Legend of Korra: Life
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender & Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.
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Chapter 6: Dawn of the Unknown Part II
Mako kept his glare focused on the floor, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as he tried to sit patiently. The session with the doctor that Chief Beifong had recommended seemed to be going as smoothly as expected. Yet, he couldn't stop the sense of worry from boiling up inside.
The longer the wait dragged on, the harder it became for him to not turn his gaze down to his arm, covered with dozens of acupuncture needles. Despite his limb slightly trembling, he didn't feel any pain of any kind, only a slight tingle that rolled up his body. He released a shaky breath as he stared at the scarred tissue.
From the corner of the office, the doctor finished jotting down observations on his notepad and turned to the clock hanging on the wall. ''Right, that should be it for now.''
Mako merely nodded. He remained as still as possible as the doctor carefully pulled out the needles from his skin, one at a time. Afterwards, he would gently dab a cloth over each of the incisions. A gel-like substance rubbed against Mako's skin, causing a chill to crawl up his spine because of the cool sensation. The moment the doctor removed the last needle and brushed the cloth over the scar, Mako cleared his throat, unable to stay quiet for any longer. ''So, Doctor Juhong?''
''One moment please,'' He responded firmly but politely, with a hushed tone.
Mako held his tongue and shifted in his seat awkwardly. He could tell there was a bit of bite to the doctor's word, even if his words were no louder than a grumbling whisper.
After another minute of waiting, Doctor Juhong rose to his feet, discarded the cloth in a steaming pot of water nearby. ''I never like to talk and work at the same time,'' He picked up his notebook and jotted down some observations. His eyes remained locked with his writing as he raised his voice slightly. ''How long did you say you had a Waterbender treat you for?''
''It was about six months,'' Mako replied quickly.
''And that was immediately after you sustained the injury?''
Mako nodded. ''Yeah, right after the attack on Republic City, Master Katara helped to heal it.''
The stern doctor didn't say anything immediately afterwards, allowing himself a moment for his writing to catch up. ''Did you experience any pain during that time?''
''In those first few weeks! But after a while, the pain stopped.''
''Could you fire bend during that time?''
Now, it was Mako who was the one that stalled before he uttered another word. He had an answer, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. It was only when the doctor turned and glared at him that he finally answered. ''No, I couldn't.''
Doctor Juhong said nothing. Instead, after finishing with his lost few notes he sat down in his chair. He rubbed his bearded chin and appeared to be deep in thought. Mako could see the professional's eyes race from left to right, reading over all the paperwork and his own notes. ''How often do you have a medical check-up?''
''At the turn of every season. So, roughly four times a year.''
''I suppose that's basic physical and mental examinations?'' He rasped out, feeling frustrated that he didn't seem to be getting a straight answer. Mako wanted to ask what was happening, but thought better of it and stopped at the last second.
Either oblivious to the officer's harsh tone, or electing to ignore it, the doctor turned in his chair so that he was facing Mako. ''Other than the scarring of the tissue, which I should point out would have been far worse had a medical legend like Katara not healed you, your hand should have fully healed by now.''
Mako creased his brow. ''Then, what's the problem?''
''There might have been more internal damage than we realised. Think of it like the nerves in your hand suffering a seizure of their own accord. There seems to be a blockage preventing your chi from flowing through your body into that particular area. That's where you're having difficulty with your fire bending.''
''I thought Katara healed the damage?'' Mako inquired, unable to suppress the bleakness in his voice.
''She did. According to the medical files I received upon your first check-ups, your hand was healing fine. The internal bleeding had stopped and the burns on your skin ceased. Unfortunately, the nerve damage might be something that can't be fixed, at least, not forever. Ultimately the pressure is going to give, no matter how many times you try to fix it.''
All of a sudden, Mako felt breathless as he let the doctor's words sink in. He instinctively cupped his scarred arm, feeling it shake. He couldn't begin to think of what to ask next, as he feared that it would lead him to answer grimmer than the last. ''So, what? Are you saying I won't be able to fire bend with this arm again?''
