Hello everyone, sorry it's been too long. I won't get into details on why there was such a delay, but mainly it's the semester and I've been focusing on my other fanfics.
But here is the next chapter, and we're going to see how much Mako's skills have enhanced through his time with the Blue Spirits.
Also, sorry for any grammar mistakes.
Please enjoy
Chapter 9: What's truly deep within
In the market bazaar, a crowd gathered around the new visitors. Asami took centre stage with a megaphone in hand.
"Come one, come all, and witness the amazing air benders!" Asami's voice echoed around the crowd. "An air bending show that will leave you breathless!"
Korra, standing with the air benders, applauded with the crowd in support of her girlfriend.
"First up, the master air bender himself! The son of Avatar Aang! Please welcome Master Tenzin!" Asami boasted and pointed to Tenzin.
The aged air bender stepped forward and motioned his arms around. He weaved air around him and he maneuvered around with air levitating him. The crowd applauded in pleasant surprise.
Mako hung to the side of the crowd. His eyes scanned through the crowd and the market rooftops, watching for any anomalies. So far no frontal attacks, still got to keep watch.
Bolin got to him and pat him on the back, "Hey bro. I gotta say, the Fire Nation market looks so cool. You would think that it would be hot and sweaty here, but no, it's not bad heh."
"Right," Mako replied, but then he remembered something. "Bolin?"
"Yeah?"
"When this show is over, I need to talk to you about something."
That got Bolin to cease the gleeful expression, "Oh, what is it?"
"I'll tell you later, but it's something you'd be interested in."
"Okay…well I better get into position," Bolin said, "playing the earth bender convict is going to be pretty neat."
"Sure Bolin, you put on a good show." Mako nodded. He spotted one shroud of obsidian skulking through the roofs. The Blue Spirits were prowling around, surveying the bazaar with him, with no one around any wiser.
"Let's bring our attention to the air nomads! The fine and benevolent people of the Air Nation that use their air bending to keep the peace!" Asami said.
Jinora, kai, and Opal readied their wingsuits and launched themselves up in the air, gliding around the crowd and flaunting their stuff.
Once their performance was done, Asami continued the show, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have some serious news. We've heard that there is an escaped…" suddenly Asami's tongue froze. The words 'earth-bending convict' could not escape her mouth; images of Kuvira entered Asami's mind from those words, the woman who killed her father.
The air benders and Korra noticed Asami was tripping on her words. Asami's eyes darted around until she spotted Mako at the side of the crowd. She found her scapegoat. I'm sorry Mako.
"An escaped convict c-clad in black has been spotted around here." Asami stammered through her megaphone.
Once Mako heard what Asami had just said, he snapped his head in her direction, "Huh?"
Korra, Bolin, and the air benders also had a look of confusion. But it was too late, and Asami continued the play. "Everyone, if you see a convict d-dressed in black…"
A villager quickly pointed to Mako, "I see him! He's over there!"
More civilians all at once turned to Mako. "There is he! The convict!"
"Hey whoa! What?!" Mako got his hands up.
The air benders whispered amongst themselves.
"What's going on?" Kai said to them, "Asami was supposed to call out Bolin."
"I guess I'll have to improvise," Korra answered and leaped forward on the stage. "Fear not citizens! I will subdue the criminal with my air bending skills!"
Korra gathered air as she moved her arms before scooping Mako up into a whirlwind.
"Hey! Whoa! Stop!" Mako yelped and thrashed his limbs around, "What are you doing?! I'm not supposed to be in the skit!"
Korra did not hear him. Instead, she giggled and glanced back at Asami, who in return gave a wince and a guilty chuckle.
Mako turned his neck to yell at the Avatar, "Korra! Enough! Put me down now!"
The whirlwind was losing power and Mako plummeted down. "Waah!"
Before he crashed, Korra conjured a ball of wind to levitate Mako two feet above the ground. The orb of wind dissipated and Mako plopped onto the dirt with an 'oof!'
The crowd guffawed at the stunt. Mako slowly got back onto his face and he patted the dust off him, he heard the citizens commenting.
"Total wipe out!"
