A/N: Things are really starting to get busy Canon wise and I'm so, so excited. Once the Canon storyline is done, there's a 6 month gap between then and when season 2 starts, and I'm really looking forward to have some creative freedom here to set up for the sequel, following along with season 2!
Thank you so much for the views, follows and favorites! Share with your friends you might think would like it, as I'm really enjoying writing this story and excited to see this play out!
Liltorgy gods I appreciate you and your views so much. And I love when you just go off ranting about the characters! It is my favorite thing ever & I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving this story and Kenna & Kona as much as I do! 3
•Twelve•
"Kona! Wait!"
Sikenna called out to her brother as she skipped down the stairs of the apartment. She could have sworn she was right behind him, but he was somehow already down by the road.
"What do you mean, wait? You're the last person who should be telling me to wait!" Kona huffed out at her.
"Hey! She's my friend too, let's direct that anger appropriately." Sikenna spat at her brother as she crossed the busy street with him. People all around them were talking about Korra missing, a group of non-benders at a trolley stop laughed loudly and high fived as the twins walked past. Sikenna wrapped her jacket around herself more as she watched them, as if they would somehow be able to tell that she was a bender by sight alone.
"You're right, I know, I'm sorry. Where are we headed? Air temple Island?" Sikenna nodded briskly as they speed walked through another intersection.
"Well I don't know, Tenzin would probably be somewhere in the city looking for her by now, right?" She said after a moment to think. Kona nodded once and weaved between a few people in his way.
"Right. So the Police station?"
"No." Sikenna shook her head.
"Saikhan is useless, Tenzin wouldn't bother." She stopped suddenly and grabbed her brother's arm, spinning him to face her. The feeling of hopelessness crept into her chest and it showed on her face as she looked at him.
"Kona, what do we do?" She gulped, her eyes going wide. Kona stared at her for a moment and sighed, looking around at the city surrounding them.
"I- I don't know. I don't know... What would Korra do?" He said just as hopelessly as Sikenna had felt just moments before. But what Kona said gave her an idea. She rolled it over her tongue as she looked past him in thought.
"... What would Korra do…"
"What?" Kona asked her with an eyebrow raised.
"That's it, Kona! What would Korra do?! Who would Korra go to if she didn't trust the new Chief of Police?" Sikenna smirked up at him, realization dawning on his features slowly.
"Beifong. Let go!" He said, taking off in the direction of Beifong's home.
•¥•
"I am absolutely not doing it. You do it." Sikenna said defiantly in a hushed voice, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Me?! No way! This was your idea!" Kona whispered sharply at her, pointing his finger as he did.
"You always want to be the hero! You do it!" Sikenna quietly stomped her foot, pointing towards the door they were arguing about knocking on.
"No! She scares me!" Kona admitted.
"Well me too, Kona! Will you just go?!" Sikenna grunted out, pushing him towards the door as hard as she could. Kona stumbled a bit, but didn't move much. Sikenna narrowed her eyes at his smirk and pointed to the door.
"Just knock!"
The door swung open lazily and the twins yelped in surprise.
"Please, don't." Lin Beifong sighed from the doorframe.
"Chief Beifong! I mean, o-officer, Beifong? Just… just Beifong? … Lin?" Kona choked out awkwardly, Sikenna shoved him with her elbow and told him to shut up as the Lin Beifong raised an eyebrow at them, unamused. She didn't answer them as to what they should call her when she finally addressed the two, but she avoided looking at Kona.
"What are you two doing here?" She asked dryly.
"We want to help look for Korra." Sikenna spoke confidently now, taking a step forward.
"She's our friend. Our other friends are in jail, they don't even know she's gone yet. We can't trust Saikhan, and we figured Tenzin would make his way here eventually. You're the only one who can help us."
Lin eyed the girl before her wearily. She had seen her with the Avatar before. She was always quiet, but seemed observant. This has been the most she heard her speak, much less her fumbling brother. But she saw the determination in her eyes, the fierceness behind her stance as she faced her, and realized there was no way she was getting rid of her. She sighed and nodded to the two of them.
"I was just leaving to get your friends out of jail. You can ride with me."
Sikenna and Kona nodded to her as she walked between them towards the direction of her Satomobile. It was time to start the end of this whole thing.
•¥•
Republic City Jail.
Sikenna watched in amazement as Lin took the entire door of Asami's cell off its hinges. Lucky for them, the former chief of police knew the police headquarters building inside and out, and was able to sneak them into the already almost empty building with barely any effort. Asami raised her head from her cot with her arm up to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sudden light.
"Hope you got enough beauty rest. Come on, I'm busting you out."
Asami smiled wide and stood quickly to her feet, rushing to the door.
