Hi. This story is going to be much shorter and darker than Dragon.

WARNING: some graphic content. Not too much, but if you don't like medical stuff, this might make you uncomfortable.


Mako had to undergo multiple tests to prepare for the Spirit Infusion.

He had to come into the clinic everyday and perform strenuous physical activity. They were testing to see how strong he was; what his chances of survival were. Spirit-Fusion was quite a dangerous and exhaustive process.

"It is really just a matter of luck, but we still want you to be in the best shape possible," Dr. Kuo had explained. "The stronger you are, the less likely the Spirit Energy will overpower your body's natural abilities and kill you."

Mako stopped. "I thought that this was safe. There are no records of people dying."

The doctor met Mako's eyes with a steely gaze. "I have lost patients before, back when I was still experimenting. Though we enjoy great success now, this is not yet an exact science. There are always risks."

The firebender gulped. He hadn't really thought of how dangerous this was.

Dr. Kuo tested Mako's strength and endurance for weeks. He had the young bender run long distances, hold his breath underwater, carry heavy loads, and drill intensive firebending techniques. After every test, with Mako drenched in sweat and gasping for air, Dr. Kuo would jot some notes down and ask if he could go again. They monitored his heart rate, breathing, recovery, and overall performance. The ex-police officer felt like a hog-monkey performing in a circus. He couldn't help but wonder if every one of Dr. Kuo's patients had to undergo this much testing.


Dr. Kuo brought Mako in for a psychiatric evaluation.

"I just want to know a little more about your situation, and why you believe that this is the right option for you."

"Well, bending has always been a big part of my life. I mean, when my brother and I were living on the streets, my firebending was kind of the only thing standing between us and death."

The doctor scribbled notes on a pad, his eyes never leaving the paper. "Continue."

"It was how I made money, in Pro Bending and at the electricity plant."

"Mmmhmm."

"And it has definitely helped me out in the field."

"Why do you wish to continue to be an officer of the law? I'm sure there are other options worth exploring."

"I guess. But I'm good at being a cop. I help people." Mako thought back to his time on the street, facing Amon, Kuvira's attack. "I've seen terrible things happen to innocent people, and I just feel that if I have the power to do something about it, I should. Republic City is my home, and I would do anything to protect it."

The doctor's pen stilled for a moment, moved by the firebenders' earnestness.

"That is a wonderful answer Mako."


Once they finally deemed him ready, Mako was brought into a small room in the back of the clinic.

"This is the last test," the nurse informed him. Mako peered into the dim room.

The space was lined with large metal shelves, housing rows of glass cylinders all varying in size. A strange glowing substance swirled around in each of the tubes, illuminating the room with an eerie light.

"This way please." The nurse turned on the overhead lights and led Mako inside. She went to work, pulling cylinders off of shelves and stacking them on a table. "Sit here."

Mako sat stiffly in the chair, eyeing the strange tubes. He tapped the side of one. The glow intensified where his fingers made contact, the substance now moving towards that direction.

"What is this stuff?"

"Spirit Energy," the nurse stated mater-of-factly. "We will be testing your compatibility with different types of energy to determine which one will be used for your infusion."

Mako recoiled from the glowing tubes. "You're going to do what? How?"

The nurse revealed a wrack of syringes. "Think of like an allergy test of sorts. We'll break the skin and give you a small dose of the stuff," she flicked one of the cylinders. "Then we'll see what kind of reaction you have."

Mako frowned. "That sounds too simple."

The nurse shrugged. "Just hold still."

"Before we go any further," Mako stopped her preparations. The nurse raised an eyebrow. "I thought that maybe we should get to know each other first."

"Patient-staff fraternization is strictly prohibited," she recited, a bored look on her face.

"No!" Mako blushed. "No, I didn't mean that. What I'm saying is, I'm about to allow you to inject me with Spirit Energy, and I don't even know your name." He held his uninjured hand out to her. "I'm Mako."

"I know," she tapped his chart. "I've got all of your information right here."

"Does it say on there that I don't like needles?"

The nurse expected to find some flirtatious look on the patients face, but when she looked up, all she found was a nervous young man.

"Really?"

He shook his head. "Never really been a fan. And this isn't exactly like getting a flue shot."