"Darn, he fell flat on his face!"
Mako frowned at the humiliation he was getting from the crowd.
Korra continued the act, "That will teach you criminal!" She waved to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you or anyone you know is an air bender, please send them our way! Master Tenzin and I, Avatar Korra, would love to teach you all we know!"
Mako scanned the rooftops once more, he saw the silhouettes shifting around. Just what I need, Jiandao and the others watching that blunder. Mako grumbled in his mind.
He gave a glare at Asami and made his way over, taking in deep breaths to calm himself down. The air nomads, Bolin, and Korra regrouped as well.
"Asami," Mako said.
Asami straightened up to him, "Mako, I-"
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No," Asami quickly answered, "No. Mako, that was my fault. I uh forgot the whole skit. I messed up on the lines and such."
Mako raised a brow. Korra was quick to support her girlfriend, "Hey Mako, back off alright? Take it easy, it was a just little mix-up. No big deal."
"I'm not mad, Korra." Mako said, "I'm just asking if Asami's alright."
Asami then stepped in, "I'm fine."
Everyone was giving Mako a look, but he could see right through their judging eyes, and he was not going to rise up to that. He stepped away and made some space between them and himself. He turned his mind to focus on the mission.
"Hey look." Bolin pointed at someone approaching them, "I think we got our first recruit."
A brown-haired Fire Nation woman appearing in her late twenties, in baggy village pants and top, got to the group. She had an eager smile that was really infectious. Mako, on the side, simply watched.
"Hi there!" she greeted them, "I'm Ting Wen. I saw your show and I'd like to join the Air Nation. I became an air bender some time ago, but I think I need some help on it." Ting Wen thrust a palm up and a gust of wind blew out.
"Well look at that." Kai grinned, "Our first air bender in the Fire Nation."
"Well, you've definitely come to the right people, Ting Wen." Tenzin smiled, "But I must caution you, becoming an Air Nomad is a very big commitment. You will learn and adopt the culture and lifestyle of the Air Nation for life."
"I think I can handle it." Ting Wen nodded.
"Great." Korra stepped forward and extended her hand, "The Air Nation welcomes you warmly."
"It's an honour meeting you, Avatar Korra." Ting Wen shook Korra's hand. She did not let go of Korra's hand, however. Everyone was caught up in the exciting moment, no one noticed Ting Wen's other hand reaching her back.
"Die Avatar!" Ting Wen shouted and pulled out a knife. Everyone's hearts leaped to their mouths, they were too eye-widened to react in time.
Before Ting Wen could stab Korra, a black kunai attached to a chain plunged through Ting Wen's wrist. Korra was shaken out of her shock and saw Mako holding the chain. Ting Wen screeched as blood poured out of her stumped arm and Ting Wen stumbled away. Mako dashed in and rapidly jabbed the chi points around Ting Wen's body. Ting Wen went completely paralyzed from the neck down. Before she dropped down, Mako did a spinning kick on her face, knocking her to the ground.
"M-Mako?" Korra broke the silence.
The sound of engines revving took their attention and three motorbikes were speeding right for them. Men garbed in rural clothes clamoured about in their vehicles.
"We got more inbound!" Mako collected his chained kunai and readied his second blade with his other hand.
Korra took on the first biker and got into an earth bending stance. With a stomp and two fists in the air, a pile of rubble emerged underneath one bike, knocking the rider off and he crashed into the dirt. The second bike darted for Mako, shooting out balls of fire at him. Mako flipped to the side, dodging the projectiles. He whipped the chained kunai over his head and sent it soaring into the biker's neck. Blood gurgled out of the biker's mouth before falling off the vehicle. Mako yanked the chain and the kunai was plucked out. Bits of flesh and blood flung out, earning a gasp from Opal and Jinora from that gory scene.
"Oh! Shit!" The last biker freaked out at the sight of his dead comrade, he hit the brakes on his bike. Mako glared at him, and fright took hold of the assaulter. He turned the bike around and fled for his life.
Ok, this guy is the runner. Mako thought. Leave him running, and the rest of the Blue Spirits will track him down to his base.
"I got him." Korra was about to take to the sky to stop the last biker.
