Hey, guys! I'm sorry it's taken a few days to upload. I have to go to my grandparents house in order to be able to upload new chapters, so when I upload will be sort of sporadic. I'm sorry about that, but it shouldn't be more than a week at a time at the most that I upload! Anyway, here's the next chapter.
Korra's eyebrows furrowed in frustration, she had been working on healing Mako's concussion for the past twenty minutes but the inner turmoil he was feeling had been preventing her from making much headway in healing him. "Mako, what's bothering you?"
He put his hands to his throbbing head as Korra placed the water back into it's basin with a deft flick of her wrists, "Can you keep healing me? This hurts worse than it did half an hour ago."
Korra wiped the sweat from her forehead, "It won't do any good if you don't calm down. Whatever is freaking you out is keeping me from healing you." His eyes widened, how did she know that something was disturbing him? Korra was good at reading him by now, but he was sure that the pain from his concussion was hiding anything else that he may be feeling.
She responded as if reading his mind, "Whenever I use water bending to heal," she willed the water to wrap around the back of Mako's head once more. It began to glow and emit a quiet whirring noise, "I can empathize with what you feel. I'm not exactly sure how it works, Katara explained it to me once, but I can tell that it's hurting you. And right now your emotional pain is demanding more attention than your physical pain."
Mako shut his eyes tight, seeing his parents' death earlier that day had done more than upset him, he felt as if he were beginning to unravel. The despair on his father's face, the death on his mothers, and the crazed look of possession in the man who murdered them was just too much for Mako to take. "How did Katara learn that?" He searched for anything to distract his mind from the painful memories assaulting him.
Korra paused, thinking, "She didn't tell me all of it, but she said that she had a friend once that had been brain washed into fighting for the Dai Li. She used her healing abilities as a form of therapy to bring him back to normal. But she told me," her voice dropped in preparation for what she was going to say, "His parents were killed by the fire nation, before his very eyes. Katara said that was an angle she used in order to bring her friend back. But she said that while she did it, she could feel his pain."
Mako inhaled sharply, he couldn't keep the memories at bay and his head began to hurt worse than ever, "That's terrible."
Korra's eyes widened with understanding, "That's what you saw while you were out, wasn't it? Your parents' death."
Mako's skin became a shade paler as he tried to control the shaking in his hands, "Yes."
Now that Korra understood exactly why Mako was feeling the unrest that he was she focused on her healing becoming soothing and loving. She didn't say anything to him, but Mako could feel the swell of emotions she was pouring into him through her water bending. His head stopped throbbing, and the pain in his heart became less intense as well. He sighed in relief, "Thank you, Korra."
She didn't say anything, but ruffled his spiky jet black hair and gently kissed the top of his head. She knew that there was nothing she could say in order to comfort him. Reliving his parents' death must have been so terrible. She pulled up a chair so that she could sit and face him. "Want to talk?"
His molten gold eyes met her cerulean blue ones, she was shocked by the unbridled pain in them. If her healing had done any good on his emotional pain, it wasn't easily noticed. "No, not about my parents. But Korra," he took her hand in his. The harsh contrast of her olive skin against his pale hands was even more evident in the dim afternoon light, "If Lin is right, and someone is trying to kill me, I don't want you to try and protect me."
Her grip on his hands tightened at what he said, her gaze fell from his eyes onto the floor, "Why would you say that?"
Mako decided there that he would never tell Korra the real reason that he didn't want her protecting him so he gave her a simple excuse, "You're the Avatar, you have better things to deal with. I'm a police officer, I'll be able to keep myself safe."
Anger flared up in Korra, she released Mako's hand as she yelled, "Because you did such a good job of that today? Face it, Mako. Someone is out to kill you, you need some extra protection. What better form of protection is there than the Avatar? You need me, Mako." She said the last part with finality as she jabbed her forefinger at his chest, "And don't you dare argue with me."