''The way this is going, that might be the best case scenario.''
It felt like something snapped inside Mako after hearing the doctor's frank answer, and his body went numb. Perhaps he would have rather than he didn't receive a straight answer.
Before long, Juhong continued. ''That being said, if we could recommend you to a specialist, they might be able to do something themselves. Which shouldn't be too hard considering you seem to have friends in high places. Obviously, your arm won't be as good as before, but at least we won't have to cut it off.''
Mako's face paled like a ghost. ''Cut it off?''
''That's the worse case scenario,'' He responded, forcing an unsteady smile to reassure his patient. ''That'll only happen if you're stupid and don't have a qualified professional look it over.''
''Isn't that a bit…extreme.''
''That's why it's a worse case scenario. The nerve damage could spread to the rest of your body. If that happens, fire bending again will be the last thing on your mind.''
The solemn moment ended abruptly as Mako stood up, staring at the doctor with fire and determination in his eyes. ''It won't come to that.''
Amused, Doctor Juhong threw him a smirk. ''Acting all tough and macho isn't going to make things better.''
''I know,'' Mako said resolutely. ''But I have a duty to this city, to my friends and to the Chief. I can't let them down. I'm thankful for your help, and I will try to get someone to look at my arm for me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to kick up my feet and hide under a rock while a potential terrorist is loose.''
The doctor rolled his eyes and stretched his arms out over his head. ''Well, nice to know that you aren't fully stubborn, only half,'' He then scoffed and rose to his feet. ''You're definitely one of Beifong's.''
''I can't tell if you meant that as a compliment or not,'' Mako stated.
This time, the doctor let out a genuine laugh before patting Mako on the shoulder and walking over to his desk. ''I'm looking forward to seeing you next week. I'll be making some calls to see if we can find someone to help you out.''
Believing that his time was up, Mako walked towards the door. However, before he left, he stopped and slowly turned back to the doctor one more time. ''Do you think my arm will get better?''
Immediately, Doctor Juhong called out over his shoulder. ''I like to think that as long as there's a nice best case scenario, there's always hope.''
Despite the sincerity in his words, Mako couldn't shake off this gut-wrenching feeling of doubt. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and left the medical office in silence.
Once he was outside, he was instantly hit by the reflective light glinting off the water's surface on a pond nearby. He attempted to shield his eyes with his arm, and before he realised it, a sudden jolt throbbed along the limb, causing him to wince and halt in his tracks. This action earned him a few curious looks from strangers walking down the streets.
He groaned in dismay and waited a moment for the pain to pass. It seemed to be getting worse by the day, and his attempt to help catch Shǔ didn't help matters.
He was brought out of his thoughts by a loud clattering noise coming from down the street. He turned and gaze onwards, interested by what he was seeing. A fruit stand had been clattered and smashed to the ground, with the merchant flapping his hands around in a manic fashion. ''Thief! She stole my fruit!'' He screamed repeatedly.
That's when Mako noticed someone running from the scene. An individual wearing a tight hood over their head and scarf wrapped around the lower half of their face dashed in the opposite direction before turning the corner.
At first, Mako wasn't sure what to do. For a split second, he hesitated in running after the apparent thief. The last thing he needed was to get into a scuffle after a doctor's appointment that warned him about his arm and his lack of fire bending. However, this brief moment didn't last, as he looked down the street and realised that there was a path he could use to cut the thief off.
Wasting no time, he sprinted down the road and hoped that his hunch was right. He knew these streets like the back of his hand, and he figured that if this thief were looking to escape, he would know where he could cut them off.
He ignored the pedestrians glaring at him and the hooting of the vehicles that threatened to run him over, keeping his calm as he dived into one of the alleyways. Leaping over the rubbish, debris and sleeping homeless people that littered the ground, he prayed that he was gaining ground on the thief. The hot sun above beat down on him, causing a thin layer of sweat to build up across his face.
