The Lost Avatar

by KlkBass

Korra's gone. Mako's cursed. And the new Avatar is a sham. Can Mako keep Korra's reincarnation safe until they can take their place as the rightful Avatar? *Author's note: Story takes place after the events of the graphic novels in the LoK universe. Contains many OC's outside canon, references to blood, alcohol, death, and mild swearing. *I wanted a Mako story so I wrote one.*

20. The Northern Air Temple: The Incident

Koji sat upside down in his camp chair, an annoyed frown on his face, while he watched Ryu. They were supposed to be enjoying a free day; a chance to simply hangout and relax. Instead, he was babysitting Juji while Ryu worked on his airbending. Ever since their trip to the Air Temple, he had become quite dedicated to his training. It was about an hour later that he finally took a break.

"Do you want to help me with some metalbending, Koji?" Ryu asked as he approached. Juji let out a happy squawk as he flew to his owner's shoulder.

"Seriously, man? Aren't you tired?" Koji replied. Just watching had made him tired.

"A little, but I've got a good burn going and I don't want to lose it," Ryu replied.

Koji twisted his face and made it clear he wasn't interested in extra practice today.

"Tell me again why you came along on this trip?" Ryu said. Koji responded with an annoyed huff. He had his reasons for coming. "Never mind. I'll see if the Old Man or Mari want to spar," Ryu said. He headed to where they were camped.

The chair threatened to collapse when Koji scrambled from his it and hustled to follow. He would happily watch Mari do anything.

At the opposite side of the campsite, Mari was involved in her own training with her grandfather. Today, it was utilizing her horns and tail in combat. Koji watched in awe as the two fetchlings sparred. Even though Mari wasn't a bender, she had become quite the skilled fighter. She was almost on the same level as her grandpa when it came to hand-to-hand prowess or, tail-to-tail in this case. However, it wasn't her skills that Koji was interested in these days. Although he'd always had a crush on her, he was starting to realize how amazing she really was.

"Hey, Mari!" Ryu shouted, interrupting the training session. "Want to do some spirit hide-n-seek?"

A frown crossed Koji's face. At the Air Temple, they had discovered Mari could sense spirits, similar to her grandfather, except on a higher level. Where the Chief's sense only extended a few meters, Mari could track a spirit for double that. Even half-spirits like Mako and, technically, Ryu. Spirit hide-n-seek was the method they used when training their spirit-sense, something he couldn't participate in at all. It made him wonder if Ryu had suggested it purposely to exclude him.

"I can help you train if you want, Kid," Mako offered. "Then you can work on your own spirit- sense."

That sounded like a good idea to Koji. That meant he could be alone with Mari.

"Yeah, but I want to be able to hide my spirit and it's too easy with you," Ryu teased, although it was the truth. For whatever reason, Mako wasn't always able to track the light spirit that possessed Ryu. "Besides, I'm sure Mari can use the practice. And you probably need a break, Old Man," Ryu finished with a chuckle. Mako gave the teen a stern snort at the new nickname.

"Will that be okay, Papa?" Mari asked.

"If you want to train with Ryu, go ahead. We can always spar later," Mako answered.

"Thanks, Papa." She gave him a quick horn bump and trotted off to join Ryu.

Koji sadly watched as the pair happily chatted and disappeared into the nearby trees. His brooding was interrupted by Mako.

"Sooo…How's your family?" the Chief asked while his tail anxiously twitched behind him.

Even though they had spent all that time together at the Air Temple, small talk was still awkward. It was probably because Koji was the tag-along. Mari was Mako's granddaughter, and the man had adopted Ryu. He had been allowed to come on this trip because he was Ryu's best friend. Although he never felt like he was being treated differently, he didn't have the same connection to Mako. With Mari and Ryu busy, maybe it would be a good chance to get to know him better. Especially if he wanted to get closer to Mari. "They were good the last time I talked to them," he finally answered. "Mom's always crazy excited when I call. She wants every little detail."

"Sorry you have to lie to them," Mako said.

They still couldn't reveal that he was traveling with the Avatar. It did make for some difficult conversations, but Koji was able to appease his parents most of the time. "It's fine. I'm sure once we return home, they won't give it a second thought," he said with a shrug. His parents were fairly forgiving. There was a long silence and he was wondering what else to say when Mako spoke.

"While they're busy. I think I'll scrounge up some firewood and maybe dinner. I'm pretty sure I heard a stream nearby," he said.

Fishing sounded like the perfect opportunity to bond. "I can help," Koji offered. "Let me grab my gear." He raced to The Rampage and dug through the bins until he found his fishing pole and small tackle box. A short while later, he returned, excited for the impromptu fishing trip.

"All set," he proudly proclaimed, pole in one hand, tackle and bucket in the other.

It was a quiet walk through the trees as he followed the Chief. Besides the distant noise of flowing water, the leaves crunching beneath their feet was the only sound between them. Eventually, they found a narrow river among the trees. They followed it upstream for a short distance until it was interrupted by a stoney ledge that was too short to be considered a proper waterfall.

"This should be a good spot," Mako said.

While he set his line, Koji watched Mako settle himself on a rock and let his tail drag in the water. It wasn't the first time he had seen him fish with his tail, but it did open the opportunity for some conversation. "That is a pretty neat trick," he noted. It was certainly easier than his pole and hook.

"Hmmm?" Water suffocated the fur as Mako pulled it from the flow. It looked like he had caught a mass of white algae. "Happened on accident. We were on vacation. That is—me, Shizu and the kids…"

"Right," Koji interrupted. "You have two like, actual kids. Kazumi and Nagato?" He had heard about them a few times over the years, although it was more Kazumi and never Nagato. The only reason he even knew the name of Mako's son was because he was Mari's biological father.

At the mention of his son's name, Mako's demeanor instantly turned cold.

"Why don't we just focus on the fish," he firmly stated, returning his tail to the water.

"Oh…Yes, sir." Koji dejectedly sat on the shore and cast his line. It hadn't been his intent to upset the man, but clearly he had.

They fished in silence with the only interruption being when one of them actually had a bite. However, after thirty minutes, they had more bites than fish.

"So, uhh…how long do we want—?" Koji paused when a large shape emerged from the trees on the far side of the river. It was covered in red scales that went down its narrow body, and a pair of dark horns decorated its head. "Whoa…Is that a—"

Mako looked a lot more nervous than he was.

"It's a dragon. A wild dragon," Mako answered and cautiously stood.

"I've never seen an actual dragon before," Koji said. While he gazed in awe at the great beast, it started slapping its tail against the ground and shook its horns at them. "What's it doing?"

"I want you to come over here by me. Slowly," Mako instructed.

It wasn't an order, but Mako's firm tone was enough for him not to argue. He carefully inched over while he kept his eyes on the dragon. It continued to slap its tail as it glared at them. "Why is it staring at us like that?"

"It's staring at me," Mako corrected. "It's because of my horns. We're probably in its territory and it thinks I'm a rival trying to move in."

"That can happen?"

Before Mako could get an answer, the dragon opened its mouth and launched a cone of fire at them.

"Hold on!" Mako hoisted him onto his back and sprinted into the trees to avoid the flames. Water splashed everywhere as the dragon waded into the river after them.

"Can't you talk to it or something?!" Koji yelled from where he clung to Mako's back. If it thought Mako was a dragon, he should be able to communicate with it.

"I'm half dragon spirit! I'm not a dragon!" Mako snapped in response as he ran.

Koji glanced behind them at the beast. It's slender body weaved through the dense trunks with ease as it chased them. He turned back around just in time to see a sharp drop-off.

"Look out!" he yelped. In his panic, he grabbed Mako's horns and twisted.

"Koji!" Mako hollered at him. The sudden twist caused him to lose his line of sight. His foot stepped on air and they tumbled over the edge into the ravine.

Koji groaned when he found himself on his back, half-buried by the autumn leaves that covered the forest floor. The drop-off had been deeper than it looked. While he got his bearings, he could hear the dragon huffing from somewhere overhead.

"Chief? Sir?" he quietly called as he stood.

"Over here," Mako responded with a gruff whisper.

Nearby, Mako was on his knees, huffing. It looked like the man couldn't stand. Koji rushed to help and silently cursed the dried leaves that were far too loud under his feet.

"You kids are a lot heavier than you used to be," Mako grumbled once he arrived.

"Are you hurt?" Koji asked.

A roar from the sky told them the dragon was still looking for them. They cautiously watched the angry cloud, that could rain fire on them at any moment, fly past. Once it was gone, Mako dared to answer.

"Not seriously, but after a sprint like that, my legs gave out," he said from where he was still kneeling. "I would have been able to get us back to The Rampage if someone hadn't grabbed my horns."

"Sorry about that." Koji abashedly lowered his eyes. He would think he'd learned his lesson as this wasn't the first time one of his freak-outs had gotten him in trouble. "I saw the cliff and I panicked. How long before you can walk again?"

"Longer than it will take for that dragon to find us," Mako replied. "Are you okay?"

"Just some bumps and bruises," he replied.

"Good. Because you're going to have to help get me somewhere safe," Mako stated.

"Maybe I can bend a shelter around us," he offered. He was about to stomp the ground when Mako stopped him.

"Don't. The noise will draw it right to us," the man said, his voice still low.

"Then, what do we do?"

"Help me up. We can take shelter under that drop-off we tumbled down," Mako replied.

He tucked himself under Mako's arm, while Mako used his tail as a crutch, and dragged him to the cliffside. Once there, he carefully sat the man in a nook under the overhang. Overhead, the dragon continued to circle, intent on its prey.

"Give me a moment. I think I can…" He swung his arms forward and slowly extended the roof of the shelter, further blocking them from the dragon's view.

"You really do have a talent, Koji," Mako said as he shifted himself against the wall and stretched out his legs. "I've never known anyone that can earthbend so quietly."

Koji blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks. I learned from my Mom."

"She's an artist, right?" Mako said.

"That's right." He hadn't mentioned his parents' careers often, so it made him happy that Mako remembered. "She taught me how to bend using clay and stuff."

They went silent when they heard shuffling through the leaves. The dragon had returned. It snuffled just above their shelter for several tense minutes before moving on. They both let out a long sigh of relief as they watched the shadow disappear into the distance.

"What happened to you anyway?" he finally asked once the threat had passed.

"My legs give out when I overexert them. I thought you knew that?" Mako answered.

"No. I mean the horns and stuff," he corrected. "Mari told us once that you were cursed by a spirit but, doesn't that only happen to, I don't know, bad people?" he finished with a shrug.

"You've been traveling with us all this time and I never told you that story?" Mako said.

He shook his head.

"It happened a long time ago when I was still a young detective on the force."

Koji made himself comfortable on the leaf-littered floor as Mako began his tale.

Grey clouds shifted past the afternoon sun over the towering skyscrapers of Republic City. It was an average day for Mako as he drove through the streets at a leisurely pace. Currently, all was quiet, which allowed him a moment to simply enjoy the drive while on patrol. That changed in an instant when he saw a man being chased down the sidewalk by an angry spirit. Pedestrians split to the sides, unwilling to interfere, as the pair cleaved them. Spirits weren't his territory but, with no Airbenders around, or Korra, he felt he had to do something. He was still a cop after all and had a duty to protect the citizens no matter what the threat. A squeal broke over the streets as he flipped on the sirens and spun his vehicle around to follow the chase.

When the pair dipped down an alley, he had to park the car and sprint the last block before he finally caught up to them.

The man was pinned against the far wall while the angry spirit bared down on him.

"Return what you stole human!" the spirit roared, its muzzle practically up the man's nose.

It looked like a dragon except a lot smaller, about the length of a person. Blue scales covered its serpentine body, split along its spine neck-to-tail by a stripe of white fur that ended in a fluffy tassel, while white scales accented its underside. To top it off, a pair of silver horns curved backwards over its head.

"Please! Spare me!" the apparent thief screamed as he tried his hardest to force himself through the solid brick wall that blocked his escape.

"Stop!" Mako shouted.

The spirit spun around, its body twisting like an odd corkscrew, and aimed its angry glare at him. "Be gone! This doesn't concern you!"

"Look, I'm with the Republic City Police." He raised a single hand, his only shield, and slowly positioned himself between the man and the angry spirit. "Whatever happened, I'm here to help."

"I didn't do anything wrong!" the man hollered insistently. "This spirit came after me for no reason!"

He didn't need to be a detective to know the man was lying. The spirit wasn't buying the act either.

"LIAR!" it roared as its body turned shades of dark purple. Mako knew what happened next.

"Wait! Stop!"

Without thinking he shoved the man aside as the dark spirit charged. Searing pain wrenched his body as the spirit passed through his chest and out his back. It forced him to his hands and knees while his breath escaped in heavy bursts.

The thief he had saved, quickly regained his feet and pressed himself against the wall away from him, much like he had the spirit; a look of abject terror on his face.

"Here take it. I'm sorry…" the thief whimpered. The man's entire demeanor had changed. He reached into his coat pocket and produced what looked like an orange-sized pearl. Carefully, ever so carefully, he placed it on the ground, never taking his eyes off Mako. Then, he bolted from the alley not daring to turn back. The spirit ignored the thief and gingerly reclaimed its pearl with its sharp talons. The sparse sunlight gave the sphere an additional milky glow.

"Next time, don't interfere," it scolded and gave him an almost sympathetic glance before it flew away.

Sweat rolled down Mako's face, as he waited for the pain to subside. It felt like his entire body was on fire. Once he felt able, he lifted himself off the ground using a nearby dumpster, and his knee, for leverage before taking a moment to collect himself. He'd seen what happened to people who were attacked by angry spirits. They ended up as monsters like that thug, Takuga. Hopefully, nothing like that had happened to him. He ripped off his gloves to examine his hands. Nothing unusual there except for the red scar that covered his left hand. He pawed at his face next. That felt normal too, although his head did feel weird, as did his neck and back, almost numb. Otherwise, he seemed to be intact. Maybe he'd dodged a bolt. He was about to examine himself further when he noticed the crowd forming outside the alley. Pedestrians had come to check-out the commotion, all of whom were giving him odd looks. He put on his best authoritative tone to address them.

"It's okay now. Everyone can go back to their business," he huffed, as he managed to raise one hand to assure them. The crowd jumped and dispersed as if they were fleeing a wild animal.

He dismissed their odd reaction with a shrug and rubbed the back of his neck. Panic washed over him. He couldn't feel his neck, or rather, his neck couldn't feel his hand. The touch was muted. It was as if there was something between his hand and neck that shouldn't be there—and it wasn't his clothes. He carefully pinched at the foreign substance with his fingers. It was solid, and had a fingernail-like texture with odd dips that covered the entire back of his neck to his hair line. His anxiety grew as his hand followed the strange covering down his shirt as far as he could reach. There was something else as well. A soft, fibrous substance along his spine.

No no no!

More pedestrians passed, all of them giving him a wide berth accompanied by frightened gazes. He hastily retreated back into the alley only to fall on his ass when something tripped him. Now what? He looked down and saw a blue and white vine tangled around his feet. Where did that come from? As he moved to free himself, the vine followed, trailed by a plume of white fluff.

"Nooo…" Slowly, he reached behind him hoping it wasn't what he thought it was. Under his shirt, at his tailbone, was the same substance he had found on his neck and back. It protruded outward forming a long, cylindrical appendage. He focused on the vine for a moment, his brain making the connection. The fluff covered end twitched. It was a blue and white scaled tail, with a stripe of white fur, identical to the one the dragon spirit had, and it was connected to him. He slid deeper into the alley, shoving his way with his heels, until he was concealed behind a dumpster.

A quick pat-down found no signs of scales on his chest or abdomen. It wasn't until he got to his head that the next problem revealed itself. The reason it had felt strange was because two solid structures were protruding from his forehead. His fingers followed the curved surfaces backwards to where they ended in sharp points.

"Horns too…" He leaned his head back and winced when the new bones hit the brick wall first. No wonder people were staring at him. This is what he got for trying to help.

He couldn't go back onto the streets looking like some kind of monster. He needed something to cover himself. Unfortunately, the alley was barren save for the beat-up dumpster. Peaking out from it's weathered, tin cover, was the corner of a tarp. He threw the lid skyward, causing a loud din when it hit the brick wall, and tugged the tarp from its pit. It was slimy and reeked of fish; a ragged hole the reason for it's dismissal, but he didn't have the luxury of being picky. He wrapped it over his shoulders as a makeshift cloak and dove back into the crowd. People continued to avoid him except now it was because of the pungent smell he was exuding as opposed to his appearance.

He marched down the sidewalk straight to his police cruiser and clambered inside. Pain rolled up his spine when he inadvertently slammed the door on his new tail.

"Damn it!" He pulled the errant limb inside, stuffed it awkwardly beside him, and properly closed the door.

An examination in the rearview mirror gave him a clearer view of everything. Silver horns on his forehead, blue scales on his neck, and something else he hadn't noticed earlier. Sharp fangs in his mouth. Specifically his incisors and the teeth next to them on both his top and bottom jaw. He moaned and dropped his head to the steering wheel. The edge fit neatly beneath his new horns. How was he going to explain this to Beifong? Or his brother? Or Korra?

