"You're the firebender, Mako, right?" A young woman dressed in hues of orange and yellow asked softly.
"And you?" Mako asked gruffly as he kicked and punched an invisible opponent, flames lighting the dusk.
"Hanabi," was her simple statement as she watched him spin, her eyes focused on the flames.
He stopped for a few moments to find her slowly approaching with a tray, "I, uh, brought you dinner"
The young bender looked down at the tray in awe, the plate was piled high, much in the manner of the Air Nomad's kindly fashion to force food upon him. Either she had talked to Bolin or Korra, as most of these were his favorite foods. He had noticed most of the young acolytes were very observant for their age as well.
"If it is not to your liking, I can return to the kitchen and bring you something else," she looked away suddenly, embarrassed by her actions.
Looking out at the city behind her, he shook his head, "Its fine."
Hanabi looked around, before setting it on a large flat rock; she was gone a few moments later with a quiet snap, her glider flying high into the sky. Like a bird, she probably had hollow bones too.
Mako was jealous.
Four days had passed when he saw her again, dressed in a thin shift; a tattoo artist was working on her arms, marking them with sky blue arrows. She seemed impartial to the pain that the artist was inflicting as he worked the ink down to her dermis.
"Good Morning Mako," Hanabi smiled, her cupid's bow lips curling up slightly.
"So, you're a monk now?" He asked.
"Nun. They're going to shave my head so they can put the arrow on my head," Her lips quirked oddly, twitching slightly as she struggled to maintain her smile.
The young pro-bender looked at the straight fringe that nearly encroached upon her eyes. The straight locks that framed her face, the rest that was twisted back with hairpins that bore the airbending symbol. The jet-black bore a blue sheen that gave her the appearance of a raven. However, what struck him most were her eyes. Amber eyes, much like his own, only darker, deeper. The eyes that held the flame of a firebender.
"Hanabi," He asked suddenly, "where are you from?"
Her eyes glazed over, looking out over the water, at something that could or couldn't have been there, she replied, "Why, I'm from Caldera"
"You mean in capital city of the Fire Nation?" His brows furrowed, confused.
"Indeed. Not all airbenders are born to airbenders, some are born because the world's balance is restored," she stated softly, the tattoo artist paying them no mind, "My parents were devastated."
As Mako opened his mouth to ask why, the youngest grandchild of the late Avatar scurried over and plopped down onto the ground beside the young woman.
Hanabi smiled as the lines worked their way up her arms, "Hey there Meelo."
"You're a grown up now, aren't you?" He asked looking up at her.
She smiled, nodding.
"Does it hurt?" He asked eyeing the needle.
Mako's eyes lit up in questioning, as she smiled wider, "Oh gosh yes, maybe soon, if you dedicate yourself to your training you can have an air bison and tattoos as well, showing you are a powerful and capable airbender."
Meelo's little nose scrunched and he shook his head wildly, "Maybe I could just have a bison."
The firebender's mouth twitched slightly at the remark, watching Hanabi's smile as she patted the child's shoulder and called him Cabbage Head. The child's hands came up to the pins holding her hair back, and quickly pulled them out, waist length hair cascaded and came to a stop, nearly touching the ground.
"Is it all gonna have to come off?" The child asked, his eyes wide.
"Yeah," she nodded, her smile dissipating, and her hand slowly touching her hair
Mako came back to the island that night after a probending match to find the young woman now in loose shorts and a thin shift, sitting on the shore, one hand resting in the sand, another touching her scalp that shone dimly in the moonlight. Her winged lemur sat on a rock a few meters away, eating a fruit the nun had given it.
"It'll grow back you know" He stated while adjusting his scarf.
"I know, in a couple of months it'll be decent. Tenzen said that I could grow it out like before, despite many nuns choose to keep the traditional hairstyle. He understands that times are changing and it would be hard for people, not even of the Air Nomads, but gifted with the abilities, to be expected to abandon their culture."
