Avatar Legend of Korra: Reimagined

Chapter 9: Hope

Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Opal languished in a room on Air Temple Island. Opal buried her head in Bolin's shoulder while Asami wrapped her arms around her legs. Mako had his arm around her shoulder, though it provided little comfort to either of them.

"I can't believe she's gone." Opal struggled to speak through her muttering and tears.

"They just blew her up, and I, I couldn't do anything to stop it." Bolin choked on his own tears while Pabu slowly moved across their faces, trying to comfort them.

"It can't be. It just can't be true." Mako let go of Asami and seized his temples with an almost crazed look.

"Mako, she's dead." The words cut deep into Asami as she spoke them. Mako felt his girlfriend's hands on his shoulders and clenched his eyes shut, both fists tightening.

"We failed her. I failed her if I'd taken down Pli-" Asami broke down worse than Mako, cutting him off.

"It was my fault, I probably couldn've killed her, but I wasn't shooting to kill." Asami covered her eyes with both hands, shaking like she was in a blizzard.

"Asami, don't say that." Mako tried to comfort her, but his own guilt and sorrow bogged him down.

"We all failed. We were her team Avatar, and now she's gone!" Opal wailed while all four turned to a picture of them with Korra, Diago, and Lin months earlier.

The ground around them began to turn hot as Bolin rose to his feet.

"It wasn't just Pli. It was Tahno. I saw him, and he can air bend now! Him and his damn teammates! They killed Korra just as much as Pli did!!! That stupid, self-satisfied prick!!" Opal, Mako, and Asami had to get up from how hot the floor became. But perhaps more unsettling was Bolin himself. This was the first time any had experiences genuine hate in his voice and face.

"I'm going to find them, and then I'm going to melt them inch by inch!!" Steam began to rise from the floor around them as Pabu trembled and scurried up into Opal's hands.

"Bolin!!!" Mako furiously grabbed his brother's shoulders and snapped him out of the haze.

"Bolin, you're not thinking straight."

"Korra's dead because of them! They deserve it!"

"Bolin, stop it!" Opal shouted. He turned and saw the fear in her and Pabu's faces. The floor began to cool as Bolin broke down into more tears. Opal embraced Bolin again, soon joined by Mako and Asami.

All of Air Temple Island fell silent in mourning. Most of Tenzin's students, the Air Acolytes, and White Lotus guards gathered around a picture of Korra with burning incense in front of it.

Kia felt his throat dry up as he struggled to keep his composure while looking at Korra's picture. He hadn't been as close to Korra as Jinora or the others, but her death still struck him like a ton of bricks. However, as he turned to Jinora, this would've been an understatement.

The young air bender continued to lose any sense of composure she had as streams of tears and unintelligible muttering escaped her mouth. Kia had no idea what he could possibly even say to her, so instead, he just put his arms around Jinora and let her rest against him.

In a nearby gazebo, Pema held baby Rohan in her arms, while Tenzin held Meelo and Ikki. Even the two parents struggled to hold back their emotions. Rohan ironically was the only one not crying.

"First father, now Korra." Tenzin breathed heavier, a true look of almost denial on his face.

"She had so much spirit, so much life....... Her parents are going to be here tomorrow night. Pema, how am I suppose to explain this to them? Their little girl..." Tenzin finally broke down and hugged his two children in his arms so tightly it almost hurt, though neither responded.