Korra woke up late the next morning with the sun shining through her window. She saw her clock said it was almost ten-thirty. Tenzin never let her sleep in this late. She felt something around her neck and her hand instantly flew to her throat. She felt a piece of fabric wrapped around her neck and a round stone dangling in the hollow of her neck. She smiled as her thoughts drifted to last night. They had danced for most of the night, before Mako told her he had to get back to Bolin. She'd wanted to stay with him all night in their little bubble of happiness, but she knew that Bolin would get worried.
She'd called Naga and the two of them had ridden over to the city. She'd dropped him off at the Pro-Bending Stadium and kissed him goodnight. As she rode back to the island, she felt like she was on a cloud. She barely noticed the ride back across Yue Bay or when she'd put Naga back in her pen. She'd airbended herself back up to her room and changed into her night clothes. She had gone to sleep, fingering the priceless stone on her neck.
The Avatar yawned and stretched her arms above her head as she sat up. She swung her legs off the side of her bed and padded across the rug to her vanity. She grabbed a ponytail holder and pulled her hair into a loose bun. She looked in the mirror and smiled. She grabbed the stone dangling around her neck and rubbed her thumb over the smooth surface. She was engaged. She couldn't believe she really engaged to the love of her life. She'd felt so elated and excited last night. The only thing that she could get to register through her head was 'yes'. She'd repeated it, finally realizing what she'd said yes to. She remembered his warmth as he pulled her into a dance, spinning them in a slow circle.
She sighed and pulled herself back out of her reverie. Her stomach growled loudly and she laughed. She grabbed her robe off a chair and wrapped it around herself. Smiling, she opened the door that led to the hallway and hurried down the steps as the smell of Pema's homemade rice met her nose.
"Please tell me you saved some of that delicious smelling rice for me?" Korra asked as she leapt down the steps into the kitchen. Pema laughed and handed the waterbender a large bowl.
"Of course I did, dear. I even made noddle to go with it." She told her. Korra's mouth began to water.
"It smells absolutely wonderful, Pema," she said as she scooped big spoonful's of rice into the bowl. She grabbed a small bit between her fingers and popped it into her mouth, "and it tastes even better," she informed her as the warm, sticky rice slid down her throat. The air acolyte chuckled.
"I'm glad you like it," she laughed at the young Avatar. Korra poured some noodles into her bowl as well and followed Pema into the dining room. The three airbending children and Tenzin were already seated. Almost immediately, the airbending master noticed the necklace around her throat, but kept quiet.
"Good morning Korra," Ikki said cheerfully as she sat down at the table.
"Morning Ikki," she replied, grabbing her chopsticks and digging into her breakfast.
"You're awfully perky this morning," Tenzin noted. Usually the Avatar was very grumpy, very moody person in the morning. The waterbender raised her head from her food and she just knew that he knew about the proposal.
"What's not to be perky about?" she asked, flashing a grin his way. Tenzin shrugged and went back to his breakfast, trying to hide a grin. Pema sat down beside her husband and looked at Korra, also noticing the girl's unusually happy demeanor. She saw a necklace around Korra's neck that she hadn't seen yesterday.
"That's a lovely necklace Korra," Pema said and nodded towards the stone. She knew nothing about the symbolic meaning behind the stone. She didn't know this was a betrothal necklace in watertribe culture. "Where did you get it?" The water bender blushed and fingered the red and blue stone.
"Mako gave it to me," she said softly, playing with her food.
"Aww, that's sweet," she replied. Ikki looked up and spied the chocker.
"Mako gave it to you? Is it a betrothal necklace? Are you two gonna get married? Can I be a flower girl?" The young girls' barrage of questions poured from her mouth.
"Ikki," Tenzin said sternly. "Leave Korra be. Let her tell us herself." The girl nodded and piped down. "Well, Korra?" the airbending master inquired. The flustered avatar blushed again.
"Last night Mako proposed and I said yes." she told the quiet family. "The necklace is a symbol of engagement and then marriage in the watertribe." The room was silent for a moment before Ikki, Jinora, and their mother all squealed with excitement.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Pema asked. Korra smiled and looked at the three girls.
"He only just asked me last night," she mumbled, trying to keep the grin off her face. "We didn't decide anything major yet. We wanted to sit down with you and possibly Lin and find a good date." Tenzin nodded as his wife and children gushed over the wedding.
"Well, when would you like to talk? I doubt Lin would mind a good excuse to get out of work right now." He told her. Korra nodded and looked at her airbending teacher.
"Well, today would be nice. Would that be alright?" She asked him. Tenzin thought a moment.
"That should be fine. I'll call Lin up and tell her to come over. Could you get Mako?" Korra nodded.
"I can go over to the arena and get him after breakfast," she said and scarfed down the rest of her rice and noodles.
"Can I go with you?" Jinora asked as Korra stood up. She looked at the young airbender, before shrugging her shoulders.
"Sure, as long as it's alright with Tenzin," she told her. Jinora grinned and looked at her father.
"Pleeease daddy!" she jumped up and begged him. The airbender looked at her skeptically for a moment before rolling his eyes.
"Yes, I guess so, but you behave for Korra and be careful!" he told his daughter. She grinned excitedly and grabbed her bowl, rushing into the kitchen.