Mako gripped her arm, halting her in place. "Korra, no. We need him running."
Kai then cam into the fray. "What are you doing? He's getting away!"
"Kai! Don't! Stand down!" Mako yelled, but the air nomad leaped into the sky and stretched his wingsuit. Gliding over the bike, Kai gathered wind around his legs before shooting it into the biker, knocking him off the bike.
Kai tied up the last assassin, he proclaimed proudly. "It's safe to come out citizens. We've captured the criminals."
They began rounding up the criminals. Korra carried the paralyzed Ting Wen over her shoulder with one hand bending glowing water over her stump arm. "I'll get you some help. Don't worry."
"I'll never talk Avatar scum." Ting Wen gritted her teeth.
Mako dragged the dead biker, placing him by the crashed vehicle, and checked his pockets for anything clues, but there weren't any.
Kai puffed his chest and said, "Well I think that's a wrap."
That popped a vein in Mako. "Is it, Kai?"
Everyone turned to him and Mako stalked over to Kai. No one was expecting Mako to look so dark and cross.
"How did our location get leaked?" Mako towered above Kai, "Can you tell me that?"
"Huh?" There was a slight tremble in Kai's knee. "W-What?"
Mako frowned, "Who are their higher-ups?"
"W-What are you-"
"Still don't understand? Then how about something simpler? Like where is their hideout?" Mako leaned towards Kai.
Things were starting to piece together with everyone. Kai then stammered, "Mako bro, I c-caught the bad guy. I-I didn't know-"
"We didn't need him caught. We needed information. We needed him running so we could tail him and find his base and the rest of the insurgents." Mako told him off. "I told you to stand down Kai."
Korra set Ting Wen down and tried to heal her amputated arm, she gave a disapproving face at the fire bender.
"Mako, look what you did." Korra chided him, "You cut off an air bender's hand!"
Mako could not believe what she had just said, "Korra, I saved your life. She's an assassin."
"Ok, fair enough. Don't you think this was excessive? To an air bender?" Korra argued. "And since when are you able to chi-block?"
The whole group kept their eyes on him, surrounding him.
"I've been reading into it in my spare time." Mako quickly came up with his alibi. He was not going to spill the fact that he learned it from his training in the Blue Spirit Unit, from Hui Lee. He could see the shadows on the rooftops slinking away. Soon enough, a couple of Fire Nation police cars came to collect the attackers.
Not too far away, the rest of the Blue Spirits were assembled on a roof.
"The air nomads screwed up the mission," Kuzon remarked.
Jiandao's displeasure was evident on his face.
"Captain," Jun Jr said, "we didn't fail, we just got delayed. Nyla can use the scent of the captured terrorists to locate the big fish."
"Fine," Jiandao said, "Then you're with me, we get to the police station, make contact with the attackers, and we'll pick up the trail again."
"Right." Jun nodded.
"Dear, what about Mako?" Mei asked Jiandao.
The unit trained their eyes on their Captain, until he made his decision, "Mako will stick with his mission, but I want evening intervals for his training." He turned to his comrades. "Noren, Hui Lee."
"Captain." The two responded.
"You two will continue Mako's training. Mei and Kuzon, you two will report back to Lord Izumi. All clear?"
"Right." Everyone said in unison.
"Disperse," Jiandao commanded and the Blue Spirits scattered across the horizon.
Later, at the bazaar district police station, the biker that Korra took down was in an interrogation room. He was chained to a chair and restrained in a straight jacket. Opposite him stood Korra, Tenzin, and Mako. Through some persuasion and strongarming from Korra, the police allowed her to conduct the questioning with Tenzin, under the condition that Mako was present as he was a Fire Nation personnel.
"Alright, pal." Korra slammed her hands on the table. "Who are you working for?"
The biker did not flinch, "What?"
"Where is your hideout? Tell me. I'm not in a good mood." Korra clenched her fists.
Tenzin then added, "You better watch yourself with the Avatar, anything little thing can set her off."
Mako, with arms crossed and standing by the side, watched in silence as Tenzin and Korra play the good cop bad cop routine.