"Thanks, I owe you."
"Asami!" Sikenna said with a grateful sigh, wrapping her arms around the girl tightly in a hug.
"It's so good to see you! Are you okay?!" She asked her as she pulled away from the hug. Asami nodded and smiled brightly at Sikenna.
"I'm fine." She said as she exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Okay, Kona went to go find the boys cell-" Sikenna began, but as if on cue, Kona interrupted, coming around the corner.
"I found it. Come on!" He waved them over to him as he ran back to Mako and Bolin's cell.
The second time you watch a cell door get bended off its hinges is just as impressive, Sikenna decided. Kona giggled when he saw her do it, and Sikenna couldn't help but be amazed with him, his excitement infectious. Asami rushed into the cell before anyone else could do anything.
"Asami!" Mako's husky voice echoed from the cell and Sikenna's heart did a flip at the sound of it. A blush met her cheeks as Asami and Mako kissed, and she looked away, embarrassed by her initial reaction after witnessing their embrace.
"Ahh, a little privacy, please!" Came a voice from the corner of the cell. Sikenna walked up to the cell door and laughed lightly.
"Bolin, are you pee shy?" Bolin looked over his shoulder and gasped.
"Kenna!" He yelled and slipped a little on seemingly nothing. Sikenna covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
"Hate to break up your lovers' reunion," Lin interrupted the teenagers. Sikenna scowled slightly at her.
"But Korra's in trouble. Amon captured her." Lin said it as if she was ripping off a band-aid and telling you to stop being a baby about it. Sikenna winced at hearing it being said so bluntly. Asami, Mako and Bolin gasped and looked at the older woman in horror.
"No." Mako breathed.
"No, she can't be gone!" Sikenna watched the color drain from his face and his hold on Asami falter and frowned. Poor Asami didn't deserve this, not on top of worrying about Korra herself.
"Come on, we have an Avatar to rescue." Lin broke the tension with an air of confidence that was contagious. Sikenna felt herself stand taller as she heard it. Mako and Asami ran out of the cell and Kona greeted them as happily as he could. Bolin locked eyes with Sikenna and dashed towards her quickly, but froze with a squeak just as Sikenna heard a metal
Zzzp!
"Your fly was down." Lin said nonchalantly.
Bolin moved to cover himself as a blush spread across his cheeks, Sikenna chuckled watching him flounder in front of the two of them.
"Thanks for catching that." He choked out. She nodded and turned away from the two to catch up to Kona, Mako, and Asami. Sikenna felt big, strong arms scoop her up off the ground and laughed out in surprise.
"You didn't leave me in there!" Bolin said happily as he walked down the hall still hugging her.
"I promised you I wouldn't, doofus. Put me down!" Sikenna laughed again and Bolin obliged, looking at her with a wide, genuine smile on his handsome face.
"I know! But you're the first person to keep their promise to me, beside Mako. I knew you would be! Come on, let's go save Korra." He said and laced his fingers with hers to pulled her to catch up to the others. He said that to her so proudly, so confidently, and she was so glad to have him out of jail and safe, that she didn't have the heart to pull away this time.
•¥•
Tenzin's office, City Hall.
Sikenna was finally able to pry her fingers away from Bolin's once they got out of Police headquarters, but not before Kona noticed and wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. She had spent the entire ride over to Tenzin's office silently arguing with him about it. They currently stood at the back of the group as they spoke to a shocked Tenzin, raising eyebrows at each other aggressively.
"Shut. Up." Sikenna mouthed out and pointed forward in an attempt to get him to pay attention to the conversation happening without them.
"Yeah!" Bolin began as the twins finally turned their attention back to the Avatar rescue team.
"Yeah, that makes sense! When those chi blockers had me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel!"
Mako thought for a moment before you could almost physically see the light bulb go off in his head.
"I know where to start looking! Come on!" He shouted as he went to leave the room quickly. Sikenna stepped in front of them.
"Well hold on, we can't just run around blindly, where are we going?" Sikenna said as calmly as she could. Mako groaned loudly, frustrated with her interruption and Sikenna put one finger up towards him to tell him not to get attitude with her.
"Towards the area Bo got kidnapped." Mako answered her quickly, desperate to get out of there and onto their search.
"Towards the area?" Sikenna asked him with an eyebrow raised.
"You don't even have an exact location?" Kona added. It was bad enough he had to constantly deal with Sikenna never fully thinking plans through for small scale shenanigans, and now here he was, jumping into a plan to save the Avatar, his friend who appreciated his history nerd side, who understood his humor just about as much as Kenna did, with no plan or direction.
"Well, not exactly, but-" Mako started sheepishly before Bolin saved him.
