Makorra: Gift of a Lifetime Ch.5 Pt.1

Chapter 5: Last Grain of Sand

He was supposed to be a patient man; a man of understanding and virtue. He was raised to be as such by his father, the last airbender and Avatar, as well as his mother. He took his role quite seriously; taking great pride in being an airbender, as well as the son of the previous Avatar. Tenzin was just as serious and proud of training the new Avatar. However…he couldn’t say he was proud about how he had just treated her. His father, back in the day, would have pulled him back and told him to calm down and try to find a silver lining. His mother would have had a similar reaction to his own, however she would have probably come around. Now if his mother had seen him at her old age, she would have smacked him over the head. Katara had a soft spot for Avatar Korra, and she knew just how tough it could be to be a teenage girl and the Avatar.

Spirits, he was grateful neither of them were physically there to see how he had yelled at his pupil.

Of course, Tenzin was still disappointed in Korra’s choices. He was even still just a bit angry. But he had come to accept that his reaction was a bit overboard. The airbender was supposed to be a figure of support to his student, However he had failed in doing such. Instead, he had lashed out at her and reminded her just how foolish she was.

Oh, but while his parents weren’t there to scold him, his wife sure was. Nevertheless, she was also the voice of reason and comfort.

“Tenzin!” Pema had snapped at her husband the minute the Avatar left the room.

“Did you know about this?” Tenzin demanded, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, I did, and I’m glad she came and told me first, because your response was ridiculous!”

“How was my response ridiculous?” Tenzin asked. “She’s pregnant, Pema! She’s not ready for that kind of responsibility!”

“Maybe not right now, but she can be when the time comes.” Pema furrowed her brow and kept a stoic face. This woman was the only person in the world besides his ex-girlfriend who could stop him in his tracks and make him question his motives.

“A teenage girl, who just so happens to be the Avatar, isn’t in the right mindset to raise a child. She already had so much to deal with and she must have known what could happen when she participated in such a…an adult act!” The poor man just couldn’t be blunt with that subject.

“But do you really think she needed to hear everything you just scolded her for, Tenzin? Do you really think so?” She paused and put her hands on her hips. “Because something tells me that that teenage girl has already thought and worried about everything you just told her. When she came to me, she was in tears, because she already knew just how deep she was.”

Tenzin reigned himself back for a moment. Korra had been crying? That was always shocking to hear. No matter how dire things got, Korra remained strong, and when she did cry it took a lot of prying and patience for her to shed just one tear. Up until now he had been the only one to see her let her hair down and lay her feelings on the ground. He should have guessed this turn of events would have upset her, but he hadn’t really thought about it. Korra had been so quiet when he spoke –well, yelled- at her, that he wouldn’t have guessed she felt all that bad for her actions. Then again, he wasn’t exactly thinking of her when he was yelling at her.

“You know, she probably stayed quiet because she knew you were going to let her have it,” Pema growled. “You’re the only person she’d allow to do such a thing, because she respects you. But I think you stepped a little out of line.”

Tenzin was beginning to see where his wife was coming from. “Where in that conversation did I step out of line?”

“Let’s see; saying that child wouldn’t get the love it needed.”

“She’s far too busy to care for a child!”

“You know she would try, just like any other women in this situation!” Pema barked. “And then you went and compared her to your father and the other Avatars.”

Tenzin allowed his eyebrows to pinch upward and his eyes to scrape the floor. Had he really said that? Surely he hadn’t. He always told Korra to never compare herself to the previous Avatars; that she would find her own way. Anger must have really gotten the better of him. “I…did say that, didn’t I?”

Pema stood stubbornly at the doorway with her hands on her hips and a pout on her face. She knew she was going to win this argument; it was just a matter of when Tenzin was ready to surrender. From the looks of it, he was slowly coming down off of his high chair and cooling down.

“Well, she…” Tenzin wanted to keep his anger- he felt like it was called for. Yet he also knew he should calm down and think more rationally, because when he wasn’t in a rational state of mind, he tended to say things he didn’t mean. Plus, he knew his wife was right. He let his angry voice go down a few octaves to let Pema know he was getting better. “She still acted irresponsibly…”

“I know.” Pema sighed, allowing some of her irritation to simmer down along with her husband’s. “And she knows that. And under most circumstances I would say it would be right to punish her, but you know she’s already doing that for us.”