After a while, he reached a slope that led onto another street below, and from there, he could see the same hooded thief running from the other direction. Without thinking his actions through, Mako gripped his hand on a metal bar and hoisted himself over it. A sharp pain shot through his arm and up his body, causing him to stumble and land on the ground below in a heap.
He grunted and mumbled incoherently. That was all he needed, another trip back to the doctors after only just leaving. While he was slow to get up, he turned towards the thief, who watched on with creased brows. Though her face was hidden, Mako could tell that the thief was a woman. ''Stop right there!'' He groaned.
The thief scoffed. ''Or what? You'll fall on me?''
''That was…I meant to do that,'' Mako retorted. ''To cut you off.''
''I'm not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for you. Are you new on the police force or something?'' She wasn't afraid to take a step closer, even when Mako stood up and confronted her. She shrugged her shoulders. ''Anyway, it doesn't matter. Move!''
''I can't do that, I'm afraid.'' He replied sternly.
Frustrated evident in her voice and manner, she tucked her hand into her jacket, causing Mako to keep his guard up fearful of what she had planned. ''Look, I didn't take much. Just enough to get me by for the day!'' She held her hand out, revealing two apples and a banana.
A feeling of pity gripped Mako for the woman. He stared into her eyes, taking note of her navy blue pupils and brown skin, dirtied by soot. There were a few tears to her makeshift jacket, and her scarf looked poorly stitched together, only just managing to keep her face covered. Keeping his guard up, he slowly approached her. ''I understand where you're coming from…''
''Don't give me that!'' She spat.
Mako pouted, feeling offended at being interrupted so harshly, and so decided to take this conversation in another route. ''I'm trying to be polite.''
''Oh, is that why you feel at my feet? You wanted me to walk over you so that I wouldn't get my shoes dirty.''
He glanced down at her shoes. Dirty, worn-out, with a single toe sticking out from a small hole. ''I think it's too late for that.'' He commented.
The thief's eyes bulged out of their sockets, and she hunched her body forward. ''That was being polite?'' She hissed.
Realising that he wasn't getting anywhere, Mako stayed silent for a moment to ease the tension. ''Even if I could let you off for the thievery, there's still the issue of you damaging that man's stand back there. That's his livelihood…''
''At least he has one,'' She mumbled, turning her head to the side in the hopes that Mako might not hear her. Judging by his reaction, a sympathetic look plastered over his face, he had. Wanting him out of the way, she reached into her jacket again, this time, pulling out a bottle of water. ''You know what? I've been really rude. How about a drink?'' She said playfully with a hint of venom in her tone before tossing the bottle towards Mako.
Unsure of what was about to happen, Mako's mind worked into overdrive, considering the many outcomes that could occur if he played along and caught the bottle. He quickly looked back and forth between the bottle and the thief, noticing her raise her arm. That's when he knew what she was about to do. He dived to the side, just as the thief jerked her arm forward and the water sprayed out of the bottle like a rocket.
Luckily, Mako avoided the surprise attack, the water landing harmlessly on the ground where he stood a moment ago. He glanced back up, seeing the thief making a run for it. Hoping to cut her off, Mako used his good hand to create a wall of fire in front of her.
Instantly, she stopped, surprised by the fiery blockade before her. She only had enough time to see Mako charge at her with his fist raised.
BAM!
With a hard hook, he slammed her into the wall and she collapsed unconsciously. Her scarf rolled down her face, revealing her face to Mako. He would have taken notice of her beauty had he not had something else troubling him, namely the throbbing pain in his hand after he had punched her.
''Why did I do that?'' He grumbled, rubbing his scarred hand tenderly.
Korra had no time to react as Shǔ lunged at her, wounded and distracted by her bleeding stomach. Just when it seemed like the spirit would sink his jagged teeth into her flesh, he was blown away by a mighty gust of wind created by the Airbenders standing behind the Avatar.
Even when Shǔ's back was slammed back into the tree, breaking off chunks of bark, he couldn't move as Tenzin and the others unleashed a typhoon against the spirit. While they kept him at bay, Asami rushed forward, hooked Korra's arm over her shoulder and helped her away from the battle. Once they were out of harm's way, the Airbenders stepped forward, summoning stronger winds. Shǔ desperately tried to force himself free but to no avail.