"I'll know it when I'm near it. We don't have time for this, Korra needs us." Bolin said, staring at Kona. Kona sighed at his friend but nodded, turning to Sikenna as the three shuffled past her.
"You ready?" He asked her, the conversation Lin and Tenzin were having in front of them wrapping up. But Lin had a point, and Sikenna nodded at her brother, repeating the Earthbender's words almost exactly.
"Yeah. Let's bring her home."
Kona smirked at her and turned to follow his friends, his sister at his side as she's always been.
•¥•
Bolin was right. He would know it when he was near it, even if it was by smell. They had ran to the last place Mako and Korra saw the truck that took Bolin when he was kidnapped, and sure as shit, Lin had found a tunnel near by. They managed to make their way in, thanks to Lin and her metal bending, but after Mako had snapped at Asami in his desperation to find Korra, Sikenna knew she had to calm him down somehow. Mako walked a couple paces ahead of her, a flame in his hand to light the way for the group as they searched the tunnels. Taking a deep breath, she took the last remaining steps needed to match his stride and smiled warmly at him.
"We're going to get her home, Mako." She offered softly to him. Mako gulped but didn't move to look at her, his face stoic as the shadows of his flames danced across his sharp features.
"Then what? What if he took her bending? What if they-" his eyes flickered over to Sikenna briefly, but it was enough time for her to see they were filled with absolute anguish.
"What if they hurt her?" He mumbled out quickly, trying to regain his composure.
"They wouldn't be able to touch her. This is Korra we're talking about, Mako." She touched his arm comfortingly and he looked over at her.
"Exactly." He gulped, and Sikenna felt her stomach turn.
"He won't take her bending away. Not yet."
"Kenna, we don't know that." Mako growled out at her.
"Well speaking it into existence isn't going to help, is it?" Sikenna lightly snapped at him. It was a quote she had carried over from his mother, Naoki, something she had kept in her mind all these years. Mako's eyes widened slightly, confused as to why that phrase sounded familiar, but shook his head. He didn't have time to think about that right now.
"I just don't know what I'll do if something happened to her, Kenna." Mako sighed. Sikenna tried to smile at him through her worry.
"Have you told her that?" She asked quietly, looking over her shoulder to make sure Asami was still distracted by Bolin. Mako was silent in thought, making Sikenna look up at him. His flame faltered as his thoughts deepened. Sikenna ignited her own flame in her hand to help him out, and he smiled gratefully at her.
"How am I supposed to tell her that?" He said, looking over his own shoulder at Asami. He sighed as he looked back and Sikenna understood what he meant- he didn't want to tell Korra that, because it would hurt Asami.
"You can't help your feelings, Mako. And hiding them and ignoring them are going to hurt her more than you being honest with her, yourself, and Korra." Sikenna answered him thoughtfully.
"But I don't even know what these feelings are." He muttered to her. Sikenna cleared her throat to hide a laugh as Mako narrowed his eyes at her.
"I'm sorry, it's just… really?" She asked him. Mako raised his eyebrows at her and motioned his free hand wildly as if to say "yeah, really!" And Sikenna rolled her eyes with a smirk.
"I'm pretty sure you love her." She whispered to Mako. Mako jerked his head away from her, looking at her in disbelief, and she shrugged.
"That's a wild accusation." He scoffed out at her.
"Not really." She began with another shrug.
"If any of us got kidnapped, judging by what Korra told me about when Bolin got kidnapped, you would be the one to pull us all together, the one still able to keep a good head on their shoulders and think things through in order to get the job done. But right now, you're a disaster. You've been snappy and short with Asami since you found out Korra was missing, and not for nothing Mako but I can see your heart beating out of your chest from here." Sikenna frowned slightly as she looked at his shirt. She was jealous, and it made her mad at herself. Was she really jealous that someone would worry about someone like Mako was worrying about Korra? Would Nero be this driven to find her? Would anyone?
"She's important. To me, and the world, of course I'm freaking out." Mako scoffed at her as if she were crazy for even thinking about it. She rolled her eyes at him and looked forward as she spoke.
"Bolin is your world, Mako, and you were still more put together getting him back than you are now." Sikenna bounced the flame in her hand to her free hand and back again to keep herself busy in the awkward silence she created.
"Fuck." He muttered next to her, and Sikenna couldn't help but laugh as she tossed her fire back and forth again.
"Yeah, right? So, what are you going to do about it?" She asked him.
"Get her home. Get her safe. I'll deal with it then." Mako nodded once to convince himself that was his only option. Sikenna went to go say something to him, but Bolin ran up next to her after that, his face pale.