“I suppose you’re right…” The airbender’s rage was beginning to quell.

“And she’s going to have a lot to deal with from here on out,” Pema reminded him. She walked over to her husband’s side and sat down. She leaned over and placed a gentle hand on his broad shoulder.

“Well…” Tenzin tried to search for his next choice of words. “I’m still not happy about any of this.”

“I know, dear.” Pema rubbed his shoulder. “No one is.”

Tenzin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a loud sigh. “And what about Mako?” He was hoping he could find some sort of relief in all of this- for Korra’s sake and his. Maybe the level-headed firebender could provide just that.

Pema frowned and looked down at her hand on the airbender’s shoulder. She knew he wouldn’t like what she had to say. “He…We don’t know yet.”

“Did she tell him?” Tenzin eyed his wife with concern.

“Yes…but it sounds like he didn’t receive the news too well.”

The airbending master looked down at his lap, trying to decipher the line between anger and sympathy. Tenzin wanted to go off on his student for making such a poor choice. He wanted to blow up at her and give her a lecture- the whole nine yards of it. He could scold her until the flying cows came home about how she should have waited until she was married and how irresponsible she was. But he knew that it would get them nowhere. What stopped him even more though was how much pain she must have already been in over everything. As much as he wanted to yell, he also had a part of him that wanted to console his student. No punishment could possibly compare to whatever turmoil she was enduring now.

“And how did she feel about that, do you know?” he asked calmly.

“She said she was fine.”

“That means she’s anything but fine,” Tenzin answered quickly. Korra wasn’t too difficult to read. Granted, he couldn’t always tell what was going on in her mind, but he was pretty quick to pick up on her general moods; whether she was trying to hide them or not.

“I had a feeling.” Pema removed her hand from Tenzin’s shoulder and replaced it with her head.

They both sat in silence for a long time before Tenzin sighed. “You know,” he started, “I didn’t think we would have to worry about this sort of thing until Jinora hit her teenage years.”

“Just think,” Pema smiled, “we’ve got four more kids to talk to about this sort of thing.”

Tenzin’s face paled, all of his anger erased from his mind.

--

Pema had later informed him that she found Mako in Korra’s room. He had been at her bedside, and had basically come to Korra’s rescue. Even though Mako and Korra had messed things up, Mako still wanted to try and put Korra back together after she fell to pieces. The firebender would have liked to speak with Tenzin, but Pema had advised him against it.

Tenzin was thankful. Not only because Mako was finally a part of the picture, but because any more excitement would have given him a heart attack. He would have hated to go to the Spirit world and have his father ask how he died. “Teenagers…” That would have had his father in stitches.

It had been three days since Korra and Tenzin had spoken. The reason for the lack of interaction wasn’t an acceptable one. Truthfully, he had been busy with work, but other than that he really just didn’t know how to approach the young woman. Normally he would have just walked up to her and started talking. However, he was tender with this sort of thing. He wasn’t very comfortable with talk of…expecting and sex. Even if he had been a father four times over and had dealt with a pregnant wife, he still wasn’t graceful in those regards. He could work with Pema, but Korra was a completely different rodeo.

If this wasn’t enough, Korra had been avoiding him. He only saw her at dinner, but she barely touched her food and excused herself before he could object. She had even been conducting her own training; or so he had figured out when he saw her out of his office window one evening. He noticed that her training seemed more focused and solid. Her movements were strong; his only complaint being that they appeared to be a bit rigid and flat-footed. Then again, he supposed she hadn’t been feeling light on her feet as of late.

The airbender knew this strain between them couldn’t continue. He had to make things right with her and help her in any way he could. So one morning, bright and early, he headed towards the meditation platform where he knew she would be. Sure enough, the waterbender was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, completely dead to the rest of the world. Tenzin silently eased himself down next to her and assumed the same pose and went quiet. He closed his eyes as well, trying to gather his thoughts before speaking. A few minutes went by and he was just about to say something, but Korra beat him to the punch and spoke her mind. And what she said was the last thing he expected to hear from her.

“I’m not keeping it.”