"What're you going to do?"
Her eyes closed, "meditate upon the matter."
"You never finished, your parents-"
"They're well off firebenders, there was no question I was a bender from the moment I was born, having parents that are both benders, powerful ones at that, the only surprise is that it wasn't fire I was bending"
"How did they find out?"
Her hand flipped lazily as to say she didn't know or care before she continued, "I was five, the Royal Library holds all manner of bending scrolls, my eldest brother, Azulon, he's a scholar and an amazing bender. He was studying other bending scrolls, and I had been stuck with him that day, as my nanny was ill."
"And you found an airbending scroll?"
"I always liked the scrolls with the pictures, there were an awful lot of pictures in airbending scrolls, so, I thought I'd try one, it was an easy move, a gust of wind, she bit her lip and looked out to the moon reflecting on the water, "I was shipped away a week later."
Mako wondered, briefly, if her parents cared for her, and if he would still have a good relationship with his parents if they were alive. It sent chills down his spine. The lemur seemed to notice and regarded him with the same amber eyes that Hanabi did.
"My parents," the young nun continued, "they still love me, and I visited them during the August Flower festival a few days before you arrived."
"But they're ashamed, aren't they?"
Hanabi was silent; she rose off the sand and peered up at the young man. After a few moments of piercing eye contact, she made her leave. Kicking the sand with his left foot, he breathed fire.
It was a month before he saw her again, this time peering over a scroll with Meelo in the courtyard. Every once in awhile they would stop and converse, but both were studying it rather closely.
"I think I know what you're doing wrong Pumpkin Head" She nodded rubbing her hand across the stubble on his scalp, "It's all in the elbow."
"You're saying I can't be a tornado wizard because I don't have elbows?" He shrieked indignantly.
She laughed and handed him the scroll, "The elbow with a quick jut, like this dear"
Her hair was now just dark stubble and her eyes were alight as she demonstrated, flipping and spinning, her elbow jutting out in the perfect demonstration. A gust of spiraling wind lifted her up a good fifteen feet off the ground before she settled with a few feet off the ground, a small eddy whipping around her waist.
"Can you do this?" She asked curiously as the child sat the scroll down.
Meelo's eyes narrowed as he mimicked the young woman's movements. A few moments they were eyelevel and holding hands while spinning in circles. It Mako it seemed like a twisted airbending game of ring around the rosy.
"Hanabi!" Tenzen's voice boomed like thunder across the courtyard.
The vortexes dissipated and the duo landed gently on the ground, still holding hands. The child scrambled behind her, clutching onto the orange pants she wore, as the nun solemnly greeted the Master.
"Why are you teaching my son advanced airbending?" The man asked staring her down
She took a deep breath before continuing, "He was asking for a few pointers, and I was reviewing this scroll. I saw no harm in teaching him a few moves under suitable supervision such as myself and other capable people."
She scratched the back of her head, feeling the stubble. The father turned to his son, who was looking up at him with wide eyes.
"And what do you have to say for yourself?" Tenzen asked stroking his beard
"Hana teaches me to the best of her smarts!" Meelo nodded, clutching her pants tighter, "And she makes sure I don't get hurt!"
Popping out from behind her, he repeated the movements again, jutting his elbow out more than necessary. Screeching about elbow positioning he flew around the two in a perfect little tornado. Tenzen took in his youngest child's excitement and Hanabi's ashamed face. Clapping her on the shoulder, he congratulated her.
"He never wants to listen, keep up whatever you're doing," and with that, he walked away to go see about a giant water whip that was flailing in the air.
Meelo spun over to the young firebender before landing in front of him, "Did you see how cool that was?"
Mako nodded, before looking up at the woman who had gone back to studying the scroll.
"You have a match tonight, don't you?" Hanabi asked casually as she sat beside him at the table for the midday meal.
"Yes," Mako was nearly speechless; she never really spoke unless spoken to.
