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"You don't remember?"
"That was amazing Korra," Bolin shouted as the team was leaving the pro-bending arena, "I mean, how did you dodge that fire?"
"I have no idea," Korra said shrugging her shoulders as she let out a small chuckle; it wasn't a lie, she had no idea what caused the flames to shift direction. Mako walked closer to Korra and draped his arm over her shoulders.
"Whatever it was," Mako said glancing down at the young woman besides him, "I am glad that we won that match, well, that you won that match." Bolin stopped short with a flabbergasted look on his face.
"Just glad?" Bolin screamed, waving his arms in the arm as if he was trying to make a point, "Just glad? You should be so amazed that you, uh well you know, just more than glad!"
Korra's laughter rang like bells in the wind; it brought a smile to Mako's face as he, once again, glanced down at the woman that he was hoping to call him own. A smile remained on Korra's face as the group continued to walk Bolin to his car; it felt good for Korra to laugh, and for her to actually mean it. It has been a least four weeks since Korra has been able to relax enough to let herself to be able to laugh; to be able to enjoy the presence of others. There was still a gnawing feeling in the back of her brain, but just for today Korra decided to ignore, just for one day.
The group said their goodbyes, and Mako and Korra watch Bolin jump into his car and drive down the road. The two stood there for a moment or two before Mako started to walk towards a black Sato mobile; since his arm was draped around Korra's shoulders she was dragged with him. Korra stood there confused for a moment as Mako jumped into the driving seat of the car. He made a motion towards the passenger seat, but Korra didn't move a muscle.
"When did you get this?" Korra questioned pointing towards the car, raising her eyebrow at the fire bender.
"Well, my new job at the police station pays pretty well and since we are friends with the manufacturer." Mako said with a smug smile on his face, "So, Asami gave me a discount. Now get in." Korra did not move an inch towards the car.
"When did you start working for the police station?" Korra questioned, Mako sighed once again forgetting that Korra's memory was limited at the moment.
"Enough with the questions," Mako laughed waving off the question, "Do you trust me?" Korra gave him a look, but then nodded her head. "Well then, trust me and get in."
With those words Korra shrugged and jumped into the car; Mako laughed at the fact that Korra didn't open the door but simply jumped into it. Mako shook his head, and with a smirk on his face he shifted the gears and sped off into the heart of the city. Korra leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and relished the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair, even if it was up in its normal hairstyle. Mako once and awhile would steal glances at the young woman; the smile on his face seamed to brighten his future.
"Where are we going?" Korra said when she finally opened her eyes and saw that they were now in the middle of Republic City.
"Does it matter?" The fire bender said wanting to surprise Korra just a little bit; today was the day that he was going to prove to her that they did work.
Mako took so many turns that Korra simply gave up trying to piece together where he was taking her. Korra started to daze off as Mako drove; purposely taking so many different roads, and driving in circles to confuse her. Mako parallel parked the Sato Mobile between two cars similar in model, and Korra almost jumped out of her seat in excitement.
"Well, here we are." Mako exclaimed pointing to the green grass in front of them. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for Korra. He had taken them to Republic City Park; Korra had a huge grin on her face, and it got bigger when Mako pulled out a bag of food out of the trunk. "It isn't much, but I thought we could have lunch here." Mako said with his face growing red, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
"It's amazing." Korra said, excitement clearly shining through her words. Mako smiled down at the water bender, and his eyes grew brighter, even though hers seemed to dull.
Mako held out his arm for the young woman to grab, Korra laughed at the silly gesture, but grabbed his arm anyways. Mako let her through the park listening to Korra talk about nothing important. Mako was enjoying his time, trying to find the perfect spot for him and Korra to eat until he heard someone clear their throat. Mako looked in front of him and Korra and internally groaned, he was not in the mood to deal with this particular person today.
"Oh, well look who we have here." A smooth voice spoke in almost a mocking tone. Korra also seemed to get annoyed almost instantly at the presence of someone who she found so slimy.
"What do you want," Mako asked in a stern voice, "Tahno?"
"Why must there always be a reason for doing things?" Tahno spoke raising a single elegant eyebrow, "Why can I not just enjoy a peaceful walk in the park?"
"Because you are just too good to just go for a walk." Korra said as she glared daggers at the other water bender. Tahno faked being hurt, and even clutched his hands above his heart.
"Wow," Tahno spoke in a very sarcastic tone, "that hurt, Uh-vatar, that hurt me right here." Korra's face scrunched up in confusion, Mako's eyes went wide when he realized that not everyone knew that Korra lost her memory. Mako quickly spoke before Korra had the chance to question.
"Well, if that was all, I guess we better get going," Mako said, stressing every syllable. Mako began to pull Korra around the water bender, but Tahno held out his arm to stop them.
"You were right," Tahno said, stepping in front of the young couple, "I wasn't just out here on a walk." Tahno gently grabbed Korra's hand, bent down as if he was bowing to her, and placed a single kiss on the back of her hand. "I just wanted to formally give my thanks for restoring my bending. It means a lot to me, I don't know what I would have done without it. So thank you, Uh-vatar." Tahno sounded sincere until the end when he ended with a wink at Korra.
