It's been a while mostly because of NaNoWriMo. But that's over so here we go.

HG 19

The Beifong curse was bound to strike one way or another. Korra forced herself to rationalize his death a thousand times over. After all there could only be one winner in the end. If she was going to make it home then how could he? Still the image of his body being returned to Lin and his few remaining siblings, it didn't seem fair. How could she handle a third son being lost to the games she and her sister both survived? The fact that he played well and made it to the final four was hardly a comfort.

The thought pained her that now that he was gone Korra wished more than anything she would have been able to stop his death. Maybe his survival would have meant her death. Asami would be devastated but she was young and beautiful. She'd find love again. Lin couldn't find herself a new son and was nearly helpless to keep the games from stealing her other two from her.

Wei's body had been retrieved by the game makers a very long while ago. Korra and Mako had taken refuge in the same store Xie had been hiding in. As much as it ached her Korra had to at least admit that the second floor was very defensible. They could stay there that night and most of the next day. Xie had enough supplies there that might have lasted the two of them a week if they portioned it out carefully.

The silence that hung over the two of them was painful. Mako spent so much of his time just watching out the window. Did he hope that Yong would come to them? Korra had given up on that idea a while ago. Or was he just waiting. Waiting for the gamemakers to make the decision for them. It wouldn't be any different than the decision they made with the boy from eight. Like always Mako was impossible for her to read. Maybe Wei's death had even sent him thinking about his own brother?

Korra almost didn't want to think about that boy she knew hardly anything about. A boy, an earthbender, a sweet kind boy. Did he deserve to go without a brother any more than Wei's? Mako had volunteered to keep him out of the games. He had been willing to give his life to protect him. What had Korra given? She had prepared for this as an inevitability. No one's well being hung on her victory.

No, that wasn't entirely true. She was still the avatar wasn't she? Could she allow the avatar to just die in a game to let some boy have a brother for a little longer? Maybe it was time the avatar did something about that. To keep mothers from losing all of their children and brothers from losing each other. Maybe that would be her mark as the avatar. The idea of it alone made her heart light.

But that would have to be after the games.

For now she would have to bide her time. Always aware and consciously afraid of the coming fight between her and Mako. For now they were united, a common enemy in Yong. Once he was gone it would be just the two of them. Only when he died could she be with Asami again.

Korra found herself looking out the window waiting to hear a parachute from her. She didn't think that she had forgotten. It was more likely that there was simply nothing that needed a sponsor for. What could Asami give that would help her right now? A weapon? Korra wasn't exactly good with them anyway and had always preferred her bending. For an instant she considered poison, a drop or two in mako's water and the competition gone. But she always shook it away. It wouldn't feel right. Taking his life so effortlessly? At the very least he deserved to fight. And how could she, the pride of district four, resort to such a coward's weapon? What would she say to the tribe when she returned?

"We've rested long enough." Mako decided. Korra nodded but with all the tension building inside her she felt more exhausted than before.

Outside Mako raised a fist and let flames engulf it before driving it hard into the wall of the maze outside. The charred shape of knuckles were engraved into the metal even after he removed his hand.

"Mako I'm upset too but you really shouldn't-"

"I'm marking our trail." Mako said, "Without Wei here to make bridges for you I don't see how you'll be able to cross above the maze. This keeps us from getting lost."

Korra crossed her arms, "Can't you just use your bending?"

"My bending will get me across, yeah, but last I checked you weren't a firebender. This way will just have to do."

"Or you could go ahead?"

"Already that eager to separate?"

"Wei was about to."

"What is your?" He stopped himself putting a hand on Korra's shoulder, "Look now is not the time to be loosing your nerve. This fight is the biggest of our lives and I need you clear headed ok?"

"Yeah I got it." She brushed his hand aside and headed into the maze. For a while the passes felt meaningless. She knew this wasn't the way to the cornucopia, or at least wasn't the direct way she had walked with Xie on the first day of the games before Chee was killed. But she found that she liked the idea of postponing the fight.

After a while Mako's marking method proved to be useful when they began to see it again on walls they were passing. Korra wondered how many times she retraced her own path when she was running from the careers after she was accused of Chee's murder? Could she have reached that neighborhood in only a few minutes if she wasn't running in circles?

"Get back!" Mako's sudden order caught Korra off guard. He gripped her wrist and pulled her, almost throwing her into the wall.

"Hey what was-"

"Shh!" With both of them pressed against the wall it was difficult for Korra to see around him. She could just make out the shape of the curved building around his hair. They had found it, Yong's hiding place. The cornucopia. For a while Korra was content with just waiting behind Mako. He was the one who would be coming up with their battle plan. But he was taking so long just staring at the open space using time they probably didn't have.