She poked at her rice for a few moments; her chopsticks held loosely in her hands, "may Meelo and I attend? It's his birthday tomorrow, and I know he'd love nothing more than to attend a probending match."
He looked over at her from his meal, she had the most sincere, earnest face as she looked at him, Meelo, who sat to her right suddenly leaned forward and looked at him eagerly. Mako sighed and nodded.
"Just don't get in the way."
Bolin chose this to be the opportune moment to sidle up to his brother, "I see you're warming up to this young lady right here."
Nearly choking on her rice, she turned away, red in the face. Mako's ever-serious face looked at his brother, ready to scorch him to a crisp.
"I don't believe we've met, I'm Bolin," a cheesy, meant to be seductive, smile graced his lips as he stuck his hand out in front of Mako to reach the young lady.
Meelo, taking matters into his own hands, gently placed a leaf in the earthbender's hand, "we all know who you are."
"Meelo!" Hanabi shrieked, her hands flying up to her mouth in shock.
He shook his head and stuck his tongue out after stating, "What? I was just saying!"
Shaking her head she dragged the child who was making faces at the brothers away, flailing a goodbye.
A small whisper of noise hit Mako's ear and he immediately understood that it was the work of the airbender, "see you tonight!"
Bolin elbowed his brother who had stiffened, "I think she wants me."
"She's a nun idiot." Mako deadpanned, "She doesn't want anything besides deticating her life to the ways of the Air Nomad"
"So, she's into commitment?" Bolin asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"From the conversations I've had with Pema about the Nomads, they're monogamous people who do not rush into anything. Any major life decision is settled after days or weeks of meditation and deep thought. This is why divorce does not exist to these people. Their love is boundless, as is their respect for life." Mako looked directly at his brother, "What I'm saying, is that Hanabi, she's an all or nothing girl, not a one night stand."
"Since when were you so respectful of women?"
"Since when were you such an idiot?"
The two airbenders were painfully obvious from the platform, dressed in their hues of yellow and orange. Meelo had been placed on the young woman's shoulders. Both were screaming above the crowd thanks to their airbending. Korra and Bolin would stop when it was acceptable and wave to them, which rallied louder screams. Mako, per usual, acted impartial and annoyed not only at his teammates but the visitors as well.
"She's really good," Meelo stated as Korra's water whip struck a firebender off the platform.
Hanabi nodded, commenting on her stance, while noting how Mako looked at the young Avatar.
"Do you think he likes you? I think he likes you a lot." Meelo stated from his position on Hanabi's back.
Coasting on the breeze, she steadied the glider, "What do you know of that kind of stuff, huh, Melon Head? Besides, he's got girls all over him, and I'm a nun."
"He looks at you different from Korra," He stated, his little arms wrapped around her shoulders.
Hanabi sighed, pushing them higher before gliding, "He looks at me no differently than he does anyone else."
"He looks at Korra like you and Mommy look at me sometimes, all mad and stuff, and sometimes, he looks at her like you and Mommy look at bugs in the garden. But you- Hana, he looks at you like how
people look at food. He likes you like he likes food."
"I think that probably means he likes Korra more than me."
"No, no! He likes you like the water loves the shore, he likes you…like you like the sky!"
"Meelo, dear?"
"Yeah?"
"Never ever become a poet."
Meelo snorted.
"Meelo said you were looking for me," Mako frowned.
It had been two days since he had seen the young nun. She opened her eyes and fiddled with the beads hung round her neck. Taking a different meditative position, she sighed.
"He's crazy, that child."
"So, you weren't looking for me?"
She gave him an peculiar look, as to ask if she had ever gone looking for him before, "He's an odd child."
He shook his head, "I've noticed."
Her hands moved from the necklace and she patted the floor beside her, "Sit and become one with the world. Hone your spiritual side of bending. Though fires burn wildly, brightly, even still, there are controlled areas of fire."
"What are you? The Master Firebender too?" He huffed, a small amount of flame coming out of his mouth.
