Boom.
"Not again" Lin thought as she watched the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center go up in flames.
"Not after all I've gone through to ensure peace. Not after I gave up my bending to help these people. Not again. Spirits, not again."
The world around her slowed. The screams became a low, dull blur. Her officers moved languidly throughout her vision.
Crack.
Too fast. The screams rang like bells, her officers looked like blurs. A piece of the building fell on the floor. Her ears rang with the sound of it.
"Move, Beifong. Get going."
She willed her legs to go: nothing.
"Come on, people are counting on you!"
A waterbender began to douse the flames- or was it two? Her head hurt too much to tell.
"You've failed them again, Beifong. Look at you. You never should've joined the force. Look at all the people you've hurt."
Boom.
It took all of Mako's power not to jump. The Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center was in flames.
She laughed. "No, Bolin. We don't play with toys on the table." She picked up the green eyed, wavy haired boy and placed him on the ground. "You're getting big, Bo. I won't be able to carry you much longer." She planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Mako, come help your brother pick up his toys from the table."
"I don't want to!" Mako pouted, crossing his arms and stomping one of his feet, singeing the rug.
"Mako" she warned.
"Fine" he replied, walking over and helping Bolin.
"I have to get dressed, loves. Don't do anything bad while I'm away" she said, walking down the hall.
Screams. Chaos.
Mako chased after the firebenders, sending a flaming kick towards them.
"No one touches my mother!" he thought, running after the thugs until they sped away.
Boom.
The screams of people- her people- could be heard. Frantic screams that sent chills through Korra's bones.
"Unalaq" she thought. "You'll pay for this."
"Mako!" she cried, running out towards the center of the chaos. Where was he? She began to douse the flames. She managed to get a portion under control before she saw Mako out of the corner of her eye.
"The Northern Water Tribe is out of control" she said, halting her work.
"I saw a firebender running away from the blast. The North might not be responsible for this" Mako replied.
"Of course they're responsible. Who else could it be?"
"It can't be anyone else." she thought. "I can trust everyone else. Unalaq's the one who betrayed me. The Triads have nothing to do with this. The Northeners don't know how to control themselves. It can't be anyone else. No one else would betray me like Unalaq."
Boom.
Screams. Fire. Water.
Crack.
Screams. Fire. Water. Run.
"I sacrificed so much for this."
Boom.
"Mom."
Crack.
"It can only be the North."
War.
And the brief months of peace are broken.