"Korra!" The thought hit him with the force of a chameleon rhino. Korra was the Avatar. She would know what to do to fix this. The cruiser rumbled to life as he frantically turned the key and pulled into traffic to find her.

It was a stressful ferry ride to Air Temple Island. While he was traveling, he did his best to stay away from other people. The last thing he wanted was to be gawked at. Fortunately, the smell of his cloak was doing most of the work for him. It was when a giggling girl passed him that he had to be on his guard.

"Mommy look," she said as she pointed towards him. He followed her finger to see a stretch of tail peeking out from beneath his covering; its fuzzy tip spread out on the wooden floor for all to see. Damn, it was hard to keep track of the unfamiliar appendage.

"It's uhh…my pet arctic snake," he said, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "I need to keep under my cloak so it stays…warm…" The word was already out of his mouth before he realized how ridiculous that sounded. A nervous grin replaced his blunder as he shoved the "snake" back under the tarp with his foot. The girl seemed satisfied with his explanation, but the mother gave him a startled look before hastily dragging the child away. It took him a moment to realize why the mother had left in such a hurry. His fangs. He'd flashed them at her without even thinking. He slapped a hand to his forehead barely missing his new horns. Korra had better be able to fix this.

Ikki was the first to greet him when he arrived at the island. The young Airbender glided down on her wing-suit as he walked up the steps to the main tower, his tarp clutched tight.

"Can I help you?" she asked as she tried to get a look at the stranger.

"Ikki. It's me, Mako. Is Korra here?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level. He didn't want to worry her.

"Mako?" Ikki tipped sideways and tried to get a peek under his tarp. "Korra's here. I think she's talking with Daddy in his study. What's going on?"

"I'll explain…later. I just need to talk to her first," he said. He kept himself hidden as best he could while he let Ikki lead him to the central tower.

"Korra. Mako's here to see you," Ikki announced as they entered the study. Both Tenzen and Korra turned from their conversation to address him.

"Mako? Aren't you supposed to be working? And what's with the fish cloak?" Korra asked. She waved a hand in front of her crinkled nose to push away the odor filling the room.

"Can uh…we talk? In private?" he responded, hoping to make as little fuss about what happened as possible.

"Sure. Can we use the study, Tenzen?" Korra asked.

"Of course," he replied, graciously conceding the room. "Come along, Ikki."

The younger Airbender groaned as she was escorted out of the room, her father closing the door behind them. Once they were alone, Korra turned her attention back to him.

"What's going on?" she asked, concern growing in her voice. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not all right!" he snapped. "I was trying to stop a thief from being attacked by a spirit and there was an…" Accident didn't seem like the appropriate word. More like train-wreck. "Let me just show you." The tarp crumpled to the floor as he released it, revealing his transformed state.

"Oh my gosh, Mako!" Korra gasped. "A spirit did this to you?"

"It passed through me while I was shoving the thief out of the way," he elaborated. "Can you fix it?"

"I…I don't know. I mean...I've never had to deal with a possessed person before besides that criminal Tokuga, and he's long gone. I don't know if I can reverse it," Korra replied.

It certainly wasn't the answer he was hoping for. He grabbed her by the shoulders, restraining himself from shaking the solution loose. "There has to be something you can do! I can't be stuck like this!"

"Hey, don't worry. We're on Air Temple Island with the most spiritual people on the planet. I'm sure they can help," Korra said.

They were both startled when the door suddenly flew open and a husky individual, with green eyes over his button nose, strode into the study.

"Mako! I was hanging out with Opal when Ikki told us you were on the island. I thought I would come by and say hel…lo…oh…" The man trailed off when he saw the horned, tailed, figure standing next to Korra.

"Oh. Umm…Hey…Bolin," Mako said. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and quickly pulled his hand away in disgust when he felt scales instead of skin. It certainly wasn't how he planned to break the news to his brother.

Soon, Opal, Tenzen, and the entire Airbender family joined them in the study to witness his plight. Their reactions were similar to Korra's with gasps of shock and surprise. All except Meelo. The youngest of Tenzen's children had called him out with an accusatory finger as 'Horn-man' before quickly being admonished by his father.

"You've been studying spirits and the Spirit World your entire life, Tenzen," Korra said after Mako explained the situation. "You must have some idea on how to return him to normal."

Tenzen stroked his long beard as he pondered. "There are ancient records of humans being cursed by angry spirits, but it hasn't happened for hundreds of years."

"I would think that the spirit that cursed you could undo the transformation," Jinora added, imitating her father with her hand to her chin. "Do you know where it went?"

"No. It took off after reclaiming whatever it was the thief stole from it," he answered.

"We'll just have to keep an eye out for it then," Tenzen said. "Meanwhile, we can search the Air Temple libraries. It may take some time, but they might have an answer."

"Anything you can do to help," Mako said, appreciating any assistance they could offer.

During the discussion, Bolin had crept closer to get a better look at his new features.

"Soooo…These are one hundred percent real?" Bolin asked, as if the horns and tail were some kind of elaborate ruse.

"Yes, Bolin. They are one hundred percent…real," he answered with an exasperated huff. "Unfortunately."

Bolin still didn't seem convinced and attempted to poke one of the horns. He swatted his little brother's hand away and gave him an irritated scowl in the process.

"I guess I better get back to the precinct and explain this to the Chief. She's not going to be happy," he finally said with a heavy sigh.

"I'll go with you. Maybe I can help smooth things over," Korra offered.

Opal volunteered to give them a lift back to the city and Tenzen gave him a new cloak to cover himself from people in the meantime. After the recent battle over who owned the land around the Spirit Portal, tensions were still high between humans and spirits. Seeing a cursed human walking the streets could cause a panic. Not that he wanted anyone to see him looking like a monster anyway. Plus, no more fish tarp.

Bolin tagged along on the return trip to the city proper. Once they were back at Mako's cruiser, Bolin gave Opal a quick peck on the cheek before they all slid off her bison.

"Good luck, Mako," Opal said before spurring her mount back into the air.

"Later, sweetie!" Bolin waved to her as she left. Then, he clapped his hands together as if he had some grand plan. "Welp, I have some things to take care of so, good luck with the Chief and I'll see you two later," Bolin said and dashed down the sidewalk.

"Where's he off to in such a hurry?" Korra asked as she climbed into the passenger seat of the cruiser.

"Who knows," Mako answered with a shrug. His brother's machinations were beyond him. "Let's just get going." He took the wheel, this time carefully pulling the tail inside before shutting the door, and started the engine. A squeal from the car's radio immediately accosted them.

"Unit thirty-four respond. Mako! Where the flameio are you?!" Chief Beifong's angry voice broke over the speaker. Mako scrambled for the receiver.

"Chief? This is unit thirty-four responding," he stated as calmly as possible. "What's going on?"

"Where have you been?! I've been trying to reach you for the past hour!" Beifong snapped. "A report came in about some kind of monster wandering around Eighth Avenue in a police uniform. I want you to get over there and check it out."

He exchanged a nervous look with Korra. This day just kept getting better.

"Was that where…?" Korra whispered behind her hand as she pointed to the tail.

He affirmed with a silent nod.

"Did you hear me?!" came the Chief's agitated voice.

"Yeah, Chief, I read you," he answered. "I'm coming back the precinct. I'll explain everything once we're there."

"Explain? Explain what?! Mako. What's going on?"

The box went dead as he switched off the radio. The Chief was already upset, one more slight wasn't going to hurt.

They were greeted by suspicious glares from other officers when they entered the precinct. Mako pulled the hood of his cloak further over his face and held the tail tight to prevent any other slip-ups like what had happened on the ferry.

"Where's the Chief?" he asked the first officer that crossed their path.

"She's in her office." The officer nodded across the lobby. "Is that you under there Mako? Boy does she have a bone to pick with you," they finished, clearly not envying him.

"I know…Thanks," he replied, heeding the officer's warning. He made a beeline for the office, Korra a step behind him, and paused at the door before giving it a brief knock. "Chief?"

"Mako? Get in here now!" Beifong shouted through door. He steeled himself, then stepped into the office with Korra, making sure to close the door tight behind them.

The woman gave them a steely glare from where she was seated behind her desk.

"What's going on Mako? You disappear from your post without explanation. Then, when you finally decide to answer your radio, you disobey a direct order only to show-up in my office looking like a cheap timepiece salesman!" Her glare shifted to Korra. "And you brought the Avatar! Oh, this had better be good."

He didn't think his cloak looked that bad, but that was besides the point. He wondered where to begin before resigning himself to simply dropping any pretense. "The reason I didn't investigate the 'monster' is because I'm pretty sure it was me..." He pulled the hood off his head, revealing his new horns, much to the Chief's shock. "I left my post to find Korra to see if she could help."

Silence swallowed the office as eternity passed. It was broken by an explosion.

In the main vestibule, all the other officers stopped what they were doing when they heard the muffled shouting coming from the room.

"Relations between humans and spirits are bad enough as it is and you come into my office looking like that!" Beifong spat as she shot-up from her chair to confront him. "What were you doing messing around with spirits?!"

"It's not like I planned for this to happen!" he countered. "It was an accident. I was trying to stop the spirit from attacking another person!"

"We've already talked to Tenzen. We're going to do everything we can to find a way to get Mako back to normal," Korra added, trying her best to assure both Lin, and him, that they were going to fix this.

Beifong slumped back into her chair, her fingers forming a temple over her forehead, as she processed the situation. "I can't put you back onto the streets looking like that," she began with a stern huff. "People are nervous. I don't know how the public would react if they discovered one of my officers had been possessed by a spirit. Especially with that tentacle-armed freak Tokuga still out there. I don't want to cause a panic."

"Maybe that's all the more reason to put Mako back out on the streets. He could prove to the public that being possessed doesn't make a person a monster or a criminal," Korra said. Although Mako knew she was trying to help, he was pretty sure he didn't want to go back out on the streets either.

"I'm not sure the public is ready to accept that," the Chief replied. "I'm going to sideline you for now, Mako." She held out her hand expectantly.

"But—" Korra was ready to argue, but he interrupted her.

"I understand, Chief," he replied. He knew that as Chief of police, she had to take into the account the safety of the entire city. It was obvious she felt bad, but she was doing what she felt was best. He carefully removed his badge and handed it to her.

"I'm sorry," Beifong said, the sympathy clear in her voice. "Let me know when things change."

He somberly nodded, then replaced his hood. "Let's go, Korra."

Curious eyes quickly turned back to their desks when the pair stepped out of the office and made their way to the main exit.

Outside, the city was beginning to glow as the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon. Pedestrians filed past them on the sidewalk, set on their evening destinations. Mako shied away from the crowd making sure he was still well-hidden under his cloak. He took additional care to make sure the tail was tucked securely in the crook of his arm.

"What are you going to do now?" Korra asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess go back to Air Temple Island. Since I won't be working, I can at least help find a solution." The sooner he was back to normal the better.

"We should have brought Naga. It's a long walk back to the docks," Korra said as she scanned the horizon towards the bay. As if reading her mind, a sleek, black Satomobile pulled to the curb and stopped in front of them. A slender woman, with dark wavy hair, was behind the wheel with Bolin sitting in the passenger seat.

"Asami!" No sooner had the other woman stepped out of the vehicle than Korra had her wrapped in her arms where they exchanged a quick kiss. "What are you doing here?"

"Bolin came and found me," Asami replied with a smile.

"Yeah. I thought we could all hang-out like old times. Team Avatar! Together again!" Bolin yelled excitedly.

"I'm not really in the mood to 'hang-out,'" Mako sourly replied.

Asami turned her attention to him. "Bolin told me what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…Though a certain little brother might not be." He glared at Bolin from under his hood. He didn't need the entire city to know what had happened.

Bolin shrank into his seat to escape the angry scowl.

"C'mon, it's Asami," he replied. "She was probably going to find out anyway."

Bolin wasn't wrong considering Korra would have told Asami if he hadn't blabbed. What Mako had hoped was that the problem would already be fixed so nobody would see him like this.

"Let's not argue," Asami interrupted. "We can go back to my house, have some dinner, and relax without worrying about anyone bothering us."

"It'll be fun, Mako," Korra added cheerfully.

"Fine…" He finally relented and climbed over the side into the backseat, carefully adjusting himself to accommodate the tail. These were his friends after all. They didn't care what he looked like, right? Bolin, surrendered the passenger seat to Korra and joined him a moment later. Once they were all settled, Asami started the engine. Suddenly, her nose wrinkled.

"What smells like fish?" she asked to which Mako shrank further into his cloak.

Unsurprisingly, Asami was shocked when he revealed himself at her mansion, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she encouraged him to stay positive that the Airbenders would find a solution. While he was at her estate, she also assured him he didn't have to worry about the stifling robe either. She dismissed the household staff so that he could walk around freely without anyone staring at him or running off in fear. It was nice, but he still felt uncomfortable exposing his unnatural appendages.

After dinner, they decided to take a swim in Asami's pool. Bolin, Korra, and Asami were already relaxing when he emerged from the main house. He had gone to use the bathroom and it had taken him a while to adjust his pants under the tail. The appendage was just low enough that he couldn't pull the rear of his pants up entirely. It was a wonder he hadn't lost them already. In the end, he looped his belt over the tail, his pants underneath, to keep anything from slipping.

"How do you go to the bathroom with that thing?" Bolin remarked while he splashed in the water.

"Bro…You don't want to know," he answered.

"Are you sure you don't want to swim?" Asami interjected from where she was wading, Korra floating next to her. "I'm sure we can find something for you."

"I thinks it's best if I stay out of the pool. Unless you have a swimsuit with a hole in the back," he answered as he stood resolutely at the pool's edge. Losing his pants in front of both his ex-girlfriends would be more embarrassing than how he looked right now.

"What's it feel like anyway? Your fur I mean…" Asami began and instantly blushed. "I'm sorry. That's probably a really awkward question. It's just…it looks so soft."

He looked down at the tail now laying on the poolside floor. Despite carrying it around all day, he hadn't really been paying attention to the fur. Getting rid of it had been his priority, not getting familiar with it.

"I guess I don't know what it feels like," he stated with a dismissive shrug. The action was imitated by the limb which feebly twitched.

"Oh! Oh! Let me feel!" Bolin shouted as he frantically raised his hand in the air, Mako's discomfort lost on him.

"Really Bolin?" Mako's brows furrowed at his brother's open callousness. However, he did use his foot to push the tail closer to the pool, an open invitation to touch it. Bolin splashed excitedly over to him and carefully picked up the loose end.

"It is really soft," Bolin said as swept the fur against his other hand like a paint brush. Then, a devilish grin spread across his face unnoticed by Mako. Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around the limb.

It took Mako a moment to realize what was happening since he wasn't used to the feeling of anything touching the tail attached to him. It was only when he saw the expression on Bolin's face that he began to panic.

"Bolin? Wait. Don't…I still have my uniform on—!" His plea fell on deaf ears as Bolin yanked him into the pool. A moment later he splashed to the surface completely soaked.

"Oh yeah? Let's see how you like it?" He retaliated by playfully shoving Bolin under the water. The girls laughed as they watched the pair rough-house making sure not to get drawn into the commotion.

Although Mako had tried to dry himself the best he could at Asami's house, his clothes were still damp by the time he and Bolin returned to their apartment. Water squished from his boots onto the hall carpet as he unlocked the main door. As soon as they entered, Pabu appeared and raced up Bolin's arm.

"Hey, Pabu." Bolin greeted the chittering fire ferret with a scratch on its head. "Sorry I didn't bring you pal. I was kind of in a hurry."

"That was fun," Mako admitted once they were inside. Despite his current situation, he was glad that his brother had gotten everyone together. "Thanks, Bolin."

"Aww, it was nothing," Bolin smiled. "I just wanted to find something to take your mind off…you know…" He glanced at Mako's horns. "…things."

Although not one hundred percent effective considering what had happened with the tail, Mako appreciated the sentiment. "You know, you're going to have to pay for this uniform if it's ruined," he chided as he began to remove his clothes.

"It'll be fine. A little water never hurt anything," Bolin replied, unconcerned by the shallow threat. "Besides, at least you don't smell like fish anymore."

"Gee…Thanks…" He gave Bolin a sarcastic smirk, but he wasn't really upset. The brotherly hazing made him feel normal. That normalcy quickly disappeared however when he removed his shirt and heard a rasp from behind him.

"Oh…Ahhh…hmmm…" Bolin stammered.

"Spit it out, Bolin…" Mako huffed not in the mood for anymore surprises.

"I don't want to freak you out, but mayyyybe you want to look in a mirror," Bolin finally managed and pointed towards the bathroom.

Mako's face crunched up into a sneer before he marched into the other room. Bolin followed and cautiously watched from the doorway.

The horned face in the reflection, startled Mako momentarily, but he quickly collected himself before twisting his torso to examine his back. The blue scales on his neck extended down the entire length of his spine, spreading to his sides, before joining with the base of the long tail. A stripe of white fur, that started at the nape of his neck, split the entire thing all the way to the furry tassel at the tail's tip. It wasn't a complete surprise, but the extent of the scales was a little unexpected. He let out a deep sigh and clapped a hand to Bolin's shoulder.

