Title: Forever
Summary: [He fell in love with the girl who would live forever, if not in this lifetime. Makorra. Continuation of "Sparks of Life"]
Word Count: 1,074
While it is not required to read "Sparks of Life", I encourage you to do so.
-.-
-Forever-
-7/31/12-
-.-
There is nothing when Korra dies.
Bolin holds her head in his lap, his hand near her cheekbone and gives great heaving sobs, muffled through his lips, trying to be stronger than this. He's not the only one; Asami sits beside Korra, her hands soaked in red, face as pale as the now upon the mountains. She holds onto Mako with her red hands, gripping on his shirt, begging him to stop as the fire comes from his fists and shoots into the sky-
(sparks, like pitiful fireworks)
"She's gone, Mako!"
His flames stop, fire licking on his gloves, dying into wisps of smoke as Mako turns slowly to Bolin, looks into his brother's eyes and then to Korra, staring, long and hard before he sinks into the earth, dust flying around them. Asami leans into Mako's back, pressing her face into his clothes, staining them with tears and the red on her hands as Mako gives out a choked cry.
And that is the end of it.
-.-
The White Lotus Guard arrive too late, much too late for them to imagine. Climbing over the rubble of the city, rocks and metal wires at their legs and feet, they find them. And see.
The first few grovel in the dirt, cursing themselves for not being able to protect the city, protect the Avatar. Then the others come, and then the United Republic Forces. They help them on their feet; bring them up from the grim and the rubble of the city.
They bring a stretcher to carry Korra, and it is white and soft and her body sags into the makeshift bed, red staining that as well, only not as much.
General Iroh looks to the scene and gives a heavy, heavy sigh.
They were supposed to find them in time.
Instead, they were left with three broken teenagers, and an even more broken, very dead Avatar.
There is nothing they can do.
-.-
Arrangements are made quickly.
Even with the city destroyed, the people have no trouble in finding their way down to City Hall to give the Avatar one last goodbye. Korra is laid in a wooden box with white, puffy lining and placed at the end of the hall. Mako sits on a bench near the side of the room, hands folded in front of his lips, watching as the people give their respects.
She was their Avatar, he thinks, it only made sense for Republic City to thank her.
-.-
Korra was from the Water Tribe. They'll send her off to the sea.
The boat is white (like everything else that has carried her) and flawless. Elegant carvings along its sides and inner ring, laced with Water Tribe symbols and strung with ribbons and flowers. Mako stands there, a good few feet from the boat that will carry Korra out into watery depths, and watches, and listens.
Korra's parents and Master Katara come at mornings light. Stricken with grief, they cry out at the sight of her, running to the place she rests. She's too young, Mako hears her mother say, she's too young. And Mako agrees. She is too young, much too young for death. Much too young for a war, a rebellion or the weight of the world on her shoulders. Not anymore, Mako thinks bitterly, that will be the new Avatar's job.
They will cast her off at sunset, when the moon is brightest in the sky.
-.-
She is beautiful.
Mako stands before the boat now with Asami and Bolin at his side. He wishes he had tears left in him to grieve, but he can't, and all he can think of now is her beauty. Despite the fact that they were too late, they took her to the healers, made her skin smooth and new, free of all wounds or scars. Then they dressed her, in a flowing midnight blue dress with white enchantments, it reminds him all too well of the night of Tarrlok's gala, all those weeks ago.
He never really thought much of it then, but he has come to realize now that she was beautiful then, as much as she is now. Through her hot-headed, stubborn temper she was so graceful and kind and full of joy. And something rises in him, a flare of heat overpowered with sorrow. She'll never know how he felt about her, not now. It gnaws at his insides, makes him feel sick.
He fell in love with the girl who would live forever, if not in this lifetime. He knows that no matter what, her spirit will always be alive – watching them, watching the new Avatar, giving them advice and guidance in their times of need and despair.
It is this face, perhaps, that brings Mako comfort as well as sorrow. Which is why, through the grief and tears and heat of fire in his fists, flames licking on his hands, that he is able to lean down to the white boat, brush her hair from her forehead and give her a finale farewell. It doesn't last long, the kiss (if one could call it that), and Mako stays there for a moment longer, whispering into Korra's deaf ear, giving one last chance at hopes and dreams and promises before raising to face a crowd of mourners. He almost turns away in embarrassment, but a hand on his shoulder and arm cease his thoughts. Bolin and Asami give Mako a look, a nod, and Tenzin does the same. The sunsets over the water, glowing orange and red on the horizon, lighting it ablaze.
They lower the boat into the water, light ripples leaving the shoreline and case it off into the dark blue water and red orange flame. They have ice in the South Pole, miles and miles of it to crush the boat, and send the person's spirit to the sea. They do not have ice in Republic City, which is why two White Lotus Guards stand on the shoreline with fire in their hands. They lean down, then encircle the flame around their bodies before casting it off into the air. It lands on the boat and fire consumes it, burning the ribbon and flowers, ash into the wind.
They stand there, a long time watching as the sun is set below the horizon and the boat drifts off into a speck, a spark of flame, before disappearing and sinking to the waters depths.
:Fin: