I looked out the window of the aircraft, guilt swarming around me like a heavy fog. It ate at the heart beating in my chest and compacted into a hard lump in my throat. I couldn't look Korra in the eye. The things I had said to her, the things I had allowed myself to believe… It was unforgiveable.

How could I have been so stupid? Korra had not yet given me any reason to doubt her. Never had she given me reason to mistrust her. I could have at least given her the benefit of the doubt. If she had been wrong, I would have been appropriately angry, but she wasn't wrong! And I had told her that if she continued to pursue the case, she could consider our friendship over. How could she have felt, knowing the truth, and having her own friends shun her for it?

I turned my back on her, when she needed someone to help her and support her. Just because I was too blind and stubborn to listen to reason. Just because I didn't want to believe that my girlfriend's father could be an Equalist.

Asami… I knew she must feel awful about her father, but I couldn't convince myself to move to her side and talk to her. As bad as it sounded, Korra was my first priority. But I didn't know how I could talk to her either. I'd been a jerk to her, and anything I said now would likely sound hollow. Still, I had to try, didn't I?

Korra was standing at the back of the aircraft, looking out of the huge windows. Her arms were crossed in front of her; her head was bowed. Hesitantly, I walked the length of the hovercraft to her side. She didn't so much as twitch, even when I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Korra…" I started, unsure what I wanted to say. 'Sorry' seemed like a good option, but it didn't feel right.

"Yeah?" she sighed.

What did I want to ask her? Part of me wanted to kneel at her feet and beg forgiveness. Another part wanted to ask her how she had been so sure that Hiroshi was an Equalist.

"Does your offer to stay at the Air Temple still stand?" That won the coin toss, and it hadn't even been on my list.

"Of course it does," she said, looking over at me. "Asami's welcome too."

Normally, her voice would've been warm, friendly. Now, though, it was just tired and a little sad.

"Thank you so much."

"After everything she's been through, she's going to need you."

She looked back out the window, over Republic City. It used to be a peaceful place. But Korra hadn't known it then. She'd shown up as the Equalists became emboldened. Right before Amon had revealed that he could permanently strip a person of their bending. Korra was fighting for a city full of people she'd never met, against a group she'd never heard of. She hadn't known what the city was like before the Equalists, but she fought to return it to that state.

Korra was the bravest, most selfless person I had even known. She didn't like the situation between Asami and I, and yet she still tried her hardest to not come between us, to not let anything come between us. She was so different from Asami, who, despite being pretty capable of taking care of herself, just didn't have the mindset that was very overall helpful. She was a rich girl, and while she wasn't prissy, she was definitely used to having the best. The best food, the best clothes, and she didn't understand how to accept when things went south. Didn't understand that sulking about it didn't help. Korra knew how to face her problems. And I so did not want to lose her as my best friend.

"Korra, about what I said the other night—"

"Forget it, Mako," she said, shrugging away from the hand on her shoulder.

"Korra, I wanted to say that I—"

"I said forget it. You've made it quite clear that you don't trust me. It'd be better for both of us to just forget this so-called friendship."

"No, Korra, I—" I tried, horrified.

"That was your idea, wasn't it?" she demanded. "You said that if I kept trying to prove Hiroshi's guilt, I could consider our friendship over. Well, I kept trying, and did prove Hiroshi's guilt, so you get your wish. Forget I ever existed."

"Korra!" I exclaimed. "I do trust you! I would trust you with my life. It's just that…Hiroshi being an Equalist is not an easy thing to believe, even now!"

"How do you think I felt?" she snapped. "I didn't like it either Mako. But I knew what I heard and I knew what I had to do. And I did it even though it hurt, even though all my friends turned their backs on me."

And she turned on her heel, and strode away, into one of the side rooms on the aircraft.

I stood where I was, frozen, paralyzed in horror, eyes fixed on that closed door. Some part of my mind registered that my mouth was hanging wide open, but I couldn't remember how to close it. My eyes stung painfully, and that lump in my throat felt as though it were growing, bigger and bigger, until I could hardly breathe.

I screwed up.

~...~

"Hey, thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help with the move," I said as I got off the boat. I don't know what I hoped for. A smile? A kind word? Whatever I expected, I didn't get it.

"Yeah, they were a huge help," added Asami. "Such tireless workers."