"You know what, bro? I'm not going to worry about it. The Airbenders are going to find a solution and I'll be back to normal before you know it," he said, trying to convince himself as much as his brother.

Mako absently stared at the streaks of moonlight that seeped through the curtains of his bedroom window onto the wood floor. His new appendages were proving to be a constant source of discomfort keeping him awake. Laying on his back was a no-go because of the tail, and when he tried either side, the horns stuck out just enough that his pillow smothered his face. Even if he didn't suffocate in the night, he'd have a sore neck for sure. Eventually, he surrendered to his new appendages, tossed his blankets aside with a grumble, and climbed out of bed.

"How do spirits sleep?" he mumbled as he rubbed his temples beneath the horns. Maybe a late night snack would help. He made his way to the kitchen and opened the icebox. Empty shelves greeted him. "Guess I'll have to go shopping again," he sighed as he closed the door. With Bolin in the apartment, food tended to disappear twice as fast. He loved his little brother, but couldn't wait for him to get out on his own.

Food a bust, he moved back to the living room and plopped down onto the couch only to immediately spring back to his feet.

"Damn it!" he swore as quietly as possible as he rubbed his backside. The tail was proving to be a real pain. Since he'd gotten the thing, he'd either carried it around, or let it drag behind him without giving it much thought. Mostly because he wasn't used to having a tail—Who would be? However, if it was attached to him, he should be able to control it like any other limb, right?

Much like in the alley, it took a moment to make the connections, the new bones and muscles unfamiliar to his brain. The tail lifted off the ground. Pleased with the results, he focused a little more and soon had decent control over the scaled appendage. Decent being the best word to describe it. The movement was still clumsy, and he managed to hit every piece of furniture in the room as he practiced, but at least he was able to keep it from dragging. That little exercise finished, he peered out the living room window to distract himself.

All was quiet at the late hour. Even in the bustling city, most people were already home in their beds. He was going to attempt that again himself when movement caught his peripheral. Across the street, someone was kneeling outside the door of a shop while a truck idled nearby. He observed for a moment to make sure nothing funny was happening. It wasn't long before the man popped the door and, the instant it was open, two other people rushed inside. Definitely a robbery. Without his badge he really had no right to intervene but, he couldn't stand idly by either. He got dressed, grabbed his cloak, and was out the door a moment later.

By the time he reached the street, the thieves were already hauling loot to their truck.

"Need a hand?" he casually asked, startling them.

"Get lost pal!" one of the thieves snapped. They bent a stream of water at him which he blocked with a quick wave of fire. He was surprised when his flames came out blue. While he stood stunned, a second thief emerged from the building and hastily climbed into the cab of the truck.

"Forget him! Let's get out of here before the cops show!" she hollered. The first thief decided to cut his losses and dropped his loot before he hopped into the truck-bed. The vehicle then sprang to life when the driver gunned the engine and, a second later, they were speeding down the street.

Mako wasn't sure what made him think he could chase the vehicle on foot, but he immediately sprinted after them.

"Who is this guy?" the driver asked as he watched the cloaked individual through the rearview mirror. Whoever they were was slowly gaining on them.

"Must be one of those Airbenders," the second thief answered. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

"Hold on!" The driver smashed the gas pedal and swerved through traffic to lose their pursuer. They increased the gap but couldn't shake him.

"Turn there!" The passenger pointed to a narrow intersection.

The driver cranked the wheel, barely making the sharp turn onto the side-street, and nearly dumped their waterbending cohort.

"Watch it!" the man snapped as he grasped the sides of the truck-bed for dear life.

Mako wasn't about to be deterred. His feet slid across the asphalt, the tail instinctually maintaining his balance, as he chased the truck around the corner. When he thought he was close enough, he bent jets of fire beneath his fists and leapt into the air. The thrust gave him just enough momentum to catch the vehicle. As he landed on the front, he smashed the hood with a blue-flamed punch. Both driver and passenger lurched forward into the dash as the engine stalled and the truck came to an abrupt stop.

The passenger groaned and grabbed her head. Next to her was a now unconscious getaway driver. She squinted out the windshield, into the flames, to assess the damage. The monstrosity she saw standing on the flaming hood, terrified her. Blue flames reflected off silver horns and she swore it had a tail under its cloak. She pressed herself against her seat, certain the beast was going to break through the glass to get her at any moment. Sirens in the distance, forced her to momentarily pull her eyes away. When she turned back, the creature was gone.

Mako could hardly contain his excitement when he burst into Bolin's room, unintentionally scaring Pabu. The frightened fire ferret angrily chittered at him as he woke his brother.

"Bolin! Bro! You're not going to believe what just happened!"

"Mako?" Bolin groaned as he knuckled the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. Late. Anyway…I couldn't sleep, and I saw these thieves robbing the shop across the street. I went after them and chased their getaway vehicle down—On foot! I stopped them several blocks away and I'm not even tired! And look!" He bent a small flame over his hand. "My fire is blue now."

"That's…great?" Bolin said, unsure how to respond.

"It was amazing! I wonder what else I can do?" His enthusiasm was interrupted by a worried look suddenly appearing on Bolin's face.

"Uhh…Mako?"

The blue flame that was hovering above his hand had nearly doubled in size and was threatening to scorch the ceiling. He quickly flapped his hand, extinguishing the fire, while he shared his brother's worried expression. He'd never had his bending go out of control like that.

"Uhhh…I'll figure that out," he said.

"Maybe in the morning? When the sun comes up?" Bolin suggested with a yawn.

"Right. Sorry, bro. Go back to sleep."

"You don't need to tell me twice," Bolin replied. He snuggled back under his blankets and Pabu gave Mako another scolding before curling up next to his owner.

He stepped out of the room and needed to shut the door twice. Maybe being possessed by the spirit wasn't all bad. If only it hadn't come with extra parts.

Chief Beifong strolled into the precinct directly to her office. Files from the previous night were stacked neatly on her desk. While she sipped her morning coffee, she casually sorted through the documents. Most of them were average reports: complaints, traffic violations, a mugging; nothing that warranted her immediate attention. However, an unusual report did catch her eye. An anonymous individual had reported a break-in which lead to a car chase. Nothing incredibly strange there. It was the way the suspects had been apprehended that drew her attention. Supposedly, according to the suspects, their vehicle was destroyed by some kind of creature before the police arrived. It warranted further investigation. Putting her coffee aside, she left her office to discuss the matter with one of her subordinates.

"Are the thieves from this report still in holding?" she asked as she held the file firm in her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," the officer replied. "Apparently, when officers arrived on the scene last night, the woman was begging to be arrested. Said they were chased by a monster."

"A monster? Are we sure it wasn't some rogue spirit?" Nowadays that wasn't outside the realm of possibilities, although it was rare spirits ventured so far into the city. Plus, they generally didn't involve themselves in human affairs.

"Possibly," the officer shrugged. "Nobody else saw it except the suspect."

"I want to talk to this woman," she finally stated. "Have her brought to the interrogation room."

The officer nodded and left to fulfill their orders.

The thief sat cuffed to a table in a small room while her foot nervously tapped on the silver, metal floor. She looked up when the door slid open and Chief Beifong strolled in. The police chief folded her arms over her chest as she took the seat across from her.

"Sounds like you had an interesting night," Beifong began casually.

"I already told your officers. We was just moving those items," the woman stammered, clearly uncomfortable in the Chief's presence.

"I'm not interested in whatever junk you stole," Beifong stated firmly. "I want to hear about this supposed monster you saw."

The woman's eyes went wide. "It was a monster," she said, the statement sounding more genuine than her previous comment about moving items. "It chased us for blocks. Then it flew over the truck and crashed onto the hood in a blue fireball!"

"Uh, huh," Lin humored her. "And did you get a look at this 'monster?'"

The woman's hands moved animatedly in her cuffs while she spoke. "I did! Saw it through the flames. It had silver horns and glowing eyes. And a long tail like a dragon except it stood like a person!"

The description was all Lin needed to hear. "Silver horns you say?" she continued, still humoring the thief.

"You believe me?"

"Of course not! The whole thing sounds preposterous!" she snapped, breaking any illusion of acceptance. "Keto!"

A young man, barely in his twenties and dressed in full Metal Police armor, quickly slid open the door.

"Escort this prisoner back to her cell. She's obviously delirious," Beifong ordered before leaving the room.

Even though he hadn't gotten much sleep, Mako was wide awake, the adrenaline from last night's little chase still coursing through him. He was just sitting down to breakfast with Bolin when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Bolin offered and stood from his chair. On the other side of the door was Chief Beifong. "Oh, hey—"

"Where's Mako?" Beifong demanded as she shoved her way inside.

"Good morning. Come in. Wipe your feet," Bolin said sarcastically as she marched past him.

"Chief!" Mako leapt to attention at her sudden appearance.

"I thought I told you to stay on the sidelines!" She poked him in the chest as she scolded him.

"I have…" he replied as innocently as possible.

"Then why do I have a thief in a holding cell babbling about a monster with silver horns, glowing eyes, and a tail!" she angrily huffed. "Sound like anyone you know?"

"Your eyes glow?" Bolin interrupted.

Mako answered with an unsure shrug. It's not like he'd be able to tell.

"The only thing that doesn't add up is that she claims the monster had blue flames," the Chief finished.

No sense hiding it anymore. She had him pegged.

"Yeah. About that." He rolled his face away from her and bent a small flame in his hand. The Chief's face went taut when she saw the blue glow.

"I don't care what that spirit did to you! You can't go about the city dolling out vigilante justice! I expect that kind of nonsense from Korra, not one of my officers!" Beifong snapped at him.

"What was I suppose to do?" he huffed as he extinguished the flame in his fist. "I saw those crooks last night and I couldn't stand by and do nothing! They would have been long gone before anyone arrived," he finally admitted while the tail flipped angrily behind him. It was the first time he used it without thinking, it acting on his emotions instead.

A serious expression covered the Chief's face as her eyes fell to the agitated limb. "Maybe I do have an assignment for you," she began. "We've been trying to find Tokuga ever since he slipped away after attacking the city. With your current condition, you may be the only one that can get close to him." She postulated.

"An undercover mission? Do you think it will work? Tokuga knows I'm with the police along with a lot of Triad members," he said. His reputation was well established amongst the underground. "I don't know if I'll be able to convince any of them to trust me."

"I'm sure they'd have an easier time believing a disgruntled former officer that was fired for attacking a spirit," Beifong added, the cover story already forming in her head.

"Undercover mission here we come!" Bolin shouted excitedly.

"Here I come. You're not a cop anymore, remember," he corrected his brother. Bolin had done a short stint on the force but, like many other jobs, decided it wasn't for him.

"Mako's right. I don't want civilians tangled up in this," Beifong added.

"But, I want to help," Bolin frowned.

"Why don't you go to Air Temple Island and see if they've made any progress on how to fix…this." Mako tapped a horn.

"Sure! Then I can see Opal again," Bolin said, his disappointment quickly forgotten.

"It's only been a day, bro."

"I know. But it feels like an eternity," Bolin whined.

"Then it's settled and, to keep up the pretense, I'm going to inform the other officers of your dismissal. This will be just between us," Beifong said. "But be careful. If things get too deep, I want you out."

"Right, Chief." He nodded, glad his transformation might actually be useful.

At Air Temple Island, Tenzen and Jinora sat around a table buried in old tomes and scrolls. Additional piles of books, waiting to be searched, were stacked in piles behind them. The sound of footsteps announced Korra's arrival.

"How's it going?" she asked as she took a seat at the table.

Tenzen pressed the scroll he'd been reading, down to the table. "I'm sorry, Korra," he said with grim frown. "Much of the information about spirits was lost during the hundred year war."

"And what we've found so far hasn't been very helpful," Jinora added. "Some vague stories about humans being cursed by spirits, but nothing on how, or if, they were ever un-cursed."

Korra grabbed a random book from the stack. The pages spread like a fan when she opened it on her lap. "There has to be something," she persisted as she flipped through them.

Ikki suddenly appeared in the room with a leather bound book cradled in her arms. "What about this?"

"Is that one of my father's journals?" Tenzen asked when he spotted the worn cover.

Ikki shoved several other books aside to make room on the table.

"Here." She traced the words with a finger while she read. "'The Lionturtle had taught me that the human spirit could be bent. A skill that I used to strip Firelord Ozai of his ability to firebend. It gave me the peaceful resolution I had wanted, but a skill I hope I never need to use again. It was terrifying, and too much power for one person. Even the Avatar,'" Ikki finished the passage.

"Except he had to use it on Yakone," Tenzen added.

"Then Amon used it on innocent benders," Korra recalled with a scowl.

"Yes, but you were able to restore their bending, Korra," Tenzen reminded her.

She thought for a moment. "Do you think it will work on Mako? I want to help him but, I don't want to accidentally take his bending away in the process," Korra said. "What about the purification technique I learned from Unaloq. Could that work?"

"That technique was meant to purify dark spirits. We don't know what will happen if you use it on a cursed human," Jinora answered.

Korra leaned back on her hands and let out a frustrated groan.

"Let's not give up hope yet. There's still plenty of books we can look through," Tenzen said, trying to remain positive.

"I'll get some more," Ikki groaned. She dragged herself back to the menagerie filled shelves of the library proper.

That's when Bolin entered the room. "Hey everyone. Mako wanted me to see how things are going." A bevy of tired faces turned towards him. "That good, huh?" he said awkwardly.

"Where is Mako anyway? I thought he was going to help." Korra tossed her book onto a stack with an annoyed huffed. All this work was for him after all.

"Oh, right. The Chief sent him on a undercover assignment. Real hush, hush," Bolin answered.

"Undercover? Doing what exactly?"

Night had long since fallen by the time Mako hit the streets deep in the Dragon Flats Borough where many of the Triads made their nests. It had a reputation among his fellow officers as being the worst beat in the city. He'd even traversed it himself a few times when he was looking for leads so he knew from experience how dangerous the area could be.

He kept himself hidden under the cloak Tenzen had given him and, as an additional precaution, had the tail wrapped tight around his torso under his shirt. It was uncomfortable, but he didn't want it slipping out revealing his half-spirit nature too soon.

Suspicious glares watched him through dirty windows as he walked past run-down buildings. He was deliberately traversing the most disreputable streets of the district hoping to be noticed. A few altercations with Triad members might get him a lead on Tokuga. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps following him into a dark alley. He quickened his pace only to be cut off by two others. Not Triads from what he could tell. Small fries trying to make a name for themselves most likely. The perfect messengers.

"Got money under that fancy cloak of yours? Because it costs a lot to travel these streets," the first mugger said as they bent a stream of water from a pouch at their waist. Behind him, the footsteps, bent a flame above his hand as an additional threat. He half-expected the third mugger, a young girl, to earthbend. Instead, she was frantically scouring the alley. Eventually she snatched a brick from the ground which she lifted above her head to threaten him. The Waterbender rolled his eyes.

"We told you, Kyrie. We do the bending. You pick the pockets," he huffed.

"But I can do more than that!" the girl whined while her brick-laden arms swung down in front of her like a pendulum.

"Just search him!"

"Fine!" The girl threw her brick onto the ground where it landed with a muted thud.

"You're wasting your time," he said. "I don't have any money."

"That's too bad," the Firebender sneered, trying to be as intimidating as possible. "Maybe we'll take that fancy cloak instead."

A confused look crossed the Waterbender's face. "Why?"

"I think it looks cool."

The Waterbender shook his head in disbelief. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get this done."

As entertaining as their little exchange was, Mako decided he'd had enough. "I don't have time for this," he interrupted, and shoved his way past the Firebender.

"Hey! We're not done with you!" A stream of water flew towards him which he quickly countered with a flash of blue flames.

"Blue flames?" the Firebender gasped.

"Who cares. Get 'em!"

The benders attacked in unison forcing him on the defensive. Fortunately, the pair was as inept at bending as they were mugging. Their attacks were sloppy which allowed him to easily deflect or dodge them. It wasn't long before he got tired of sparring and went on the offensive. In the narrow alley, he was confined to Fire Fists which would be more than enough for the would-be muggers. Steam erupted with concussive force when the Waterbender brought up a wave of water to block his first punch. The blast sent the man stumbling backwards onto his ass. His second fireball was met with even less resistance. The Firebender used his own flames as a shield only for them to be devoured by Mako's blue sphere. It continued, unimpeded, into the man's chest and knocked him to the ground. The fight was over before it had barely begun, Mako's experience out-classing them. With the battle over, he squatted by the Waterbender still laying on the asphalt.

"I want you to spread the word that Mako's looking for the Triple Threats," he said. Or else, largely implied.

"O-okay…" the Waterbender nervously stammered and backed away. Then, he stumbled to his feet and ran down the street with the Firebender following close behind.

From the expressions on their faces, they probably saw more than Mako's angry scowl. All that was left was the girl.

"It really is a nice cloak," she sheepishly grinned.

"Kyrie!"

At the sound of her name, she dashed off to join her companions.

Hopefully that would be enough to get the attention of someone higher up the food chain.

