Gah, I'm sorry this is so late, everyone. For some of you it might already be tomorrow, but my day was crazy so I didn't have a chance to post this until now. And besides, it's still day 4 in my time zone, so I'm not behind yet~ Anyway, honestly I'm not even sure if you could count this drabble here as a crossover, but it was the only idea I had at the time I wrote it, so bear with me. Thanks for all the favorites and such. Usual disclaimers apply. Read, review, and enjoy~


4. Crossover

Mako stared down at his girlfriend, one eyebrow quirked skeptically.

"Korra, are you sure about this?"

The waterbender lifted her head to meet his gaze, unwittingly sending a jolt straight to his heart. She rolled her eyes at him, and Mako marveled at the amused glimmer in those pools of blue.

"Of course I'm sure." She shifted so that her legs were crossed beneath her on the wooden floor, hands resting on her knees. "It'll be really cool, I promise."

The taller of the two huffed irritably. "Yeah, that's what you said about penguin sledding when we were at the South Pole."

"Oh come on, you didn't hit the ice that hard." Her lips twitched as though she were fighting a smile. "And I healed the bruise afterwards, didn't I? Just trust me, Mako. Nothing can hurt you in the Spirit World, anyway."

Mako pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as he mulled it over. That morning, Korra had come barging into his room on the boys' side of the island — while he'd been halfway through getting dressed, no less — declaring she had something "beyond awesome" to show him. So, after he'd hastily donned his shirt and scarf amidst her insistent tugging on his arm, she'd dragged him out to the meditation pavilion with her, rambling so excitedly about whatever she had in store for him that he'd hardly understood her.

As it turned out, she'd apparently managed to enter the Spirit World the night before while she'd been meditating, and now she wanted to try and bring Mako there with her.

Needless to say he was more than a bit apprehensive about this idea.

There were about a thousand arguments springing to Mako's tongue that he could've given her, and just as many scenarios of ways their spiritual trip could go wrong running through his head. But her lower lip was starting to poke out in that trademark pout he secretly adored, and her eyes were round and pleading and bright and dammit, he just couldn't say no to her.

"Fine, Korra," he relented, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. The ghost of a smirk flitted across his features. "I trust you. But if anything attacks me and eats me alive, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

Korra barked out a laugh, and the sound rumbled in Mako's chest, making his heartbeat flutter. "I'll keep that in mind."

She reached up and fisted her fingers in his jacket sleeve, yanking on his arm and nearly toppling him over. Taking the hint, he settled himself beside her, their knees brushing as he copied her pose.

"So how exactly does this work?" He fiddled with a loose thread on his scarf, abruptly nervous. It was no secret that Korra wasn't an expert at the whole "bridge between the worlds" part of her Avatar duties. Even with as much faith as he had in her, Mako wasn't too keen on ending up stuck halfway between his body and the Spirit World.

"Well… I haven't quite figured that out yet." She grinned at him sheepishly, and Mako ran a hand through his hair, exasperated.

Typical Korra.

"That's reassuring," he remarked dryly, earning himself a well-aimed punch to the shoulder. He rubbed the spot he knew would start bruising in a minute idly, his mouth pulling up in a crooked smile despite himself.

The Avatar stuck her tongue out at him childishly, provoking a small chuckle from her boyfriend. "Thanks for the confidence, city boy. It can't be that complicated, though, right? I kinda thought that if we meditated together, maybe if I focused hard enough I could take us both there."

Mako could already see several flaws in this plan, but he could tell Korra really wanted to try this with him, and he didn't have the heart to object. If he was honest with himself, he was a little curious to find out what would happen, too.

Outwardly he shrugged, reaching out to take Korra's hand in his. His expression softened as he looked at her, twining their fingers together. "It's worth a shot."

The way her features glowed almost made him not care whether she ended up splitting his spirit in half or something trying to cross both of them over, so long as the last thing he remembered was her beaming at him like that.

…Almost.

"Alright, this'll probably be a challenge for you since you over-think everything, but try and let your mind go blank." Korra threw a wink his direction, and he scowled at her. She turned so her body was facing the distant horizon, her eyelids sliding shut and her back stretched tall. Mako mimicked her actions, squeezing her hand briefly and concentrating on the quiet murmur of waves brushing the cliff side far below.

He'd just begun to actually relax when Korra's voice shattered his focus.

"Oh, and if we run into this giant insect thing named Koh while we're there, be careful not to show any emotion. At all. Aang told me about him last night; apparently he steals faces. Just act as stoic as you usually do and you should be fine."

Mako's eyes shot open and he twisted around to gape at her, alarmed.

"Wait, what?"

