I guess you being here hasn't really helped anything." She looked back at Bolin talking softly to Korra, worried.
"Sorry." Korra whispered as she pulled herself together. "I don't know why I'm still having that dream. I know he's okay and safe now." She dried her eyes.
"I know what you mean. I couldn't fall asleep. I guess it's gonna take a while before we can relax." Bolin shrugged.
Korra took a slow breath. "Thanks again." She said softly. A knock on the door caused both to look over wondering who was there.
"Can I come in?" Mako asked and waited for Korra to nod. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine." She smiled, trying to hide the pain that was still in her eyes. "It was just a dream, besides Bolin's taking care of me."
"I heard." Mako wasn't sure what exactly to say or do he just knew he wanted to be in the room with her.
"I think I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight." Bolin said as he stood up. "I'll see you in the morning. Night." Korra smiled and nodded as Bolin left the two alone hoping that it would help Korra relax and maybe help Mako get some memory back.
"You've been having dreams about what happened?" He asked softly still standing in one place.
"It's nothing." She waved off as she pulled her tough exterior out. "How are you doing? Any memories come back?" She asked hopeful and she tried not to let her expression drop as she saw him shake his head.
"No…. but…" He paused rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel like I'm supposed to be here with everyone. Like I'm close to Bolin, and Asami and like I'm supposed to be here with you. I don't know, I don't understand any of it I just want to remember." He shook his head.
Korra could see he was becoming more and more frustrated as he could not remember anything so she climbed from her bed and walked closer to him to lay a gentle hand on his arm with a warm smile. "Well at least you've got something. Maybe it'll just take a bit too actually remember memories." Mako gave a nod at her suggestion and hoped she was right. "I guess we better get some sleep."
"Yeah." He said softly as he started for the door a bit awkwardly. "Night."
"Night." She replied. Before she knew it, she was alone in her room once again.
Days came and went and so did weeks and still Mako couldn't remember anything. Everyone, even Tenzin and Mako were beginning to see an effect on Korra as he continued to not remember anyone. Korra started isolating herself from her friends, only spending time with Naga as they went on walks around the island and the city, making sure to stay clear of Mako.
Today Korra sat meditating with Naga dozing off watching the children play with Bolin off to the side. She could smell the food that Asami and Pema were making cooking and she felt her stomach growl. Taking a slow deep breath she tried to forget about her angry stomach. She was trying to forget all the frustrations but she guessed Mako was even worse off as he was the one who could not remember anything. She cracked her eyes to see him in the distance looking out at the endless ocean, deep in thought.
She smiled but before she could think any farther, there was an explosion that shook the island. Korra jumped to her feet as she met with the others who were collecting to look over at the city. There they saw flames reaching and smoke billowing off into the sky. "Naga!" Korra called as the pole bear dog ran to her friend, pausing only long enough to let her climb into the saddle and take off, diving into the bay. Mako, Asami and Bolin told the children to stay inside with Pema and Rohan as they took off for the little ferry to cross to the city where they found the police trying to stop a battle between several gangs and the group they had found with Mako.
"Korra!" Bolin called as he used the ground to help her catch her balance after being thrown back by a gang member. Mako looked around before he jumped into the fight with the others. He knew they needed to stop the battle before it got too out of hand and the entire city was brought down. Korra pushed off as many as she could before Bolin build an aqueduct so she could funnel water onto the flames before he returned to trying to help police break up another section of fighting. Mako turned as Korra was knocked down and one man from the triple triads pulled her head back by her hair. Suddenly his vision blurred and he was watching Amon taking Korra's bending.
In a split second, the vision cleared and he saw Korra twist and kick the man's feet out from under him and used the ground to hold him. She smirked and looked up as her eye went wide. "Mako!" She cried out but it was too late. He felt like an anvil had hit his chest as he was thrown back against a building wall and then hitting the ground. He tried to look around but his vision was fading, in a breath, he was unconscious.
Bolin turned hearing Korra call for his brother, he looked over in time to see a man who had been in the group when they found Mako run over to light a fuse but the explosion when off almost instantly, knocking not only Mako off his feet but countless gang members were injured and now dead. Lin and her metal bending troop marched in securing the few men from both sides who were still able to move while Bolin and Korra ran to Mako. Both fell to their knees seeing the cuts and gashes all over.
"Korra…" Bolin trailed off afraid.
"Get me water." She told him as she turned Mako onto his back and started looking over the wounds. It took Bolin a minute to run back over with a bucket of water that she pulled up and started using to heal Mako. "The gashes aren't too bad but he hit hard." She mused as she continued to work not noticing as Tenzin ran over and a crowd began to gather.
"What happened here?!" Tenzin yelled.
Lin walked over to explain as her men continued to drag those who were involved off to jail. "There's a group that is trying to clear the city of gangs and the gangs decided to rebel. Looks like they tried to have an all-out war to extinguish one another. I'll know more when I talk to the men." Tenzin looked back at Korra healing Mako as Bolin and Asami knelt, helping to turn him when she needed.
The next night Bolin walked into the room he shared with his brother and found Korra in a chair to the side of Mako's bed. She had been there since they brought him back to the temple, watching over him as he slept, healing little cuts and bruises. She glanced up at him as he walked over to stand beside her. "Has he woken up at all?"
"Not yet. He hasn't even stirred at all." She told him sadly, as she looked back at Mako. "I wish he would wake up. Even if he still doesn't have his memory, I just want him to wake up. We just got him back…" She trailed off feeling tears come to her eyes. She felt Bolin put a hand on her shoulder. He knew what she meant. He wanted his brother to wake up and be okay, even if he still did not remember him.
"Korra…" They heard making them both jump to Mako's side. Slowly he cracked his amber eyes and looked up at her as she gave a relieved smile. He seemed to study her a moment. "Is this a dream?" He asked, watching as she shook her head confused. "Korra…" He trailed off as he reached out, placing his hand on her cheek. "Amon didn't get to you again did he?"
Korra furrowed her brow. "No. Mako, he hurt you and pulled you into the bay. Don't you remember what I told you?"
"You never said anything back." He told her becoming more confused. "Amon attacked us, you didn't answer." He shook his head as she finally realized what he was talking about.
"That was over a year ago." She told him. "Bolin and I found you with a group of people who were trying to get rid of the gangs under the city. You didn't remember any of us."
"I couldn't forget you." He said as she reached up to place her hand over his on her cheek. "I love you." He told her making her take a small quick breath.
"Mako…" She said before a small smile came to her face. "I love you too." Mako smiled back at her and the two were lost in each other's eyes, until Bolin cleared his throat.
Mako gave a smirk as he looked at his little brother. "Bo, what are you crying for?"
"I'm just so happy you're back." Bolin cried as Mako smiled at him. "Korra and me never gave up. We searched every day after she got her bending back and then we found you and you didn't remember us…" He trailed off as he wiped his tears away and grinned. "But you're back."
Korra rest her hand on his chest gently making Mako look at her. "You can talk to us when you're better. Right now, you need to rest. Your brain went through a lot and it needs to heal." Mako furrowed his brow at her making her give him a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere; I promise I'll be right here when you wake up. Rest Mako." Slowly he started to drift off to sleep with his brother grinning like a proud child who received candy and Korra giving him a loving smile.
"I'm… I'm going to let Tenzin know he woke up." Bolin said and left seeing Korra nod with a bright smile. She heard the door shut as she sat back in the chair watching Mako sleep. He was her Mako again, the one she fell in love with. He was home safe and sound. No more searching for him or his lost memories. They were both found and safely resting before her eyes.