The biker scoffed in his restraints, "You for real? Yeah sure baldie, I'm so terrified. Real frightening."
Korra grabbed his collar, another fist ignited in flame. She raised her voice, "Listen you hack! Your friend, Ting Wen, is in a medical station because she tried to attack me! What do you think your chances are?! Huh?!"
The biker had a revolting smirk, "Oh this I want to see. The great and mighty Avatar Korra, cutting off the hand of a defenceless prisoner. Imagine the headlines eh?"
"You think I won't huh?!"
"Let's see it, princess. Go on." The biker taunted.
Korra kept glaring at him, but it had no effect. Her threat display did not work. She shoved him back into his seat, "Tch."
The criminal kept snickering, "That's what I thought. Hehehehe."
Mako cringed inside. They're wise to your act Korra.
Suddenly, the metal doors clanged open. Korra turned to see who it was and almost jumped in shock. Two individuals, a man and a woman, both attired in all-black. The man had dual swords strapped to his back, the woman had a whip coiled by her waist. Lastly, both of them wore blue masks concealing their faces.
Tenzin had a look of confusion. Mako froze in his spot, Captain? Jun Jr?
"What the?" Korra squawked. "Who are you guys?"
"Avatar Korra." A grizzly voice came from the masked man. "We'll take it from here."
"I'm in the middle of questioning here," Korra argued. "What's with the weird masks?"
"We're taking over this interrogation. Leave this is us. Vacate the room Avatar Korra and Master Tenzin." Jiandao's voice took control of the room. "Now."
Before Jiandao could move in on the criminal, Korra stood in his way. "Just a minute. Who are you guys?"
Korra glared at Jiandao, but the Blue Spirit did not budge. He stared back at the Avatar through those lifeless eyes of the mask.
Mako quickly intervened, "Korra, Tenzin, let's go."
"Mako, I'm not going anywhere." Korra gave him a look. But Mako pressed on, pushing her to the exit.
"Korra, trust me. Let it slide." Mako urged her, "These guys are serious. Let's go."
Mako ushered Korra and Tenzin out of the room.
*Snap* *Snap*
Before he could leave, however, he heard Jiandao snapping his fingers. Mako turned back to see his captain. Jiandao extended his hand to Mako, gesturing for him to hand over something. Mako exhaled out the breath he had been holding and reached into his back pocket. He handed Jiandao the chained kunai, stained in blood. Jiandao nodded at Mako, gesturing him to leave.
Once the door was closed, Mako egged Korra and Tenzin.
"Mako. What was that?" Korra got up into his face.
"We're done here. We got to go." Mako led them out, "We cannot mess with those people."
"Mako, do you know who they are?" Tenzin asked.
Before Mako could answer, they heard the biker from the interrogation room. They could hear him crying, "No! No! Noooo! Ahhhh! Stop!"
"Let's go, guys." Mako wasted no time he led Korra and Tenzin out of the police station.
The sun was setting by the time Korra's group returned to their luxury house near the Royal Temple. Mako was staring out the horizon by the back porch while holding his haversack. Bolin joined up with a nervous expression.
"Well, bro. I would not be in the same room with Korra right now if I were you." Bolin commented. "You definitely stole the spotlight after the air bending show."
"I did what I had to do Bolin," Mako said under his breath.
"Yeah, yeah I get it. It's you after all." Bolin shrugged.
Mako turned to his younger brother, "Bolin, remember that I needed to talk to you?"
"Oh yeah," Bolin tilted his head, "About what?"
Mako took out the scroll, "About mom."
His younger brother's face slowly dropped, hearing his mother. "Mom?"
"Fire Lord Izumi did a favour for me and researched about mom."
Bolin's face was brightening up, "Cool! What does she find out? Wait, are you telling me that we have relatives here in the Fire Nation?"
"No, Bolin. Um, mom did not have any relatives here. Her…our maternal grandparents, passed away long ago."
"Oh…" Bolin dipped his head.
"But mom owned a house in the southern bazaar, and now it's ours." Mako handed Bolin the scroll. "I was thinking we could check it out soon."