Her eyes remained closed, "No, But I do realize that firebending is a gift from the eternal flame, the sun. However, firebending is generally taught as rage and offensive attacks, as you channel it. The sun it is also soft and yielding at times, it brings about the changes in the seasons, changing wintry landscapes into warm, flowering scapes-"
"Oh yes Sifu," he deadpanned.
Hanabi was silent. Hours passed. He still felt sick for his unkind words.
She was gone for two months afterwards. He didn't even have a chance to say goodbye and Meelo stood on the dock every evening, waiting for her to come home. And when she didn't, Tenzen would carry his sleeping son inside, only to do the same the next night.
She returned home with a tattered glider that was barely able to support her and bloodied robes. Meelo, who had been close to giving up hope, had been waiting for her at the dock, nearly chilled to the bone by the November's frost. He had begun to scream when she collapsed mere inches away from him. Bolin had carried her to Master Tenzen. A flock of healers had come and gone while Meelo had slinked off somewhere to cry.
Bolin turned to Mako as they sat out in the hallway, "She was soaked with blood, I think- I think she's gonna die."
Mako's eyes closed, "Did you get a good look at her wounds?"
"No, Meelo had covered her with his coat, I just know he's gonna need a new coat too."
Meelo rounded the corner as his father exited the room, looking drained and withdrawn, "Daddy, is Hanabi gonna be okay?"
"For now, we just have to wait," Tenzen's eyes seemed to fill with tears before he turned to the earthbender, "Did she say anything?"
Bolin shook his head while Meelo nodded, suddenly hiding partially behind the corner, "She said that it was the bright blue of the sky. Then- then-"
Meelo stopped for a few moments to regain control, sniffling, he began again, with everyone's attention on him, "She said she was- she was- she said she was sorry"
"They are burns Meelo, you may see her when she awakes, but I advise you to be patient." Tenzen nodded
"It's possible to have blue fire or even lightening- It's so rare though- Where has she been?" Mako's thoughts raced aloud.
Tenzen answered with a mere shrug and Meelo began to cry as he slinked back behind the corner, holding Hanabi's lemur close to his body.
Pema exited with Korra who looked distraught. Korra took one last look at the young nun whose short inky hair was spread over the pillow.
"Just give her some peace and quiet, she'll probably wake later," Pema consoled the young woman, but even she found the words to be hollow and disconcerting.
Mako realized then that the nun would probably pass away during the night. He pressed his hand against the wall that was shared with her room. He would never get to apologize.
"She asked to see you," Pema whispered at the dinner table three nights later, "would you humor her and take her some broth?"
The young man was surprised she had made it this far, it had been kept under wraps as best it could, all the other acolytes had heard that the young nun had returned home with the pox and only a select few were allowed to risk themselves in tending to her. Her tray was sparse, there was a mug of broth and a small custard dish, for as the rather plump cook had added, 'nothing makes anyone feel better like sugar does'.
Her room was dimly lit, after his eyes adjusted, he found her staring up at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes.
"You wanted to see me?" He asked softly as he placed the tray on the end table by her low-lying bed.
Her hand twitched towards the broken glider that rested by the door. He hurried over to it to find a small latch in the wood. He motioned to it and she nodded slightly. Opening it, a thick scroll tumbled out; there was a sun in the wax seal.
"Hanabi, what is this?" He asked holding it up
"Azulon sent me to get it" Her voice faltered slightly as she struggled with the pain, "It's from the last two dragons, they're really rather-"
"Dragons? There are still dragons?" He asked, all of his seriousness gone, replaced by disbelief, "did they do this to you?"
She shook her head while chuckling, but it sounded more like a weak wheeze, "No, no, Mako, this- this was-"
She faltered again and closed her eyes. For a few moments he was sure she was dead, dead and there was only a scroll to piece together what had happened to her. Or hell, it could have just been that it was totally unrelated and they would bury her body without the proper knowledge of how to right her death. He sighed in relief when her eyes opened once more.