"Hey. Hi. What's happening up here? Nothing happening back there. Nothing!" He spat out nervously with a laugh. Sikenna raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously just as a rev of a motorcycle engine echoed off the walls of the tunnel. Sikenna turned her head with Mako and Bolin towards the noise and felt a chill run up her spine.
"Hide!" Lin hissed. Kona pulled Asami into the shadows just as Bolin grabbed Sikenna's wrist and did the same with her. She could feel his breath on her neck as the engines drew nearer, and she found herself wishing it was Mako instead of Bolin. At least then, she wouldn't have to deal with Kona snickering about this later. Suddenly the motorcycles zoomed past them and through a wall that opened up. Sikenna gasped but Bolin quickly covered her mouth, breathing a quiet "Shh." In her ear. It was a relief when the door closed behind the equalist and Lin stepped out from behind the pillar, letting Sikenna put some space between her and Bolin. She stepped forward and felt Kona's shoulder brush against hers to get her attention. She shifted her eyes towards her brother and grimaced once she saw his raised eyebrow and his stupid smirk. He was never going to let her live this down.
Kona didn't exactly want Sikenna and Bolin to like each other, but if it meant it shifted his sister's focus away from Nero, he would take just about anything at this point. He had seen the way he got to her yesterday, and it made him nervous. Sikenna was smart, and generally speaking, she was always the first to stick up for herself. But through the years, Kona had watched as Nero weaseled his way out of trouble with his sister time and time again, and knew when she was about to break. And yesterday had been close.
After examining the wall the equalists went through with their motorbikes for a few moments, Lin took a stance and metal bended the door's mechanisms to open for them. Sikenna ducked down as she shuffled along silently in the line of people as two masked equalists loaded a few tram carts with supplies.
"That tram goes to the training camp." He said, and the cart took off down one of the many tunnels. Sikenna found her hiding spot and poked her head out, observing the scene. Another cart, this one empty save another equalist, came back down another one of the tunnels. The equalists hopped out and nodded to the one with the clipboard who just sent the other cart away.
"Everything was delivered to the prison, sir." She said to him, and they both walked away now that their jobs were done. Sikenna rolled her eyes and smirked at their stupidity. They really didn't hear the huge metal door get bended open behind them? How could a movement full of people like that have gotten this far?
"That's where they must be keeping Korra." Tenzin muttered over his shoulder to Lin.
"We need to get down that tunnel." The woman responded. She waved two fingers over her shoulder to signal for the group to follow her to the tram that was connected to the tunnel to the prison. Mako held his hand out to Sikenna to help her into the cart.
"Well thank you, cheeseball." Sikenna whispered to him sarcastically as she took his hand and hopped inside. Mako smirked back at her and shoved her gently, making her laugh lightly as she stumbled. Kona noticed Bolin glare at them and grimaced, but didn't have too much time to think about it. The cart took off down the tram and Sikenna fell forward towards Kona, catching herself on his shoulder.
"Spirits, a girl can't even get a seat first?!" Sikenna groaned out as she plopped down next to her brother.
"Don't get too comfortable, look." Kona said to Sikenna as they neared the end of the tunnel, where two equalists waited for the cart. With a huff Sikenna stood with the rest of the group and leaped off the tram right before the alarm sounded its arrival.
"It's empty!" One of the equalist said after seeing the empty cart.
"Yeah, I can see that." The other one said sarcastically, scoffing at his ignorance. Lin suddenly took a step forward and flung her hand out, metal bending one of her cables out towards the two equalists. They both gasped as the cable wrapped around them and tugged them back into the tunnel with a thud. Lin wrapped them up in the cord with a satisfied sigh, then turned to Bolin and Asami.
"You two, keep an eye on them."
"There should be another bender here, just in case. Kenna why don't you stay with them?" Kona turned to his sister. Lin nodded in agreement as Sikenna glared at her brother. It's not that he wanted her to stay with Bolin specifically, but he didn't know what was inside or what would happen, and he would rather his sister be here, where she was safe. Sikenna scoffed as Kona looked at her apologetically before taking off after the rest of the group to search the prison.
"I hate when he does that." Sikenna grumbled as she turned to the group.
"What? Assume you can't take care of yourself?" Asami said absentmindedly, staring at her electric glove as she flexed her fingers.
"Yes." Sikenna answered, making sure to catch Asami's eyes. She knew Asami was aggravated by the implication that she and Bolin couldn't handle some equalists without another bender, even though she was aware that wasn't what Kona meant to imply.
"I don't mind." Bolin shrugged with a smirk, leaning back in his seat in the cart.