His grey eyes snapped open in surprise and he turned to look at his student. Korra was still, her eyes closed and her position the same. What she had said didn’t even shake her foundation.

“What?” he asked.

Korra tried her best not to sigh and lose her patience. Apparently, she needed to start elaborating more whenever she revealed big news. Thankfully Tenzin added more to his question so maybe she wouldn’t have to go into deep detail.

“A-are you…” He paused and looked down at the ground. His student seemed very set on this decision. Korra had made her statement very clear, with just the sound of her voice and the way she presented it to him. He didn’t want to press on her any more than he needed to, but he still had to ask this. “Are you sure?”

“Amon is still on the loose,” Korra began. “The Equalists are on the move and I still haven’t finished my airbending training.” Her eyebrows knitted together briefly, but she reminded herself to stay calm. “Mako is with Asami and can barely provide for himself and his brother. Probending is the only way for him to keep them alive. Neither of us can handle a baby right now.” Korra let her voice drop an octave and a sense of defeat raked at her insides. “And besides, I probably wouldn’t be able to love it the way it needs to be loved.”

“That’s not true,” Tenzin said softly. “I think you could be a great mother, given time.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Korra said. “Once I make the appointment, we can put all of this behind us.”

Tenzin’s mind spun like a whirlwind with the new information. He thought about what she had just told him and all that came into play to make such a decision. Then his mind froze on a blaze of fire.

“And what about Mako?” Tenzin asked carefully. “How does he feel about this?”

“Mako is fine with it.” Korra untangled her legs and pushed herself up. “Besides,” she began as she started to walk away from the platform, “it’s my body.”

Korra stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder at her teacher. She still had so much respect for him; although whatever his answer might be to her next question would not influence her decision in the slightest. “What do you think?”

Tenzin was silent, weighing his words against the facts. His student had obviously put a lot of thought into this. “I think…” He looked over at her with a placid expression, but the melancholy was clear in his cloudy-colored eyes. “…It’s the smart thing to do…”

Korra nodded and continued her walk back to the house.

Tenzin tore his eyes away from her retreating back and looked down at his lap.

He just wondered if his student had thought all of this through- to the last grain of sand.

--

Numb was probably the most appropriate word to describe Mako as he and his brother traveled up the island’s steps. His body ached from a long day’s work, and the stone steps weren’t making it any easier. He was tired and deflated. Still, he could feel a niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“I can’t believe she’s not keeping it...” Bolin moped to himself.

And that was what was causing Mako’s conscience to squirm. Korra’s decision was like an ear moth eating holes into his brain. He had respected her decision and even told her that he was fine with it. But when he really thought about it, it just didn’t settle quite right.

Initially, Mako had thought her decision would have put him at ease. They had a quick and easy solution; one that would leave no trace of their mistakes behind. Yet, the firebender couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something was off.

“Don’t bring it up.” Mako turned to his brother. “When you see her, don’t mention anything about the baby.”

“Fine…” Bolin grumped. He had a lot to say, most of which he already said to his brother.

--

“What do you mean she’s not keeping it?!” Bolin asked in a burst of shock.

“It’s just like I said,” Mako said as he reached into one of the cabinets of their home. He really wanted a glass of water; the walk from the island had really made him thirsty. “She’s not keeping it. She’s got too much stuff on her plate as it is.” He successfully found a glass cup in the very back and pulled it out.

“So? Can’t she still raise a kid and be the Avatar? I mean, it can’t be that hard!” Actually, the earthbender knew it could be that hard, and even more so than he could imagine. He just didn’t want to let this go without a fight.

“It can be that hard.” Mako looked his brother directly in the eyes before returning back to his cup. Mako loved Bolin, and Bolin knew it, but Bolin also knew just how difficult it was for his brother to keep them alive on the streets. The earthbender would always be grateful for everything his brother had done for him to keep him safe, and above all else, happy. “Avatar duties come first for her,” Mako added.

“Well, yeah- I get that!” Bolin whined. “But what’s she gonna do?”

“She’s going to make an appointment with a doctor to…” Mako couldn’t bring himself to say it. He wasn’t sure why; maybe it was because it was too blunt. “Solve the problem.” Mako turned the faucet on and held the cup under it to collect the precious water. He prayed Bolin could put the pieces together; he didn’t want to have to explain to him that Korra was getting an abortion.

