Prologue: Exchange
Journal Entry; Day 1
10:30 in the morning, Brightly Sunny, not a Cloud in sight.
It's been a couple of weeks since I left Republic City, I've been slowly making my way across the Earth Kingdom and now on the final ferry arriving in the capital city of the Fire Nation. It's been a couple of revealing weeks since I returned from Ba Sing Se, after protecting Wu as he set up the E.U.S (Earthern United States) there became a point at which I became superfluous and even though Wu was quite persistent for me to stay, I wanted to return to my career as Detective. Wu will do well now, he's gotten better since those first days of guarding him.
And so I returned to Republic City, the Chief gave me my old job back without a problem and Bolin had settled into multiple jobs with Varrick and he was beaming all the time now Opal had requested a station in Republic City from Jinora. Most times it was just me and my brother again, it was good, just like the old days without the fighting for our lives part.
The troubles started when Korra and Asami returned from the Spirit world. Together. They had left so fast after Varricks wedding, everyone barely knew what was going on and if I was honest I had suspected something once Korra returned from her recovery (Come on guys, I'm a cop, they could of hid it better). They were together and I felt conflicted. I was happy for them, for sure, I mean the way they came back in each other's arms and the subtle gestures they thought I didn't notice, they both were happy and I was happy for them.
The problem was, I wasn't happy with myself. I enjoyed being back on the beat but I started to feel like I was limiting my life. I admit, I was taking some personal space since I broke up with Korra and Asami, that was a mess and I even hoped that someday I might of…gotten back with Korra…I don't know, was I such a bad boyfriend to force them both away…to each other?! And seeing everyone else so happy with people, Bolin and Opal, Kai and Jinora, Zhu Li and Varrick, even Chief had been rumoured to be meeting someone in her off hours since the wedding.
Anyway being stuck around them both started to make things awkward, it brought all these feelings to a head, but luckily at the time, the Chief was coordinating an Officer Exchange Program with the Fire Nation, part of this semi-occasional international good-will thing that involved working for the Fire Guard and with my experience with Wu, I was speedily qualified. The team wasn't happy especially Bolin, seeming as how again we had to break up Team Avatar again but they finally let me go,
"10 minutes till docking!" Yelled a salty sailor
I will be arriving soon and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Fire Nation operates, apparently the Fire Captain Lee and even Lord Zuko was going to meet me at the guard station once I arrive, I'm sure Bolin will be envious. Entry End.
Mako packed away his journal into his shoulder bag, stood up from the crates and took a big long stretch as he glanced around the cargo bay. The boat slowly pulled into the dock with a clunk, shuddering slowly that unbalanced Mako briefly.
Mako took his first brief look out into the blind sun shining in his face as he adjusted to his eyes and see the flurry of people running around the docks, people running, forklifts whirring and people behind him had begun unpacking the cargo so Mako thought it'd be time to move swiftly on. The Dock was grey and stoney, obviously not the usual unloading place for passenger ships.
"Seems 'All expenses paid trip' was a thinly veiled cover up from the chief it seems" Mako chuckled in hindsight as he hurriedly paced through the grey dock and through the tiny parting in the buildings for pedestrians.
Walking through that tiny path was like a gateway into another world, it reveal the gorgeously decorated street and old architecture of the Fire Nation.
"Wow…It seems quite different to Republic Citeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh!" Mako screamed as a motorised scooter crashed into him.