"Two pretty ladies to fight alongside with- I'm golden!" He grinned cheekily at them. Asami laughed lightly but Sikenna looked over her shoulder at the prison entrance, wishing to be anywhere that Bolin's bright green eyes couldn't bore into the back of her head like they were right now.
The three sat in silence for a while, minus the random shuffling and grunting from the captured equalists every now and again. Sikenna had her head tilted back towards the ceiling, blowing bored raspberries with her lips as she waited for the Mako, Kona, Lin and Tenzin to come back with everybody. Suddenly a blaring alarm sounded above them, making Sikenna whip her head back to he prison entrance. Bolin stood from his seat with a yelp.
"Come on, come on." He muttered, keeping his eyes trained on the entrance. Asami kept her glove by her side at the ready as her eyes scanned the room, making sure no equalists snuck up on them. The seconds felt like minutes as the two stared at the prison entrance waiting for their siblings to emerge. Just as footsteps started sounding above their head the group popped out from the prison entrance. Sikenna felt her shoulders relax when she saw Kona sprint from the door and hop down the stairs two at a time.
"Let's go, people!" Bolin shouted. Everyone jumped into the cart and it took off immediately, racing towards the other end of the tunnel. Another cart full of equalists appeared behind them and was catching up quickly.
"Behind us!" Asami yelled to whoever could hear her.
"I got it!" Bolin called dibs and took a stance on the moving cart, bringing his arms down with a grunt. The earth from the tunnel collapsed in on itself behind them, causing the chasing cart to crash Into it.
"Where's Korra?!" Sikenna shouted over the wind to Mako after realizing not one of the faces of the rescued were Korra's. Mako growled and narrowed his eyes.
"She wasn't there." He said coldly. Sikenna's eyes went wide and she turned to Kona, who nodded.
"Tarrlok lied." Kona explained to her simply, hoping she would get what he meant. Sikenna's knuckles went white around the metal beam of the cart she was holding.
"Tarrlok… he has her?!" She seethed out at the boys. Kona nodded but before he could speak, Lin's voice from the front of the cart caught their attention.
"We've got more company!" She shouted, standing on the cart. Sikenna and Kona looked over the side of the speeding tram to see a group of equalists waiting for them at the tunnel entrance, Amon's mustached crony at the head.
"So far, all these tunnel adventures have sucked!" Kona pouted next to her.
Lin metal bended a rail from the ceiling into the tracks in front of them, forming a ramp.
"Hang on!" She shouted over her shoulder. Sikenna grabbed onto a railing just as the cart started upwards. Lin earth bended a hole into the ceiling and the cart shot up through the air. Sikenna screamed as it started plummeting back down to the earth, her butt lifting from the seat. With a loud crash the cart collided with the floor again, and everyone groaned. Sikenna raised from her new spot on the floor of the cart and grabbed her head, trying to get rid of the throbbing pain she got from the hard landing. A bright light shone above them and Sikenna looked up, shielding her eyes from the hole Lin had just made above them to the city surface.
"Everyone move, they won't be far behind!" Lin called out. Mako bent down beside Sikenna and helped her up from the ground. Sikenna's water tribe features had reminded Mako of Korra this entire time, and he felt the need to be close to her right now because of it, especially after not finding Korra back in the prison. She calmed him, helped him feel grounded, and he needed to feel that now that they were back to square one with Korra's rescue.
•¥•
"I know you're really stressing out, but you need to be nicer to Asami." Sikenna seethed out at Mako as she walked next to him. Tenzin and Lin had decided their best bet was to call Tarrlok out on taking Korra after finding out the equalists didn't attack city hall, and it was all a lie.
"I am!" Mako gritted out through his teeth. His eyes stayed forward as he followed Lin and Tenzin through city hall. Sikenna skipped to keep up with him.
"No, you're not. You practically pushed her off of you when she asked if you were okay. To ask about what we're going to do about finding Korra-"
"What do you want me to do, Kenna?" He interrupted her. Sikenna narrowed her eyes at him and shoved his shoulder.
"Stop interrupting me! I know you had an epiphany in the tunnel, you're welcome," she bowed a little as she kept with his pace.
"And you're worried about Korra. We all are! Including Asami!" She said, leaning towards him more so Asami wouldn't hear them.
"But you're being a real dick about it and I'm going to need you to tone that down by a lot." She scolded him with narrowed eyes, jabbing a finger into his shoulder roughly to make her point. Mako rolled his eyes and smacked her hand away from him lightly as the group approached Chief Saikhan, Tarrlok, and the other council members.
"Thank you all for meeting us on such short notice." Tenzin nodded. Sikenna finally hushed and took a deep breath, looking forward. Lin and Saikhan greeted each other coldly and Sikenna couldn't help but glare at them.