"Yes sir!" she called back. She followed the Avatar into the kitchen, set her bowl down, and up the stairs to her bedroom. Korra removed her robe and tossed it on her bed.
"So why'd you wanna tag along?" Korra asked as she walked behind her changing screen and began pulling on her everyday clothes. "Wanna see any certain earthbender?" Jinora blushed and shook her head.
"No! Why would think that?!" she said a little too quickly. Korra laughed as she walked out, tying her fur wrap around her waist.
"Come on. Let's get down stairs before we miss the ferry." She told her and rushed down the stairs, Jinora rushing behind her.
They made it to the dock just in time. They rushed onto the ferry as it began pulling away from Air Temple Island. Both girls bent over, trying to catch their breath as the boat made its' journey across the bay to the city. Korra stood up and walked over to the edge. She set her arms against the railing and breathed in the salty air. Jinora walked over and stood next to the Avatar.
"I don't know if today could get any better," the waterbender said softly, closing her eyes and letting the wind tug at her ponytails. Jinora smiled and looked out over the bay towards Aang Memorial Island.
"It is a beautiful day, isn't it?" the small airbender said, sighing as she looked over at the statue of her grandfather. "Korra. Did you know your grandparents?" she asked suddenly. Korra opened her eyes and looked at Jinora. She followed the girls gaze to the statue of the previous Avatar.
"Well," she began slowly, "I saw them a few times when I was really young, but they passed away before I got to know them all that well. Master Katara was really the only grandparent I ever truly knew." She said this, thinking back to everything Master Katara had done for her through the years. "Katara was absolutely amazing. You're lucky to have her as a grandmother." She smiled down at Jinora as the young girl looked up at her.
"I know," she told Korra and smiled up at her. Korra thought a moment before grinning down at her.
"Don't worry. After seeing the guys, you'll be perked up." She laughed as she watched Jinora blush bright red.
"Korra!" she cried. She had to hold back of fit of giggles.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." she said and grinned despite the airbender's complaints.
"He's too old for me anyway," she mumbled and slumped against the railing. Korra rolled her eyes and leaned down to the same level as Jinora.
"If you wait long enough, you'll see it's not that much of a difference anymore." She told her, watching her out of the corner of her eye. The airbender towards her, her eyebrows raised slightly.
"Really?" she asked quietly. Korra looked over at her and smiled.
"Yep, definitely," told her and nodded. "You'll be older before you know it, but for now, enjoy your childhood and I might put in a good word for you." Jinora opened her mouth, as if to say something, but closed it and smiled instead, staring out once more at Yue Bay.
They made it to the city and jumped off the ferry and began walking through towards the Pro-Bending Arena.
"So, why didn't we just bring Naga?" Jinora asked Korra. The Avatar thought a moment before shrugging and began playing with the air around her.
"I didn't even think about bringing Naga until you said something. Eh, oh well. The walk'll do us good." She said. Jinora nodded and followed as the waterbender took off down the road. "So, when Mako and I get married, would you and Ikki be interested in being the flower girls?" she asked Jinora over the hustle and bustle of the already lively city. The young girl looked in awe at Korra.
"Do you mean it? We could be real flower girls?" she asked ecstatically. Korra laughed and nodded.
"Of course. Who else would I my flower girls be?" she said as she watched Jinora grin from ear to ear.
"Yes! I can't wait to tell Ikki! She gushed excitedly. She created a small funnel of air and shot herself up and above Korra. She came down and landed on Korra's shoulders. "You are the best Avatar ever! Right after Grandpa Aang of course," she told Korra, hugging the top of her head. The waterbender laughed.
"Why thank you Jinora," she said while grabbing onto the girls ankles, which were dangling around her neck, "I sure do try."
The two girls talked and giggled the whole way to the Pro-Bending Arena. Once they got there, Jinora hopped off Korra's shoulders and walked beside her through the halls. They walked along and heard someone talking. They went a bit further and saw Toza in his office talking to someone on the phone.
"Yes. Yes, I understand, I'll let her know. Thank you. Please let me know when you know more." He sighed and hung up the phone.
"Hey Toza!" Korra said as she and Jinora popped their heads in. "Are the guys upstairs?" she asked. The old bender stood up and looked at her and she saw so many emotions pass through his old, green, eyes. "What's wrong?" She tried her best to keep her voice under control. Toza looked at the Avatar and saw the chocker necklace that now adorned her throat. Mako had mentioned that he was going to ask Korra to marry him. That was only going to make this harder.
"It's… it's Mako, Korra. There was an accident at the power plant. He was caught in the explosion. They took him to the hospital. Bolin's there now. Korra, where are you-? Korra!" He watched as she ran out. "Jinora, go tell you father and tell him to go to the hospital. Korra will be rampant if Tenzin doesn't calm her down." The young girl nodded and ran to Toza's office window.
"I'll tell him," she said curtly and jumped out the window, bending the air to her will and soaring back to Air Temple Island.
"Spirits help us all," Toza muttered as he sat back down at his desk. "Please let that boy be okay, for all our sakes."
She ran out of his office, ignoring his futile calls to come back. Mako was hurt. Her boyfriend, no, her fiancé, was injured and in the hospital. She didn't know how severe, but by the look on Toza's face, it wasn't just a few scrapes and bruises. She had to get to the hospital, she had to see him. She had to see him now.
