The Longing ⇝ BOOK 1 > LOK [Avatar: TLAB-LoK Watty Awards 2018]

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Lyra (1)

We traveled to the South Pole to see Katara. All of us from the City, including Beifong and Korra's parents waited for Katara to finish healing her in another room. We hoped that would bring back her bending.

Mako and I sat together on a bench. My head rested on his shoulder. I was exhausted, but I did my best to stay awake.

"I'm glad you didn't leave."

I pick my head up and look at Mako, his eyes glistening. I hum while going back on his shoulder, "Me too."

When the door to the other room slides open and Katara peeks her head out with a sad expression on her face, we all stand up and wait for the news.

"I've tried everything in my power, but I cannot restore Korra's bending." Katara looks down slowly.

"But you're the best healer in the world. You have to keep trying!" Beifong urged, but Katara shook her head. "I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can do. Korra can still airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed."

Seconds later, Korra walks out of the room. She wore a solemn expression as she looked at us all.

"It's going to be alright, Korra." My father reassured her.

"No," she looks away. "It's not." She walks past us then grabs her coat. I frown as she leaves out of the room and goes outside. 

I turn around when the door shuts closed. "What now? Do we go after her?"

My father shakes his head. "We need to be patient with her. It will take time for her to accept what has happened."

"There has to be something we can do. Let's start researching, maybe there's something we're missing. Ma-"

"Lyra." Katara stops me. "Come. Why don't we talk for a little." She turns and goes into the other room she was just in. I huff as I follow her.

She slides the door closed once I walk in. "I'm not being stubborn, Gran-Gran. I'm being optimistic. That can't be it for Korra."

"I didn't want to talk to you about Korra. I wanted to talk about you. I heard you found out the truth."

I cocked a brow, "The truth?"

Katara only looked at me and I squinted my eyes, realizing what she's trying to tell me. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew. And so did Ruka and Izumi, your grandmother." Katara said.

"You didn't say anything?"

"It was Izumi who wanted to keep it a secret. I'll let her explain herself when you two meet. But please, don't say a word to Iroh."

I nodded. "Okay."

"Korra!"

Katara and I leave the room and Korra was inside with a smile on her face. The corner of my lip curled upwards, "That was fast."

"I got my bending back!" She exclaimed. We asked her how and she looked over at my father, "Aang."

>>>

Korra was able to give Beifong her bending back. We were now in the City. It felt good to be home now that the war is over. But still, there was so much on my mind. And most of it was about Mako.

I walked with him around the City. A full moon shined on us with stars twinkling around. It was quiet. You could hear crickets chirping and the water moving under us. Somehow we ended up at the spot we met six years ago - the same spot we had our first kiss.

"Now that everything's going back to normal, I think we should talk about these last few days... and about the last few years." Mako said. I nod in agreement. "I think so too. Mako, I heard you and Asami in the kitchen."

His cheeks turned a shade of pink - he was embarrassed.

"Before we continue with what we want to say, is there still a relationship to worry about?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "We ended it."

"Okay, good. I mean not good because you two broke up, like good because I can talk to you now. Not that I couldn't talk to you before, just not about this. I mean yeah, I should've told you sooner, but I had my doubts-"

"Lyra," Mako chuckles as he places both his hands on my arms to stop me. "I get it."

I sighed with a small smile. "Thanks. I would've kept going."

Mako puts a strand of my hair behind my ear. His hands were warm even in the cold night. He clears his throat before putting his hands back in his pockets.

I turn my body to lean on the rail in front of us. He did the same. "Remember when you asked me to think about my future? How you made me promise you before we kissed?"

I laugh, "I do. I can't believe that was almost five years ago."

"...I thought about it."

"And?"

"And, my future has you written all over it. When I think about the rest of my life, I see you in it." He put his hand atop of mine. I look down at the water, gathering my thoughts. "The night you and Korra kissed, I was on my way to tell you that I was in love with you. I was so hurt when I saw you both."

"Lyra-"

"Asami asked you if you were over me - if you stopped loving me... did you?"

Mako removed his hand from mine then combed his hair back with his fingers. "I did like Asami and I did feel something for Korra, but I didn't love them the way I love you."

I looked up at him, "Don't you think that if we were meant to be, we would've been by now?"

"Sure, we took a little longer than others. We both didn't want to ruin our relationship even though every single sign was there, but that's okay. Because even after everything, Lyra, you still make me feel alive. I love you."

I slowly look away from him, "You just got out of a relationship, Mako. What would that say about me?"

He gently put his hand on my cheek and makes me face him. "If you ask me, it's the part that comes after that matters. The part where we make it right."

We looked at each other for a moment until I couldn't take it anymore. "I love you too." I practically jumped onto him, looping my arms around him as I smashed my lips onto his.

Six years. I waited six years for this moment. And it was all totally worth it.

Side Note: And that's the end of book 1. Thank you guys so much for reading, I'm so happy you enjoyed it. I will try to have Book 2 up for you guys as soon as possible.