Asami guided Korra towards a safe spot by a thick vine, although, with the ferocity of the fight going on close by, there really wasn't a safe spot anywhere in this swamp.
''Just hold still!'' Asami gasped and set Korra down to rest. She quickly ripped off a piece of fabric from her sleeve and pressed it over Korra's bleeding scars, causing her to grit her teeth and fight back tears.
Desperate to stand, Korra raised her head and panted heavily. ''I have to help…''
Raising her hand and blocking her path, Asami glared at her intensely. ''You can't! Not like this!''
Korra wanted to argue, but instead of words, all that passed her lips were grunts and howls of pain. Her knees buckled underneath her and she slid down to the ground, with Asami never letting go and always keeping her hand over Korra's wound. Korra's eyes shut tightly and for a moment all she could see was a dominating, blinding white light.
''Korra, you stay back!'' Tenzin shouted. ''We'll handle Shǔ!''
The furious winds grew stronger and whirl around the area. It was a miracle that the tremendous force hadn't crushed Shǔ. Then again, now Korra knew that he wasn't human. One mystery had been solved, but now it opened up a completely new one. However, that would be something to worry about for later.
Shǔ bellowed loudly, trapped by the Airbender's persistent attack. They wouldn't let up until they knew that their enemy was down for the count.
He kneeled down as low as he could before sinking his icy claws into the bark of the tree trunk behind him. The root slowly started to freeze over, reaching up high towards the branches and vines. Even the ground beneath his feet turned frosty as everyone felt the cold piece their skin. The wind that the Airbenders were generating was only making things worse, but they couldn't allow Shǔ any way to escape.
Feeling helpless, Korra could only watch from the sides as Shǔ scraped his hands against the frozen tree. Ice and bark were torn apart and a horrifying rumble echoed around the area. She glanced upwards and saw the tree slowly begin to move and fall in her friend's directions. Another sharp pain crawling up to her chest prevented her from screaming out their names.
Tenzin tore his eyes away from Shǔ and noticed the tree towering over them begin to fall. ''Everyone, move!'' He called out.
Korra and Asami felt every daunting second, as the tree plunged with increasing speed. The others glanced up, noticing the tree about to crush them. Each of them used their air bending skills to glide out of harm's way, and this moment of relief was all that was needed to give Shǔ a chance to jump away.
The ground shook and almost broke apart completely as the large trunk crashed into the earth. Waves erupted out of the swamp. Korra spread her arms and created a protective barrier of mud and stone to stop them from being engulfed by the tsunami. She ignored the disorienting pain lancing through her body, refusing to stop until things had quietened down.
She crumbled to the ground, resting on her hands and knees as Asami held her comfortingly. ''Are you okay?'' Korra asked.
''Don't worry about me, you're the one who needs help.'' She replied harshly, doing everything in her power to stop the bleeding.
Korra shifted her gaze over to the fallen tree. Frozen leaves drifted from the sky and littered the ground around them. Her eyes scanned every direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of the others. With every passing second that she didn't see any of her friends, the more panicked she became. ''Worry about me later! We have to find the others. They might be hurt.'' She felt a sickening lurch in her stomach as she tried to stand, exhaling with a loud grunt and forced to sit with her back against a vine. Her body convulsed with every rough breath.
It pained Asami to see Korra in so much pain. She looked over her shoulder, hoping to see the others. However, something else caught her eyes and made her gasp.
Standing on the collapsed tree, Shǔ cackled and snarled.
Fear gripped her heart like a vice. The terror she felt, that threatened to cause her courage to stall, was pushed to the side as she took a step forward, guarding the injured Avatar. She held out her gloved hand, electrical sparks surging between her fingers, signalling to her opponent that she wouldn't back down and was ready for a fight. ''I don't care if you are a spirit, I won't let you hurt Korra!''
