Author's note:
Before you start to read this, please let me explain a few things. I've been a huge fan of the Avatar series since about eight years ago, and I'm making this story now and I know many people are going to expect it to have tons of romance, fan service, or fanfic cliches.. But it's not. I'm writing this fiction because I wanted the story of Korra to continue as it would if it were still being created by Bryke. That being said, I hope you enjoy this story, as I'm trying very hard to make it as believable as possible — as if it were the true continuation of The Legend of Korra.
The Legend of Korra: A Serious Continuation of the Story
Book Five: Growth
Chapter One: Happiness
"Day seventeen since Korra and I entered the Spirit World and I still can't get over how vibrant and enlightening everything is. I never thought that I could feel so at peace with myself or see so many wonderful things. Yesterday we stumbled across the most amazing lake, there were hills and hills and hills of vibrant green grass surrounding it and the water was so blue you could have just stared at the waves going back and forth in it for hours on end. This vacation has paid off wonderfully and I'm so happy with my life right now.."
Asami clicked her pen and closed the brown leather journal she was writing in. She sat underneath a gigantic weeping willow tree with gorgeous green leaves hanging from the branches all while located on the top of a steep hill, providing a marvelous view of the spirit world's picturesque landscape below. Korra laid on her back next to her, looking upwards into the branches of the tree with a smile on her face and her eyes closed. Asami put her journal in her bag and l rested her back on the bark of the tree, inching closer to Korra to the left of her. She spoke softly with a hint of worry in the voice
"Do you think that everything is okay in the physical world right now?"
Korra opened her eyes and her smile waned. She replied with a relaxed but concerned tone to Asami
"You shouldn't worry about what's going on, you're the one who needs the break, especially after what happened to you during the battle with Kuvira. I'm the avatar, I should be at work right now helping in anyway I can.."
Korra closed her eyes and a faint frown formed on her face - She continued talking
"Especially after I disappeared for so long.. I just hope people understand and relate a little bit as to why I chose to come to the spirit world for a while."
Asami looked down at Korra and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Let's just agree we both needed this vacation together after everything that happened to us. Besides, we told Tenzin our plan before we left and he was totally okay with it. Him and the rest of the air benders have got everything under control so we shouldn't ruin our time by worrying."
A smile returned to Korra's face after hearing what Asami had to say. The two stood up, put their backpacks on and looked at the Spirit World ahead of them, standing side by side. Korra spoke in a soft, yet peaceful voice to Asami
"I'm so happy with you."
The two linked their hands together and continued their journey.
Meanwhile back at Mako's apartment in Republic City, Mako laid on his back in his bed, sleeping. Blinds kept sunlight from entering his windows, making his environment a dull grey. Garbage, clothes, and a variety of other things were scattered across the floor as well. Knock Knock Knock — was the sound of somebody knocking easily on the door. Mako woke up in a haze, and sat upright in his bed holding his head up with his right hand, as his left arm is still in a cast. Knock Knock —
"Mako? You in there? It's Tóngqíng."
Mako sighed and yelled from across his apartment, annoyed
"Yeah I'm here, just give me a minute!"
He stood up in his pajama pants and threw on a plain white t-shirt and then answered the door. Tóngqíng stood in front of him with a clipboard in his left hand, held up to his chest and he looked at the clutter around the apartment as he entered. Mako closed the door behind him and sighed. Tóngqíng bent over and picked up an old piece of food with his thumb and pointer finger, the food he held so molded that it had become unidentifiable.
"So how have things been, Mako?"
Tóngqíng said, grossed out by the room but still as if he cared.