"Are you alright?" He asked placing the scroll beside the tray.
"My bandages are too tight" She sighed.
"Do- do you want me to loosen them?"
Her hand twitched to the corner of the room where bandages and salve were, "They need changing, would you mind?"
It was an innocent question, Hanabi, of all people, especially in this condition would not attempt to seduce him, but why was he so torn? Mentally chastising himself as he took a place at the end of the bed, he resigned himself to doing this good deed for a nun who had never been anything but nice to him. His hands trembled as he began to unravel the cotton strips. He froze as his hand brushed over a wound that led the thin woman to gasp and grit her teeth.
"I'm fine, really, Pema is less gentle," She laughed shakily, helping herself into a better position with the help of Mako's shoulders.
The bandages slowly made their way off, the wintry bite in the air making her uncomfortable.
Mako was suddenly determined to look deep into the balm jar and find the meaning of life, "Okay, so this salve jar-"
"I'm unable to do it myself, I'm sorry."
The shaky statement from the young woman made him brave enough to let his eyes venture to look at the damages. It brought a sick feeling to his stomach, the bile threatening to rise. It would scar, that was definite. Her collarbone and the top of her left breast were burned badly, the skin wasn't as disgusting as he had expected, nor did she stink of charred flesh as Meelo had cried over two nights prior. Her stomach was covered in scratches and minor burns, but not nearly as bad as the ones in-between and under her breasts. The healers had done all they could to lessen it, but even still, it was barely enough. Though, according to Korra, there would be more healing sessions, hopefully to improve the young woman's condition and lessen the chance of scarring. Mako eyed the unmistakable handprint in-between her breasts. He was definitely going to throw up.
"They just look worse than they are Mako."
He avoided the handprint and her breasts for as long as he could. When his hand finally made its way to the top of her left breast, he stopped, drawing back.
Hanabi's eyes open she stared down at her breasts in mock-surprise, "Well goodness me, I seem to have breasts! And they're ugly too!"
The firebender stared at the handprint, his hand ready to crush anything that dared to make its way into his palm, "Who did this to you?"
"It doesn't matter," She looked away, her eyes now focused out the window.
"No. Who did this? Who?" He exhaled a small flame making her flinch back and gasp in pain.
He jerked back as if he had been slapped, his eyes wide "I'm- I'm-"
Dropping the salve the brother of the earthbender dashed out, nearly knocking over the very pregnant Pema in the process.
"Is that boy scared of a body or what?" The wife of the Airbending Master snorted.
Hanabi shook her head, her wild hair sticking up in all directions, "The handprint."
As soon as the words had graced Pema's hearing, her eyes had softened and she finished applying the salve before wrapping the young nun's torso. The next great battle was to get the young woman to eat enough.
"Pema?" The airbender asked quietly after she had finished her custard.
"Yes dear?" It was evident that Pema cared for Hanabi as one of her own, and it broke her heart to see her like this.
The young woman opened and closed her mouth a few times, her brows furrowed, "Can I quit being a nun?"
Pema's eyebrow quirked.
"Could I? And maybe just remain on the island?"
"Dearest, I think you should meditate on the matter, it is too soon to make any decisions, okay?"
Outside the room, Mako covered his face with his hands.
Three weeks passed and no one spoke of Hanabi around Mako, not even Meelo, who usually had kind words for the young man. However, today, in the midst of the December snow, the young acolyte was leading her by the hand as they ventured outside. Her clothes appeared to be thin; barely enough to keep her warm, she seemed bony and tired. Meelo kept looking up at her cautiously.
"Hana?" Meelo's voice trembled; there was no denying that he was terrified.
Mako's chest tightened after a good look at her face, there were dark half circles under her eyes, and the fire was gone. She was a walking corpse that a child adored. Somehow, her zombie eyes managed to make their way from looking out into the distance to looking down at the young bender.
