Now normally i'm not one for begging, but when you go all caps it is hard to say no. I really want to thank every one who has commented, or reviewed, it really means a lot to me. As we all know I own nothing, but the plot, and OC's. Now let chapter 11 begin!
11: Monster
It was so cold now, and with every word from Vaatu's lips it only got colder. Thunder boomed periodically in the distance, growing steadily closer all the while. Snow had begun falling from the dark clouds above; only to be swirled around them as strong winds blew through the empty frozen city. Mako could hear the steady crunching of snow as Vaatu approached the next statue. The dark spirit was still wearing the form of Avatar Korra.
"Ah yes Asami Sato your so called friend." Mako turned to see Vaatu standing before the statue of the heiress.
"I must admit Mako by human standards you have good taste in women. Although your taste in friends is somewhat lacking."
"What are you talking about? Asami is a great friend." Mako argued with a scowl.
"Oh really" Vaatu said raising a brow. "I thought friends understood, and trusted each other."
"We do trust each other, and she does understand me." Mako retorted.
Vaatu merely scoffed. "Oh of course she understands you. After all you two have faced such similar pain and loss throughout your lives. You both had your parents murdered in front of you. Oh wait that was just you. She lost her mother in the dead of night, and was left with a loving father. While that is admittedly painful, it is hardly on the same level."
Mako strained against his chains again, but they still held firm.
"Let's see oh! You both spent your entire childhood trying to survive on the streets. No wait she lived in the lap of luxury all her life. Oh I know; you both had to fight tooth and nail for everything all your lives. Nope just you again; she's always had the world presented to her on a silver platter."
"That's not true." Mako stated firmly.
"It is mostly true" Vaatu continued.
"How could a pampered little princess like her ever possibly hope to understand what you have gone through? You've spent most of your life protecting Bolin, and providing for the both of you. You struggled every day for the bare minimum required to live, while the world seemed to just hand Asami everything she wanted."
Mako glared coldly at Vaatu. "I don't resent her just because she's lead a privileged life."
Vaatu just glared coldly right back. "You are right, that isn't why you resent Asami at all. Do you want to admit why, or do I need to drag the truth out painfully again?"
Mako continued to glare, but remained silent.
Vaatu rolled his crimson eyes with a sigh. "Honestly Mako you truly are a glutton for punishment."
He then reached out, and grabbed the chain connecting Asami's statue to Mako's right ankle. "You resent her Mako, because she took the one thing in this world you've ever truly wanted for yourself. "
Just as before Mako was assaulted by memories, and emotions. First was the memory of finding out that Korra and Asami had stayed in touch during her three year recovery, but not him. With it came the same old feelings of hurt, betrayal, and envy. Next he felt the same feelings of confusion, and apprehension as he once again watched them disappear hand in hand into the spirit world without telling anyone. Then finally there was the memory he dreaded most; the day that Korra and Asami came out as a couple. All of the feelings of anger, envy, betrayal, and shock he had buried that day burst forth, and flooded through him with a vengeance.
It was all too much as Mako yelled out in pain and anguish into the frozen wind. His inner world grew even colder, and the arctic winds blew stronger. Yet even with the wind howling he could still hear Vaatu talking to him as clear as though he were standing right beside him.
"She doesn't understand you Mako, and she sure as hell doesn't trust you. If she did you might not even be here right now."
"What do you mean?" Mako asked through gritted teeth as he fought back against the emotions trying to overwhelm him.
"You knew that Future Industries was up to something. Rather than snoop around though you trusted her, and went straight to her for an honest answer. She didn't give you one though, and because she was messing around with spirit vines; hundreds of people could have died. You could have died."
"That was because of you, and the red lotus." Mako growled out.
Vaatu laughed. "Please Mako there wouldn't have even been a plan if not for her dirty little secret. You may have opened my prison, but Asami gave you the key. I should probably send her a thank you card, does she like gift baskets?" Vaatu said tauntingly.
"Shut up" Mako snarled as he regained some control over his breathing, and emotions.
The amused smirk suddenly disappeared from Vaatu's face to be replaced by a serious look. "In all seriousness though Asami doesn't trust you, and you shouldn't trust her either. There were three tunnels in that secret level at future industries and at the end of one of them was a spirit vine power core. Who knows what was at the end of the other two."
Mako frowned as he remembered glancing at the other tunnels.
"When it comes down to it Mako Asami isn't your friend, not really. In fact if it wasn't for Korra you would be nothing to her but an ex boyfriend."
Mako only turned, and glared out into the dark city. Vaatu just smiled as the length of chain rusted in his grip.
Korra and the others quickly made their way out of city hall to the cars parked out front. Opal and Bolin went with Tenzin in Lin's police cruiser; while Jinora and Kai caught a ride with Korra, and Asami. Lin wasted no time taking off towards the hospital with sirens blaring, and Asami was quick to follow after.
"Jinora what exactly happened at the hospital?" Korra asked from the front seat.
When the young air bender had found her she had explained that Vaatu was free, but was scarce on details. Whatever happened had left the girl shaken.
"Jinora please tell us what happened." Kai said placing a hand on his girlfriends shoulder.
After a moment of silence Jinora answered. "I was going to see if I could help draw Mako out of his coma. When I made contact I suddenly felt cold. Then I got these sudden glimpses of what was going on inside. Republic city was frozen, and empty. I saw Mako bound in chains, and then I saw you Korra."