Bolin excitedly took the scroll and patted his brother's shoulder. "For sure Mako! Can't wait to see it! Now come on, I think dinner is ready."
Mako was about to head on in when a hawk screech grabbed their attention.
"Hey. That's a messenger hawk." Bolin pointed.
A messenger hawk flew above them before landing on Mako's shoulder. The messenger hawk had a strap with the Fire Nation symbol on its chest, it carried a scroll on its back. Mako raised an eyebrow, taking the scroll off the hawk. The bird flew off and he read its contents.
"Bro?" Bolin asked, he noticed Mako's eyes slowly narrowing as he read the small parchment.
Mako let out a sigh, he turned to his brother. "I'm sorry Bolin, but I have to go."
"Go? Go where?" Bolin's face scrunched up in confusion.
"I can't say, sorry Bolin. But I'll join up with you guys tomorrow ok?" Mako slung his haversack. "I'll see you soon."
At the dining room, a banquet was laid out for them and they began their dinner.
"Okay…" Opal broke the silence, "I guess the marketplace did not yield too good results. Maybe we can try the school district."
"Opal," Tenzin said, "I'm not sure if we should put our focus on finding the air benders now."
"I want to know who are those people in the masks." Korra cracked her knuckles. She then spotted Mako walking briskly to the front door. Korra stood up from her seat, "Hey Mako!"
"I have to make my leave everyone, sorry I can't stay guys. But I'll see you all tomorrow." Mako exited through the door.
Korra was not having it. She zipped over to the entrance and burst through the door. Mako, however, was already gone.
"What the?" Korra darted left and right, but there was no Mako around. He already disappeared into the evening without a trace.
Under a cloudless night sky, Mako drove down the road on a black motorcycle with the landscape surrounding him, all the while having a frown on his face. Mako ran through his thoughts. Asami blew the skit. Korra got mad at me for defending her. Ok fine, that assassin is an air bender, but it's not like you can recruit an assassin into the Air Nation now. And Kai ruined the mission.
He found it hard not to blame Kai for botching up the mission, but at the same time, he was keeping them all out of the loop under orders from the Fire Lord. He was already having a bad headache from all the stress and pressure he was getting.
And now that Korra saw Jiandao and Jun Jr, she definitely wants to find out more about the Blue Spirits and interfere. Mako thought. Meanwhile, the real problem, the Red Lotus, is out there.
Through the misty night, he reached the Blue Spirits Castle and he pulled over by the entrance.
"Ah, there he is!" Noren leaped off the castle wall. He propelled himself by a jet of fire and landed in front of Mako. For some reason, Mako was able to loosen up and be comfortable now that he was back with the Blue Spirits.
"Hey. I got your message, Noren." Mako took out the parchment, "Captain wanted me back here for the night?"
"Yeah, the schedule will be like this. You stay with the Avatar in the day, while you come back here to train in the evening." Noren explained.
"Captain did not look too happy when he saw me at the station earlier." Mako shook his head.
"You did your part." Noren waved it off. "The air nomads slowed us down sure, but only a short while. We'll get back on track soon enough." He then said, "Anyway, onto your training."
"What are we going to touch on now?" Mako asked.
Noren held up a fist that ignited in an orange flame, "Your next training is going to push you further than ever before. It will really put you through the ring."
It was not long, till Noren's flames turned azure.
"Here's your next training. Blue fire."
Mako and Noren were by the training courtyard, and Noren wasted no time.
"Alright, you remember the kata kamae?"
"Yes." The two moved through the stances.
"Ok, Mako. Tell me what you know about fire?"
"It's the element of power. And power in fire bending comes from the breath. The breath becomes energy in the body, the energy extends the limbs and becomes fire." Mako answered.
"You studied General Iroh's texts," Noren remarked.
Mako continued the stances and said, "You provided them for me, thanks for that again. Fire bending is about energy and life, like the sun inside me."
"Correct, that is the true concept of fire bending." Noren nodded, "But what is fire?"
That got Mako stunned in his stances. "Uh…"
"Oi. Continue the kamae." Noren clicked his tongue.
"Uh right." Mako shifted to the next stance, "Fire is uh…burning?"