There was a small stoke of the fire in her eyes, and Meelo, earnest, asked, "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Her eyes closed and her head made a slow arc from left to right.
"Okay, but I won't tell anyone, not Mommy, not Daddy, not Korra or Mako either!"
There was a small twitch of her lips, meant to be a smile, and Meelo let out a whoop of joy, dragging her over to a small grove of trees without their leaves. Mako recognized the grove as a favorite place of not just the lemurs that were presently frolicking in the greenhouse for the winter, but Hanabi as well, who had a special affinity for them.
"Are you cold?" Meelo asked, looking the young woman over.
Mako, sensing the young boy's distress over his favorite person, made his way up quietly, as not to startle the duo. He draped his coat over her shoulders, then, his scarf was also wound gently round her neck. Hanabi, who had stiffened, had not moved since the coat brushed her shoulders. Meelo grabbed her hand with both of his and looked up her with his saucer eyes.
"Hana, it's okay, it's just Mako," He patted her hand comfortingly.
"Can I have a moment with her Meelo?" the firebender requested, his eyes darting between the two.
Narrowing his eyes, the young acolyte shook his head, "She doesn't talk."
Mako's eyes narrowed.
"Well I don't care about your scary looks! I speak for her and take care of her!" Meelo's face was determined as he suddenly made a defensive posture, ready to fight the young man.
Hanabi's hand gently reached out and caressed the child's stubbly head. Meelo jerked around looking up at her, his grey eyes wide.
"Are you sure?" He asked his little hands reaching up to touch her face.
She nodded and kissed his forehead. Pausing for a brief moment to hold him, she murmured something before sending him away. He looked back on occasion before he was out of sight. Mako sat down beside her, his eyes unsure, the grove was rather secluded, in an less used part of the island, he knew Pema would have a fit if she knew Meelo had dragged her all the way out here.
She shivered and pulled the coat around her more, wrapping his arm around her shoulders he sighed, "The closest thing is the barn, if you'd like, you can warm up in there with the bison until you feel up to moving around more."
She nodded and leaned against him as he picked her up with ease, entering the barn, he found only young bison, as at the far end, there was an exit for the bison whom were flying the sky. It reeked of bison dung and hay, and he hated it, though if anything, the woman in his arms seemed content among the sweet scent of hay.
"Now, you're refusing to speak?" Mako asked quietly as he sat her on a rather comfortable pile of hay beside a very young bison.
"No, I just don't have anything to say to people. I like my lemur and that's about it." She stated quietly while pulling off his coat.
"I wanted to say I was sorry." Mako stated suddenly, his cheeks tinted pink, though Hanabi assumed it was the cold.
"For what?" She asked frowning, it was the first time he had ever seen her frown and he hated it.
"I mocked you that day and then you were gone. You brought me back a scroll, a rare as hell scroll, and it's in your handwriting, I may not be good at reading and writing, but I can recognize anyone's handwriting," he shook his head, "You wrote down everything those dragons told you and showed you. I can't read all of it either, I stumble over the words okay? There, I'm jealous."
"Of me?" She asked staring at him rather confused.
"Yes! I'm jealous that you can fly away from all your problems, that first night, you just flew away like it was nothing, you have no idea how jealous that made me! And then you still have parents, that shouldn't even be something to be jealous of since they hate you, but I can't help it! You have everything I ever wanted out of life, you're strong, you're independent-"
"I'm also scarred and I can't sleep at night," She snorted bitterly, leaning back in the hay as a young bison cuddled up to her side, "you want to see what I get to know is under my clothes all day?"
Mako opened his mouth to stop her only to have her pull open her shirt and show him the shiny red scars, the hand print ever evident on her chest, "I was going to die, I was ready to die. I flew home, it nearly killed me, I was literally just holding myself up with the wind. The glider was for appearance and it had the scroll in it. I was so scared. I was so scared I was going to drop down out of the sky, that I wouldn't be able to see you or Bolin, that blasted idiot, or even my sweet little Cabbage Head, Meelo."