Tarrlok rushed to the front of the group they were facing.
"Have you news of Avatar Korra?" He asked, feigning worry. Mako growled deep in his chest at Tarrlok's words and Sikenna put her hand on his arm to calm him. It worked almost instantly, Mako rolled his shoulders back and settled his face into a deep scowl instead. Tenzin's fierce tone shocked Sikenna.
"We do." He gritted out, then pointed a finger accusingly at Tarrlok.
"You kidnapped her, Tarrlok!" The council members and Saikhan gasped in horror, Tarrlok scoffed in shock at the accusation.
"I am shocked you would accuse me of such an evil act! I already explained: Equalists attacked us and took her!" Tarrlok shouted angrily back at Tenzin.
"But there were no chi blockers here last night. You planted the evidence, didn't you?" Tenzin challenged him. Tarrlok looked at him in disgust at the suggestion.
"That is a ridiculous accusation!" He defended himself. Sikenna felt her own anger get the best of her and she took a step forward with a growl. She felt her arms radiate warmth as the energy travelled down to her hands, but Mako pulled her back and shook his head slowly, not taking his eyes off of Tarrlok.
"It's true!" Came a squeaky voice from above. Sikenna turned her head to look at a councilman page peeking out from around a pillar on the balcony.
"He took her! I was here when Avatar Korra arrived last night, but Councilman Tarrlok ordered me to leave. I was on my way out when I saw Tarrlok bring her down to the garage!" Sikenna clenched her fist to her sides at what she just heard, feeling Mako do the same next to her as they turned back to Tarrlok angrily. Kona grabbed the collar of both of their shirts from behind them.
"Ah ah ah, let the adults handle this." He whispered to them, but Sikenna could tell he was angry. The hand grasping her shirt was hot and shaking, it was taking everything in him not to react the same way. Tarrlok growled before them and pointed a finger at the page, his face twisted into a scowl.
"That is nonsense! Everyone knows you're nothing but a squeaky-voiced liar!"
Lin looked up at where the page stood, cowering behind the pillar again.
"Why did you wait until now to 'fess up?"
"I was terrified to tell because… Because Tarrlok is a bloodbender!" Everyone around them gasped but Sikenna just narrowed her eyes at Tarrlok, trying to control her element from bursting out of her. Mako breathed heavy beside her trying to maintain his own calm, but Sikenna could feel the heat radiating off of him.
"He bloodbent Avatar Korra!" The page squeaked out and Sikenna could feel the burst of heat pulse off of her and the firebender next to her.
"You WHAT?!" Sikenna shouted at the man, taking a step forward. She shoved all the grabbing hands trying to stop her away and lit a flame in her hand just as an arm wrapped around her waist to hold her back.
"Don't make this worse for yourself." Tenzin's voice cracked through the chaos of the teenagers behind him.
"Tell us where you have Korra!" He said to Tarrlok as he took a stance. Lin took a stance next to him and the arm around her waist let go. Sikenna realized then that it had been Mako and he pulled away to take his own stance, lighting both fists with his own fire. Sikenna followed suit, thankful that she was angry and could pass her blush off as such, and looked around the room to map out her surroundings. Both Lin and Tenzin moved to take a shot at Tarrlok, but something was wrong. Their element didn't go anywhere. Instead, it faltered where they stood and groaned in pain, their arms twisting into uncomfortable angles.
"No!" Sikenna shouted at the realization that they were being blood bended and punched forward to send a ball of flames at Tarrlok, but it was too late. Sikenna screamed as she dropped to her knees. She heard her name being called before the voice grunted themselves. Sikenna's vision blurred at the pain. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire, and not her own comforting flames. This fire was intrusive, violent. It ran through her veins like a parasite setting her insides on fire with each step. Her head throbbed and her vision was pulsing as bodies dropped around her. She tried to fight it, to keep on her knees. She was able to control her hands into fists and slam them to the ground to try to steady her, but as soon as she did another surge of pain twisted her body uncomfortably. This pain was worse than before, it was a punishment for trying to fight against it the first time. Sikenna lost control and screamed out in pain, feeling her throat go horse from the scream before her vision went black, and she fell to the floor like everyone else.
•¥•
"Kenna? Kenna… wake up." Came a deep, soft voice from above her. Sikenna woke up to the sound but kept her eyes shut, her head pounding. She felt a piece of her own long hair get brushed off her face by gentle hands, and she stirred, groaning slowly from the pain. The same voice that woke her let out a low, deep sigh of relief. Its owner moved, allowing the light to hit Sikenna's closed eyelids and she winced, trying to sit up.
"Wake up!" Came a loud, strong voice, causing Sikenna to snap her eyes open only to glare at Lin Beifong for having the audacity to be that loud after what just happened.