She chuckled, patting his hand. "You're sweet kid. My name is Nari, and I'm going to take good care of you."

She cleaned off Mako's good arm and prepared the first dose. The bright purple energy looked vaguely similar to the weaponized energy Kuvira used from the Spirit Vines.

"It helps if you don't look."

Nari poked Mako's skin and pushed the plunger down. The firebender could feel the cold Spirit Energy crackling in his blood like lightning. His arm twitched and jumped involuntarily. Dark purple lines appeared under Mako's skin, zigzagging off in different directions. The nurse drew a circle around the spot and jotted a few notes down.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine," Mako was staring up at the ceiling, a look of discomfort screwing up his handsome face.

"Here goes round two."

She continued administering the test a few more times, circling the reaction spots and writing her report. Mako glanced down at his arm. Various bumps and patterns of all colors decorated his flesh. Feeling slightly ill, he turned away quickly.

"What's that?" Mako pointed to a large tube on the far side of the room. The energy swirled around in lazy patterns, giving off a warm glow, like a campfire.

"That is classified," the nurse continued to prepare the next set of needles.

"What makes it classified?" Mako continued to stare at the Spirit Energy.

Nari took a long look at Mako, than at the glowing tube. "This Spirit Energy is very powerful. We haven't run any tests on it yet."

"Use me," Mako blurted. The nurse gave him a puzzled look.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean," Mako backtracked. "I'm already here, and you already have everything set up." He shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?"

She gave a short laugh. "What's the worst that could happen? You could have a sever reaction, there could be permanent damage, possible death. Just to list a few."

"I'm not afraid," Mako insisted. "It's safe. I can feel it."

The nurse tried to argue, but something in the way the firebender insisted, the confidence with which he spoke, the steely determination in his eyes.

"I suppose a test could be informative, at the very least."

She grabbed a syringe and walked over to the classified Spirit Energy. Extracting a small dose, Nari made her way back over to where the patient was sitting.

"Are you absolutely sure?" She asked. Mako nodded, his eyes never leaving the glowing substance within the syringe. She shrugged. "Well we did make you sign a waver, so here goes nothing."

Slowly, she released the plunger, and the Spirit Energy released into Mako's bloodstream. He winced. It burned like fire, hotter than he had ever come into contact with. He watched as the golden substance made the veins in his arm glow.

Mako grit his teeth.

The nurse panicked slightly. "Mako. Talk to me. What's happening?"

He couldn't answer. He was too busy concentrating on not screaming.

"I'm calling the doctor," Nari got up, but Mako grabbed her.

"NO! I'm….fine." he gasped. She tried to loosen his tight grip on her.

The moment finally passed. The nurse offered Mako a small cloth to wipe his face. She quickly scribbled something in her notes.

"This is incredible."

"Huh?" she nodded down to his arm. All of the marks and reactions from the other tests were gone.

"I believe Dr. Kuo is going to be very excited about this." She extracted a small amount of the classified Spirit Energy into a thin vile and placed a sticker around it with Mako's name.

"If that stuff was able to clear out all of the gunk from the other spirits, imagine what it could do for your scar." She proudly produced the vile in front of her patient. "Congratulations. We found you a compatible Spirit."

Dr. Kuo burst into the room. He took one look at the vile in the nurses' hands and let loose a torrent of anger on her.

"What are you doing Nari? This Spirit Energy is unstable! Why would you compromise the experiment, and put a patients life in danger?"

Mako had never seen the Dr. act in such a way. At every appointment, he had been so calm and at ease.

The police officer decided to intervene.

"Hey. It wasn't her fault. I'm the one who suggested it. Don't blame her for my mistake."

Dr. Kuo rounded on Mako. "What makes you qualified to have any input in my lab? Do you realize what could have happened?" He snatched the vile from the nurse and waved it in Mako's face. "This is power in its rawest form. I don't have to tell you what the consequences are if this gets mishandled!"

"I'm sorry. But look. I'm fine." Mako raised his hand, proving to the doctor that nothing had happened. "Nari did her job correctly. I'm in no danger."

The scientist grabbed his arm and inspected it thoroughly. Once he concluded that there was no harm done, he straightened himself out.