Bolin was quiet, his face contorted into one of sheer concern and shock. His green eyes fell to the floor and his muscles tensed. He had never in his wildest dreams thought he would have been so close to such a situation; let alone knowing someone –someone like Korra- who was immediately a part of it.

Someone like Korra…this decision didn’t sound like Korra at all.

“Well what about you?” Bolin took a step towards his brother. “What did you have to say about it?”

Mako, eyes trained on the falling water, quietly turned off the faucet and took the cup out from the sink. He started for his bedroom door, memories in his mind hitting him like earth disks. He hadn’t talked to Korra again once she fell asleep. But he knew that Korra wasn’t going to change her mind. She was going to go through with it- her mind was going to be set in stone about it. And he supposed if it was what she wanted, and if it would make her feel better, then he would just allow her to remain set.

But why did the pit of his stomach tell him otherwise?

“It’s her body.” And with that, he shut the door behind him.

Bolin stood in the middle of the kitchen; more still than he had ever been. His brother’s response had the vibration of a sound declaration. It was finite and it was clear. But Mako was his brother, and Bolin could tell that something else –something in Mako’s voice- betrayed his statement.

--

But Bolin didn’t want to alienate the waterbender. While he was unhappy with her decision, he was still true to his word about being there for her. Besides, he knew she had been having a hard time. He might as well play along with Mako’s request for normalcy; it seemed that’s all they really wanted. And no matter the situation, Bolin was always happy to see Korra. He figured he could spare some cheerful energy and send some of it her way.

When the duo reached the top of the steps they saw Korra sitting on the steps of the temple entrance. She put on a smile to greet them with, but Mako felt like the smile was off somehow. The waterbender took a few steps to meet the bending brothers half way and greeted them as if nothing ever happened. “Hey guys.”

“Hey Korra,” Mako chimed.

“Heyyy,” Bolin started easily. “What’s for dinner? I’m starved!”

“Oh you know- vegetables.” Korra smirked and looked between the two boys.

Mako quirked a small grin as Bolin groaned. “That’s all well and good, but what about the meat?” He pointed a finger at Korra. “A guy needs his protein!”

“Well, if you can think of any other airbenders who will have you and serve you meat, then you’re more than welcome to go eat dinner with them tonight.”

Bolin kept the ball rolling. “Well maybe I would if this wasn’t the only airbending family.”

“Alright.” Mako pushed his brother forward. “Go inside and eat before you wear out our welcome with your mouth.” He was glad his brother was still treating Korra like one of the guys. It made the atmosphere around them easy to breathe in; just like it had been before all of this started.

Bolin looked over his shoulder and saw that Mako and Korra were looking at him, but hadn’t budged otherwise. The earthbender took this as a polite way of telling him to scram while they talked. Bolin felt like he had a lot to say, but he knew better than to get in too deep with this complicated business Mako and Korra had created. So the young man settled on focusing his thoughts on the fresh food inside; food was so much simpler than life problems, anyway.

Mako turned to Korra with a soft smile, his eyebrows pinched upward in an almost apologetic manner. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Korra chuckled. “Actually, I guess I’m feeling better than fine.” There it was again; that smile that wasn’t hers. It didn’t reach her beautiful icy eyes and make them sparkle. It didn’t light up her entire face. It was just there, like someone had slapped a magnet on a fridge.

“You guess?” he asked, his brow raising and a frown marring his handsome features.

“Yeah, I mean we’ve got a quick fix!” Her voice peaked with enthusiasm, but Mako’s sensitive ears picked up something else. “We can move on and pretend this never happened.”

When Mako looked into her eyes a bit more closely, he realized what it all was. Her smile was forced. Her enthusiasm was forced. Her happy demeanor was forced. She wasn’t fine. She was lying. The decision she had slapped down on the table wasn’t curing her of anything; instead it was acting more as a placebo. She was lying to herself and creating the illusion of thinking everything was better. Just seeing her like this made him feel sick to his stomach; he’d rather see her hurt over something real than setting herself up over something fake. Because once the ground fell out from under her feet, it was going to hurt more than she could ever imagine. And bending that ground back to place wouldn’t be easy.