Korra either didn't hear him or simply chose to ignore him. Regardless, he could feel himself slipping into panic mode, wondering just what in the name of Tui and La he'd signed up for.

Before he had a chance to really start freaking out, Korra stiffened beside him, her spine locking into place and her limbs going rigid. His shock ebbed into concern, but the question of whether she was ok never had the time to pass his lips. Her eyelids abruptly snapped open to reveal an eerie glow in place of the blue eyes he loved, not nearly as warm and comforting as their normal hue.

Two words managed to click in his thoughts as he watched her, struck silent with awe.

Avatar State.

Suddenly, her grip on his hand tightened to the point of crushing pain, his mouth twisting into a grimace as his bones creaked in protest. A strange sensation washed over him; it was a gentle kind of heat, almost as though he were walking through fire without getting burned. There was a soft tug on his chest, not strong enough to hurt but still a minor discomfort.

The glitter of the ocean surrounding the island began to fade, one whitecap blending into the next. Patches of trees blurred together, their bright greens leaking into the cool gray of the paths they bordered. A thick mist seemed to settle over the grounds, clouding Mako's vision and making his head spin sickeningly as he struggled to bring everything back into focus.

And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the haze thinned just enough to let fragile rays of sunlight filter through. The landscape was still slightly fuzzy around the edges, and wisps of fog drifted low over the earth, dampening the material of Mako's clothes.

It was darker than the world he was used to, but it was clear enough for Mako to realize he definitely wasn't on Air Temple Island anymore.

"A little disorientating, isn't it?"

Mako nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Korra's casual remark.

He glanced at her in bewilderment as she slipped her fingers out of his, hauling herself to her feet and brushing off the seat of her pants. The glow had faded from her eyes, leaving behind those familiar ocean irises.

"…Where are we?"

Korra rolled her eyes as if the answer should've been obvious, extending a hand to him nonchalantly. "We're in the Spirit World, cool guy. Duh."

The firebender blinked at her stupidly, accepting her offered hand and allowing her to pull him up beside her. He let his gaze scan their surroundings for a moment, attempting to make sense of the sea of muted colors through the mist.

From what he could tell, there were several broad trees dotting the area, their dense leaves rustling overhead and casting shadows over the earth. Tall grasses swayed in some invisible breeze, and water flooded the path in several places, pooling between thick tree roots, soaking into the marshy ground.

"So… we actually made it here?" Mako wasn't sure what he'd expected the Spirit World to look like, but it definitely wasn't this. There was a certain surreal air to this place, a dreamlike quality that made it seem as if it wasn't truly there at all. He almost felt like he was intruding on something extremely sacred that he really wasn't supposed to be a part of.

"Pfft, so little faith in me," Korra scoffed, arching an eyebrow at him teasingly, hands perching on her hips. "Yes, Mako. I told you I'd bring you to the Spirit World, and I did. You can stop worrying about me damaging your soul now, because I know you were."

Mako shook his head quickly, hoping it would settle his thoughts into some resemblance of order. He opened his mouth to fire a retort back at Korra when the undergrowth began to shiver somewhere close by; branches whispered against one another in the relative silence, sending a chill rolling his down spine. Hard-earned survival instincts from life on the streets kicking in, Mako immediately tensed, whipping around to stare at the trembling brush.

He dropped into a battle-ready stance, muscles coiled to spring, fists held level with his chest. In his peripheral vision, he thought he saw a smirk split Korra's features, but he dismissed her reaction, waiting.

After what seemed an eternity, a tall, pale-skinned figure emerged from the gloom, his footsteps so light over the earth he appeared to be gliding rather than walking. He was clad in loose-fitting yellow and orange robes akin to the ones Tenzin always wore, and a striking sky-blue arrow was inked onto his bald head.

Dark gray eyes zeroed in on the two teenagers, betraying first confusion and then warmth as his kind face broke into a smile.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here again, Korra." His spoke calmly, in a voice that hinted at many years of wisdom beneath the surface; Mako could've sworn he heard a laugh rumbling behind the man's words.

And then, to Mako's utter astonishment, Korra broke away from his side and flung herself at the airbender (for he couldn't have been anything else, not with those clothes and that tattoo). She wrapped her arms around his neck in an eager hug, and the man caught her effortlessly, a real chuckle bubbling from his lips.

"It's so good to see you, Aang!"

Oh.

Well that made sense. Mako immediately felt like an idiot for not realizing he was looking at Korra's past life sooner. He eased out of his fighting pose, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he watched the two Avatars embrace.

"Glad to see you, too, Korra." Aang set the waterbender down carefully, ruffling her hair and then lifting his gaze to lock with Mako's. "And it's nice to finally meet you, Mako. Korra's told me so much about you."