Bolin suddenly sat up next to Sikenna, making her jump slightly from the sudden movement.
"Ughh! Man! I had this awful dream that Korra was taken by this evil bloodbender. So weird."
Sikenna blinked at him a few times, unsure of how he didn't realize that really just happened as his eyes scanned the council member chamber he woke up in.
"I- uhm…" Sikenna stuttered out, confused.
"Bolin, that really happened. He knocked us out." Asami said to him, astounded. Kona sat up and pulled his knees up towards him, rubbing his eyes.
"Are you serious?! Where is he?! Is he here right now?!" Bolin shouted at no one in particular, looking around the room frantically.
"I was going to say it was weird we had the same dream." Kona muttered quietly, standing to his feet. He offered Sikenna a hand up and she took it, grunting at the throbbing in her head getting worse as she rose to her feet.
"Tarrlok is long gone. I'll alert the whole force." Saikhan said from behind Sikenna and she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, they'll be a lot of help." She said sarcastically. Saikhan went to go say something to her but Lin cut him off, not wanting to hear a grown man argue with a teenager.
"We've only been out for a little while. Maybe we can still pick up Tarrlok's trail."
Tenzin looked around at everyone with determination.
"It could lead us to Korra! Let's go." He said before turning and walking out of the building, his air bender robe billowing behind him.
•¥•
20 minutes later, Oogie's saddle.
Sikenna smiled sadly at Mako as she knelt down beside him. He was frantically looking over the edge of the sky bison's saddle, his eyes scanning for signs of Tarrlok or Korra.
"Any sign of her, Captain?" She asked him gently. Mako sighed and turned his eyes to her. They were tired, bloodshot and rimmed with tears.
"What if we don't find her?" He asked her suddenly, looking back down at the city streets. Sikenna furrowed her brows at him, shaking her head.
"Don't think like that. We can't think like that. We will find her." Sikenna reached forward and squeezed his forearm comfortingly.
"Mako?" She said to him in a whisper. He shifted his eyes back to her face.
"You can't run from them anymore. Okay? The feelings. You have to handle this. No more triangle. You know who you want to be with, so be with them." Mako stared at her for a moment, but nodded, squeezing her hand that rested on his arm still in understanding.
"I know." He breathed, looking back out onto the streets below them.
Sikenna smiled and took her hand back, gently ruffling his hair affectionately as she stood. Mako closed his eyes for a moment and leaned back into her hand that brushed through his hair until she pulled away, immediately missing the comfort it brought to his tired body.
Sikenna walked to an empty wall of the saddle and plopped down to her butt, resting her head back against the bison's fur, trying to breath through the last bit of throbbing that still lingered in her head.
A few minutes later she felt another body plop down beside her. She opened one eye and looked over, only to be met by big, worry filled green eyes. Sikenna smirked but closed her eye again.
"Hi, Bolin." She said with a giggle, feeling him still stare at her.
"I miss you." He spit out quickly. Sikenna opened both of her eyes and looked at him, confused.
"What? I've been with you all day, Bolin. I don't-"
"You know what I mean, Kenna." He interrupted her, looking serious. Sikenna's smile faded from her face slowly and she nodded.
"Why are you pushing me away? I can feel it. You're distancing yourself from me." He asked her sadly. Sikenna looked down at her hands and sighed.
"Because, Bolin. Everyone thinks we like each other, and I just don't know how to act around you now." She muttered quietly, eyeing the other people on the saddle.
"Do we not?" Bolin asked with a light chuckle and Sikenna met his eyes with a look of disapproval.
"I'm not kidding, Bolin."
"I'm not, either, Kenna. Look, you're gorgeous. I would be an idiot to think you aren't. And you're like, really scary sometimes, and I can't say that's not hot!"
Sikenna closed her eyes, wishing she wasn't hearing the words coming out of his mouth.
"And I'm the most Handsome, so I can't blame you!" Bolin tried to joke to lighten the mood but realized Sikenna hadn't opened her eyes, and he frowned.
"I just… I don't want Nero to be right. I don't think he is, but I would feel horrible if he was and I ignored his feelings and invalidated him…" she said softly, careful not to grab Kona's attention.
"Kin…" Bolin said softly, his voice genuine and smooth.
"I am attracted to you. I'm a 16 year old guy and my best friend is a smoking hot fire bender with blue eyes and wit quicker than a fox antelope. But that doesn't mean I have romantic feelings for you." He tried to comfort her, and to Sikenna's surprise- it did. She slowly opened her eyes and looked over at Bolin, who cracked a smirk as he made eye contact.
"You and I," he pointed between them.