Eagerly and without a word, Shǔ leapt off the tree, towards Asami. She jabbed her arm forward, hoping to strike the spirit before he could land on the ground. She could barely react, as Shǔ rolled his body and a thin tail sprouted from his cloak, wrapping itself around Asami's arm. She was yanked forward, knocked off balance and defenceless as the spirit clenched his icy claws and stabbed them towards her gut.
Asami was almost knocked off her feet completely when she felt an immense force from behind. She turned around to see Korra, back in her Avatar State, intercepting Shǔ's claw and slowly crushing it in the palm of her hand.
''Don't ever threaten her!'' Korra roared. As stone and debris danced around her muscular body, a raging fire split out of her mouth and almost overwhelmed the spirit.
At the last second, Shǔ retracted his tail from Asami's arm and he pulled his own arm free from Korra's firm grasp, causing ice shards to shatter everywhere. He jumped back a good distance, far enough to avoid Korra's inferno. Keeping his body low to the ground, his fingers dug into the surface of the ground, freezing it to a small capacity. Another wild chuckle hollered from Shǔ. ''You may be naive, Avatar! But you are relentless, I'll give you that.''
Korra tried to keep a strong stance, but her bloody stomach screamed in protest. Staying in her Avatar State only meant that the aching worsened, and her body weight seemed to grow to unbearable levels. No longer strong enough to carry on in this condition, Korra retreated into her mind and exhaled calmly. The glowing white in her eyes disappeared.
She was afraid that she would fall until Asami grabbed her once more and kept her standing. They exchanged a quick glance, Korra offering a grin and she felt her strength returned when seeing Asami's own glowing smile. They returned their gaze to Shǔ, as he stood as tall as he could.
''What do you want from us?'' Asami questioned.
Shǔ laughed once again. ''You humans are a slow bunch. Surely you have to know by now that I won't spill my secrets.''
Sick of listening to his cryptic voice, Korra growled irritably. ''Where did you learn to water bend? You're a spirit! You shouldn't be able to do that.''
''There is so much about spirits and bending you don't know. You cannot comprehend what I am capable of.''
Korra stared at him with increasing anger and anxiousness. ''We know what you're after. Why are you looking for Jinora? What did she do to you?''
Although he remained silent, his lips sealed and his sinister grin shrank. Something about what Korra asked had struck a cord, and she figured that that was the best answer she would get out of him for now.
He lifted his arm and held it out. Water from the swamp towered above and swirled in the air, giving Korra and Asami a frightening glimpse of the scale of Shǔ's next attack. Giving them a sinister grin, he beckoned for the large jet of water to come to him.
Out of nowhere, Meelo cut the water apart with his leg, the wind blowing it away. ''Not this time!''
Angered by the surprise attack, Shǔ used the water drops that splashed away and had them coat his fingers, creating icy claws. He charged towards Meelo, ready to strike.
Meelo didn't back away. Instead, he lowered his body, as the spirit got closer. Just when Korra and Asami feared he would be struck down, Ikki emerged from above. She landed with her hands on his back and kicked out, hitting Shǔ in the stomach and sent him hurtling into the distance. Before he could stop himself, Bumi appeared from behind a tree and tilted his body backwards. Using his legs, he generated a spiral of wind and booted Shǔ up into the air. ''Alley-oop!'' Bumi yelled.
Shǔ grunted in pain. He threw the team below an enraged look and widened his body, ready to plan a counter attack. A shadow that passed in the background caught his attention. He twisted his body and was now facing Tenzin. The elder Airbending master glided towards the spirit with amazing speed, carrying himself in the wind. Shǔ crossed his arms over his chest and bared his claws.
He was so preoccupied with Tenzin that he failed to notice Opal sneakily approach from behind. She grabbed his tail, holding it tightly. Shǔ cried out and turned to Opal. A bruise had begun taking shape on her forehead. Unafraid of the hostile spirit scowling at her, Opal spun her body around before tossing Shǔ towards the ground.