"I guess today hasn't been the worst.",
Mako replied and then showed Tóngqíng to the couch across the living room. Mako laid down on the couch, one leg hanging off of it with his arms resting on his stomach. Tóngqíng pulled up a chair to sit in front of him and began to talk
"I wanted to start out this week's session by starting this new thing I learned about last week. It's a really cool technique and all we have to try is—"
Tóngqíng continued on in a cheerful tone but Mako had already lost interest in whatever it is Tóngqíng had to say and started to examine him. He started to think how odd and tiny his therapist was, and though he's been having sessions with him for a few weeks, it still hadn't occurred to him until now. His therapist was young, only a few years older than Mako himself and had short, spiked up brown hair. He was very short and skinny, probably only just reaching a height of five feet, and spoke in an almost annoying high-pitched voice. He wore a long-sleeved white button-up shirt with a dull-green sleeveless vest overtop and a pair of stylish black pants. Blue eyes could be seen from behind his circular glasses with a wired frame and his skin was tan, definitely descending from the the north or south water tribe. Mako continued examining him in detail, but was pulled back into the conversation when Tóngqíng started to repeat his name.
"Mako..? Mako.. Mako!"
Mako shook his head and sat upright, facing Tóngqíng.
"Look I'm sorry.. But I'll be honest I didn't listen to a word you just said."
Tóngqíng put the clipboard he held in his hands on the ground below him and then put his hand on Mako's shoulder.
"It's okay, it wasn't too interesting anyway.. Can you tell me what's wrong?" ,
He said to Mako in a kind, yet concerned tone. Mako almost began to cry, but then caught himself and blurted out in an angry voice, clearly agitated
"I hate feeling the way I feel. I never have energy anymore, I get so angry at myself sometimes and I just want to do something about it -something- but I'm so numb and tired that I just lay in bed and never accomplish anything and I hate it! This all started after I messed up my arm and couldn't work.. After everything between Kuvira was over and Lin made sure I stayed home to recover.. I started to realize even after accomplishing so much with Korra, my brother and Asami I'm really.. Really just not a needed person… I feel like I have no real purpose or destiny or path in life.. Everyday feels like another day that I'm just.. here.. And it sucks, you know?"
Mako couldn't hold it back any longer, and tears started to form from his eyes and run down his cheeks. Tóngqíng looked shocked, as every time he would try to talk to Mako he couldn't get any emotion or progression out of him.. So he certainly didn't think he would just now. But he snapped back to the situation, and gently hugged Mako briefly. He sat back in his chair and said softly
"Lay back down, Mako. It's going to be okay, we're going to get through this. You're going to find happiness again."
He stood up to go get a box of tissues he had seen on the coffee table.
Returning to the Spirit World, Korra and Asami are following a light-brown dirt path. A forest of tall standing trees that looked like enormous four-leaf clovers towered above the two along each side of the path, and the sky seen above them had become a beautiful display of purple, orange, and grey as the afternoon transitioned into twilight. Asami looked up to the sky and then back down to Korra and said
"It'll be too dark to see soon, wanna stop for today and get something to eat?"
Korra and Asami stopped walking. They unlinked their hands and Korra grabbed a map she had been working on out of her satchel. They sat it down on the flat path below them and kneeled down to examine it. Korra pointed to a part of the map that had not yet been charted and spoke inquisitively
"Alright.. So from what we think, this little area right here should be Iroh's teashop since the area just north of it is Hai-Riyo peak.. If our calculations aren't wrong. I would have loved to get there by tonight, but I think you're right. We need to rest here until morning."
Asami stood up then placed one hand on her hip, and extended the other one to help Korra up then said
"I would have loved to see what that teashop you were telling me about is like tonight too, but we're in no rush so there's no harm in waiting until morning."
The two women set up a small fire in the middle of the path and sat close together, their faces delighted as they ate fruit they had gathered over time from spirit trees. They also started heating up tea over the flames of the campfire. Korra spoke with her mouth stuffed from a spirit fruit
"You know what I've always wondered?"
She swallowed her food and turned her head to Asami who just finished pouring herself a cup of tea. Korra continued
"I've always wondered how many people have journeyed into the Spirit World since I opened the portals during Harmonic Convergence."