Mako swat her hand away from his chest and stood up to his full height, looking down on her. "I'll argue all I want to, Korra! You may be the Avatar, but you're still my best friend, I won't let you put your life on the line too. You're too hot headed to make decisions like this. I won't have you protecting me."
"Stop being dumb, you need protection! I can use Avatar state now, nothing will be able to hurt either of us if I'm protecting you!" the water she had used to heal Mako earlier sloshed about dangerously in its basin, "Why won't you listen to me?"
Two strings of metal shot out from behind the door way leading into the police station's main office. One tied Korra down to her chair, and the other did the same to Mako. They both huffed out fire from their mouths in anger, glaring at the floor but making sure they didn't make eye contact with one another. "What on earth is going on in here?" Lin stormed into the room keeping a tight hold on the metal she was bending.
"He's an idiot!" Korra yelled at the top of her lungs.
"I'm the idiot? No, you're the idiot!" Korra could swear that she saw sparks shooting from his finger tips, she had seen him mad before, but never this fired up.
"I don't care what you two are fighting about but I will not have it here. You're a police officer, Mako. And Korra, you're the Avatar. I was expecting more from both of you." Lin retracted the metal back into her uniform releasing the two teenagers. Korra and Mako stayed rooted to their spots.
"Lin, you knew Aang. Wasn't he completely safe in the Avatar state? Wasn't he completely able to protect his friends without a problem?" Korra dared to look at Mako, he was fuming in anger.
"Where do you come off thinking that?" Lin cast her a suspicious glance, "You couldn't be more wrong."
Korra jumped up in surprise and glared at Lin, "What?" She stood there in a stupor. Mako had a confused look on his face. He had expected the Avatar state to have it's fall backs, no one was invincible, but how was Korra completely wrong?
"Lin," Korra felt a sense of dread as she spoke her next words, "How could I not be more wrong?"
"That idiot, Tenzin, never told you about the Avatar state?" Korra shook her head. "Figures, I guess he didn't want to scare you too badly. Well, I might as well tell you. This is something that you're going to need to know anyway." Her steely gaze softened as she met Korra's eyes. She felt terrible for having to be the one to break this news to her but regardless she had to do it, "You may want to sit down while I explain this."
Korra took her seat once more, a look of terror crept onto her face. Mako noticed how scared she looked and moved his chair to be next to her. He knew that she was still mad at him, even if his decision had been made for altruistic reasons, but he still wanted to be there for her. After a moment's hesitation he took her hand into his. He was shocked at how cold her hand was. Carefully, so that he didn't burn her on accident, he willed the flame in his being, the energy of fire that coursed through his veins, to warm his hands, just slightly, so that he may be able to give her some sort of comfort. She looked at him and her gaze instantly softened into one of appreciation.
"Korra, I don't know how much you know about the Avatar state, but I can suspect that it isn't much. You've only been able to use it for a short time now, right?" Lin paced back and forth in front of the pair holding hands. It brought back memories of she and Tenzin when they were that age, but she quickly pushed them away. Now was not the time to dwell on the past.
"Right," Korra nodded, "The first time I truly used it was right after Aang showed me how to restore bending," A slight blush rose to her face as she felt Mako's thumb tracing lines on her hand. It was a gesture of comfort, she knew that, but it still sent sparks flying.
Lin nodded, "And I hear you've used it quite recklessly since then. Helping you do chores around Tenzin's house, winning petty races against his children-"
"Is that really important? Aang told me not to do that anymore, something about a great danger and that until I know how to properly use it by going to the South Pole I shouldn't even try to use it anymore. So I won't. Ok, simple as that." Korra clenched Mako's hand tighter out of frustration. The last person she would want another lecture from was Lin Bei Fong.
"That's not the point I'm making, Korra. Although Aang was very right to tell you not to use it until you gained full control of it. But what's this about going to the South Pole to learn how to properly use the Avatar state?" A brief look of confusion crossed the middle aged earth bender's face, but she quickly replaced it with her normal expression of calm neutrality.