Not wanting to give him time to recover, Tenzin propelled himself towards Shǔ, reaching him in a split second. Shǔ slashed out at Tenzin, but the Airbender ducked underneath his claw and pressed his hands against the spirit's chest. The wind was knocked out of Shǔ, literally. A hard force of air pushed into him and sent him plummeting to the ground.
Everyone gathered round, circling the crater and watching Shǔ try to get back up. The spirit's arms shuddered, coughing hard as he forced himself up onto his knees.
Feeling confident that their foe was defeated, Meelo beat his chest proudly. ''Not so tough now, are you? That's what you get for trying to mess with us!''
Korra, helped by Asami, took a few steps forward until she was the closest one to Shǔ, looking down at him. He raised his head to lock eyes with her. Even with defeat inevitable, his slimy smile never faltered. In fact, he appeared quite satisfied by what had happened. Feeling uneasy with his entertained posture, Korra kept one arm wrapped around Asami's waist, ready for something to happen.
Shǔ stopped panting to speak. ''I may have underestimated your capabilities, Avatar.''
She narrowed her eyes. ''Don't think about fighting back. This doesn't have to be any more difficult.''
He rolled his head back and let out a bellying laugh. The group flinched, still overcome with disbelief at the appearance of their enemy. ''You are in no position to give demands. Soon, you will either be our slave, or dead and buried in the earth, long forgotten.''
Korra squinted. ''Our?''
Shǔ sharply turned towards the swamp. Ikki and Opal stood in his path. Beneath their feet, the ice that had been created by his steps a moment ago started to grow. The two young women glanced down and saw the ice almost touch them. Instinctively, they leapt away, however, this gave Shǔ a clearing to leap forwards and dive into the murky waters, disappearing from sight.
Hoping that he could keep up, Tenzin jumped after the spirit, creating a tornado beneath his feet and using that to push the swamp water aside. The other Airbenders were quick to make a tornado to keep the water away and make a tunnel for Tenzin to dive into. However, it was a fruitless gesture, as Shǔ was nowhere to be found, already long gone.
He emerged from the air tunnel and landed on the ground next to the others. They ceased with their movements, and once the air stopping twirling, the water collapsed and returned to normal. ''He's gone.'' Tenzin sighed dejectedly.
Opal shook her head. ''I'm so sorry. If I didn't move, we would have…''
Ikki quickly stopped her. ''Don't blame yourself. We'll get him next time.''
Although Opal forced a smile, in the back of her mind, she couldn't stop the guilt from swarming over her like a fungus. She then made a strangled sound and rubbed her throbbing head, recoiling the moment her hand came closer to touching her bruise. She noticed the other's concerned expressions and waved her other hand. ''I'm fine. I'm fine.''
''But Korra's not,'' Asami murmured from behind.
Everyone turned and gathered around Korra, who continued to writhe and moan loudly as her girlfriend held her tightly. Sweat poured from her face, and she looked down weakly towards her stomach.
As Asami kept her hand over the still bleeding scars, she could feel Korra's body shake in her arms. ''We need to get her back to Republic City.''
Korra finally lifted her head. ''What about Shǔ? We can't let him get away!''
It was hard for her to get anyone on her side, as she appeared to almost pass out on the spot, slumping against Asami's body and her eyes rolled in the back of her head before she regained composure. Tenzin stepped closer. ''He'll have to be a concern for another day. Asami's right. We need to get you and Opal back to Republic City, right away!''
Ikki and Meelo rushed over to assist them. ''Let us help.''
Knowing that she was on the losing side of the debate, though for once, it was one she wouldn't mind losing, Korra lifted her other arm and allowed the siblings to help keep her upright.
Korra allowed her friends to help her take the weight off her feet. While her stomach felt warm, the rest of her body shook in the cold and she could practically see her cool breath. Even though Shǔ was out of sight, his presence could still be felt. As the others helped carry her, Korra refused to release another sound of pain and didn't allow her body to grow limp. Her eyes looked out over the horizon, in the direction that Shǔ may have run off to, away from the banyan-grove tree.
They may have proven that they could defeat him, but with his identity revealed, they still felt more lost than ever before.
To Be Continued…
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