Asami took a sip of tea and then gave the cup to Korra to drink before replying to her
"Good question. I think at first, many people would have hesitated to travel to the Spirit World just because the portals were so distant and in remote locations. But now that you opened a new portal in the middle of Republic City, I can see a whole bunch of tourists coming through within the next few years."
Korra put the teacup on the ground after finishing it, then looked to the fire and sighed, her eyebrows moving upwards to express a worried mind. She spoke quietly
"I hope humans can learn to respect the spirits here. It's different seeing them here than seeing them in Republic City."
Korra looked back at Asami and started to say something, but stopped when she heard something in the trees across from them. She stood up and looked into the forest, but by now it had become too dark to see anything. Asami stood up and looked around
"What's wrong? Did you hear something?"
Korra held up her hand in a cupped position, and a flame ignited above it. She peered her eyes into the darkness but still couldn't see anything. She called out:
"Hello? Is somebody out there? If you're a spirit, please know that we are friendly!"
Asami looked at Korra with a raised brow, confused. Korra turned back to Asami and looked worried. She said to Asami in a low voice
"Asami, don't think that I'm crazy, but I have a feeling that we're being watched.. And not by a friendly spirit."
Asami grabbed her electrified glove out of her bag on the ground and put it on, readying herself for whatever is Korra noticed in the dark. She put her back against Korra's in a fighting stance, her eyes shifting back and forth, looking for oddities in the dark, Korra doing the same. After a few minutes of silence and tension, Korra let her guard down and the two turned to each other. Korra let the flame in her hand extinguish and looked at Asami then said
"I don't know what that was. I felt some kind of negative spiritual energy out there, but it just disappeared."
Asami replied
"So you felt a dark spirit?"
Korra shook her head no, and turned slightly to peer into the forest once more.
"No, not a dark spirit.. It's hard to explain."
Korra said. She turned back to Asami and continued
"It didn't feel like a dark or a light spirit, but more like.. A negative one. If that makes sense? You can sense some kind of light within a dark spirit, but with whatever it was out there — I only felt negative energy. Like, whatever it was that was out there wanted to hurt us, it wasn't just angry like most dark spirits."
Asami's eyes widened with concern, and she said with a hint of fear in her voice
"Then we should continue on to Iroh's teashop — even if it is dark out. It's just not safe here."
Korra nodded her head, and put her satchel on then replied to Asami in a serious tone, understanding the severity of the situation.
"I agree. Let's go."
The two set off to follow the dirt path once more.
Now night time in Republic City, and back at Mako's apartment, Tóngqíng is being escorted to the door by Mako. Tóngqíng stood underneath the doorway and looked up at Mako then said cheerfully, poking at Mako's chest with his index finger
"Now you try meditating for me tonight, alright? Oh - and don't forget what we talked about earlier about going out and finding some hobbies tomorrow! If you need me to come along, please just call me, as I'd be more than happy to do so with you! Oh, and—"
Mako pushed Tóngqíng's hand off his chest and chuckled happily. He said in a relaxed tone, noticeably less agitated and tense than he was hours ago
"Haha, alright, Tóngqíng!"
He paused and looked to the floor, then back to his therapist before continuing.
"So you really think I can get better, huh?"
Tóngqíng's face grew a subtle smile and he said warmly
"I know you will be able to. I was once in a dark place like you, Mako. It just takes some effort and time, but before long you'll be as happy as I am!"
Mako chuckled again and itched the back of his head awkwardly then replied
"Well, maybe not as cheerful, but yeah — That'd be nice."
The two said goodbye, and Mako closed the door behind him. He walked over to his coffee table and picked up a pen and a piece of paper, then sat down at the dining room table. He let out a sigh, then began to write on the paper sloppily:
"Tomorrow:
-_"
Mako sat there for a few minutes with only that on the paper, then put the pen down and sighed.
"Why is finding something to do so hard for me.." ,
whispered Mako to himself.
[End of Chapter One: Happiness]
[Chapter Two: Something to Fear - Soon]