At this, a light blush dusted over Korra's cheeks, and she suddenly found her boots very interesting. Mako blanched at being addressed by the legendary Avatar Aang so casually, as though they had just been introduced over a bowl of noodles at Narook's.

"I-it's an honor to meet you, too, sir," Mako stammered, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Something about Aang's gentle eyes made it seem like the airbender was peering right into his soul, and quite frankly it was a little unnerving.

"Please, call me Aang." The former Avatar waved his hand dismissively, strolling over to Mako with Korra in tow. He smiled at the much younger boy kindly. "I never was one for formalities. At least not among friends."

Mako nodded vacantly, tugging on the ends of his scarf nervously. "Right… Aang. K-korra's told me a lot about you, too."

"Geez, Twinkletoes, what're you doing to the poor kid? His heart rate's way too fast to be healthy."

All three of them whipped around at the sound of another voice, and a second later they were joined by a rather short woman of about Aang's age. She had jet-black hair done up in a style that Mako thought looked vaguely familiar, and her lips were twisted in a smirk that greatly resembled one of Korra's signature expressions. Something was off about her eyes, though; their color seemed faded, almost cloudy. With a jolt, Mako realized she was blind.

And in that instant, he recognized her.

"Good to see you, too, Toph." Aang shook his head good-naturedly at the renowned metalbender. "And to answer your question, I haven't done anything to him. He's just anxious, I guess — which you really don't need to be, by the way, Mako. We're really not that intimidating… or at least I'm not." He glanced pointedly at Toph.

"Ah, so this is the famous Mako we've heard so much about." Toph halted at Aang's side opposite Korra, ignoring the airbender's comment. She lifted her chin so that her misty gaze was fixed right on Mako's face, and the firebender took an involuntary step back. The feeling of being under her sightless stare was even more nerve-wracking than being under Aang's. "I hope you're as badass as Korra says you are, Mako, otherwise I'm gonna be very disappointed. And judging by how freaked-out you are right now, I'd say she was exaggerating a bit."

Mako glanced sharply at Korra as she moved to stand by him instead, his eyebrows raised questioningly. "What exactly have you been telling them about me?"

"Nothing!" Korra smiled at him innocently, her hand finding his and their fingers lacing between one another. "I just told Aang we were together, that's all."

"After you'd finished gushing about how perfect he is," Toph added casually, folding her arms over her chest. Korra's dark skin flushed with embarrassment, and Toph grinned smugly at her as if she could see it. "Aang told us all about it. And don't deny it; I can feel your heart hammering already."

Korra laughed sheepishly, and Mako's lips turned downward at the corners.

"I'm not perfect," he muttered somewhat uncomfortably, breaking away from her gaze. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the idea of Korra loving him enough to brag about him to her past life. He just didn't think he deserved to be placed on some pedestal like he was better than he actually was.

He was about as far from perfect as it was possible to be.

As if she could read his mind, Korra laid her free hand on his upper arm, her blue eyes soft as only he'd ever seen them. "You're perfect to me. Don't start beating yourself up, city boy. I can always tell when you are, and whatever you're brooding over in your head right now, you're wrong."

She stretched up on her toes to kiss his cheek, and Mako couldn't help but feel a little brighter.

"Ugh, and I thought I was done with the oogies after Aang and Katara got married…"

"Nice of you to join the party, Snoozles," Toph drawled as a third figure materialized from the gloom, sauntering over to the others with confident strides. He squeezed between his fellow adults, a grin that reminded Mako inexplicably of Bolin's stretching from one ear to the other.

"Yeah, sorry about that." His voice had a sarcastic, joking lilt to it. "I ran into Suki on the way here and —"

"I don't even want to know," Aang and Toph interrupted simultaneously, Toph holding up her hand as if to ward off his words while Aang looked slightly queasy.

The man huffed, his lower lip jutting into an exaggerated pout. "What? It wasn't like we actually did anything. We're in a swamp here, people. That's not the most convenient place for certain activities."

He shifted his focus to the two teenagers across from them, cobalt eyes flickering from Korra to Mako and back again. "Hey, Korra! Long time, no see! It's been, what, twelve hours since you were here last? And you brought your jerkbender with you this time!" Mako's eyebrows furrowed at the insult, scowling as the man sized him up for a moment. "Hmm… he kinda reminds me of Zuko. With that pissed-off look, this kid could be the long-lost Fire Nation heir or something."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Sokka, but the Fire Nation's already got a crown prince." Korra shook her head teasingly at him, and Sokka slumped as though he were extremely disappointed with this news. "Zuko's grandson is next in line."