"My apologies to you both. Nari, please take the rest of the day off."

The nurse quietly excused herself from the room.

"I realize my behavior was inappropriate and unacceptable. I hope that, despite my outburst, you would still wish to move forward with the procedure."

Mako considered leaving. Rarely had he ever seen a professional burst like that, and he was starting to doubt whether he still trusted the doctor.

But also remembered why he had come to this conclusion in the first place. Being a police officer was Mako's identity, and he needed that to be restored.

"Y-yes," Mako cleared his throat. "I would like to continue."

"Very well," Dr. Kuo offered a tight smile. "Someone will give you the date on your way out."

Mako quickly left the room, feeling the doctors' eyes watching him carefully.


Finally, it was the day of Mako's Spirit Infusion. He called Bolin.

"Oh, I forgot it was today." The earthbender agreed to accompany Mako to the clinic and wait for him. "You nervous bro?"

Mako laughed once. "Yeah."

"I'm sure everything will be fine."

The brothers arrived at the Clinic and were taken around to the procedure wing.

"Wow," Bolin let out a low whistle. "This is kind of a big deal, huh."

"Well there are risks," Mako informed his brother. "It would be better to do this at a hospital or something where there is better access to doctors and equipment. But Dr. Kuo has a good track record, so if something were to happen I'm sure he could handle things here."

"Yeah, but nothing's going to happen right," Bolin nudged his brother. Mako remained quiet. "Right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Right Bo."

They arrived at the surgical wing. Bolin sat in the waiting room while Mako was escorted inside.

Bolin waved. "I'll be here Bro."

Once inside, Mako was given some loose garments to change into. He was brought into a brightly lit room with a large reclining chair in the middle. The strange Spirit Energy Mako had chosen was sitting in a machine next to the chair. Dr. Kou was speaking with a small group of people, all of them wearing medical scrubs. They stopped talking when the patient entered the room.

"Mako. Welcome." The doctor gestured to his team. "These are my colleagues, each of them skilled water, fire, and airbenders respectively." The trio nodded at him while continuing to set thing up. "They will be assisting with your Infusion today."

"Why do we need so many benders?"

"Incase something were to go wrong," one of them spoke up. "Dr. Kuo has the elements at his disposal."

Mako gulped.

They got him settled in the chair and strapped his hands and feet down. "For everyone's safety," someone informed him. They started hooking him up to the machine.

"Do you know how a blood transfusion works?" one doctor asked.

Mako nodded.

"Well, this is sort of the same thing. We will be infusing this Spirit Energy directly into your bloodstream. It will take a few hours. You will feel quite weak and disoriented afterwards. Is there someone here waiting with you?"

"My brother," Mako eyed the strange machine warily.

"This may hurt," the doctor stuck a large needle into the crook of Mako's arm. He grit his teeth at the sensation. "Alright there?"

"Yeah," Mako grunted.

Dr. Kou stood directly in front of his patient, leaning down slightly to meet his eyes.

"Before we go any further, I want to make sure that you are absolutely sure you want to go through with this."

"Yes," Mako answered without hesitation.

The doctor smiled. "Alright then." He shook Mako's hand. "I'll see you on the other side."

The medical team proceeded to put on protective eye gear and finished prepping the firebender. Once everything was set up, they started the machine.

A loud whirring sound filled the room as the Spirit Energy was slowly sucked out of the machine, traveling through the clear plastic tubes, and into the IV stuck to Mako's arm. He braced himself for the pain he knew would accompany the Spirit Energy. The glowing substance flowed through the veins of his injured arm, illuminating its path.

Mako gasped as the spiritual substance mixed with his blocked up chi, feeling the knots of energy tighten.

As the spirit traveled up his arm and through his body, the firebender felt like he was bathing in lava. Everything burned, worse than he remembered. He screwed his eyes shut, panting heavily. Finally it became too much for him.

"The patient appears to have passed out," the waterbender checked his vitals. "He's still stable," they concluded.

"Then we shall proceed," Dr. Kuo examined the machine, making sure the flow of energy remained steady. The glowing intensified as it passed through Mako's body. "Incredible," Dr. Kou marveled at his work. They watched the levels of Spirit Energy go down in the machine as it pumped through their unconscious patient.