"I don't remember what he said word for word, I got news of what happened to Mako right after Aang and I talked so my mind was somewhere else-" Mako took in a sharp breath, silently hating himself for worrying Korra like he had, "-but he said that in order for me to learn more about the Avatar state I needed to go to the Southern Water tribe and find some ice burg or something like that."
Lin nodded, taking the information in, "The ice burg he was trapped in for one hundred years is probably a very spiritual place now. Some Avatar's, Aang included, have a physical place in the world that is a link to the spirit world. There is one in the Northern Water Tribe that housed the sea and the moon spirit, Twi and La. Aang actually-"
Korra cut Lin of angrily, "I'm not here for a history lesson. I know about how the moon spirit was murdered and water bending was almost eliminated. That's not important right now though, tell me about the Avatar state." She noticed how tight her grip was getting on Mako's hand and let off of the pressure she was exerting on it.
"As you wish," Lin decided against snapping back at the young Avatar, she would have plenty of time to yell at her later, "As you know, the Avatar state is where you are at your most powerful. You are completely connected to all four elements at once and you are also completely connected to all of your past lives. It would seem as if you are completely invincible during this," her voice took an ominous drop in tone, "But nothing could be less true. While you have your greatest strength in the Avatar state, you also have your greatest weakness."
Korra raised a questioning eyebrow, "What about the Avatar state is weak?"
"If you are killed while you are in the Avatar state, which is very possible, it almost happened to Aang," dread crept its way into Korra as Lin spoke her next sentence, "The line of reincarnation for the Avatar would cease to be. The Avatar would cease to be."
Mako saw all of the color leave Korra's face, her hand became cold as ice, "There would be no more Avatar?"
Lin nodded, "That is why everyone is so against you using the Avatar state as often as you have been. We have no idea what kind of enemies you may have out there who could strike at any moment. If you happen to be in the Avatar state when they do, Korra, all hope for future generations of peace and harmony would be lost. The Avatar is a symbol of unity, since you are able to bend all four elements and connect with the spirit world, you are a sign that all four nations, no matter how different, can live together in harmony instead of discord. But if the Avatar is gone, so is all hope."
Korra began to take deep breaths in order to keep herself from succumbing to the hysteria she felt growing in the pit of her stomach, "I guess Tenzin isn't as stuffy as I thought he was."
Mako shook his head in disbelief, "Is this general knowledge?"
Lin gave a sarcastic laugh, "Far from it. If the Avatar didn't know about it then I think it's safe to assume that most people have no idea about it. But," she cleared her throat, "That doesn't mean someone wouldn't have the courage to attack the Avatar in the Avatar state. Azula tried it without knowing and almost managed to kill Aang."
Korra released Mako's hand abruptly and stood up, "Well that's good to know, but I won't have to worry about it. I already told Aang that I wouldn't use the Avatar state until I learned how to properly use it. Thanks for telling me, Lin. I'm glad that I know." She clenched her hands into fists, trying desperately to hold herself together in front of her two friends.
"It's only right that you know."
Korra nodded, "I think I'm going to go home now. It's been an eventful day." she glanced over to Mako who seemed lost in his own thoughts. "I hope you feel better soon," she said giving him a small smile.
He didn't seem to notice what she said, or that Korra left the room. Lin took the seat that the young Avatar had previously occupied. "Are you alright, Mako?"
Her voice snapped him out of his stupor, "Uh, yeah I'm fine. Thanks."
Lin shook her head as if what he said had confirmed something in her mind, "Mako, I want you taking the next few weeks off. We still don't have any leads on who tried to murder you, only that they're still out there. I've sent a message to Tenzin and he wants you to go and stay on Air Temple Island for the time being. You should have a sufficient amount of protection there."
He didn't have the strength or will to argue, "Yeah, that's fine. What about Bolin? Is he allowed to come too? Whoever is after me has probably got him under their radar too."