Clouds covered the morning sun, casting a grey shadow over the alley where Mako was asleep under his cloak. He was nestled in-between black, trash-filled bags, and several busted crates that lined the narrow passage. Sometime during the night, the tail had escaped his shirt and the furry tip peeked out from beneath his clothes. The way he was curled up, any passerby would have easily mistaken him for a stray animal if they didn't look too close. He yawned as he stirred and immediately regretted it when the smell of something rotting filled his mouth. He coughed and spit on the ground several times to expel the vile taste from his tongue. It had been a long time since he'd had to sleep on the streets. It was as bad as he remembered. His stomach growled at him. To keep up appearances, and stave off thieves, he hadn't brought his wallet which meant no money for a hotel—or breakfast.

"Guess I'll have to dust off some old tricks." He carefully collected the tail and made sure everything was properly covered before walking onto the streets.

His search for food lead him to a small fruit stand just opening for the morning. The perfect target. How was he going to do this without Bolin though? When they were orphans on the street, one of them would distract the merchant while the other snagged what they needed. It wasn't something he was proud of but, back then, they did what they needed to in order to survive. Things were going to be a little harder without his brother. His stomach rumbled again.

"Yeah, I know," he told his angry insides. He patted his stomach only to get the hidden tail instead. That gave him an idea.

"Good morning my good sir," he began pleasantly as he stepped up to the stand. The merchant eyeballed him.

"No money. No food. I ain't no charity," the man firmly stated, pegging him as a vagabond.

"Sir. You insult me," he responded, feigning offense. "I'm here to shop. How much for this one?" While he chatted up the vendor, he carefully snaked the tail down his leg and beneath the cart.

"Five yuans," the merchant answered flatly.

"Mm-hmm, mmm-hmm. And this one?" He pointed to another random fruit as the tail continued towards its target.

"Five. Yuans." The merchant was beginning to get irritated. The man looked away when something on the ground caught his attention. That was Mako's cue. He snatched a fruit as the merchant screamed.

"Woolly Spider!"

"Wait. What?" He had been anticipating a reaction, but not that. What happened next was the expected end for most spiders. The merchant stomped his foot down, hard, on the unwanted pest and pain shot up the tail to Mako's spine, forcing him to drop his prize.

"Out! Out!" The merchant stamped each word onto the intruder with his boot. Then, he kicked the dead "spider" under his cart. The furry creature slowly retreated beneath Mako's cloak, unnoticed by the vendor.

"You okay, pal?" the merchant asked when he saw Mako's pained expression.

It had taken every ounce of restraint for him not to yelp. "Fiiinnnneee," he managed to answer through clenched teeth, his face lowered so the man wouldn't see his fangs. "Have a nice day." Then he slunk off with the tail literally between his legs.

"That was a bust," Mako groaned while he sat on a bench in a small plaza, an empty stomach and sore tail now nagging him. He loitered there while people began to fill the area, passing through on their way to work or wherever. On a street corner, a kid peddling papers shouted the headlines.

"Read all about it! Firebender Burns Badge!" he hollered over the crowd. That was enough to pique his interest.

"Gimmie that!" He snatched the paper from the kid.

"Hey!"

A quick skim of the article painted a rather unflattering picture of his departure from the force, including an altercation with a spirit, all while keeping his actual transformation absent. He had to hand it to the Chief, she knew how to spin a story. The papers had lapped it up like humming-bees to flowers.

"You gotta pay for that paper, mister," the boy demanded, his hand outstretched for the money. Mako instantly incinerated the paper in a burst of blue flames. Had to keep up appearances after all. That, and he didn't have any money anyway.

"What paper?" he smirked, leaving the kid slacked-jawed as he slipped into the crowd.

In a run-down office, a lone figure sat behind a desk, his face obscured by shadow. He was looking over a map when the door swung open and a sharply dressed, slender man entered the room. A wide grin was on his face under a thin mustache and slicked hair.

"I heard something you might be interested in boss," the man said.

"What's is it, Ping?" the boss growled at him as he continued to examine his maps.

"I think I found our first recruit for your new organization," Ping answered triumphantly as he sat down and threw his feet up on the desk. A glare from the shadowed man encouraged him to remove them. "Word on the street is that Mako's in the area looking for us. I heard it from those three kids on Westboro Avenue."

"Isn't that the cop working with the Avatar?" the shadowed man scowled at him.

"Not anymore. He got himself canned." Ping tossed a newspaper onto the desk directly under the other man's nose. He examined the headline.

"And what makes you think we can trust him?" the man asked.

"Because he and his brother used to run with the Triple Threats back in the day. I'm sure he's probably looking for work after getting fired. Why else would he risk wandering around in Triad territory?" Ping replied.

The greasy man had a point. An ex-cop like Mako being on this end of town was like blood in the water.

"If he's so trustworthy, you won't mind if I put him through a little test first," the shadowed man said calmly.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you want," Ping replied with a confident smirk.

The boss snapped his fingers and a burly man, his eyebrows knit in a permanent scowl over green eyes, entered the room. The sleeves of his button shirt were rolled past his elbows and a pair of suspenders were latched to a pair of brown pants.

"Rolin. You're going to help Two-Toed Ping get us a new recruit."

Ping swallowed nervously as he shrank away from Rolin's glare.

"And Ping? If this turns out to be some kind of double-cross…You really will be two-toed," the shadowed man growled threateningly.

Clouds hung over the afternoon sun as Mako walked along the streets. He didn't have a specific destination in mind. Simply killing time until he could find his next lead. His wandering brought him to a group of thugs shaking down a shop owner, in broad daylight no less. These were Triad members. However, his concern shifted from information gathering, to the shop owners who were being harassed. How could he help them without blowing his cover? Across the street, he spotted an idling Satomobile. Most likely the Triad's getaway vehicle—and a perfect distraction. He snuck across the street and around the far side of the car. The driver was so engrossed in his associates' actions that he didn't notice anything until Mako was in the passenger seat.

"Nice ride," he said with a smarmy grin before blasting the surprised driver out of the car with a fireball. The other thugs stopped mid-shakedown when they spotted their companion tossed onto the street. Mako gunned the engine and fled the scene as the goons gave chase, throwing flames at him to no avail. A quick check in the rearview showed his stunt had worked. The shop owners had escaped relatively unharmed.

He had to admit, even though the car was probably stolen, it was a slick ride. Its unblemished red paint and immaculate leather seats proved someone cared for it. Since he wasn't in any hurry, he took his time to enjoy the drive through the streets. The impromptu joyride took him far from the Flats and close to the Spirit Wilds. Vines clung to the broken concrete buildings that framed the area. He was taking-in the view when the car started to sputter.

"What the—?" There was still gas in the engine and all the other gauges looked normal. Even so, it came to a dead stop.

"Guess the ride's over." He climbed from the car onto the streets just as rain began to pour from the sky. "Perfect…" The roar of the downpour drowned out his grumble. He pulled his cloak tight and searched for shelter from the torrent. A nearby alley, framed by vines, looked like the perfect place to wait out the storm. He rushed into the narrow gap and never noticed the plants that quickly consumed the opening behind him.

Burning sunlight filtered down through a canopy of vines on the other side, forcing him to shield his eyes from the sudden glare. Wasn't it just raining? Confident no one was around to see him, he cautiously removed his hood to get some relief from the sudden, sweltering heat. Sunlight reflected off the exposed, silver horns.

"Where am I?" he wondered as he followed the cove of vines. It soon opened to a grassy plain.

In the small field, two spirits bounced around in the grass. The first was a small, white fox. Odd gold markings, that resembled eyes, stood out on the fur of its four tails. The second looked like an over-sized dandelion fluff with large, dark eyes. It hovered in the air while two disembodied leaves floated beneath it. They looked harmless enough, but his recent encounter with spirits made him wary. They soon noticed him, and the fluff lead the charge as they came to investigate.

The fluff zipped right up to his face, it's dark eyes gazing innocently at his. "Who are you?" they excitedly asked.

He took a cautious step backwards. "Uhhh…My name is Mako."

"It is," the little fox stated, its tone flat and emotionless. The exact opposite of their companion.

"Are you lost?" the fluff continued.

"I'm not sure," he replied.

"He is," the fox corrected.

He gave the fox a confused glance while the fluff resumed.

"Maybe we can get you un-lost," the fluff offered cheerfully.

"We can," the fox affirmed.

The fox's insistence on responding to everything warranted another odd glance.

"Are you a spirit?" the fluff changed the subject.

"No," he answered.

"He is," the fox contradicted.

"What? No I'm not," he corrected. "I'm a human." The tail suddenly escaped his shirt and lashed behind him as if to prove him wrong.

"A human!" the fluff gasped in shock, its little leaves pressed to its face like hands.

"It's true," the fox stated, confirming both identities.

The fluff turned to its companion. "But humans can't find this place."

"He's lost," came the fox's reply, its tone still flat.

"I'm not lost!" Mako pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was trying to be patient since the spirits seemed like children, if that was possible, but their antics were beginning to wear on him. The fluff flew closer, causing him to take another step back. It gazed at its reflection in his horns.

"Do all humans have horns?"

"No. A spirit did this to me," he explained.

"It did," came the fox's confirmation, though how it knew was beyond explanation.

"Did you anger it?" the fluff frowned.

"No. Someone else did. I was trying to protect them."

"You were," the fox confirmed.

"Then you've been given a gift!" the fluff exclaimed. It clapped its leaf hands, the sound coming out like leaves flapping in the wind.

"It's true," the fox agreed.

"It's not true," he scowled at the little spirit. "I wasn't given a gift. I was turned into a monster!"

"A monster!" the fluff squeaked. "Get away! Get away!" It swatted at his chest, its little hands doing no more damage than an actual dandelion fluff. It only stopped when the fox spoke.

"He wasn't," it stated.

"I was too!" Mako snapped. "Humans don't have horns, or fangs, or…" He grabbed the tail and shook it in the spirit's face, "…this!"

"It tickles," the fluff giggled suddenly. His face had found its way in the tail's furry tassel. Together, the fluff and fur were almost indistinguishable from one another. Mako's brows went flat and he gently wedged the little spirit away from the appendage with the flat of his hand.

"That's why I'm a monster," he finished.

The fluff's mouth bent into a frown. "Being a monster must be sad."

"Sad? Why sad?" Sure, he was upset about what had happened, but he wouldn't say he was sad.

"Because monsters don't have any friends," the fluff responded through its frown.

He thought he saw the slightest frown flicker across the fox's muzzle, replaced by the same emotionless stare an instant later.

"I have friends," he finally stated.

"You do," the fox confirmed.

"Do they think you're a monster?"

"No. They don't care what I look like."

"It's true."

"Then we must be friends too because I don't see a monster." The fluff-ball finished by giving him an unexpected hug. He thought for a moment and soon realized what the spirits were trying to tell him. The only person of consequence that thought he was a monster, was himself. True as that might be, he still wanted to find a way to reverse his affliction. He looked down to the fox expecting some kind of response, but it remained silent. Apparently it didn't have all the answers.

"Sure. We can be friends," he agreed. He placed a hand on the small fluff's head, careful not to let it slip through what was essentially a ball of seeds.

"Yay! My name is Yuku, and this is Tema!" the fluff blurted.

The small fox nodded in agreement.

"Ummm…Nice to meet you?" It felt strange talking so casually with them. Normally, he associated such interactions to Airbenders, or Korra. He shrugged the thought aside. "So, can either of you tell me how to get back to the city?"

"We can," the fox stated.

Mako looked down at the spirit who stared blankly off at the horizon. He followed its gaze to see the familiar streets of the city behind him.

"Than—" He suddenly found himself back outside in the rain which had died down to a dribble. Cautiously, he peeked through the vines that had covered the opening. Only brick walls and asphalt beyond the veil. He replaced his hood, gave the alley one last reverent glance, then walked back along the streets, leaving the car behind.

Korra gazed out at the glowing lights of the city from her window perch in the Air Temple's main tower. The endless golden lamps, emitting from windows all the way to Satomobiles, seemed to absorb the starry sky.

"Not much luck with the whole Mako-spirit thing, huh?" Bolin walked up from behind and leaned next to her against the ledge.

"If I look at another scroll I swear my eyes are going to start Airbending," Korra said with an exasperated huff as her chin dropped to her knees. "We've looked through books, scrolls…even Avatar Aang's old journals. There's nothing to help Mako return to normal. The only thing we think might work is if I can use Spiritbending to separate him from the spirit."

"But wouldn't that take Mako's bending away too?" Bolin asked, unknowingly repeating Korra's earlier concerns.

Korra's shoulders hitched. "Maybe? I don't know. I've never done anything like this before and it's not like there are other cursed humans I can practice on. But, if it works, I should be able to give him his bending back like I did with Amon's victims, right?"

Bolin gave her a clueless shrug. Not exactly the best person to ask. They both sighed.

"I wonder how he's doing out there?" she finally asked.

"I'm sure he's fine. Y'know…an undercover cop traveling in Triad territory…alone. With those very same Triads likely wanting to get revenge on the person that helped put many of them in jail," Bolin rambled.

"Bolin!" Korra snapped, drawing him out of the depressing scenario.

He quickly changed his tune. "Right. Right. I mean…of course he's fine. This is Mako we're talking about. If anyone can survive the mean streets, it's him."

Much as he had the previous night, Mako wandered through the back alleys of Triad territory keeping his head low. While he was walking, a familiar, red Satomobile pulled in front of him, blocking his access to the street. Any lingering pedestrians, wanting nothing to do with the pending fight, disappeared as a group of thugs climbed out of the vehicle.

"If it isn't our car thief," one of the thugs said as he approached. "Hope you enjoyed your little ride."

"Because it's going to be your last," a second goon finished as he garnished a long chain.

Although he hadn't taken the time to examine the thugs earlier, small fire-shaped pins on their lapels helped identify their Triad affiliation. Agni-Kai's. He quickly weighed his options. He could run. If his race with the truck the other night was any indication, he could easily escape. However, an altercation with the Triads was exactly what he had been looking for. Even if they weren't Triple Threats, they might know something about Tokuga. The only problem was going to be four against one. He'd have to strategize if he wanted to get out of this scrape in one piece. Fortunately, there were a few things in his favor.

First, was the alley he was in. The darkness would help keep him hidden with the narrow opening serving as a bottleneck to force the goons to face him one-on-one. Maybe two-on-one if they squeezed together. Plus, it had a dumpster and some refuse which he could use to his advantage. Second, was that they were Agni-Kai's which meant, if any of them were benders, they would use fire. Easy enough for him to deal with. If worse came to worse, he could reveal himself and maybe frighten the fight out if them. His mind set, he moved to provoke his attackers further.

"The Agni-Kai's must really be slipping if they let a nobody like me hi-jack their ride," he grinned beneath his hood.

"Smart-ass." The leader of the small troupe, dressed in a sharp suit, grumbled before nodding to his associates. "Take him out!"

The thugs advanced and he slipped deeper into the alley. As predicted, only two of them were able to squeeze in leaving the Chainbender and boss on the street. He decided to start the fight. He hooked a stray wooden board with his toe, set it aflame and, with a swift flick, kicked it at his opponents.

Also as predicted, the goons were Firebenders. The first thug splintered the flying board with a fire enhanced punch, but it had merely been a distraction. The goon's eyes went wide when a surprise fireball hit him in the chest and knocked him backwards into the street. He stumbled, but it wasn't enough to knock him down and he quickly rejoined the battle.

From there it was a fight of attrition as the Firebenders tried to wear each other down. Flames flew back and forth in the restricted space. Mako put all his pro-bending skills to use as he dodged and weaved around attacks, striking back whenever an opening presented itself. For the most part, he was holding his own against the two assailants with only a few attacks reaching him, but none were doing any serious damage. And, although he couldn't be sure, it seemed like his new blue flames were easily breaking through their bending.

As the fight dragged on, the goons were beginning to tire. One of Mako's fireballs eventually connected and sent the first thug flying back into the street. The red Satomobile rocked when the man slammed into its side leaving a huge dent in the door. It was a shame too because it really was a nice ride. With the first goon unconscious, Mako assessed the remaining combatants. After the initial skirmish, he noticed the Chainbender had vanished. Must have fled upon seeing his comrade go down. That was fine with him. One less opponent to deal with.

"Ready to give up?" he smirked. He egged-on the second goon from behind raised fists. At this point, the boss had had enough. He shoved his exhausted subordinate aside; ready to take care of the problem himself.

The boss threw his fists forward, shooting forth a double stream of fire. Mako pressed himself against the wall, using the dumpster for cover, as the jet-stream rushed past him. This guy meant business.

When it came to bending, most battles were long range with the combatants relying on their elements to do the fighting for them, thus avoiding physical altercations. This guy clearly had a different idea in mind. He relentlessly continued his attack, forcing Mako to stay hidden while he advanced. If the thug got his hands on him, things could get ugly. Thinking fast, he kicked the dumpster as hard as he could. Wheels squeaked as the heavy bin lurched forward. The end nearest him swung just enough to cause the torrent of flames to bounce off its exposed side and into the far wall.