"Me?" the Avatar asked in surprise.
Jinora nodded her head. "It looked just like you, but it had red eyes, and a purple glow. When it saw me it just looked me in the eyes, and smiled. It smiled like a wolf bat that had just caught sight of a baby seal bunny. You guys say that I only touched him for a second, but to me it felt like an hour. During that whole time I felt Vaatu's presence. I knew it was him because nothing else in this or any world could make my blood run that cold."
"You need to be very careful Korra." Jinora said looking her desperately in the eyes. "If you are going to try to rip Vaatu out of Mako you have to be very careful."
"Why what could happen?" Asami asked worriedly as she made a hard right turn.
"Trying to pull Vaatu out isn't going to be like pulling teeth. It's more like a game of tug-o-war. Vaatu could just as easily rip Raava out of me again." Korra answered.
"Wait a minute, he's done this before?" Kai asked in surprise.
"It was when I faced him during harmonic convergence. He caught me by surprise. It won't happen again." Korra stated firmly.
"I hope your right." Jinora said worriedly.
"Don't worry Mako we are almost done." Vaatu said casually as he released his hold on the chain, and began walking towards Bolin's statue.
Mako glared at him with murder in his amber eyes. Even though the memories and images stopped when Vaatu let go of the chains, the emotions remained. He was able to contain them for now, but it was growing increasingly difficult. Years of anger, and resentment were roiling just beneath the surface, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bury them again.
"What are you doing to me?" Mako growled out.
"I am doing exactly what I said I would do. I'm setting you free, and saving your life."
As Vaatu answered he was holding his fingers in a rectangle, and was squinting through them at the Bolin statue. "You know it's no wonder Varrick's ridiculous movers are so popular. Bolin's got this innocent loveable oaf thing going for him that people just seem to love."
Mako raised a pointed eyebrow at that.
"I must admit Mako for a ten year old traumatized orphan you did a pretty good job raising him." Vaatu said turning to Mako.
Now the fire bender was completely confused, and it must have shown on his face, because Vaatu continued. "I've seen the memories Mako, felt the emotions. No matter what happened; one thing has always been constant in your life. The love you have for your little brother."
Vaatu grabbed the chain connecting the statue to his left ankle. The raging sea of anger within him suddenly calmed as memories of Bolin appeared. The time they had with their parents, growing up on the streets, probending, fighting dark spirits, the red lotus, and Kuvira's colossus. Every memory good, or bad passed before him, and he only felt love, and pride. He was proud of everything they'd made it through, what they accomplished together, what Bolin had made of himself.
As Mako smiled at the passing memories Vaatu continued speaking with a matching smile on his own face. "With everything I've seen I can say without a doubt you would do anything to help him. You would burn the entire world to the ground just to protect him."
Mako nodded in silent affirmation.
"Tell me Mako would he do the same for you?" Vaatu asked quietly, his genuine smile disappearing.
Mako frowned. "Of course he would." He answered.
"Would you want him to though?"
"What do you mean?" Mako asked turning to face the spirit of chaos.
"Bolin is famous now, beloved by the world. He has fame, friends, family, a home, and the girl of his dreams. Everything he's ever wanted and all the things this world has denied him for so long. We are the dark avatar now, and despite your faith in Korra there is no changing that. The whole world, Bolin's world is going to turn against us, and he is going to have to make a tuff decision. He will have to either stand against his own brother, or turn his back on everything he's struggled his whole life for."
Mako turned away, confliction written all over his face.
"This ultimatum, this choice will hurt him no matter what Mako, but there is a way to spare him that pain." Vaatu said.
"What would I have to do?" Mako asked, but dreaded the answer.
"You must cut ties with him Mako. When the line is drawn push him across it. Take the choice out of his hands altogether. It will hurt both of you, but it is also what's best for him. That what you've always wanted for him isn't it?"
"Yes it is. You already know it is." Mako said with teary eyes, and a shaky sigh.
At his words Vaatu released the rusting chain, and rubbed his own watery eyes.
The temperature was freezing, the winds howling, thunder booming loudly every few moments, and now small tremors were beginning to shake the ground.
Mako looked at the statues, and chains around him. While most of the chains were rusted now, all of the statues were intact except for one. Over the course of Vaatu's cross examination of his life; the statue of him had begun to crack, crumble, and wear down. The chains connecting it to his scarred left arm had also begun to rust without Vaatu even touching them. The only statue left with chains intact was Korra's.
Mako could feel a veritable hurricane of anger, resentment, and sorrow ripping around in his chest. Finally Vaatu seemed to regain his own composure.
"Alright only one thread left to pull." Vaatu said as small white lights began to blink into existence around them.
"What are those things?" Mako asked.
Vaatu moved over to stand before Mako once more. "These are a sign that our power has grown enough to where I can start pulling strings other than yours."
Vaatu then reached out, and began to touch each individual light. He did this until all the floating lights, roughly thirty in total were glowing purple.
"What are you doing?" Mako asked with a frown.
"Oh nothing much, just letting Raava know it's time to come out, and play." Vaatu answered with a wicked smile.
The title, and inspiration for this chapter is from the song (Monster) by Imagine Dragons. This song was also one of my major sources of inspiration for the entire story. I definitely recommend looking it up, and giving it a listen. Let me know if you think it fits. Feel free to comment, review, or constructively criticize if you want. I look forward too it all. Until next time then.