"Accommodations have been made for both of you. We'll send for you as soon as everything is cleared up, but as for now I think that you should go and try to comfort Korra. I don't think she's taking the news as well as she's hoping for us to believe."
Mako frowned, he wished that Korra would open up about her feelings to him more. True, they hadn't been able to be around each other much since he had become a police officer, and where they stood with their feelings for each other was a little hazy at the moment, but that didn't mean that she couldn't open up to him. He was still one of her best friends…right?
Korra kicked a small pebble in front of her every few steps that she took. She focused on making it go all the way down the street with her without using any earth bending to keep it in line. Even the remedial task of keeping it in a somewhat straight line was difficult for her to accomplish right now. She could feel herself beginning to unravel. How dumb had she been with the Avatar state recently? How many opportunities had she left wide open for someone to attack her?
She barely noticed as she almost plowed a young boy over, "Watch where you're going, kid." She said without looking at him.
He laughed, but it was no normal laugh. It was manic…almost haunted sounding. Korra whipped around to face the kid. He must have been twelve years old, but something was very off about him. The way he held himself in such a hunched position, he looked like an animal about to attack. "You alright, kid?"
He snarled at her, "It's coming. And it's going to get you." With that he began laughing hysterically. Korra was frozen to her spot, unable to shake the sense of complete fear that had overtaken her. She watched as the young kid howled and cackled himself into a frenzy. He began to sway back and forth, coughing, until he fell face down onto the stone pathway. His laughing stopped and the boy grew still.
Korra took a tentative step towards the kid, maybe he was seriously sick and had been hallucinating. Maybe there was something seriously wrong with him and he was dying. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that she had to help the kid. "Hey, are you alright?" She reached towards him in order to turn him over to get a better look at his face.
The crackling noise of electricity filled the alley, a cold wind swept Korra's hair out of her face. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. She heard a snarling noise behind her, dread filled her heart as she turned to face it.
Mako's pace quickened to a sprint as he heard her scream, it was unmistakable, it was Korra. She wasn't too far away, but he had no clue where she was. Unable to make out the direction her scream had come from he jumped into the air as high as he could and shot two flames from his palms. It was a very useful technique that he had learned from General Iroh, It allowed him to propel himself through the air, almost as if he was flying. The only problem was how quickly it wore him out. He knew he wouldn't have much time to find her if he wanted to be able to defend her when he found her.
He heard her scream again, and took off to the right. What he saw wouldn't leave his mind anytime soon. A disturbing creature held Korra in one of its branch like appendages. Electricity cracked around it, and for all Mako knew, it was being directed into Korra. She was now unconscious in the creature's grip.
Mako landed deftly to the ground and started to assault the creature with blasts of fire. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that if it was hurting Korra that he would kill it. "Let her go!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, fire erupted from his mouth as he continued his onslaught on the creature.
The thing glanced at Mako, deciding if it was worth it's time to attack him or not, and threw Korra into a building across the alley. She hit the building so hard that the stone blocks cracked and crumbled on impact. The creature snarled at Mako and ran off, disappearing into another alleyway.
Mako made his way over to Korra carefully, trying hard not to trip on the debris left behind from the creature's wake. He was so focused on Korra that he barely noticed when he stepped on something that didn't feel like stone. He glanced down at the figure underneath his foot, stepping back in shock. It was the same kid who had knocked him unconscious earlier that day.
Why doesn't Mako want Korra protecting him if he didn't know about the danger in the avatar state? What was that creature, and why in the world would I have named the chapter the SPIRIT? (If you don't pick up on that one, just go fall in a hole or something.) Next chapter we'll see a bit of what Bolin, Asami, and General Iroh have been up to. Keep that kid in mind, something about him will become important a little later on. So if you liked it, or didn't like it, please review and tell me! I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow. Thanks, y'all.
Also, thank you Okki and Savvyzzz for all of the feedback and good ideas! Y'all are awesome, and everyone should go read their fics, because they're awesome.