Noren chuckled, "Yes. Fire, speaking in terms of science, is the visible effect of burning. And burning is the chemical reaction between a fuel and oxygen."
"Ok." Mako exhaled as he did a side kick through his kata.
"And this is where fire bending is different from the rest." Noren continued his lesson, "Air, water, and earth bending all have their fuel from an external source, outside the body."
"What about blood bending?" Mako pointed out.
"Blood bending is manipulating water in someone else's body, but that's still an external source from the bender." Noren said, "Fire bending and lightning, all come from within you."
"The fuel is within me." Mako caught on to the lesson.
"Yes." Noren and Mako did their final stance. Noren pumped a fist on his chest. "The fuel within you is the key to attaining blue fire."
"What's the first step?" Mako asked.
"You got the first step down. Which is stop fighting like a pro bender athlete, that's why you are going through these stances." Noren explained, "Next up, let's have a history lesson about Azula."
"Azula?" Mako raised a brow.
"The disgraced princess and sister of Lord Zuko." Noren said, "She's the only one who could do it, aside from yours truly. I had to study deep into her history to find my blue fire."
"Ok?" Mako listened intently.
Noren laid out the story. "Princess Azula was a…product of her environment. Her father, Ozai, was a real piece of work. He pushed her to be better and better, to be perfect. Azula went through her life aiming for perfection, to be perfect in everything she did, including her bending. This could be how she got blue fire, through complete burning. You got to do more than just shoot out the flame, you have to go beyond into the fire, and complete the burning process as it goes."
Mako took in the history, digesting the notion of going deeper into the flame. "Interesting."
"But there's more to it than that," Noren said.
"Oh?"
"Azula went through whatever her father put her through because Ozai exploited a vulnerable point in her. Her ambition in seeking her parents' approval. Azula always wanted approval from her mother, Ursa, my ancestor. But Ozai kept teaching Azula to be cruel and destructive, and that kind of behaviour was not what Ursa wanted. Azula hated that she disappointed her mother, but she could not see that her mother loved her regardless. When Ozai banished his wife from the Royal house, Azula lost any chance with her mother. That rooted the hatred and anger in her and she poured all of that into her fire bending, making it stronger than regular fire."
"You're saying her anger is what made her fire blue?" Mako asked.
"It's the theory."
"You get angry when you make that blue fire?"
"No, it's not about anger particularly. It's about something that's deep in you." Noren pointed at his own chest, "In my case, I guess my lineage always bothered me. I said it before that it wasn't something to brag about, but it is significant. I'm the great-grandson of Ursa, I'm the descendant of Avatar Roku. And yet, I can't exactly show my face to the public and say 'Hey! I got royal blood too!' All because I'm the illegitimate line. I uh…grew up resentful towards the Royal Family because of that. But then Lord Zuko came to me and gave me an opportunity to be part of the Blue Spirits. I got to be closer to the Royal Family, in the shadows maybe, but still I'm a part of it. And that's what is deep in me. Now, I belong to the Royal Family, and I belong to the Blue Spirits."
"Whoa…" Mako wowed.
Noren had an orange flame in his hand. "When you tap into your flame to complete the burning, and when you tap into something deep within, you channel your willpower and fuel your fire higher than ever before." Noren exhaled out a strong breath, and the fire turned blue and grew bigger.
"Now it's your turn. Find the blue fire within you." Noren took his leave to let Mako train on his own.
Mako was left alone in the courtyard. From the upper levels, Hui Lee and Noren watched him through the window.
"I should be training him on his swordsmanship." Hui Lee said to Noren.
"You'll get your chance, relax." Noren waved it off.
"Training him in blue fire?" Hui Lee gave Noren a worried sisterly look, "We don't know how long this will take, Noren."
Back in the courtyard, orange flames lit up in both of Mako's hands, he kept his focus on the fire.
Mako gritted his teeth. Burn…burn…complete burn…come on….
Beyond his control, his mind drifted off what Noren said.
I belong to the Blue Spirits.
The Blue Spirits Unit. Lord Izumi told him in Lin's office.
