Fire in the Sky (TLOK)

Chapter 10: Love's a Rough Game

After the events at Avatar Aang Memorial Island, Korra left Tarrlok's task force. He protested a little bit, but I think he realized the strain it had put Korra under, and her actions that followed that stress, he seemed to relent. After all, no one really wants to work with such a wild fire. Not Tarrlok at least.

Korra returned to pro bending practices. All of us were incredibly happy for her return. It definitely shows in the team's newfound teamwork and skills. Every day they get stronger.

All is well... mostly well. The nightmares are dwindling, but they still come. Visions of my family disappearing are so vivid some nights that I often got caught in these horrific daydreams. I try to keep myself busy during the day to avoid slipping into anything.

Aside from that, Korra's crush on Mako is growing. And it worries me, not just for my own sake, but for the team's sake as they continued farther up the pro-bending competition-

"Yuki!" I looked up to see Jinora waiving me over. We were outside, bundled up in coats and scarves. They were feeding the little group of ring-tailed lemurs that had gathered around the garden pathway. "Don't you want to feed some of them?"

"Coming," I said, shutting my notebook shut and shoving the book and a stubby pencil into my coat pockets.

The snow was falling rather rapidly. I brushed off the small piles that settled on the tips of my toes from where I sat. I was mostly sheltered by the roof of the pavilion, but now my hair was speckled with snow drops.

I walked over to where Jinora was, along with Ikki and Korra. She handed me an apple, and I leaned down to hand it to one of the lemurs. As I did, I heard my sisters chatting with Korra.

"So, how's it going with the tall, dreamy, firebender boy?" Jinora asked, "You've been spending a lot of time together lately."

"Yeah!" Ikki added, "Tell us all about the magical romance."

I ignored their giggles as Korra laughed, blushing. "What?" Listen you two, I-I'm not interested in Mako or any romantic stuff." Korra's eyes were casted downwards as she mumbled, "Besides, he's all into that prissy, beautiful... elegant... rich girl."

I straightened up, grabbing another piece of fruit from the basket and waving it another lemur. This wasn't a conversation I wanted a part of. Especially when Korra added,

"But let's just pretend for a second I am interested in him. What would I do?"

Jinora's eyes sparkled, having been given the opportunity to give advice about love. "Oh! I just read a historical saga where the heroine fell in love with the enemy general's son, who's supposed to marry the princess. You should do what she did!"

"Tell me!" Korra said eagerly.

Jinora sighed, spinning around on the snow. "She rode a dragon into battle and burned down the entire country. Then she jumped into a volcano. It was so romantic!"

"Jinora, I fear for the day you fall in love." I said lightly, ducking a flurry of snow from my sister.

"No no no!" Ikki said quite literally jumping in, "Jinora's so wrong! The best way to win a boy's heart is to brew a love potion of rainbows and sunsets that makes true lovers sprout wings and fly into a magical castle in the sky, where they get married and eat clouds with spoons and use stars as ice cubes in their moonlight punch. Forever and ever and ever!" Ikki beamed, also twirling around excitedly.

Korra exchanged glances with me. I gave her a defeated shrug that said, this is beyond my control.

"The volcano is starting to make more sense to me now." Korra said, as we heard amused laughter from behind us. We all turned around to see mom walking down the pathway.