“Korra,” Mako started off gently, “are you sure you really want to do this?” He made sure his facial features were clear; eyebrows drawn upward, eyes shining and scanning her with concern, and the corners of his mouth hooked into a frown.

“Invite you over to dinner?” She quirked a brow and smirked. “Uh, yeah, I wouldn’t have invited you if I wasn’t sure.”

“No…” Mako sighed. The fact that she had dodged his question more than confirmed his suspicions. “I mean…” He looked away uneasily. He had a hard time saying anything bluntly anymore; a bad habit he didn’t need to be getting into. “I mean about not keeping it.”

Korra’s brows furrowed slightly. “What? Of course I’m sure!” Forced confidence seethed through her teeth. “It’s the smartest thing to do!” She crossed her arms and pouted. She would have figured Mako would have let her make this decision without a lot of hassle, especially since this baby would have encroached upon his probending, finances, and his girlfriend.

“I…” He wanted to speak up. He wanted to admit to her that her decision was a bad one; it was obvious by her behavior how awful it was. But he couldn’t really argue with her, could he? They truthfully were too busy; her with her Avatar duties, and him with probending, work, and Asami. A baby had no place in their lives, especially since their lives were barely intertwined to begin with.

Besides, what could he say to change her mind? It was her body. She would do what she wanted. “I guess you’re right…” he answered in defeat.

“Good, now come on, cool guy.” She smiled; her eyes used to shine when she called him that. “Dinner is getting cold.” But this time, they didn’t.

--

Dinner passed uneventfully for once; every time the brothers had visited and stayed for dinner, the family bustled with endless energy. Perhaps they still did, but Mako didn’t really notice. His mind was everywhere but the family setting before him. Instead of paying attention to what the children were saying, or what funny antics were being passed around the table, he kept his eyes trained on his food and seldom stole looks from the other around him.

Everything Korra did or said was artificial. Even her eating was strained--which was a site he would never get used to, considering she rivaled his brother in the consumption of food. He wondered if he was the only one who could see through her façade. His question was answered when he glanced over at Tenzin. The airbender was silent and seemed to hold a gloomy aura about him. He ate slowly and seemed absent from most of the idle conversations at the dinner table. Sure, the man could have had a bad day at the office, but considering he was stealing worried looks at Korra, Mako doubted that was the case. Pema seemed calm and chipper as usual, but she was busying herself with her four children and making sure everyone was content, however Mako was sure she had her own thoughts about all of this. Bolin, for the time being, was stuffing his face. Just because everyone else was down, didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a good meal. And the children were oblivious to the lack of good tidings.

The firebender didn’t feel like he was present. He felt more like he was in a state of limbo, and was just watching what went on around him from a far. If he were to try and touch them, they would slip right through his fingers, and if he were to try and speak, they wouldn’t hear him.

Korra especially.

When dinner was over, everyone departed from the room to do their own thing. The children went off to play and Tenzin and Korra went to go train; Bolin tagging along to watch. Pema had disappeared into the other room to do dishes, and Mako just remained slouched over the table.

The young man was beginning to second guess the decision Korra had made, and second guess his compliance with it. The way Korra was acting wasn’t normal, and it had only started after she said she wasn’t going to keep it. To him it was far worse than the turmoil she had been experiencing beforehand. She was acting so fake and was ignoring the other options. More importantly, she was ignoring the consequences and ignoring what she really wanted.

But did Korra really know what she wanted? She wanted to make everyone happy, which everyone always warned her that such a task was impossible. Korra knew this, but she still tried her best to please everyone around her. She was so much more enveloped in what everyone else thought and how they needed her. But Korra didn’t allow a moment to herself to think about what she really wanted. Not what she wanted to others, but what she wanted for herself.

She was dreadfully selfless. And it was dreadfully beautiful.

Pema popped her greying head around the corner to see if the firebender was still moping at the table. Sure enough, he was there, as quiet as she had ever seen a person; she would know, having three rambunctious airbending children and a fussy baby. “Are you okay?”

Mako’s head sprang up from his hands and his eyes landed on the woman. “Uh, yeah.” His face gave everything away; he wasn’t okay. But he wasn’t trying very hard to cover it up. In a way, he was hoping that someone would confront him about it, but at the same time he was hoping no one would say anything.