Welcome Mako, if you're staying. Jiandao's voice appeared.
Yes, you're coming along Mako. He remembered Hui Lee getting him to join them for peanut rice balls.
You poor, poor boy. Mei patted his head.
You're following them both like a whipped dog. Kuzon's words followed.
Some things, and some people, just don't change. Mako remembered Jun Jr telling him this while she rode on Nyla Jr, the Shirshu.
Mako's mind drifted elsewhere. The flames in his hands started getting brighter, orange was turning into yellow.
Mako, I think that's enough. Asami's displeased face came into his head when he tried to warn her about Future Industries.
Why are you so cranking anyway? Is it because your two ex-girlfriends are dating each other? Mako recalled Bolin's jab at him when they were tracking down the mobster, Tokuga, back in Republic City.
I'll always love you. Korra's words brought a pang into his head.
"Urgh! Argh! Tch!" Mako growled, sweat rolling down his back. He clenched his eyes shut and his fire kept on burning, the yellow colour in the flames was turning pale, almost white.
Till this day I could never understand, why you had to die like this for no reason at all. Mako's heart soon brought him to his darkest space, to what was truly deep within him.
This was Mako's true rage.
He was a small boy, in an alleyway, and the thunderous rains poured down hard. The scent of burnt flesh filled the alleyway. His father, San, laid down on Mako's left with a burned hole in his chest.
San…Ma…ko… On his right, laid his mother, Naoki Uchida. She had a burned hole in her chest. Mako and his mother looked into each other's eyes one last time before the life in her eyes stopped moving and she finally stopped moving.
A horrible crime in a horrible alley.
Parents murdered, a poor boy suffered.
In that night, everything inside him died.
Robbed of his childhood and innocence.
A Beautiful Lie.
Mako, standing in the courtyard, was breathing hard and harsh. His flames were tapped in, burning into their complete state. Mako's soul was engulfed in a sapphire light. Chi energized his fuel deep inside.
Energy and life, like the sun within him. With his focused rage, from his parents' deaths. The fire in his fists turned azure. Mako breathed in deep and looked up into the sky.
"Raaarrhhh!" Mako bellowed out a giant breath of blue flames, illuminating the night sky in a blanket of azure fire.
The fire show ceased, and Mako stood by the courtyard with blue fire in his hands. Just as he took a step, however, the strength in his body left him. He extinguished the fire in his hands and he dropped onto one knee. The massive breath of blue fire wore him out immensely, every part of him ached in exhaustion. As he recovered his stamina, he stared into the distance, with a new revelation in his bending.
Well, now we've seen how much Mako has leveled up.
He learned to use knives and swords from Jiandao, chained weapons and whips from Jun Jr, chi-blocking and unarmed combat from Hui Lee, stealth and deception from Mei, vehicle proficiency from Kuzon, and his bending abilities improved from Noren's training.
But we also see that he's more relaxed when he's in the Blue Spirits base, he doesn't have to put on an act there.
And now we see the conflict between Mako and team avatar, because it's almost like he's not the main member anymore. Now it's more like, Korra, Asami, Bolin, and Opal that are the main members of Team Avatar.
I get reviews on pairing for Mako. Like who should he be shipped with? But wow that's really not easy. The plan is to keep the story focused on the adventure, the conflict, and the conspiracy on who is pulling the strings unseen.
But yeah people do want to see Mako with someone.
Who do we have? Um, Fire Nation Princess (Izumi's daughter), Kuvira, Hui Lee, or Jun Jr?
I don't know if Izumi's daughter is viable, she's not an actual character in the show, is she? Plus the plot is too far in and I don't know how Izumi's daughter can be implemented in. Granted, it'll be good for Mako as he will be part of the royal family. But how is it going to be implemented in the plot?
Kuvira? Uh, well...Kuvira put Bolin in danger numerous times. How is she going to earn Mako's trust after that? It may be a weird dynamic on how they are going to get past that issue.
Hui Lee or Jun Jr? The 'older sister' or 'teaser' in the Blue Spirits? At best I can see a will they won't they type of thing, but if anything more could halt the plot altogether.
Let me know what you all think.