The attack stopped and, while the boss was re-aiming, Mako used the newly formed gap behind the dumpster to quickly climb atop it. He leapt down and punched the man square in the face as he landed. Physical attacks weren't entirely out of his scope of abilities. He stood over the man, waiting for a counter-attack, but the boss was out cold. Two down.

A fireball suddenly broke against his unguarded shoulder and sent him sliding across the ground. The fight wasn't over. The second Agni-kai had gotten a second wind and was ready for another round. Mako huffed as he laid on the ground, fatigue finally catching-up to him. He shoved off the ground to his feet and flinched when something hit him in the back. A quick glance over his shoulder discovered the source-the Chainbender. The thug hadn't fled. Instead, he'd run around the buildings to catch him from behind. He had a stunned expression on his face, while the business end of his chain lay motionless on the ground.

The stunned expression was probably because his attack had seemingly failed. What should have brought any other person to their knees, had merely been an uncomfortable annoyance to Mako. Unknown to the thug, the heavy metal chain had hit the thick scales on his back. He never imagined having scales would be an advantage.

While the goon stood stunned, Mako snatched the chain off the ground and tried to send a shock of lightning through the conductive metal. Instead, the links unexpectedly melted under his grasp causing both him and the Chainbender to flail backwards several steps when the tension suddenly broke. That wasn't supposed to happen. Nor had it ever happened before. His firebending had never been hot enough to melt metal so effortlessly. Not to mention he was trying to use lightning. He didn't have time to think about it though as the pair of thugs launched simultaneous attacks of fire and chain.

He countered the fire with a wall of his own, his blue flames eating the attack, but the whip was a different matter. With no other choice, he slipped the tail from beneath his shirt and slapped the chain away with quick snap. That was starting to come in handy too. Both assailants were surprised by the unexpected deflection which gave him his next opening. He tackled the remaining Firebender into the dumpster knocking him unconscious.

All his allies down, the Chainbender dropped what was left of his weapon and fled in a panic.

Mako chased him across the street and snagged him by the back of his coat collar. Spit flew from the thug's mouth as he was slammed against a building. Mako then twisted the man's arm behind his back as he shoved his face into the cold brick wall.

"I'm looking for the Triple Threats," he demanded.

"I've got nothing to say to a no good punk!" the man spat defiantly.

"Maybe this will encourage you." Mako bent a fire dagger over his fist. For an instant, the blue "blade" sparked larger than expected, reminding him of his misbehaving bending, before it returned to normal.

The thug stared tensely at the flame as it neared his face.

"All right! All right!" the thug screamed. "I heard that the Triple Threats are on a recruitment drive to build a new Triad but, after their leader Tokuga got turned into that monster, no one will go near them!"

Mako could relate to that.

"Where can I find him?!" he demanded. He pressed the man harder against the wall; the flames of his dagger reflecting off both their faces. It probably revealed more of his appearance than he had planned.

"I-I don't know!" the thug hollered now very much terrified. "No one's seen him in weeks! The Triple Threats lost all their territory after Tokuga's defeat at the spirit portal. No one knows where they're holed-up!"

"You're sure about that?"

"YES!" the man responded as he closed his eyes tight from Mako's fanged visage, his defiance all but gone.

Mako took a moment to process that it was his appearance rather than his interrogation techniques that had caused the man to break. Either way, he was pretty sure he wasn't getting any more information from the Agni-Kai member. He released the goon and watched as he practically tripped over himself down the sidewalk.

It wasn't much, but at least it proved that Tokuga was still in the city. He'd have to keep looking. He readjusted his tail under his clothes and returned to the streets as if he hadn't just destroyed several Triad members.

Despite being exhausted from staring at books all day, Korra couldn't sleep. Her mind was still focused on Mako. She tossed over in her bed and gazed out the window. Outside, the yellow light of the spirit portal split the night sky. Upon seeing the portal, she shot-up, her bedsheet sliding to the mattress. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? Jinora had even said it. Surely a spirit would know how to undo a spirit possession. She centered herself on her bed in the lotus position, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself surrounded by a sea of colorful flowers on a sunlit plain. She had made it to the Spirit World. Now, to see if she could find a spirit willing to help her. She searched the area and eventually found a spirit laying on its belly in the grass. It had spindly arms, nearly as long as its legless body, and thin fingers which dangled over what looked like a Pai-Sho board carved into a flat stone. Its doglike face stared intently at the pieces placed on the stone but, from what she could tell, they had no opponent.

"Avatar? What brings you here?" it asked as she approached, sounding most distressed at her intrusion. While it spoke, it's gaze never left the stone.

"I was hoping to find some help. My friend was accidentally possessed by an angry spirit and I'm trying to find a way to return him to normal," she explained.

"A spirit wouldn't possess a human by 'accident.' Your friend probably deserved his punishment," the spirit replied flatly. Its hand moved for the briefest moment to shift a piece, then quickly retreated in a sudden change of mind.

"No. He didn't." She countered. "He was trying to protect another person from the spirit."

"Then it was his own fault for interfering," the spirit continued, not caring. "Humans need to learn not to meddle in affairs that do not concern them."

Now she was getting frustrated. This spirit clearly had no sympathy for Mako's plight. Maybe it could help in another way.

"The spirit that cursed my friend was a dragon with blue scales and silver horns. Can you help me find them?" she asked. It was a wide swing considering spirits were as numerous as humans, but it couldn't hurt.

The spirit didn't answer, still intent on its game. Eternity passed in the silence. When it finally spoke again, it's cadence was as if it was talking to her for the first time. "Avatar? There are very few dragon spirits," it mused. "The one you describe may be Azura: the Celestial Epoch."

Finally, something. "Do you know where I can find it?" she asked, her anticipation growing.

The spirit's head turned on its thin neck at a snail's pace. Glowing white voids for eyes gazed far to the horizon. "She resides in an area called the Sapphire Grotto. You will know it by its many crystals. You may find her there."

"Thank you, spirit!" She bowed, but the spirit didn't acknowledge her submission as its head instantly snapped back to its infatuation. She left it to its game, and ran off in the direction given. It wasn't long that a large, golden dragon-bird glided along side her.

"I remember you," she grinned. The spirit alighted in front of her. "Can you take me to the Sapphire Grotto?"

In response, the large spirit bowed down allowing her to climb on its neck. Once she had a firm grip of its fur, it lifted back into the sky towards her destination.

Other great spirits; translucent, many-finned whales, and birds with necks as long as their legs, shared the sky with them. Some were close enough to touch. Korra resisted the temptation not wanting to unintentionally offend any if them. She was still admiring them when the dragon-bird began to dip, its eyes locked on a small forest. As they dove closer, a crystal covered structure came into view, almost unseen beneath the canopy of leaves surrounding it. Her mount descended further, doing several loops before it landed in the cove of red-leaved trees.

The Sapphire Grotto was nestled in the large grove. As described by the Pai-Sho spirit, numerous blue crystals lined the entrance of the cave, extending to the forest that beset it. It looked similar to an opened geode. A gentle breeze came from the opening and swirled around her as if to greet her.

Korra gave the dragon-bird a grateful rub on its neck. "Thank you." The spirit nuzzled into her in response, then returned to the sky as she entered the cave.

The number of crystals inside the grotto put the outside to shame. They were everywhere, clinging to walls and the ceiling, separated just enough to show that the cave wasn't entirely comprised of them. A soft light radiated from within each gem and reflected off her face. She marveled at the view. Then, there was the sound. A melodic hum that emitted from the crystals as the constant breeze passed over them. It was breathtaking.

She carefully made her way through the grotto until she came to a large opening with a ceiling lined by misshaped chandeliers. The light that came from them littered the stone floor with glowing spots. Stars in the middle of the day.

"Hello?" she cautiously called. Her voice rattled the crystals throughout the cavern disrupting the melodic hum. Across the room, a shape shifted in a small hollow, its body eclipsing the opening. She watched wide-eyed as a large, serpentine dragon emerged from the hole. It four eyes focused on her. How had something so big fit in such a little space?

It didn't look like the dragon Mako had described. For starters, it was huge. Its horned head nearly raked the crystalline stalactites above it. Next, was its body. Instead of blue scales, it looked like it was composed of the night sky right down to its four legs that ended in large taloned toes. White lights blinked along its long serpentine body like stars. Korra had to check twice to make sure it wasn't the lights from the crystals. If not for the pair of silver horns on its head, and the crest of white fur on its back, she wouldn't have believed it was the same spirit at all. It still might not be.

"Are you Azura?" She finally found the courage to ask. She couldn't deny feeling intimidated by the huge spirit.

"I am," the dragon answered, her voice surprisingly gentle. "What brings the Avatar to my grotto?"

"I think you cursed a friend of mine and I was hoping you could un-curse him?" Korra said, wondering if that was the appropriate term to use.

The great spirit's four eyes slowly closed while it thought. "The thief catcher," she recalled. "Yes, I fear he did fall victim to my wrath, but I do not believe I can help you. I am sorry." Her tail gave the slightest flick behind her showing her regret.

"What? Why not? Can't you just pass through him again?" It seemed like a simple solution. Pass through Mako a second time and take away whatever spirit things she put there.

"It is not that I do not wish to help," the spirit replied, her voice reflecting more sympathy than the previous spirit. "The truth is—it has never been done before. No human has ever earned the right to be unburdened of a spirit's judgement."

A spirit's judgement? The statement echoed in her head. "That's why spirits curse humans? As punishment?" She'd seen it happen to that criminal Tokuga so it should have been obvious, but she wanted to hear the answer directly from a spirit.

"Yes. And, for many lesser spirits, it is the only means they have to defend themselves from humans who would want to harm them," Azura finished.

"You don't seem like a 'lesser spirit,'" Korra smiled. She couldn't imagine the large dragon feeling threatened by anyone. Human or spirit.

"No," the dragon agreed with a soft chuckle. "If I were to pass through your friend as I am now, I would certainly kill him."

That brought forth the obvious question. "Then how did you pass through him in the first place?"

The dragon paused and took a deep breath, as if answering would reveal some deep-seated secret. "In order to travel into the human world, I must restrict my power. I do so by containing it in a single pearl." To demonstrate, the dragon shrank marginally; at the same time, a small, milky gem appeared in her taloned hand. As she continued to shrink, the gem grew larger; its size relative to the power fed into it. It was also when her body began to change, the starry hide slowly replaced by thick, blue scales. "It was while I was in this weakened state that a human attacked me and stole my gem."

The pieces all lined up. The thief had stolen the spirit's power, she chased the thief through the city, and Mako had paid the price by simply trying to do his job.

"You said no human has ever earned the right to be 'unburdened,'" Korra repeated the term. "But you said it yourself, Mako helped save your pearl. He didn't deserve to be 'burdened' to begin with. Will you at least try?"

The spirit became still as it carefully considered the proposal.

"I can at least do that much, Avatar," the great spirit finally said, much to Korra's relief.

"Come to Air Temple Island as soon as you can. And thank you!" Korra gave her a deep bow hoping to get across how grateful she was. The spirit gave a brief nod in recognition of the gesture.

Back in the darkness of her bedroom, a wide grin spread across Korra's face. She threw herself back on her mattress and stretched herself over the smooth surface. She had found a solution…hopefully. All that was left was to get the spirit and Mako in the same place to see if it would actually work.

Morning found Mako in almost the same position as it had the previous day; curled up under his cloak in a tight dead-end alley. Unlike the previous day however, he had barricaded himself behind a dumpster with some busted wood palettes as additional coverage. After his little altercation with the Agni-Kai's, he didn't want to be torched while he was sleeping. It apparently worked because he was still in one piece when he woke. He stretched as he stood and gave his tail a chance to unwind while he was hidden. The bones popped much like his back. The long appendage was still kinked after having been wrapped around him for a full day. Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived as it had to go back under his clothes. Couldn't have it swinging openly behind him to draw attention to himself. He was going to glad to be rid of it even if it had saved his neck last night. Everything in its place again, he left his shelter to continue his search for Tokuga.

From the passenger seat of a blue Satomobile, Two-Toed Ping scanned the sidewalk crowd while his surly companion Rolin, navigated the morning traffic.

"This better be good little-man," Rolin grumped.

"I am insulted. Information is my business and I have it on good authority that Mako was seen fighting some Agni-Kai's around here last night."

"You're sure it was him?" Rolin huffed under his permanent scowl.

"Well, they weren't really sure since he was wearing a cloak," Ping answered, his eyes still glued to the sidewalks.

"I can't believe we're wasting our time on an ex-co—"

"There!" Ping hollered when he spotted a red cloaked figure walking along the street. "Stop the car!"

Rolin pulled over and Ping hopped out, dodging cars as he raced across the street to his target.

"Mako, old pal!"

Mako turned and was surprised to see Two-toed Ping. The low-level Triad member had been released shortly after his last arrest due to the fact they couldn't charge him with anything. The crook was as slippery as he looked. Ping was about to throw his arm around his shoulders when he neatly dodged leaving the greasy man hugging air. Ping quickly recovered and straightened the lapels of his jacket as if nothing was wrong.

"That is you under there isn't it, Mako?" Ping asked. "I've been looking for you."

Mako shied away as the man tilted his head in an effort to look under his hood.

"Funny…Because I've been looking for you," Mako scowled.

"You're not still mad about that whole Sato thing are ya? It was just business. You know how it goes," Ping said nervously.

"That's ancient history," he replied, maintaining his stern composure. "I'm here because I heard the Triple Threats are recruiting." The information he'd gotten from the Agni-Kai's was proving more useful than he'd originally thought.

"You heard correct. That's why, when I heard you were in the area, I came looking for you," Ping replied. "There is one small thing though."

He huffed. It was no surprise that getting back into the Triple Threats was going to require more than just a simple handshake. "What do you want me to do?" he sighed, knowing he was going to regret the answer.

"Why don't we discuss the details in my office," Ping smiled. He guided him to the waiting Satomobile.

Inside the cramped backseat, Mako made sure his cloak didn't slip while he listened to Ping explain his key to entry. All the while the driver, introduced as Rolin, kept a suspicious eye on him through the rearview mirror.

"You want me to break Mushi and Zhen out of prison?" He reiterated after hearing Ping's proposition. The two Triple Threat lieutenants had been caught during Tokuga's botched attack on the city and, unlike Ping, weren't getting out anytime soon. Springing them was going to be a trick.

"You got a problem with that, ex-cop?" Rolin spat, his distrust evident.

"No. No problem," he quickly answered. "But we're talking about Metalbender Police HQ. It's not going to be easy." That was an understatement. What they were proposing meant breaking-in to one of the most fortified places in the city. Even if they could sneak-in, the men were being held in metal boxes. It would take a Metalbender to get their cells open and he didn't think the Triple Threats had one hiding in their pockets.

"Then you're going to have to find a way to make it easy, aren't you?" Rolin rumbled through the rearview. They weren't giving him any other choice.

"If that's what it takes. I'll get you your men," he replied before climbing out of the vehicle.

"See you tonight, ex-cop." Rolin flashed him a nasty scowl, then drove off leaving him alone on the street.

They had given him less then twenty-four hours to come up with a plan. Mako wasn't sure if that would be enough to contact Beifong, which was his first priority. There was no way he was going to break into the prison without her help. If this didn't work, he could lose his one opportunity to get to Tokuga. He definitely wasn't going to let himself be cursed again once he was returned to normal.

He scanned the nearby buildings. Faces quickly disappeared behind blinds and curtains. Ping probably had eyes all over the city. One wrong move and all his work would be for nothing. How was he going to contact the Chief without being discovered? He meandered while he pondered, and slowly, the distant, vine-covered buildings of the Spirit Wilds came into view. That sparked an idea. Maybe his new friends could help.

"Is this it? Is this the island?" the small dandelion spirit asked excitedly.

"It is," came the flat reply from his fox companion.

"Yippie! Yippie!" the fluff squealed. A separate voice interrupted them.

"New spirits." A young girl, with hair tied in twin buns, said as she ran up to them.

"Where? Where?" The fluff frantically spun around to search for these supposed spirits.

"Right here," the fox stated.

"Oh, yeah," the fluff giggled.

"My name is Ikki," the girl smiled as she introduced herself.

"It is," the fox confirmed.

"My name is Yuku and this is Tema," Yuku answered matching her enthusiasm. "Are you an Airbender?"

"I am!" Ikki said. The pair fed off each others' hyperactive energy.

"She is."

"Yay! We found the Airbenders!" Yuku smiled happily.

"We did," Tema said.

There was a long silence. Ikki stood still, expecting more from the spirits while Yuku quietly floated with a mindless grin on his face.

"Sooo…Why are you here?" the girl finally asked.

"Ummm…" Yuku looked confused for a moment before turning to Tema. The little fox remained silent and lifted their head to reveal a rolled up paper tied to its neck.

"Right. Paper. Give paper to Airbenders on the island," Yuku suddenly recalled.

Tema stepped forward allowing Ikki to pull the paper from the string around its neck. It was rumpled, and looked like it had come straight out of the garbage, but the writing on it was clear enough.

"I need to take this to Korra," she said after scanning it.

"You do," Tema confirmed.