...

Mako opened his eyes. He was still sitting in the procedure room, but the doctors and the equipment were gone. He tried to sit up, but found he was still strapped to the chair. "Hello?" he called, looking around the room for any sign of life.

The firebenders' head lulled to one side, murmuring incoherently. The doctors measured his breathing and heart rate. Everything seemed normal.

"The Spirit Energy should be entering his vital organs now," Dr. Kou informed his team. "This could be the tricky part. Stand by."

Mako looked up and gasped. A large red dragon sat on its haunches at the far end of the room. It stared him down, flashing its teeth and snarling.

As the Spirit Energy entered his heart, Mako's body jolted. The medical team froze for a moment, startled by the strange reaction. When it happened, they jumped into action each shouting at each other as they worked over him. They tightened his restraints as he jerked back and forth.

Mako struggled against the restraints still holding him down to the chair. He twisted his wrists in every direction, desperate to break free.

The doctors tried to hold down the struggling patient. "Stop him," Dr. Kou instructed his team. "We can't safely proceed if he is moving."

"Sir, if these spasms grow more violent, perhaps we should stop the procedure."

"It's almost complete!" Dr. Kou watched as the Spirit Energy continued to flow into the patients' body. "If we stop now, there could be severe consequences."

Panic rose in the firebenders' chest. He couldn't move, couldn't shout for help. He froze, trapped in the burning gaze of the large creature.

"He's going into cardiac arrest!" the firebender sparked lightning in his fingertips, ready to intervene.

"Wait!" the lead doctor stopped him. "He's going to pull through."

Several seconds passed as the firebenders heart rate continued to climb. "Come on, come on." Finally the doctor couldn't risk it. "Save him."

The firebending assistant brought his palms against Mako's chest and pushed once, sending a jolt of electricity through him. The airbender checked his pulse and shook his head. The firebender repeated his actions to no avail.

"Again!" Dr. Kou ordered. "Stay with us Mako."

The dragon coiled itself up before springing forward, jaws open and poised for the kill.


Mako groaned. He tried to sit up, but he was tangled in wires and tubes.

"Don't move Bro," a voice came from beside him.

"Bolin?" he croaked. The earthbender nodded. "Where am I?"

"The recovery room. Apparently you had a bad reaction to the Spirit Energy. It's been a few hours since you were brought in. They've been coming in to check on you every 15 minutes."

Mako pried off the oxygen mask and started to pull the monitor stickers from his skin.

"Whoa there," Dr. Kuo stepped around the curtain. "You can't leave just yet. How are you feeling?"

"Awful," the firebender moaned, head spinning from vertigo.

"You will for a while." The doctor placed his hand on the patients' forehead. "Your fever is down, which is good. Before we discharge you, we want to inform you of some side effects you might experience. For the next week or so, you might feel increased soreness in your arm. We redressed it. Please do not remove the bandages. You may also experience nausea, weakness, disorientation, mood swings, muscle weakness, and hallucinations. Your body needs time to adjust to this foreign substance it's now housing. Please do not operate heavy machinery. Will someone be staying with you for the next few days?"

"I can," Bolin volunteered.

The earthbender was given a list of instructions and phone numbers to call, as well as something to help with sleep while Mako was being released. Bolin eased his brother into the car and took him home.

He was chattering happily about a past date with Opal, not paying much attention to Mako leaning his clammy forehead against to cool glass window.

"Bo, can you pull over?"

"What?" Bolin glanced at his brother. "We are half way home."

"Pull over!"

The vehicle hadn't even stopped before Mako stumbled out. He knelt on the ground, heaving violently into the gutter. Bolin ran to his brother, holding him up until he was finished. Slinging Mako's good arm over his shoulder, Bolin scooped him off the ground and back into the car.

"Let's get you home."

….

Once at Mako's apartment, Bolin got his older brother settled on the couch. The earthbender brewed up a pot of ginger tea and placed it on the coffee table. He set up a sleeping bag and curled up on the floor, just a few feet from his brother.

"Thanks for doing this Bo," Mako mumbled.

"No problem Bro."

