At the end of the revolution, the streets of the city were blocked with the debris from bombed buildings, and hazards lined the sidewalks. Through it all, most people picked right back up where the bombs had left off, reopening shops and trying to start up business again. There was this odd feeling of celebration permeating through the air despite all of the destruction lying at everyone's feet.
Mako especially felt it. There were many reason to be celebrating, and Korra's victory was chief among them.
He held onto her wrist tightly as they scaled the fallen remains of the building that blocked off an alleyway he was intent on cutting through. She had never seen him skid, lose balance, and trip up over his feet in eagerness before.
"Will you slow down?" she barked as he jumped off of the pile and to the ground, dragging her after him. "And where are we going?"
"We're getting some provisions," he said, just as he had countless times before when she asked.
She groaned and let him lead her to the opening of the alley. They stood in a thin, tightly packed street that was less damaged than the others. Row upon row of ratty street carts, vendors offering trinkets, food, and entertainment among them, lined the streets instead of the debris. Each one glowed with bright paper lanterns against the darkened blue of night, as if returning the city to its former glory.
Mako made a beeline for one specific cart that only hung a single lantern, barely visible among the rest of the splendor.
"One of everything," he demanded, fist going into his pocket and coming out with crumpled yuans.
Korra watched as the vendor plucked Mako's purchases into a small, canvas bag. "Fireworks?" she asked.
Mako lifted his head and nodded. "Yeah. Of course."
"Aren't these illegal?"
He took the bag from the vendor with a smile before looking down at it, opening the top as if to survey his new bounty. He reached inside and shuffled around the paper covered explosives, some bundled together in rows, others just bright cylinders with a single, long fuse. His eyes lit up when he found just what he was looking for, and he pulled out a simple, silvery stick.
"Here, hold this," he said.
She took a step back. "Why?"
"Just take it."
After she had one end secured in her hand, she realized most of the stick was coated in some gritty material. Before she had the time to ask what it was, Mako pinched the end between his fingers and it sparked to life.
It glowed hot, white-orange, fizzling and tossing out bright embers from the center, but it was so large and unexpected that she stumbled backwards.
Mako laughed and pulled out a long line of red fireworks, all twisted together like a line of pork ribs, dangling from one long fuse. Before he lit those ones, he looked up at her with a boyish smile.
"When these ones go off, we have to run."
"Why?"
He didn't answer. He sparked the end of the fuse and lobbed them into the middle of the street, and quickly his hand was at her wrist again to tug her down another alley way, her eyes trained on the potential burning on the pavement.
They exploded with color and loud bangs, making everyone stop and stare, a few kids hollering with delight at the harmless explosions of celebration. They were welcomed against the violence of Amon's bombs that had dropped days earlier.
Korra looked up at Mako, his hand flexing around her wrist, and managed to match his giddy expression at the sight of people lining up to buy more fireworks to release into the streets.