"Why were you scared you wouldn't see me or Bolin?" Mako's head tilted slightly
"Be-because of what Meelo told me," She shook her head slightly as she went for the simple tie on her shirt.
Mako stopped her wrists, pulling them, along with the fabric back, "Just tell me who did this, I'll never question anything else, I'll never say another foul word towards you or Meelo or Korra-"
She nodded, more to herself, "She can always work her way into a conversation."
Slowly rising, the nun made her way out of the barn, walking out into the cold, her hands shoved in her pockets, Mako's scarf still loosely draped around her neck. He kicked the door, wondering how he had could've messed that up any more.
It was an actual year and a half before he saw her again. She had left to commit to a restoration project of the Southern Air Temple. When she returned, she was accompanied by a young monk, who was gentle and funny. He kept a gentle arm interlocked with hers.
The group of fifteen or so monks, nuns, and acolytes, had coasted in on their gliders, all in unison, happily musing over reports and such. Hanabi was nearly unrecognizable. Her hair had grown out, and in the early June evening, with the red sun setting behind her, she was a sight to behold. Her hair cascading around her shoulders, it shining with the light reflected off the glimmering water.
Meelo, who was now seven nearly tackled the nun, "Hanabi!"
Mako stared as the nun exhibited ease as she picked up the child and spun him around. The last time he had seen her, she could barely open a door. And now, she was making her merry way through the crowd of people wishing her and her company well. Her winged lemur was perched happily on her shoulder, she was the perfect picture of the modern airbender. The monk was nothing special to look at, his arrows were blue, just like his eyes, and his teeth were straight and he was clearly from further north.
Hanabi's eyes made contact with him, and that's when he understood that it had been good for her to leave when she had. He had brought her down. He had done this to her.
It was too late to go to sleep, but too early to be awake, and there she was. Sitting with her lemur on the gazebo looking out at the sea.
"I still don't always sleep so well," She stated without turning to face him.
"You were gone for a long time," He stated.
Had he been able to see her face he would've seen the tears slowly running down it, the lemur jumped off her shoulder and climbed up Mako, after coming nose to nose with the lemur, it looked back at it's master, it's partner.
That's when he noticed it. She had come back wearing more earthen tones, more rusty oranges and deeper yellows, but there, around her neck, was his scarf. The same scarf he had accused Bolin and Korra of sabotaging, was wrapped loosely around her neck.
"My scarf," he stated as the lemur made it's way off of him and onto the railing of the gazebo, "you've had my scarf this entire time."
Hanabi took two fistfuls of it for a few moments, savoring something, and then gently wrapped it around his neck, her eyes never looking into his.
"It made me miss you less," She snorted before taking a leaping bound off the gazebo.
Rushing over to the edge, Mako watched as there was a soft- shhicckt- of a glider snapping open. He noticed the lemur was already on her shoulder as she coasted, occasionally gaining altitude.
He wished he could fly with her.
The next day he found her on the far side of the island, sitting and meditating, though not succeeding at it, and looking more like the young Avatar, who never seemed to stop twitching.
He cleared his throat, "I was hoping I'd find you."
"I was hoping you'd find me for something," She chuckled, before rising. She wore relatively plain clothing, it was all a pale yellow, a thin sleeveless shirt and shorts made out of the same cotton material that seemed to be cool and comfortable.
Holding out the scroll he shook his head, "I didn't want anyone else to read it to me. I wanted you to. These are secrets, y'know."
Her cupid's bow lips quirked and she laughed, "I know, everything is a secret."
The day went too fast for his liking, but on the little secluded beach, he mastered nearly all of the techniques, much to her awe and delight. And then there was the young monk who had spent all day looking for her.
"It appears you haven't come up with an answer yet," The monk sighed, looking sad.
Hanabi looked up at the sky, it's blue starting to fade into purple, "I spent the day helping this young man train."
"You already have an answer then," He nodded.