"Wait, you're Councilman Sokka?" Mako piped up before he could stop himself, eyes widening with surprise. "As in Master Katara's older brother?"

"The one and only." Sokka pounded his chest haughtily, throwing a wink Korra's way and earning an eye-roll from both the current Avatar and the former one.

"Thank the Spirits for that," Toph grumbled without even bothering to lower her voice. Even Mako chuckled at that remark while Aang and Korra snorted with laughter and Sokka stuck his tongue out at her. "If there was more than one Sokka, the entire world would explode."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Sokka scoffed, clearly offended. He shrugged as if to brush off the subject, returning his attention to Mako. "And speaking of my sister, I hope you've been treating Korra well, kid. Because if you haven't and Katara finds out, she'll freeze your ass in an iceberg and let you sit there for a hundred years like Aang did."

"That would be after she's done beating the crap out of you," Toph added nonchalantly, smirking directly at Mako in that unsettling way of hers. "Katara doesn't take shit from anyone."

"I've honestly never witnessed anything more terrifying than Katara when she's angry." Aang's gaze clouded a bit as if he were reliving some past memory, a smile twitching around the corners of his mouth. "And I fought Firelord Ozai and Yakone, so that's saying something."

"Oh, I would believe that," Korra laughed, winding her arm around Mako's waist. "Master Katara can have a pretty nasty temper when she wants to." She glanced up at her boyfriend, who by this point was starting to feel rather anxious about this conversation. "Didn't she already give you a lecture when we were down at the South Pole, Mako?"

Mako swallowed hard, remembering that day all too vividly. Before they'd left to return to Republic City after Korra's bending had been restored, Katara had pulled Mako aside one afternoon and described in graphic detail the multiple ways she would kill him if he ever broke Korra's heart.

He'd decided it was probably better that he didn't tell the old master about the issues he'd had with his confusion over Asami and Korra before then. Keeping all his body parts attached and in working order had been a much more appealing idea.

"…Something like that," he answered Korra's question vaguely, clearing his throat and hoping his blush wasn't too apparent.

The other four chuckled at his discomfort, and Aang stepped forward to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't let it worry you too much, son," he soothed the young firebender, gray irises alight with an almost fatherly warmth. "As long as Katara knows you're making Korra happy, she won't actually hurt you."

"Ooh, that reminds me!" Sokka cut in, popping up beside his old friend and beaming at the current Avatar. "Tell Katara I said hi next time you see her, Korra." A tinge of sadness swept across his expression. "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss her."

"Me, too." Aang's wistfulness was more apparent than Sokka's, casting shadows over his features. "Tell her I love her and tell my family I'm so proud of all of them. Tenzin would be happy to know that."

"Spirits, you guys are depressing." Toph shouldered her way between the two men, her cocky grin still in place as sightless eyes stared right at Korra. "Since everyone else wants you to be their messenger, tell Lin she's one kick-ass metalbender and she's the second-greatest earthbender of all time." Her smirk grew impossibly wider. "I'm still the first."

Korra laughed, holding up her free hand in submission. "Alright, I'll pass it all along for you guys." She turned to her boyfriend, giving his waist a squeeze. "Ready to head back, city boy?"

Mako nodded, letting his gaze travel over the trio of legendary heroes for a moment. A sudden, fleeting thought occurred to him, and he stiffened as a strange mixture of grief and hope seized his chest. If Aang and the others had already known about him, and they were in the Spirit World, did that mean they could've met…?

The question leapt unbidden to his tongue before he could stop it.

"Before we go… I was wondering, have any of you ever seen —"

"Your parents?" Aang smiled at him knowingly, and Mako's breath caught in his throat, ready to hang on the airbender's every word. "Yes, we have. They miss you and your brother. And they're proud of you, Mako. They've always been proud of you."

The first real smile he'd worn since leaving Air Temple Island stretched across Mako's face. He dipped his head to the past Avatar respectfully, blinking away the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes. "Thank you, Aang."

A rather embarrassing yelp of surprise burst from his lips when Aang abruptly grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a hug. They parted almost instantly, and Aang grinned at him. "Didn't I say I don't believe in formalities between friends?"

Mako returned the smile shakily, straightening his jacket as the airbender released him. Korra was at his side in a heartbeat, her hand finding his and warmth shooting through him at the contact.

"Bye, everyone," she said as she let her eyelids slid closed, her expression going blank. The others echoed her statement, while Mako merely waved at the three former masters, following suit with his girlfriend.

One last shout wreathed around him as the Spirit World began to fade out of existence, in that slightly sarcastic voice that could only belong to Sokka.

"Welcome to Team Avatar, scarf boy!"