"Thank you!" Ikki waved bye to them, then launched herself into the sky with a whirl of air.

"Bye! Bye Ikki Airbender!" Yuku waved excitedly after her.

Korra had decided to stay on Air Temple Island until the Celestial Epoch arrived…whenever that might be. Spirits had their own timeframes although she hoped it wouldn't be too long. She didn't want to rush the spirit after they had been so kind to help, but she was sure Mako would want to get back to normal as soon as possible. Of course, she had to wait until he returned from his undercover assignment as well.

She was helping Pema prepare dinner in the kitchen when Ikki burst into the room.

"Korra! I have a message from Mako." The girl waved a paper over her head. Korra took the paper and gave it a quick scan.

"Ikki…This is a grocery list," she said with a lopsided smile.

Ikki turned over the paper. "On the other side," she huffed.

Working with Triple Threats.

Mushi and Shen break-out tonight 2 am.

Tell Beifong.

Mako.

It was definitely his unmistakable scrawl.

"Where did you get this?" Korra asked while she scrutinized the note.

"Two spirits delivered it. They were adorable," Ikki answered, taking a moment to fawn.

Korra was curious how Mako had convinced spirits to deliver a letter. It was something she'd have to ask him about later. For now, she had other concerns.

"Pema. I need to use the phone."

Chief Beifong was just finishing with files for the evening when the phone came alive in her office. Without looking from her paperwork, she grabbed the annoying device.

"Chief Beifong speaking," she stated curtly. "What? A break-out? Tonight? And you're sure it's from Mako. All right, Korra. I'll see what I can do." She hung-up the phone, her paperwork forgotten, and rubbed her temples. Whatever reason Mako had to break the two Triads out of jail must have something to do with Tokuga. With such short notice, she'd have to improvise.

"Keto!" she hollered across the precinct. The young officer appeared at her door a second later. "I need you to cover guard duty in the east wing tonight," she stated firmly, her tone indicating that there was no refuting the order. He was already showing fatigue from his shift plus, since he was a rookie, his inexperience would work in Mako's favor.

The young man's face sunk, but he didn't argue. He straighten himself out and gave the Chief a sharp salute.

"Yes, ma'am," he stated before exiting.

That was a start. She would also have to move the Triad members to the less secure cells and dismiss the normal night guards for that block. She didn't like it, but if she had to release two scorpion-fish to catch an orca-shark, she'd do it. Hopefully that would be enough to help Mako without making it too easy.

As two a.m. approached, Mako waited in the shadows of an alley outside of Metalbender H.Q. Hopefully Beifong had gotten his message. Otherwise, this was going to be a disaster. A block away, a car came to a stop. It flashed its headlights several times. Clearly, it was meant to get his attention. He casually walked over to the car and found Rolin and Ping in the front seat.

"Give me twenty minutes and I'll be back with your friends," he said, keeping his voice low despite no else being around to hear. Honestly, he didn't know how long it was going to take to spring the men, but it sounded like a good enough timeframe.

"Awfully confident to think you can do this alone, ex-cop," Rolin scoffed.

"I just know my way around in there," he explained. He was forced to take a step backwards, nearly stumbling over his cloak, when the car door suddenly opened and Rolin stepped onto the street.

"Then I'm sure you'll be able to show me around," Rolin stated, as he glared down at him. Even though Mako stood six foot, Rolin was almost a head taller than him.

"It would be better if I handled this on my own. The fewer people, the less chance of getting caught," he said, hoping to deter the man. Unfortunately, Rolin wouldn't budge.

"Let me make myself clear. I'm here to make sure this isn't some kind of trick. I'm not about to let you out of my sight, ex-cop." Rolin finished by spitting on Mako's cloaked shoulder.

Unseen beneath his hood, his face twisted into a nasty scowl. He couldn't wait to put Rolin behind bars. In the meantime, he'd just have to put up with the man's disrespect.

"Fine. Just stay out of the way and follow my lead," he said.

Ping waved at them as they left. "Well, you two boys have fun in there." He would be playing look-out, alerting them with the car-horn if trouble arrived. Hopefully, they wouldn't need it.

Mako lead the way to the rear of the precinct, staying tight to the shadows with Rolin practically on his cloak. He stopped when he came to a power pole. The hum coming from its transformer was a siren in the quiet of the night.

"I'm going to short-out the main power. That should shut-down the alarms long enough so we can get through the back door," he explained. Without warning, he began to bend lightning which momentarily startled his unwanted companion. He couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction at scaring the hostile man. The lightning crackled up his arm and hit the suspended transformer. The metal cylinder heaved as the internal components exploded, as did the one on the next pole…and the next…and the next. Soon, the precinct, along with several other buildings along the street, were dark. Whoops. He stared dumb-founded for a moment at the unexpected result of his bending going haywire again. At least it worked, but reports of power outages were likely to draw additional attention to the area. They would need to hurry.

"Let's go," he ordered. He raced to the door with Rolin directly behind him. Once there, he grabbed the handle and began heating the metal. A red glow consumed the material, but it refused to melt. Why wasn't it working like it had with the chain last night?

"What are you doing?" Rolin asked in a hushed bark.

"Melting the handle," Mako snapped, unwilling to admit it wasn't working. "Be quiet and let me finish!"

"You're taking too long!"

A crunching sound came from behind him. Mako knew earthbending when he heard it. He dodged to the side just as a large chunk of asphalt blew past his head. It slammed into the metal door, caving it into the building. That had nearly been him. He spun angrily on Rolin, just as upset about the attempted attack as he was the increased odds of being caught.

"You nearly took my head off!" he snapped. His tail threatened to escape his shirt as it mimicked his agitation. "I thought I told you to follow my lead! The entire precinct probably heard your little stunt!"

"Then we better hurry," Rolin sneered and shoved him through the battered door.

Despite the noise, the pair wasn't meeting any resistance. Mako took that as a sign that his message had gotten through to the Chief. They snuck through the precinct, Mako using a small flame to light the way, until they came to the holding cells. Mushi and Shen were asleep in standard cells instead of their usual accommodations. Another good sign. He knocked on the bars to wake the men.

"Wha-? What's going on?"

"It's your lucky night guys," Mako replied through the bars. The first hurdle cleared, they came to the second…unlocking the cells.

"What now, ex-cop?" Rolin spat, becoming increasingly hostile.

Mako wasn't sure. He was essentially making this whole thing up as they went. The surly man only added a layer of unexpected complexity. Normally, there would be multiple guards on-duty to watch the cells. Initially, he'd planned on sneaking into the holding area and snagging one of the officers while they were distracted by the power outage. Then coerce them, as painlessly as possible, to open the cells. However, Rolin's stunt must have alerted them because they were no where to be found. Time to try again. Mako grabbed the cell bars and bent heat through his hands. Like before, the metal turned red, but refused to melt. Had the chain been a fluke? Or had it just been flimsy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something speeding towards him. He leapt back and barely avoided a pair of metal cables that ensnared the bars. A young officer, clad in metal armor, stepped out of the darkest recesses of the room. One of the night guards. The only one apparently as he didn't have anyone else with him.

"How'd you do that?" Rolin grumbled at him. "I can barely see anything in here."

Couldn't see? It took Mako a moment to realize that, unless his associate had terrible eyesight, he was right. Without electricity, or his firebending, it should be pitch black in the room, but for him it wasn't. Everything was visible through a filter of muted blue light. Apparently another side-effect from his spirit possession.

"Don't move. I've already called for back-up," the young officer stammered, his inexperience exposed when he couldn't pull his cables free. Mako recognized the young man as a rookie, a fact he was going to use to his advantage. He grabbed the cables, which melted in his grasp, and created a slag knot around the bars. Sure, now he could melt metal.

"Give us the keys," he stated firmly to the trapped rookie. "We don't want a fight."

"No!" the rookie managed as he tried desperately to pull his cables free. "I'm not letting anyone escape."

"We don't have time for your soft-spot!" Rolin fumed and marched directly at the rookie, determined to get the keys himself.

Mako was positive the man wasn't going to ask nicely. He could see the panic on the trapped rookie's face as the boulder threatened to crush him. In an attempt to mitigate the damage, he snaked his tail forward and snagged Rolin's leg. The large man stumbled and landed chest-first on the rookie. He cringed at the scene. Much like the power-pole, it hadn't been the intended result.

"You just trip me?!" Rolin roared.

"How could I trip you from back here?" Mako countered from his spot by the cells a good meter back. Thankfully, the other man hadn't seen his tail.

Rolin grumbled as he untangled himself from the now unconscious guard. On the Metalbender's belt was a set of keys. He grabbed the ring and tossed it to Mako who quickly went about finding the appropriate one to unlock the cells. Mushi and Zhen practically vibrated while they waited to be released. Finally, he managed to unlock the door and the two criminals rushed to freedom.

They ran out the back door where Mako was immediately grabbed by metal cables. The rookie's backup had arrived and had been waiting for them outside.

"Nobody move!" one of the officers shouted as more cables came flying at them. Rolin and the escapees began bending fire and rocks to defend themselves. Things were getting out of hand. Mako was going to have to go on the offensive so his cover wouldn't be blown. He twisted his arm up and managed to grab the cables holding him. Please work, he mentally begged his unruly bending. A current of electricity streaked down the wire and shocked the officer at the other end. The woman convulsed before falling to the ground along with her cables. From what he could tell, she was only unconscious which was the best result he could hope for at the moment. Several other officers had also been rendered unconscious by his temporary allies, but there were still too many to deal with. They'd have to run.

"Get to the car!" he yelled. As the other men fled, he bent a large wall of flames at the officers. It was far bigger than anything he had ever produced in all his years firebending and he was worried it might seriously hurt his actual colleagues. Thankfully, the fire wave was broken by hastily bent pillars of asphalt as the officers dodged for cover.

The group raced to where Ping was still waiting, with Mako bringing up the rear. Rolin shoved Ping over, taking the driver's seat, while Mushi and Shen clambered into the back.

"Looks like there's no more room, ex-cop," Rolin shouted with a sneer. He put the car in gear and sped down the street before Mako could reach them.

"Dammit!" Mako yelled at the fleeing vehicle. Behind him, he could hear the Metal Police coming from the alley. None of them knew he was working undercover. If they caught him, it would be a lot of explaining, not to mention his trail to Tokuga would go cold. Time to see if he could repeat his truck takedown.

"What did you do?!" Ping accosted the surly man. "You left Mako behind!"

"We don't need some ex-cop in the Triple Threats," Rolin stated, his mind made-up well before they had even gone to the prison.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Mushi and Zhen were looking out the rear window at the cloaked figure on a truck behind them.

"How the flameio?!" Rolin watched in disbelief as the figure in the rearview tracked them.

Mako had sprinted after the vehicle, but his new speed wasn't enough. In order to keep up, he had launched himself onto a delivery truck headed in the same direction. After several more carhops, his quarry was in range. One more fire-enhanced leap and he was on the escape vehicle's roof startling the occupants. Rolin didn't stop however, forcing Mako to white-knuckle the roof for the rest of the ride. Eventually, the vehicle came to a stop in front of a run-down hotel, well-hidden in a section of the city that had been destroyed and abandoned after Kuvira's attack.

"Home sweet home," Ping said as he exited the vehicle.

No sooner had Rolin stepped onto the street than Mako had him pinned against the side of the car by his collar. Despite his anger, he was careful to keep his features hidden while confronting the man.

"You tried to ditch me!"

"That's right," Rolin confessed without a hint of remorse. "Don't think for a second I trust you, ex-cop."

"C'mon, we're all friends now," Ping interrupted in an attempt to break-up the pair. "Mako did keep his end of the bargain."

Rolin glared at Ping, his indifference to the bargain, obvious.

"Like Ping said, I held up my end of the deal. Now I expect you to keep yours," Mako demanded.

"That will be up to the boss," Rolin sneered and knocked Mako's hands away to free himself.

The group moved into the building with Mako bringing up the rear.

Broken chandeliers lit the inside of the old hotel in a yellow hue. It was surprising the place still had electricity considering its location, that being deep in the remnants of Kuvira's invasion. Wallpaper was peeling off the walls and debris was scattered everywhere on the water-stained floor. As soon as Mako stepped through the threshold of the lobby, a strange sensation washed over him. It was something he'd never felt before so he couldn't put his finger on it, but it made the fur on his back stand on end.

"Wait here," Rolin demanded, stopping him firmly in his tracks.

Mako submitted and exchanged a nasty glare with the man before he, and his associates, disappeared into an adjacent room. Presumably, Tokuga's office. Hopefully, his "show of good faith" would be worth it. They emerged a short while later with Rolin looking none-to-happy.

"Right this way, Mako," Ping said, directing him into the room. Rolin gave him one final sneer as they passed by one another.

The room was sparsely furnished with a solid wooden desk, a chair, and a single lamp, that hung from the ceiling, lighting half the space. Seated in the chair was a man shrouded in shadow. It had to be Tokuga who also happened to be the source of the odd sensation creeping up his spine. He had to wonder if it was because they were both half-spirit and, if so, was Tokuga feeling it too?

"Ping speaks highly of you, and springing my lieutenants is definitely a step in the right direction to gaining my confidence," the man calmly began, keeping himself in the shadows. "I still have my concerns though. Why should I trust a former cop and ally to the Avatar?"

"Those days are long gone now," Mako replied. "I came here because I'm just like you."

Tokuga let out a laugh and leaned into the light. Rust colored scales covered most of his face, from the right side of his forehead to his left jawline, while a red reptilian eye stared from black depths below a feathered eyebrow. The part of his face that still looked human, stood out as if it was the mask, torn away to reveal Tokuga's true nature beneath it. A mouthful of fangs appeared when he grinned. He slapped a long scaled tentacle, that had replaced his right arm, onto the desk.

"There's no one like me," Tokuga sneered.

"That's where you're wrong," Mako answered.

Here it was. Either he was going to be accepted because he was a half-spirit, or he was going to have to fight his way out of a nest of Triads. He removed his cloak, revealing his horns, and let his tail fall to the floor.

Silence filled the space. Then Tokuga began to laugh. An ugly, sinister laugh that went on for far too long.

"I remember you chasing me at the Spirit Portal," Tokuga finally said as the long tentacle slithered threateningly across the desk. "Looks like you got what you deserved."

"Neither of us deserved this," Mako replied with a scowl as he carefully wove his tale. "I was pursuing a thief when a spirit got in my way. I attacked it and it turned me into this. I was fired from my job. My brother can't stand to look at me. Even the Avatar turned her back on me. Told me it was my own fault for interfering with spirits."

"That's the real problem," Tokuga interrupted, "the Avatar. She re-opened the spirit gates. She created a portal in the middle of the city allowing spirits to run wild turning men like us into freaks! She's to blame for all of it!" Tokuga slammed his tentacle onto the desk, splintering it in two. Then he took a deep breath, his eyes focused on the damage he'd just wrought. "But I'm past all that. I've come to realize that I've been given a gift thanks to that spirit. I'm faster, stronger. Even my 'arm' regenerated after that pathetic Keum chopped it off." He showed-off his restored tentacle. "I'm sure you've noticed similar things yourself."

Mako couldn't deny Tokuga was right. Despite his new abilities though, he had no desire to remain in his current state. However, he'd have to play along until he could find a way to report back to Beifong.

"You're right. I am faster, and my firebending is stronger than it was before." He flexed his hand in a quick demonstration of blue flames.

"Exactly. And I bet you can probably do some serious damage with those horns," Tokuga added. "I say, there should be more like us. A whole Triad of half-spirits."

It was all Mako could do to keep his tail from revealing his agitation. A whole Triad of half-spirits? If what he could do after being cursed was any indication, an army of half-spirits, lead by Tokuga, could bring the city to its knees. No wonder he was looking for new recruits. Although, he had to wonder how Tokuga intended to convince anyone to deliberately get themselves cursed. Not to mention getting the spirits to do the cursing.

"What's your plan to do that?" Mako asked, keeping his voice level. He didn't want to sound too eager.

"I'll let you know when the time comes," Tokuga said. He wrapped his tentacle around Mako's shoulder just tight enough to serve as a warning to not step out of line. "Meanwhile, it's not much, but I do hope you'll enjoy my generous hospitality."

Mako reached for his cloak as he was escorted to the door but Tokuga stopped him.

"You won't need that here. This city—The whole world—needs to see what the Avatar did to us. Then they'll all pay."

Mako didn't like leaving his cloak behind, but he wasn't being given any other choice. Tokuga practically shoved him out the door to his waiting subordinates.

"Allow me to introduce the newest member of our Triad," Tokuga triumphantly grinned.

As expected, Mako's appearance was met with surprised expressions from Ping, Mushi, and Zhen. Rolin's face however, remained stalwart.

"Wait. You got possessed by a spirit, Mako?" Ping sputtered.

"That must be why Beifong had you canned," Mushi added with a chuckle, incidentally corroborating the story Mako had told Tokuga. Rumors tended to spread in a prison.

"Any objections?" Tokuga hissed with an angry sneer. The Triad members all shook their heads in unison, the fear apparent on their faces. Mako wasn't sure if it was because of Tokuga's appearance, or if he had that much power over his men. Either way, he didn't like it.