"He's probably in there," Korra whispered to him. "It'd be easy. Charge in there and burn him out. If there's nowhere to go then he's trapped."

"We don't know what kind of defenses he's put up in there." Mako said not even looking back at Korra. Instead he pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was more annoyed by her than anything, "He's had more time than we had to put up much better traps than we did. Not to mention all the resources the cornucopia has to offer. Either way for all we know he isn't even inside. He could be on one of the walls just waiting for one of us to come after him."

"I could play bait again?" Korra suggested, "It worked before,"

"It still cost Wei. I'd rather us both get out of this."

I'd rather you didn't. The thought was much more sudden and harsher than she had expected. Him killing Yong for her was the goal, but to have Yong also kill Mako in the process was handing her the win. But right away her heart sank at the thought. Had the games really made her that cold? No, she just didn't want to be the one to do it herself.

"Any other plans then?"

"If I can get above them then maybe I can drive him out with my bending."

"If he even is inside."

"If he is inside," Mako repeated, "Maybe fire right in the opening. At it's very worst it will at least surprise him."

"There's a ledge that faces directly into the mouth of the cornucopia. I remember seeing it on the first day. You should be able to get a good angle from there."

Mako nodded. "In that case I'm going to go back before I scale the wall. I wouldn't want him hearing or seeing me before I was ready." He edged around her and headed back into the maze. Before he rounded the first corner he looked back at her and added, "Be careful."

For a while there was nothing but silence. Korra stayed pressed against the wall unmoving, almost afraid to breathe too hard. She let her senses prick at her, tiny hairs on her cheeks noticing even the smallest touch of her hair in the wind. She tried to listen but heard only the air blowing through her little hiding hallway. She needed to be still and silent and listen. Patient, like a hunter. Or did she feel more like prey?

When she felt Mako was taking too long she looked up. From her vantage point she could see nothing more than the edge of the wall above her. If Mako was up there she wasn't likely to have any idea of it. She wondered if he would manage to find the ledge alright. A part of her worried that he had run into Yong while looking for it. No, she probably would have heard that.

She decided that she wanted Yong at the opening. If Mako was up there he'd be able to just fire directly at him. But in order for that to happen she would have to draw him out. Korra did hesitate, not exactly fond of taking on the last remaining career herself. After all Mako considered using her as bait for Xie a failure. But it was Wei who had died, not her, so it really was nothing more than success for her and her district. Taking one deep breath Korra stepped away from the wall.

For a moment the setting sun seemed harsh against her skin after the shadow of the wall. She blinked and eased her way into a defensive position. Her steps were careful and almost painfully slow. She was sure Yong was in there, biding his time, waiting for the others to die. What kind of a way was that for a career to play? Hiding in a hole like a coward. He didn't deserve to live to see the final three.

Korra stopped. Wet. That's what she felt on her foot. Korra looked down to see she had stepped in some acrid smelling water. Yong had even gone far enough as to lay out a wide silver tarp around his base just to ensure it didn't sink into the soil. Had he hoped the bitter smell would drive her away? Korra smiled, would he be surprised.

Korra picked up a fair sized stone from the ground to throw at the building. It clanked loudly against the side. She waited to see Yong appear in the dark opening but saw nothing. After a moment she picked up a second rock and stepped a little closer. The smell engulfed her, almost trying to choke her and reminding her that she actually remembered it from somewhere.

The memory tried to resurface and Korra closed her eyes to let it overtake her. But all she could remember was Asami. That couldn't be right though. Asami almost always wore her perfumes, sweet as a flower. But she did smell this on her once. She was angry that day, frustrated, and Korra had only laughed at the mess that her friend had gotten herself into. Her braided hair was becoming unraveled. Her hands were stained with grease and oil that only seemed to spread as she washed it out. Asami had shoved her away then, "It's not my fault," She had snapped at Korra, "There was an accident at the factory. It'll take forever to get all the gasoline out of my clothes."

"Gas!"

Looking down Korra could now notice the rivets of rainbow coursing through the liquid beneath her feet. The fuel coated the entire cornucopia like a deadly moat. The perfect trap for the firebender waiting inside. Or for the firebender on the wall taking aim not to far away. She could hear the air igniting with his bending.

"Mako no!"

I was hoping to have this story done by christmas . . . I don't know. What I know less about is if there will be a sequel. It really depends on who wins the games you see.