"Would not work well in a relationship. I would drive you crazy, and your temper and being all, reckless and stuff- would send me to an early grave." He laughed, and Sikenna cracked a smile at him.
"We're just two very, very pretty best friends who are probably going to have some crazy sexual tension for a while." Sikenna dropped her jaw at him in surprise and he shrugged.
"What do you even know about sexual tension, Bolin? You're 16." She asked him.
"Yeah, exactly. That's my point." He said, gesturing to himself.
"I am a ball of sexual tension." He joked, and Sikenna laughed, causing Bolin to smile proudly at his accomplishment.
"I miss you too, Bo." She smiled back at him and grabbed his hand. Bolin relaxed and scooted next to her.
"I'm still going to cuddle the spirits out of you when we hang out."
"Platonically." Sikenna deadpanned, putting her finger in the air.
"Yes, I'm going to platonically snuggle the spirits out of you when we hang out." He reworded his statement, resting his head on her shoulder and lacing their fingers together.
"People are going to assume things." She muttered to him, but he shrugged, not moving his head from her shoulders.
"So let them. Girls are allowed to cuddle their friends all the time. Let me be a teddy bear while I still can." Sikenna nodded and settled back, resting her head on top of Bolin's.
"But we definitely don't have feelings for each other, right?" She asked him.
"Nope. I'd definitely take you on a date though." Sikenna laughed at him and bobbed the shoulder he was resting on, making his head bounce.
"Ask me when you're 18." She teased.
"Gross, you'll be so old then."
Sikenna let out a hearty laugh at this, despite the tension still within the group looking for the missing Avatar.
Mako turned to look at her as she laughed. That same familiar laugh that would still sometimes ring in his ears when he woke up in the morning. The dreams were less frequent these days, and more often than not memories would develop just as he was with Kenna and Kona, their facial expressions bringing up little flashes here and there. But that laugh, her laugh, brought the same pull, the same sort of calm. It washed over him like a wave and he closed his eyes, relishing in it. Nothing was able to calm him down so quickly before, he realized. She was the only reason he was able to keep calm at all today. She helped him through his feelings without judgement, without making him feel as bad as he knows he should feel. It was one of the only times in his life he was happy Bolin didn't listen to him, and continued to hang out with those weird fans he told them about all those weeks ago.
His eyes were still closed enjoying the bells of Sikenna's laughter bounce around the walls of his brain when he heard a deep howl from below. His eyes shot open and he looked over the edge. Sikenna's long hair flew into his side vision as she threw herself against the edge of the saddle next to Mako, looking down. She gasped as she pointed below.
"Mako!"
Mako's eyes followed her finger and he sat up straighter.
"Naga!" He announced to the group, pointing down at the polar bear dog. Tenzin pulled Oogie's reigns around to turn back to where Mako was pointing.
"Down there!" He shouted to Tenzin. Sikenna's hair whipped around her as they flew lower. She noticed a body on top of Naga's own saddle and grabbed at Mako's arm.
"Mako! It's Korra!" She breathed out at him. The boy leaned forward a bit more to look and realized she was right; Korra laid belly down on Naga's saddle. Mako laughed loudly in excitement and locked eyes with Sikenna as he told the group.
"She's got Korra!"
The Bison wasn't even properly landed when the five teens jumped out of it's saddle, racing Tenzin and Lin to Naga and their friend. Tenzin and Lin reached her just as she started groaning, not fully aware of her surroundings but acknowledging that she knew they were there.
"Korra! Oh, thank goodness." Tenzin breathed out in relief. Lin instantly started questioning her.
"Where's Tarrlok? How did you get away?!" Sikenna felt rage bubble in her chest, but she wasn't alone. Mako shoved past Tenzin just as Sikenna took Lin's elbow and shoved her back from Korra, glaring at the former chief coldly for being so inconsiderate.
"Give her some space!" Mako scolded them. He reached up and pulled Korra into his arms, carrying her bridal style back to Oogie. Sikenna smiled sorrowfully at Asami's pained expression. It hurt to watch her friend's heart break right in front of her, but Kona put a hand on her shoulder and Sikenna knew she would be okay, Kona always knew what to say. She jogged back up to Mako just as he looked down at bruised and half asleep girl in his arms.
"I was so worried. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I'm glad you're here." Korra whispered and snuggled into Mako's chest. Sikenna couldn't help but smile, she could tell how safe Mako made Korra feel.
"We got you, Korra. We'll get you home." Sikenna cooed quietly to her friend, brushing her hair lightly, like she had remembered her mom doing when she was scared.
"You're safe now." Mako whispered gently, looking down at Korra, his eyes filled with adoration, finally at peace.