Rolin lead him to a rundown room on the third floor. It contained a rickety bed with a single lamp on a nightstand, and a small bathroom.

"You might have everyone else fooled, but I'm not buying it," Rolin growled. He put himself chest-to-chest with him. "I don't care what you look like. Step out-of-line and I'll crush you myself, ex-cop." The large man emphasized his point by stepping on his tail and grinding it into the carpet.

"Get off my tail," Mako demanded with an angry scowl while maintaining his composure. "Unless you want to see me become a real monster." A wash of blue flames covered his clenched fist.

Rolin gave his tail one last grind before tromping back down the hall the way they had come.

Mako closed the door and, once he was sure Rolin was out of earshot, frantically rushed his tail to the bathroom sink. Brown water dribbled from the tap staining the white fur, but it was cold, exactly what he needed to soothe the aching tip. He'd have to be more careful about how he carried it, until he was free of it anyway. Once his tail was done throbbing, he examined the room in hopes of finding a way to contact Beifong.

There were only two openings in the confined space, the main door and a single window. He peeked out the tattered drapes and was greeted by a pile of rubble. The remains of whatever building used to stand next to this one. It would take an Earthbender to clear the wreckage. He wouldn't be getting out that way which meant the main door was his only way in or out. That wasn't an option either considering Rolin's threat. The man probably had someone watching the room if he wasn't doing so himself. He'd have to find another way.

Think. There has to be a way to get a message to the Chief. His tail chased him as he paced around the room. It gave him an idea. If he was half-spirit, could he enter the Spirit World without going through the gate? Korra could do it, and she was technically possessed by a spirit. Even regular people like Aiwei could do it with enough training. That was the key however…training. He and his brother weren't exactly spiritual types. He'd never meditated once in his entire life. It wasn't going to hurt to try. If he was successful, maybe he could send another message through those spirits he had befriended

The old bed groaned as he sat on it. How did Korra do it? He crossed his legs over one another, closed his eyes, and tried to focus on nothing but the Spirit World. Noise instantly flooded his ears. Footsteps from nearby rooms, shouting from outside, even the occasional Satomobile driving past. The harder he tried to block it all out, the louder everything seemed. As if by instinct, his tail began to rhythmically flip back and forth. Soon, its gentle flapping replaced all other sounds. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be happening.

"This isn't working," he huffed. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was floating.

"What the—?" He examined his blue, semi-transparent form. Instead of entering the Spirit World, he had released his spirit form like he had seen Jinora do. It wasn't the intended result, but it should work. He looked around and soon realized he wasn't in his room.

"Mako? Is that you?" A groggy voice distracted him.

He spun around and spotted Korra stirring in a bed. Somehow he had teleported directly into her bedroom. From the sparse furnishings in the room, she had to be at Air Temple Island.

"Korra?!" He blocked his face and quickly tried to find anything else to look at other than her. "I-I didn't mean to end up your bedroom."

"It's okay Mako but…how did you manage to get here?" she asked as she sat up on the mattress.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I thought, since I'm half-spirit, I might be able to get into the Spirit World without the gate and I ended up here, like this, instead."

"That's actually really good Mako. Even I can't do that," Korra beamed. "I have some good news for you. I found the spirit that cursed you. It's a giant dragon spirit named Azura. She said she's willing to try and remove it. She's going to come to Air Temple island soon."

"That's great, Korra!" He couldn't wait to be normal again, then he remembered the reason for his unintentional visit and his tone turned serious. "That may have to wait. I need to get a message to the Chief. I found Tokuga. Korra, he wants to make a Triad entirely of half-spirits."

"Seriously? He of all people should understand how dangerous that is? According to Azura, being cursed is supposed to be a punishment," Korra said.

"Maybe centuries ago, but now? Korra, I out-ran a truck, my firebending is stronger, and now I'm talking to you like this. And you fought Tokuga after he was cursed. You know how dangerous he is," Mako replied. "If the worst part about being cursed is ending up like this." He grabbed his tail and shook it at her. "Power-hungry crooks like Tokuga, aren't going to care."

"Then we need to stop him," Korra stated. "Where are you?"

"I'm not sure. It's a ruined hotel in the abandoned part of the city. After we broke Tokuga's men out of prison, his underlings tried to ditch me. I had to chase them and during the chaos, I wasn't able to get the exact address," he explained with a frustrated frown.

"Is there anything else he told you?" Korra said.

"He said he'd give me details when the time comes, but he must be planning an attack on the portal. How else would he get spirits to curse people?" He paused a moment to ponder. "But maybe I can force him out into the open."

"What do you mean?"

"He isn't exactly your biggest fan, Korra. He blames you for what happened to him," he said.

Korra threw her hand into the air. "How many times do I need to explain that it wasn't my fault! I was going to stop that spirit and then Asami…" she trailed off. "Maybe if I had stopped that spirit instead of rescuing Asami, none of this would be happening." She let out a sigh. It was just another one of her messes that needed to be cleaned-up. "Anyway, what's your plan, Mako?"

"I was thinking I could give Tokuga the Avatar." He looked squarely at her.

"You want to use me as bait?" Korra gasped, seemingly appalled by the suggestion.

"Well…I mean…Yeah, kinda…" He guiltily rubbed the back of his neck. The idea sounded better in his head. That's when Korra started to chuckle.

"It's all right, Mako. It wouldn't be the first time," she said. "What do I need to do?"

"You're sure you can lure her out?" Tokuga asked from where he was seated. The remains of his desk had been pushed aside and replaced by an old table.

"Let's just say the Avatar and I used to be more than just…friends. If I tell her I want to apologize, she'll be sure to show," Mako explained. He hoped a chance at revenge would be enough to entice the cursed criminal.

"If I were to threaten the Spirit Portal, the Avatar would show-up to try and defend it anyway. Why should I trust this plan of yours?" Tokuga shrewdly responded.

"Because with my plan, we can catch the Avatar by surprise. She has no idea I'm working for you and she definitely doesn't know how much I hate her for turning me into this." He gestured to his mottled state. "She'll never suspect a thing."

Tokuga took a moment to consider the proposition. Then, a toothy grin spread across his face.

"I like how you think, Mako. Set-up your little rendezvous at the Spirit Portal. We take out the Avatar, and that should be enough to cause the spirits to go into a frenzy. Anyone that gets in their way will be an easy target to become like us. Then we'll take this entire city!" Tokuga laughed. "Ping!"

The greasy man appeared at the door. "Yeah, boss?"

"Show Mako the phone. He has a very important call to make."

"Sure thing." Ping looked nervously at his horns. Clearly he had reservations towards his new form. "Right this way."

Once Mako was gone, the wall behind Tokuga shifted and Rolin stepped out from his darkened alcove.

"Are you really going to trust this ex-cop? It's all too convenient," Rolin said with a scowl.

"Are you questioning my decisions, Rolin?" Tokuga hissed. His tentacle slithered around Rolin's neck. The large man didn't flinch.

"I don't want you to be blinded just because he got himself cursed too," Rolin firmly replied. Tokuga yanked him close to his face.

"If he betrays us, we'll destroy him along with the Avatar," Tokuga snarled. "Just make sure everyone's ready. I want as many of our people cursed by spirits as possible."

Korra and Tenzen walked into Chief Beifong's office where the woman was seated behind her desk. Since the Airbenders were the guardians of the Spirit Portal, their leader had been included to help assess the situation.

"I just received the call from Mako," Korra began with an amused grin. "He wants to meet at the Spirit Portal tonight to apologize."

"This is quite the scheme you two cooked up," Lin replied. "My only concern is not knowing how many people Tokuga is bringing with him. Or weapons. Last time he had an entire airship."

"Mako didn't know either," Korra replied. "But if Tokuga wants an army of half-spirits, We have to assume he has enough people to threaten the portal."

"Then it will be our job to make sure the spirits don't interfere," Tenzen added.

"Can you convince them to stay out of this fight?" Lin asked. "I don't want anymore monsters like Tokuga running around."

"We should be able to as long as we can guarantee the safety of the portal," Tenzen said.

"Then it's settled. My officers will wait for Tokuga to show, and it will be the Airbenders job to make sure the spirits stay in the Spirit World." She turned to Korra. "And it sounds like you have a date."

Night had already covered the city when Ping pulled his Satomobile near the vine-covered field surrounding the Spirit Portal. Although he was working for Tokuga, he wanted no part in becoming half-spirit. He high-tailed it after delivering Mako.

The late hour found the place deserted except for some spirits loitering around the glowing beam. That was fine because, without his cloak, Mako felt naked. He wrapped his tail tight beneath his shirt for a sense of normalcy. It wasn't long before Korra appeared on top of Naga. She leapt off the polar bear dog far from him. The great beast could put a wrinkle in their plans if she decided to greet him too enthusiastically.

"Let's do this," he said to himself. He marched to meet Korra halfway. He hadn't been privy to Tokuga's entire plan, but the Triad leader had said he wasn't going to show until he knew for sure Mako had Korra. In the meantime, he had to make sure it looked convincing in case he was being watched.

"Finally come to your senses!" Korra began as she approached. "It's about time you apologized for what you did."

"Me come to my senses? This is your fault!" He pointed to his horns and let his tail break free of his shirt where it swung angrily behind him. "You're the one that should be apologizing!"

"My fault?! You're the one who attacked a spirit!"

From a room on the upper floor of a nearby building, Bolin watched the argument unfold through a pair of binoculars under Chief Beifong's stern glare. When he had gotten wind that his brother was leading this little subterfuge, he had insisted on being included. Knowing he'd manage to get involved even without her permission, Beifong let him assist as a member of "Team Avatar."

"Wow, they are really going at it," Bolin commented. "It's like they're actually fighting."

"Just keep your eyes peeled for any sign of Tokuga or his people," Beifong scolded. "They could be coming from anywhere."

"Right," Bolin replied, doubling his focus.

Beifong went to her portable radio. "How are things on your end Tenzen?"

Tenzen was with a small team of Airbenders, hidden in one of the ruined buildings in the Spirit Wilds. He had several other groups, lead by members of his family, positioned in other structures near the portal. All them with a contingent of Metal Police.

"All clear so far," Tenzen replied.

"Good. Nobody make a move until I say so," Lin responded.

"Understood."

On the ground, Mako and Korra were still putting on a show.

"Anything else you want to blame me for?" Korra shouted.

"I'm sure I can think of a few more things!" Mako yelled in response. He was beginning to think they were going to have to resort to blows. Where was Tokuga?

As if in response, Naga's ears suddenly popped up.

"What's that noise?" Korra said.

Suddenly, a delivery truck broke through the foliage. It careened towards the pair and came to a stop mere feet from them. Out the passenger door came Tokuga with a savage grin on his face. Mako took that as his cue, grabbed Korra's arm, and put her in a chokehold from behind.

"That's his big plan? One truck," Beifong frowned.

"Uhhh…Chief…" Bolin handed her his binoculars. Three other trucks, similar to Tokuga's, were headed to the portal. Down a different road were two more. It couldn't be a coincidence. She dashed to the radio. "All units, there are five delivery trucks on course with the Spirit Portal, maybe more. I want all of them stopped!" She disconnected the radio. "C'mon. We need to get to the portal now!"

"Got it," Bolin replied and followed her out of the room.

While Tokuga approached, Mako watched the group of people climb from the rear of the truck including, to his surprise, the thief he had saved from the dragon spirit. Had the man been deliberately trying to antagonize it when he had interfered? They immediately ran towards the Spirit Portal. Tokuga really did intend on starting a war with the spirits.

"Excellent work, Mako. Just as promised," Tokuga hissed. A hooked sword hung in his hand while his tentacle twisted and writhed; an angry animal salivating to grab its prey.

"Sorry about this," Mako stated.

"No need to apologize to her," Tokuga sneered. "She's about to pay for turning us into monsters. Too bad she won't be around when I have an army of them at my command." He snaked his tentacle to Korra's neck only to have it grabbed by Mako's tail.

"I wasn't apologizing to her," he said, releasing Korra.

Rolin emerged from the driver's seat to join the pending fight. "I knew he wasn't to be trusted!"

"Then he can share her fate!" Tokuga yelled.

A second truck broke into the clearing and barreled straight for the Spirit Portal. It was stopped by a sudden pillar of earth erupting from beneath it. One of Beifong's Metal Police had stopped it just in time. The first wave of people were forced to scatter when the truck threatened to roll on them. Soon, fighting broke out around the portal between the hidden officers and the thugs trying to enter the gate. A third truck soon tipped the odds in Tokuga's favor.

"Korra. Go help the others! I've got this," Mako shouted, his tail still in a tug-of-war with Tokuga's tentacle.

"All right." Korra raced to assist the police and was blocked by Rolin.

"Where do you think you're going, Avatar?" Rolin growled. He heaved his arms and bent the earth beneath her feet, trapping them in stone shoes. Korra retaliated by blasting the man with a gust of air. He tumbled backwards giving her time to break free. She then hoisted him into the air with a small tornado and slammed him inside the back of his truck. A flick of her arms bent the metal doors into a twisted knot trapping him inside.

"Why? Why are you helping the Avatar?! She's the one that turned us into monsters!" Tokuga roared, pure hatred dripping off his scaled face. He swung his sword down towards Mako's tail. Mako didn't know if it could regenerate like Tokuga's tentacle, but he didn't want to risk it. He released the limb, letting the sharp blade shave off a swath of fur instead.

"I've got news for you Tokuga. You're the only monster around here," Mako countered as he kicked a wave of fire at the man.

Around the portal, the fighting intensified as two more trucks broke onto the battlefield. It forced the Airbenders further from the portal and closer to the front lines to aid the police.

"Everyone stand clear!" A voice broke over the fighting. A second later, the ground heaved and cracked turning into a red molten soup. Police, Airbenders, and thugs scattered as it continued around the portal creating a moat of pure lava.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back to the force?'' Lin said as she admired Bolin's handiwork.

"Nooo thanks. I'll leave the police work to Mako," he replied assuredly. While the lava moat kept most of Tokuga's goons at bay, Earthbenders in the group started making bridges over the flow.

"Looks like we can't celebrate yet. Keep it up and I'll stop the flunkies from crossing," Lin said. One of the bridges crumbled as she thrust her arms forward, forcing the intruders to find a different route.

Tenzen threw several assailants away from the portal with a blast of air. He was surprised how many there were. Did no one have respect for spirits anymore? While he was keeping people from entering the gate, something slipped out. It was hard to see against the glow of the portal, but it looked like a blue and white vine.

"Spirit. Stop! It isn't safe," he shouted after it. The spirit ignored him as it zipped over the battlefield. "Jinora!"

Jinora was busy guarding her own area when she heard her father. She turned and immediately saw why he had called to her. She quickly launched herself into the spirit's path.

"Wait!"

It didn't even slow down. Wind ruffled her hair as it zigged around her. She could only watch as it made a beeline to Mako.

Tokuga had never been a push-over, but now he was proving to be most formidable. Mako had to dodge almost constantly to avoid Tokuga's sword or his chi blocking tentacle. He wasn't being given a lot of time to assess his surroundings which lead him straight into Rolin's waiting arms. A large stone, pierced in the side of the truck, showed how the man had escaped his prison to join the fight.

"Now you're going to pay, ex-cop!" Rolin spat. He lifted Mako off the ground and began to squeeze. Carefully, Mako snaked his tail around Rolin's leg.

"Remember in the precinct when I said I didn't trip you," Mako wheezed beneath the crushing grasp. "…I lied."

"Rolin!" Tokuga shouted.

The large Earthbender fell when Mako yanked his leg from under him. On the way down, Mako cracked the man in the face with the back of his head. There was a sickening crunch as Rolin's nose was rearranged. It was enough for him to loosen his grip and Mako slipped free. Rolin wasn't out of the fight however. He quickly rolled to his feet, ignoring the blood draining from his nose, and slammed his fists into the ground. A large boulder lifted under Mako's feet threatening to toss him like an angry bronco bull. Fortunately, his tail instinctively swung counter helping him maintain his balance. Using the boulder's momentum, he leapt at Rolin and tackled him to the ground. As they struggled, something grabbed his tail and ripped him off the Earthbender.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Tokuga roared. He held his blade over his head, ready to carve off chunks.

Mako frantically tried to free his tail, but the tentacle clung tight to the fur and scales. He was about to throw flames to defend himself when something coalesced between them. Both men were shocked to see a small blue figure hovering in the air, Tokuga's blade firmly embedded in its serpentine body.

It looked over its shoulder at Mako, sympathy in its gentle eyes. "It seems my arrival is ill-timed." A ragged rasp came from it. "My apologies for burdening you with my legacy."

There was no mistaking that it was the dragon spirit that had cursed him. After the initial shock wore off, Tokuga finished his attack by slicing the spirit in two. Mako watched in horror as the spirit dissolved into particles that evaporated into the air. The large pearl that had been clutched in its claw fell to the ground next to him. The spirit was gone, along with his chance at being human again. He quickly scooped up the pearl and angrily charged Tokuga. Time to put his horns to use.