The firebender fell ill several times throughout the night, barely able to make it to the bathroom before his stomach turned itself inside out. Bolin set out a bucket and towel beside the couch, partially for his brothers' sake, but mostly to avoid being stepped on and cleaning up vomit all night.

He tried giving Mako some of the prescribed sleep aid, despite his brothers' strict 'no drugs' policy.

"Come on. After everything you went through today, I think you deserve a little relaxation. And it's not for recreational purposes; this is so we can both get a little shuteye."

Reluctantly, Mako took the sticky syrup, feeling its affects instantly.

Disturbing images flashed behind his closed lids. He wasn't sure if stress from the infusion or the sleeping drugs caused the nightmares, but Mako lay helpless as terrifying visions plagued his mind

Bright orange eyes glowing in the darkness

A charred body lying in the street

Claws tearing at flesh

Fire as hot as lava

Bones crunching as a body breaks in half

A giant monster crashing into a building

Screams of people burning alive

A dragon rushing forwards, poised for the kill

There was shouting and thrashing as Bolin tried to calm his brother.

"Hey," he dodged a fist to the face. "Hey. Mako. It was just a dream. You're fine."

Mako gripped his brother. Wild amber eyes darted around the room, seeing nothing. The firebender gasped and cried out incoherently, still stuck in the realm beyond consciousness.

The flailing ceased as the earthbender coaxed his brother into a calmer state. He stayed awake for the rest of the night watching Mako sleep, still twitching and gasping. He was starting to doubt if the benefits of Spirit Infusion were worth all the side effects.


After that horrid first night, both brothers agreed to toss the sleep medication.

"This is why I am against drugs," Mako groaned, lying his head down on the kitchen table.

"I've never seen a trip that bad before," Bolin wrinkled his nose as he sniffed the sticky liquid. "This stuff smells nasty." He poured it down the sink.

Though the dreams kept coming, they were not as intense after that. Mako would still wake up shouting in the middle of the night, or find himself out on the living room floor, as if he had crawled there in his sleep.

Everything Dr. Kou had predicted came true.

Mako often found himself staring blankly at nothing for long periods of time. He would wander out of his apartment, not fully realizing where he was until nearly being mowed down by a Satomobile. He fainted at two checkups. Things felt like they were getting worse, but Dr. Kou would smile encouragingly and prescribe more of the sleep aid.

"It's just a matter of time now," he handed the patient another bottle of the vile liquid and lead him out of the office. "You are doing wonderful."

Mako discarded the bottle in a dumpster outside of his apartment complex. Trudging wearily up the stairs, he quickly changed into a ratty pair of sweatpants and his favorite tank top, and flopped into bed. Sleep came up to great him the moment his head touched the pillows.


The early morning sun leaked through the curtains, filling Mako's bedroom with soft light. The firebender rolled over, rubbing his eyes and stretching. He sat up in bed and sighed heavily. He had slept better last night than he had in days. There were no nightmares, no nausea, and no strange fits.

He got up and started going about his day, making breakfast and reading the paper. He was about to jump in the shower when a thought occurred.

It was almost two weeks since the Infusion. Dr. Kuo had said that the side effects should start to wear off, and he might even notice some improvements. Mako had resisted peaking at his wounds; he didn't want to get his hopes up. But something felt different today. He bit his lip, weighing his options. He could wait until his next appointment in a few days. That would be the wise thing to do.

But the curiosity was too overwhelming. Once the idea popped into his head, Mako couldn't think of anything else.

With trembling hands, Mako unwrapped the gauze from around his arm. The once ragged looking scar was now smooth and faded, almost completely healed. Mako traced the phantom patterns that previously wound around his arm.

"How…?" he wondered out loud. It was just like the stories had said; the energy from the Spirits had restorative properties. But he was promised much more than just superficial healing. Holding his hand out, Mako concentrated on the swirling paths of chi flowing through him. He inhaled deeply and focused on making that power within him move towards his hand.

A small flame flickered to life in his open palm. Mako laughed.

It worked. The Spiritual Infusion had worked. His bending had been restored.

Mako stared at the tiny fire in his hand; reveling in the element he had missed so much.


Dragon update to come soon. Be sure to check that out and leave a review

Emmy