Yes I know for the first time I've missed a hunger games Tuesday. It makes me very sad. but its only Wednesday morning so its not like I missed it by much. curse this working in the morning thing. As for addressing my review I don't have a solid idea as to how long it's going to be, just a ideas as to what will happen in the games. I am writing this as I go. one chapter at a time. As for Asami and Bolin, well, I can't much tell about that can I?

Chapter 6

The sparing chamber was much larger than Korra imagined It would be. A square empty room made of solid metal. Platnium most likely. The dark gray walls were broken by a single rectangular window were a few game makers sat watching.

"Tributes." A voice in a speaker said, "State your names, district, and elements then report to your corner."

"Korra. District four. Water." She said it as Mako opened his mouth. He said nothing though and a number four appeared in one corner of the room.

"Mako. District 5. Fire." When he reached his corner the room went dark. Korra was tempted to light a fire in her hands to see. Light returned to the room in the form of a timer being projected onto something Korra couldn't see. From sixty seconds it counted down. It was the same deep voice she had heard start the games year after year.

When the timer reached zero the lights came up again but Korra could hardly recognize where she was. It was what looked like a forest. Maybe what she thought a forest should look like at least. There were none of them in the frozen tundra of district four. The corner was now a small island in the middle of a surging river. All the ammunition she could ever need.

Treat this just like the games, she tried to tell herself. She fought to remember all of her father's advice. Know where your weapons are. Know your surroundings. Her weapon was the water, but how could she know the surroundings unless she left the river and explored?

A tree caught fire as she was thinking. It wasn't close enough to touch her but enough to make her nervous. Had Mako already been aiming for her? With one smooth motion she used the river to extinguish the flames. The river responded to her touch but it felt distant and distorted.

Korra had heard of synthetic bending before. It had been developed in the aftermath of the equalist revolution that had been dissolved a few years ago. The gamemakers didn't want her plunging a real icesicle into the heart of her enemy before the arena.

She didn't want to start too explosively. Instead a barrage of ice was thrown at the tree. Mako leapt at her then from an opposite end of the room. His fist cocked back with fire licking at his knuckles. The dive into the river was almost instinctive.

Korra relied on her bending to bring her to the surface without panicking. Even though she came up on the other side of the river Mako was waiting for her. A fireball struck her shoulder. It didn't have the burn of real fire but it still ached. How fatal would that blow have been in the games?

Determined not to let it happen again Korra fled into the woods. She knew by now she wasn't the best climber. Instead she found a place to hide. Through the bushes she watched Mako carefully. If he was smart he would protect the river with all he had. Which, unfortunately for Korra, he was. Korra tried to pull water from the leaves, but they were synthetic as well and had nothing to give her. She could draw water from the air, but it was dry here and too much would exhaust her.

"Korra!" She heard Mako shout, "Isn't this supposed to be a fight?"

She answered him with the river. She gripped it and swung her arms in a wide arc. Following her a thick tendril of water surged at him, engulfing him in it. Korra heard him cry out before it overtook him.

Keeping her grip on the river she ran to its side. The bending was easier when she was closer to it. She shaped a sphere of water around the firebender. He thrashed inside of it but could not break the surface. She had left his head above the surface. he made a few sounds as he tried to force his way out, some groaning and grunting but not much else. What else could Korra do to hurt him from this point? She didn't think making one ball of water would be that impressive to the game makers.

She dumped his body onto the island. He lay there in a sputtering mass for a second. He pushed himself to his elbows. With a motion the surface of the river froze and Korra slid her way onto the island.

"Give up yet?" Korra asked him with a smile.

Mako swung his legs, knocking her to the ground. He sprang then, his fiery punch blindly thrown. For an instant Korra couldn't breathe. She kicked out to catch his hip, narrowly missing his groin.

The two grappled on the island like hungry wolves. Korra did not like how strong this boy was. When he threw a punch it struck her harder than she ever expected. He was unusually careful at guarding her hands, knowing how difficult bending would be without them.

Korra felt a fire rise in her chest at the frustration. One breath. That's all it would take. His face was close enough to hers. At the very least she could burn off those stupid eyebrows of his. She knew she couldn't. Not as long as the gamemakers who were watching her struggle now knew she was a waterbender.

She felt the force of the blow on her head the moment she settled the fire in her chest. A crack on the side of her skull that left her dizzy. Bright lights danced behind her blue eyes.

All at once the room was bright and empty once more. The forests and river gone. A trainer was at Korra's side helping her stand. Mako stepped aside with his hands raised. She thought he was saying her name. Her head was still clouded.

"You got lucky," She managed to say when she was steadied.

"Do we have a deal or don't we?" he demanded

"I'll think about it." Korra told him before heading outside of the sparing room. She intentionally didn't rub her shoulder where he had burned her. Right now she didn't want to talk to the boy who had beaten her. Right now she didn't want to talk to anyone.