Tokuga was caught completely off-guard by Mako's sudden attack. He leveled his sword across his chest to defend himself, but the blade might as well have been paper against the silver branches. It shattered to shards allowing Mako to continue unimpeded. Bones cracked and air wheezed from his lungs when the horns impacted with his sternum. He tumbled across the ground, several ribs certainly busted, before he rolled to a stop. As he lay in a daze, he looked around the battlefield. Only a few of the his trucks had even made it to the portal with all of their occupants being rounded up by police, including Rolin. Not a single person had been possessed by a spirit. All of his plans had been laid to waste by Mako. He sneered at the traitor as he was hoisted to his feet and secured by several Metal Police under Chief Beifong's supervision.

"You were right," Mako smiled as he approached the enraged thug. "These horns really can do some damage."

Tokuga scowled at him. "You'll regret this!" he managed to wheeze as he was dragged to the nearest police wagon. "They won't be able to hold me for long and when I escape, I'm coming for you!"

Mako watched as Tokuga was locked into the back of the wagon and hauled away. Korra and Bolin were soon by his side.

"Hey, hey Mako. Nice job taking down Tokuga." Bolin gave him a congratulatory slap on the back, and regretted it when the hard scales bruised his palm.

"That was some excellent work, Mako. I'd hate to think what Republic City would be like with more monsters like Tokuga running around…" Beifong added before noting Mako's extra features. "Uhhh…No offense."

"Thanks Chief, but it's not over. As long as Tokuga's cursed, it's going to be hard to hold him. Any luck on that end?" He turned to Korra and the Airbenders.

"The Celestial Epoch!" Korra stated suddenly. "The spirit that possessed you. Once she gets here, we can have her pass through you again to undo the transformation. If that works, then all we need to do is find the spirit that cursed Tokuga."

"Korra…That spirit was killed trying to protect me from Tokuga." Mako showed her the pearl still clutched in his hand. He couldn't leave it behind for anyone to grab. "This is all that's left."

"Really? I thought the Airbenders had managed to keep the spirits in the Spirit World during the fighting," Korra said as she gazed at the milky gem.

"One did slip through," Jinora interrupted with a guilty frown. "I tried to stop it, but it was too fast." She hung her head, obviously disappointed with herself. Nobody blamed her, however. Even the most spiritually gifted Airbender wouldn't have been able to deter the spirit. It was doubtful even Korra would have been able to stop it and she was the Avatar. The supposed bridge between human and spirits.

"That was the spirit that cursed me," Mako responded. Desperation took over his voice. "Was there anything else? Any other way?"

Korra exchanged a distraught look with the Airbenders.

"Why don't we go for a walk," she suggested. That wasn't a good sign.

He followed Korra until they found a quiet bench barely lit by the glow of the Spirit Portal.

"We looked through every book, scroll, even Avatar Aang's old journals…" Korra paused, wondering how to break the news to him.

He didn't need her to finish. "Without the spirit, I'm stuck like this aren't I?" he frowned.

"We don't know for sure," Korra replied, trying to remain positive. "There are a couple things we can try. I can use spiritbending to see if I can undo the curse, but I might accidentally take your bending away in the process and…I'm not sure I'd be able to restore it," Korra explained. "This will be different from when Amon was taking people's bending."

Mako thought it over. Was he willing to lose his bending to be normal? The tip of his tail twitched. I'm not going anywhere.

"Let's do it," he replied. Losing his bending was nothing if it meant no longer being a half-spirit monster.

"Okay. If you're sure," Korra said, her voice wavering slightly. She'd never used spiritbending like this before and no longer had access to her past lives for help. They were on their own. "Are you ready?"

Mako nodded and kneeled on the ground in front of her. With the dragon spirit dead, this was the last resort for him. She placed a thumb on his forehead and chest, her other fingers steepled for support, and went into the Avatar state.

Mako felt the energy course through his body, then he felt pain. It tore at his back, every nerve screaming. It was as if his spine was coming undone. He did his best to hold it in as his tail thrashed wildly behind him. It wasn't until he felt his skull cracking that he couldn't take it anymore.

"Korra!" he screamed. "KORRA STOP!"

She released him and he immediately fell on all fours to the ground. Sweat dripped off his face in great beads as the pain subsided.

"Are you all right?" She squatted down to help him.

"I…" He could barely speak. If that was the cost of getting his humanity back, he wasn't sure he could pay it. He felt his head, the horns still there.

"We can try again. Maybe I can—"

Mako placed a firm hand on her arm and shook his head, his pained expression clear. Spiritbending wasn't going to work. Unless another solution revealed itself, he was stuck as a half-spirit. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the only comfort she could give him.

The next morning, Korra and Mako returned to the Spirit Portal to search for the spirit that had cursed Tokuga. Plan A was still an option to reverse the thug's condition. Most of the mess from the battle was gone thanks to the combined efforts of the Metal Police, the Airbenders, and Bolin. His brother was the only one that could clean-up the lava after all. If not for the upturned earth, no one would know a fight had even occurred.

The pair questioned several spirits until they found the one that had cursed Tokuga: the dragon-eel.

"You want me to do what?" the spirit stated after hearing the pair's proposition. "It's never been done." It was the same thing Korra had heard from Azura.

"I know," Korra replied. "Can you at least try?"

"Why should I? It's his punishment for attacking the Spirit Portal. Twice. Humans will shun and ostracize him. He'll be an outcast the rest of his days," the spirit calmly stated, defending its actions.

"That may have worked centuries ago, but all you've done now is make him more dangerous. He's a threat to humans and spirits," Korra countered. "He even managed to kill Azura."

An indignant scowl folded the spirit's long eyebrows. "Then perhaps I need to go there and finish what I started," the spirit hissed. It turned to enter the city and, without thinking, Mako grabbed its tail to stop it. It spun around angrily at him both surprised and annoyed at being handled by a human. Nothing should be able to touch a spirit if they didn't want to be touched.

"Tokuga's going to get what he deserves but, if there's ever going to be peace between humans and spirits, he needs to face human justice, not spirit vengeance," Mako stated. It was the simplest way he could think to explain it.

The spirit pulled its tail free from Mako's grasp and pondered for several moments.

"Very well…I will try," it said with a disgruntled sigh.

They escorted the spirit to Metalbender Police HQ where Chief Beifong brought them to Tokuga's cell.

"He's chained up, but stay on your guard," Beifong said. With a quick pulling motion, the metal door squealed aside to reveal Tokuga in the back of the cell. A thick metal band, which was chained to the floor, held his arm and tentacle tight to his bandaged torso. As soon as light hit his face, he lunged at the group. The chains rattled in protest, but held firm.

"The Avatar and the traitor," he hissed while he struggled. "This must be my lucky day."

"It is your lucky day because we've come here to help you," Korra replied with a smug smile.

"Ha! You can't possibly help me!" the man spat.

"We'll see about that," Mako added. He stepped aside revealing the dragon-eel spirit. Tokuga's bravado instantly vanished.

"Get that thing away from me!" he screamed. He pulled away from the spirit as far as his chains would allow. The spirit turned back to Korra for reassurance. She nodded.

It rolled its eyes. "Let's get this over with,'' it mumbled.

Tokuga cringed as the spirit flew toward, and then through him. It only lasted a few seconds but, when it was over, Tokuga's half-spirit abnormalities were gone. He was left laying on the floor in a disheveled heap.

"Well, I'll be…" Chief Beifong stated in amazement.

"I can't believe it worked. Thank you, spirit." Korra bowed to the dragon-eel while Mako looked wistfully down at the broken man. Proof that a cursed human could be restored.

"Do not thank me," the spirit scowled beneath its long eyebrows. "How are we supposed to defend ourselves, and the portal, if we are not allowed to curse humans?"

"I am the Avatar," Korra answered. "I'm here to protect humans and spirits."

"You've done a bang-up job so far,'' the spirit replied sarcastically.

"She's not alone," Mako added. "The Airbenders have already dedicated themselves to protecting the portal and since I'm stuck like this, maybe I can too."

The dragon-eel scrutinized him from horns to tail.

"If it's any consolation, you must have done something very meaningful for the Celestial Epoch to come to your aid," it said.

"I didn't do anything special. Just stopped a thief from stealing its pearl," Mako replied. He pulled the milky gem from his pocket. He was still carrying it with him, unsure what to do with it.

The spirit put its beak to the orb and examined it.

"That's no mere bauble. It's her legacy lay dormant. The source of her power. Without it, she may never be reborn," the spirit explained.

A flicker of hope returned to Mako.

"Reborn? You mean she can come back. How long will that be?"

"Time runs different for spirits," it replied. "One day for her could be centuries for you humans. There's no telling."

Mako's hope immediately turned to ash. Centuries. He looked down at Tokuga. He should be more upset with the man that cost him his humanity, but he wasn't the type to hold a grudge. He'd leave that for the spirits.

The dragon-eel carefully took the gem from him with its tail. "I will see to it that this is safely returned to her nest in the Sapphire Grotto. Her recovery will be faster in the Spirit World."

"Okay." Mako wasn't going to argue with the spirit. Clearly it knew better than he did what to do with the pearl.

"And spread the word to the other spirits not to curse humans. They should come to us or the Airbenders if they need help," Korra said.

"Very well. I will 'spread the word' but humans need to learn to respect the spirits and the portal," the dragon-eel demanded.

"We'll make sure they do," Korra replied.

The spirit seemed satisfied and they watched as it vanished through the wall of the precinct.

"What now?" Beifong turned to Mako. "You still have a position on the force, but I can't put you back on the streets. Not until some of these spirit/human tensions calm down."

"I think I'm going to need some time off, Chief," Mako replied, his disappointment evident. It was still sinking-in that he was permanently cursed. They all looked down when they heard laughter coming from Tokuga.

"They'll turn on you," Tokuga clucked as he dragged himself to his knees, glaring at Mako the entire time. "You'll always be a monster to them."

Mako knew the man was trying to get under his skin, but Beifong had said that very thing; half-spirits were monsters. Even if the comment hadn't been specifically directed at him, there was a seed of doubt in his mind.

"That's enough out of you." Tokuga nearly lost his nose when Beifong slammed his door shut. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's fine Mako. Take all the time you need."

Mari and Ryu chatted happily while they walked through the trees back to the campsite.

"You're getting really good, Mari," Ryu began. "I couldn't hide from you even once."

Mari nervously blushed. "Thanks. Since I can track spirits now, I feel like I can help you more, like Koji and Papa can."

"C'mon, Mari. You've always been there for me, even before you could sense spirits," Ryu replied. It was the truth. Over the years she was always there whenever he felt down or sad. Not to mention she had literally saved his life when they had first met four years ago.

Mari continued to blush and stared down at her feet. Suddenly, her head popped up.

"Wait. You weren't letting me win, were you?" she asked with a suspicious smile.

Ryu was taken aback.

"What? No way. Like the Old Man would say, neither of us would gain anything by cheating," he stated. "And do you honestly think I would let you win?" As much as he cared about her, he didn't like to lose, even if it was only practice. Juji added to his statement with an adamant gurgle.

"I suppose that's true," Mari said with a chuckle. "It's just—Your spirit seems stronger since you started airbending. You were easier to find."

"That just means you're getting better at sensing spirits," he said. "Probably better than the Old Man."

"I don't know about that," Mari replied. She admired her grandfather too much to admit she might be better than him at something.

They arrived at the campsite to find it deserted; the campfire long since burned-out.

"We're back," Ryu shouted across the area. No one responded. Mari popped her head into the back of the Rampage.

"Papa? Koji?"

The vehicle was empty.

"Where'd they go?" Ryu asked as he peeked behind her.

Mari felt her face flush when Ryu brushed against her tail. It was rare that he was so close to her outside of training. She quickly pulled it away and tried to hide how flustered she was.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon. Why don't we re-start the fire and relax until they get back," she suggested. It would be nice to spend some time alone with him that didn't involve training.

"We should find them. Make sure nothing's happened," Ryu replied, already scanning the trees.

That derailed that plan. "You're right. Let's go," she reluctantly agreed.

"Wow…" Koji gaped after hearing Mako's story. "You really are like, an actual hero."

"Nothing like that. I was just doing my job," Mako responded with a flick of his tail. "I never expected it to lead to all this."

"Huh…" Koji pondered the story for a moment. "Do you ever regret it?" He was confused when Mako chuckled.

"Funny. All these years and you're only the second one to ask me that question," Mako said. "No. Even after everything I've endured as a half-spirit, I don't regret it. And I'd do it again even knowing this was the outcome."

They went quiet when they heard rustling above them. Cautiously, Koji stood and prepared to close the entrance if it turned out the dragon had returned.

"You around here, Old Man?" a voice shouted.

They were both relieved to hear Ryu. Koji crept out of the cave and spotted him and Mari traipsing on the ledge above them.

"Down here," he called to them.

The pair carefully climbed down the overhang and joined them in the makeshift cave. Mari rushed to her grandfather's side as soon as she saw him on the ground.

"Papa! Are you okay?"

"I'll be all right," he said as he let her help him to his feet. She wrapped her tail around his waist as additional support.

"What are you both doing in this cave?" Ryu asked as he slung Mako's other arm over his shoulder.

"We were fishing when a dragon showed-up. A real, wild dragon," Koji explained. "It really didn't like Mako and it chased us. We were running away when I overreacted and caused him to fall into this ravine. We've been hiding out here until he was able to walk again."

"We didn't see any dragon," Mari noted.

"Sure it wasn't just your reflection in the water, Old Man," Ryu said with a smirk. He rarely missed an opportunity to take an affectionate jab at his adoptive father.

"Very funny, Kid," Mako huffed. "Hopefully, it gave-up on us and is long gone."

"Damn!" Koji suddenly interrupted. "We left my fishing pole behind…And the fish."

"We can always get you a new pole, Koji," Mako said. "And the dragon probably took care of the fish." They didn't need to run the risk of antagonizing the animal again.

"I don't want you to buy me a new pole. It was enough that you got me this one," Koji replied. His parents did send money to help care for him, but it didn't cover everything. He was always grateful for anything Mako bought him and tried not to ask for more than necessary. "If the dragon is gone, we should be able to get it."

Mako let go of Ryu and, with Mari's assistance, took a few cautious steps. His legs were still fatigued, but at least he could stay upright. With Mari's help, he would be able to walk back to camp.

"All right. Why don't you boys retrieve the gear and we'll meet you back at the truck," he said. "But be careful. That dragon could still be around."

"If you're sure?" Ryu said, his concern for Mako was obvious.

"We'll be fine," Mari assured him. She was more than capable of assisting her grandfather.

The early evening air was beginning to cool by the time the two teens reached the river. Fortunately, the equipment was right where Koji had left it, but the bucket was tossed with their catch gone.

"The Old Man was right that the dragon would take care of the fish," Ryu said as he collected the bucket. If they had any doubt, the large teeth marks in the rim were concrete evidence.

"At least it didn't break anything," Koji added as he grabbed his gear. "It wasn't a good haul today anyway."

Once everything was collected, they started the trek back to the campsite with Ryu leading the way. As the Avatar, he had a spirit-sense too, but it wasn't nearly as good as Mari's or Mako's. It would be enough, however, to get them back to the campsite without getting lost.

"So…What do you think about Mari?" Koji suddenly asked, his arms flopped over the fishing pole across his shoulders.

It was enough for Ryu to briefly lose his focus.

"Mari? I don't know. I mean, she's a good fighter. And today she was able to find me every time I tried to hide my spirit. She's getting really good," he said.

"Right? She's amazing," Koji added with the widest of grins across his face. "And she's so smart and sweet and thoughtful."

The way he was speaking caused red flags to go up in Ryu's head. Apparently, it wasn't some casual conversation.

"She's also a fetchling…annnddd the Old Man's granddaughter." He pointedly reminded his friend. Honestly, the argument of Mari being a fetchling was shallow. Neither of them cared about that anymore. The threat about Mako however, wasn't idle and he hoped would be enough to deter Koji. Mako had made it clear from the beginning that, if either of them messed with his granddaughter, they were toast.

"Mako's not so bad. After our little bonding session today, I bet he'd be okay with me getting to know Mari better if you get my drift," Koji said with a knowing wink.

Now Ryu really was concerned. He didn't like the idea of Koji getting closer to Mari. They were all friends and he didn't want that dynamic altered. Time to change tactics.

"You're right," he said as casually as possible. "We're only talking about the world's greatest Firebender, who's spent the last four years training us and electrocuting the fetchling assassin that's after me. I'm sure if things go sour between you and Mari, everything will be fine. Did I forget to mention he's also the Chief of the Republic City Police? But…you already knew that, right?" He finished with a sly grin.

There was an audible gulp from Koji. Now Ryu had him. That should be enough of a warning to keep his overly excitable friend away from Mari.

"No need to rush things though, right?" Koji stammered with a nervous chuckle. "I mean…It doesn't seem like we're heading home anytime soon. Plenty of time to butter-up Mako."

"Sure, sure," Ryu replied in faux agreement. "Plenty of time."

"Pleny of time," Juji echoed.

Plenty of time to make sure Koji didn't take the next steps with Mari.