Korra was so shocked, and so aggravated to rip her hand away from the slimy man, but her self-control just vanished when he called her the Avatar. Korra ripped her hand away, pulled back her fist, and let it make contact with Tahno's cheek. Tahno stumbled back a few steps; putting his head down, he put his hand under his nose, when he pulled his hand back it was covered in blood. Tahno looked back up at the water bender with complete confusion and anger.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Korra yelled, taking an angry step towards Tahno, "I am not the Avatar, I did not give you back your bending, and in no way shape or form gave you permission to kiss my hand! I don't know why people keep calling me the Avatar, or thanking me for things she has been doing, but it is getting really fucking annoying! I am done!"
With those words yelled, and drawing a huge crowd, Korra stomped off away from the fire bender and the water bender.
"What the spirits happened to her?" Tahno said, vile and disgust seemed to drip from each word.
"She lost her memory of being the Avatar," Mako said looking not at Tahno, but in the direction that Korra had left. "She ripped her soul apart from Raava's and now she doesn't remember ever being the Avatar." Mako paused for his own good, and Tahno was looking at him with sadness written all over his face.
"I feel so bad," Tahno said, looking down at the ground, "I honestly meant to say thank you, I didn't mean to cause anything." Mako sighed and looked at the defeated water bender.
"I know you didn't." Mako spoke in a defeated voice as he looked back towards where Korra once was.
"Is she still the Avatar?" Tahno asked a hint of fear in his voice that was coated in regret and sadness.
"As far as we know, no, she is just another water bender."
"Ah!" Korra yelled as she flung her fist into the bark of an old oak tree. Korra didn't know why she got so angry all of a sudden; it happened every time that someone mentioned her being the Avatar, as if a part of her didn't wish to hear it. Korra was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that someone was coming up behind her.
"Punching trees again, aren't we?" A deep voice came from behind her; Korra jumped and quickly spun around an ice dagger already formed in her palm. It wasn't anyone that Korra remembered; although, those deep grey eyes seemed to stir something inside of her. She wasn't sure what though.
"Who are you?" Korra said in a commanding voice; Zaheer was not shocked that she didn't remember him, or even the talk they had by the beach before Raava came out.
"An old friend" Zaheer spoke in his normal monotone voice, taking a step towards the young woman, it was clear she was on edge.
"Well, it must be a very old friend, because I have no idea who you are." Korra said taking a step away from the man. He seemed to cause a weird reaction from her body, and she did not enjoy how her body seemed to simply relax because of his presence.
"You seemed pretty aggravated." He spoke a-matter-of-factly.
"Well aren't we a Mr. Know-It-All." Korra spoke her words dripping with sarcasm, "But yes. I am. I don't know who I am anymore." Korra had no idea why she was just spilling all her inner thoughts to a man who she didn't even know, she just felt as if she could trust him, "A piece of me is missing and I can't find it."
"I kno—" Zaheer began, but was cut off by Mako who was currently running towards the two.
"Korra!" Mako screamed, causing Korra to snap her gaze from the stranger to Mako, "Get away from him! He is a member of the Red Lotus!"
Korra's eyes widened, remembering the radio broadcast she had heard about them. Korra quickly drew water out of the air making a long whip; with a loud yell Korra whipped the water in the direction of the Red Lotus member. Zaheer was too quick for Korra's sloppy, rushed moves. Korra split the whip in two and tried to freeze it around Zaheer's ankles, but Zaheer had created a small tornado around himself. By the time that the winds had stopped, Zaheer was gone.
Korra stood there her breath slipping out in long pants, her senses were freaking out. Mako just reached the bottom of the hill and when he reached Korra he wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could. When he finally let go, he pulled back just enough to look her up and down, making sure Zaheer had not caused any damage to her.
"Did Zaheer hurt you in any way?" Mako spoke frantically, his hands gripped tightly on Korra's shoulders.
"No, he didn—" Korra paused mid-sentence, "Zaheer?" She whispered, and as if she was hit by a truck a bunch of memories rushed within her mind. She saw Zaheer trying to kidnap her from Zaofu, she saw him speaking to her in the spirit world telling her that he was going to use the air benders against her, she saw them dancing to the music of the winds, and she heard Zaheer say he loved her too.
"Zaheer…." Korra whispered, as she began to tremble with great force. Just as if she was trying to hold onto her consciousness, her eyes began to flicker between the normal light blue, to the electric white of the Avatar State. Korra's face was scrunched up in fear as she let out a stained yell of pain. She clenched her eyes, but when they opened they were glowing white and her face held no emotion. "Until she has fully healed, she will not remember." Raava's voice rang out as powerful as a base drum.
Korra's eyes then returned their normal blue; she fell into Mako's chest as her eyes flutter shut.
"Ugh," Korra moaned rubbing the back of her head as if would help the throbbing in her head. When Korra opened her head she was laying in the reclined passenger seat of Mako's Sato Mobile. Mako quickly turned himself to face the young woman when he heard her begin to wake, "Oh my spirits, who are you?" Now it was Mako's turn for his face to scrunch of in confusion. "Who are you? I need to go!" Korra began to sit up, but Mako stayed still just staring at the young woman.
"You don't remember?"
"No."