"No problem," Korra smiled at her.

She looked stuck somewhere between amused, startled, and disbelieving at the amount of luggage the Acolytes were carrying.

"I thought you were only bringing a few things," she muttered.

Honestly, trying to move Asami out of her home had been a nightmare. She wanted all of her things to go with her; her clothes, her makeup, her jewelry, everything. What my brother and I had managed to talk her down to was about a fifth of everything she had wanted to bring.

"Believe me, it could've been worse," I chuckled.

She allowed her eyes to flick over to me for a moment. They were cold and hard as ice as they met my gaze. That horrible pit in my stomach grew larger. That terrible, sickening realization that I had hurt one of my best friends, maybe irreparably. Could she ever forgive me? What would I have to do?

"C'mon up, guys," Korra said, breaking my gaze and waving everyone up the stairs.

Before we could get far, the three little Airbender kids landed on the walkway and started running around and around Naga. Ikki asked what Pabu was, and Jinora went into a long-winded description of the fire-ferret.

When Jinora had finished talking, we all started up the long walk to the air temple. Meelo walked beside Asami, staring fixedly.

"You're pretty," he said. "Can I have some of your hair?"

"Looks like I have some competition," I chuckled.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I heard Asami suck in an awed breath. The Air Temple was an awe-inspiring sight, beautiful in a rustic sort of way. Bolin and I had both seen the island before, but it was still amazing.

Ikki started talking again, in that high-pitched and extremely fast way she had. Something about a tour, the temple her Grandpa Aang built, and then where the Sky-bison lived.

"I have a couple questions," said Bolin. I sighed. "Is this an all vegetarian island? Is that where you train Airbending? Do we all have to wear Air Acolyte clothes? Do we each get our own Sky-bison? And how many trees are on this island?"

His questions came as rapid-fire as Ikki's answers.

"Yes, yes, no, no. Ten thousand, five hundred and fifty-two."

We all blinked in surprise. After a moment of stupefied silence, I decided to ask a more relevant question.

"So, where are we staying?"

"You're a boy. You have to sleep on the boy's side."

"I'll show you the way," offered Jinora.

"Meelo, why don't you go with the guys?" Korra prompted.

The little guy backed away from Asami, lifting his hand in farewell.

"We shall meet again, beautiful woman." Then he followed us away from the remaining three girls.

"This room is nice," said Bolin, tossing his things on the floor and flinging himself onto his bed.

I nodded noncommittally, going to the window and looking out over Yue Bay. I could see Aang's statue from where our room sat. He had been the Avatar before Korra. He'd been an Airbender, just a kid taking on the entire Fire Nation decades ago. He had his friends, Sokka and Katara, and Toph and Zuko. Zuko was oldest one, sixteen, a ridiculed prince of the Fire Nation, who had realized that his father, Firelord Ozai, had been a fool. Sokka was the only one who wasn't a bender, until Suki from the Kyoshi Warriors came along. Toph had been the world's very first metal-bender, had run away from her family in order to teach Aang Earthbending, and was Lin Beifong's mother. Katara was Sokka's brother, a Waterbender, both from the southern water tribe. She had, from the very beginning, captured the Avatar's interest, and in time, they grew to love each other, eventually having three children: Tenzin, Kia, and Boomy. Katara was the only one of them who was still alive.

And Aang. Aang, the Avatar before Korra. He had made peace with entire nations, had mended bonds some hadn't realized had broken. He'd forgiven Prince Zuko for the teenager's many attempts to capture him, so that Zuko would teach him the art of Firebending.

My best friend was the new Avatar, the reincarnation of Airbender Aang. Apparently, Korra and Aang were polar opposites. I wondered what would have happened, if I had gotten into the same kind of fight with Aang. Would he have forgiven me? Would he have given me another chance?

"Bro, wondering about Aang isn't gonna fix the problem between you and Korra," said Bolin with an undertone of amusement.

"Hu-what?" I started, turning to look at my brother. He was grinning.

"No, I'm not a mind reader. But you're kinda predictable."

I grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through my hair.

"What should I do?"

"Well, I'd say talk to Tenzin. Mr. Spiritual will probably have some advice for you," Bolin advised.

"Good idea. Thanks Bro," I sighed.

"Anytime."

I clapped him over the shoulder on my way out.