"Yes, it would appear that I do," she bowed deeply, "please accept my most sincere apologies, it seems the winds have not favored us."
Bowing in return, he sighed, "May the winds guide you into a more favorable light."
Mako would have to ask Pema about that if she wasn't too busy with her baby.
"She did what?" Pema was devastated when Mako had asked about it.
"She told him that the winds were unfavorable," he repeated, now confused.
"And I was already planning a wedding!" She sighed, wringing her hands, "There was no way that she was going to say no, not to a nice guy like Lee! Lee of all people! Why would she turn him- oh, oh."
"What?" the firebender leaned forward.
Patting him on the shoulder she shook her head, "It's family stuff Mako, you shouldn't have to concern yourself with it, okay?"
She walked off to tend to her baby boy, who, she hoped, wasn't also an airbender.
Bolin, who had told Mako to ask Meelo about it, had witnessed the child's eyes turn into saucers and he stare at Mako for a long time.
"Oh wow. Daddy says that only happens every once in a long while, most of the time they just get married." Meelo looked at Mako and then Bolin, "But I gotta say, I could have a better brother-in-law."
Bolin who had caught the drift looked at Mako and shoved him lightly, "She straight up told that Lee guy that she loved you instead of him! In front of both of you!"
Mako found Hanabi with a group of children in the orchard, helping them pick fruit. Grabbing her from behind he pulled her behind a tree.
"You told him you loved me? Is that what happened?" He asked, his brows furrowed.
"Yes. It's been the last two years, but I can't compete with Korra," She let out a breathy laugh and removed herself from his grip.
And everything kind of fell into place, in the way that Mako decided to start shouting at the alarmed nun, "I wasn't really jealous! I just wanted to do that stuff with you, even that little brat Meelo! I want to spar with you, and I'll keep asking no matter how many times you refuse. And I don't care about your scars, they're beautiful! And maybe- maybe, I'll marry you one day!"
The children of Air Temple Island gaped, staring the young man down, while the red-faced nun busied herself with picking more apples. And so he kept screaming until it drew the attention of Tenzen and Korra. Meelo was still standing there, taking in the dramatics, and when he noticed his father, he threw an apple at Hanabi.
"Just say those winds are favorable! I feel the favorable winds, you gotta feel 'em too!" He screeched.
Korra looked in-between Mako and Hanabi, looking up at Tenzen she frowned, "I always thought he was gay, I never saw him interested in anyone."
"Well, Hanabi isn't just anyone," Tenzen chuckled, "She got those scars fighting for her freedom to choose her own life."
Korra frowned as they watched Meelo start screaming at Hanabi to say yes, "What do you mean Master?"
"Her brother was forced by her parents, to engage in an Agni Kai, with his airbending sister," The man shook his head, "She defeated her brother, and barely escaped with her life."
"You're supposed to kill your opponent, but airbenders aren't supposed to kill-"
"It's kind of a special exception, she had no choice," Tenzen shook his head looking at the young nun who was dodging Meelo's apples.
"And Mako is a firebender," Korra shook her head, "she's not going to say yes, is she?"
Tenzen simply shrugged.
Mako had taken the long strides to come face to face with the young woman. Her amber eyes were burning brighter than he had ever seen them. An apple soared through the air at the couple and was burnt to nothing by the firebender.
It quickly became a game, the two adults back to back, fending off apples. The wind and fire swirling around the two, holding back the plethora of apples.
"So what do you say? You gonna marry me?" He asked
"What do I get out of it besides a idiot brother-in-law and Pabu?" She teased, elbowing him slightly.
"Well, I get that Melon Head," he retorted, earning him a well placed apple to the head from Tenzen.
"I ain't no Melon Head! Who you callin' Melon Head, Scarf Boy?" Meelo shrieked biting the young man's arm.
"Meelo!" Stamping her foot, Hanabi said something nearly the entire island was waiting for at that point, "How am I supposed to say yes when you're biting him?"