“It’s about Korra, isn’t it?” Pema seemed to have a way with confrontation.

He didn’t respond. Instead, he looked away with a tell-tale face of concern and embarrassed admittance.

Pema sighed and smiled apologetically. “Well, you’re not the only one who’s worried.” She walked through the kitchen doorway and sat down at the low standing table, across from Mako. She rested her chin in her hand, completely prepared to listen. “Tenzin hasn’t been able to focus on much since she decided not to keep it.”

“At first I thought it was going to be okay.” Mako kept his attention focused on the window. “But now I’m not so sure.” He looked down at the table and shook his head. “She’s not acting like herself.”

“Well, this isn’t something you recover from overnight.” Pema folded her hands together on the table, looking down at them, her face dropping. “But you’re right.” Mako looked up at the older woman and waited to see if she would back up his worries. “She made her decision. But I think she’s blocking herself from thinking about the consequences.” Pema looked up and made eye contact with the young bender for a split second before he looked away. “She doesn’t want to think any further because she’s so overwhelmed with everything.” Pema propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin on her folded hands. “So, she thinks that making a decision that will benefit everyone and ignoring how she might feel later will solve all of these problems.”

“It’s not the right choice.” A crease was worried between Mako’s brows. “Maybe other girls could make a decision like this and be okay with it. But Korra…” He paused. “I don’t want to think about how she’ll be after…” He rested his cheek against his fist and gazed out the window. “And it worries me.”

Pema smiled knowingly as she brought her hands back down to the table and rested her amber eyes on them. “Then maybe you should tell her that.” She looked up at Mako through her eyelashes, a smile still on her face. “What you think.”

Mako scoffed and looked at Pema like she was crazy. “What I think? How would that help?” Mako shrugged and looked down at the wooden floorboards underneath the table. “It’s her body…” Korra wasn’t one to change her mind so easily, and that would be the argument stopper right there. Once she used that line, he never knew where to go from there.

“It may be her body,” Pema twiddled her thumbs, “but your opinion is more important than you both realize.” Pema glanced up at Mako and waited to see if he would respond. Instead, his amber eyes were locked on her like a target, waiting for her to continue. The fact that he was staring at her meant he had yet to receive this information, and he was intrigued. Pema went on, “This is a big decision to come to on your own, you know? And even though she may have the final say, she could still use all of the support she can get.”

 “I don’t know if she’d really like what I have to say.” He wasn’t even sure what he had to say. He wanted to tell her to think really hard about how this might affect her in the long run; not just as a quick fix. He wanted to tell her to stop thinking about the rest of the stupid world, who didn’t appreciate her for all the right reasons, and think about herself for once. He wanted her to stop thinking about him for a split second and consider what she wanted. He wanted her to do whatever she needed to do to come to a solid conclusion to this puzzle, instead of drawing a line straight to the end over all the thick black lines of the maze. He would walk it with her if he had to; if she would let him. Anything to make sure he could see her smile again.

“What I mean to say is don’t go forcing what you want or think down her throat. But it’s good for a person to take things into consideration and know they’re not alone and that others are thinking of them.”

Mako nodded and digested what the nonbender was telling him. It all made sense, but Korra may not take any of what he had to say with ease. She would growl and snarl at him until she had him backed into submission. She didn’t think of it as consideration, but as a force holding her back. But wouldn’t it still mean something if she at least heard it? Even if she scorned him for it and ripped him a new one, she would still have the information in her head. She would still be forced to process what he had told her. And maybe it could force her to think. If she would just think, then he would be okay with it all, regardless of whatever decision she came to at the end of the day.

--

Mako and Bolin were just about to descend the island’s steps when Korra dropped yet another bombshell on them. “So I’ll see you guys at practice tomorrow?”

“Uh, practice?” Mako’s lips tilted up nervously. She couldn’t be serious.

“Yeah, we got a match in a couple of days and I’ve been behind!” She threw her arms in the air and smiled. She really did want to get back into the arena; no matter what had been going on, she still missed the thrill of bending and hearing the crowd go wild.

“But…” For once Bolin decided he should put in some of his concern. He didn’t like being quiet about any of this, anyway. “You’re pregnant.”

“So?” Korra pouted.

“I don’t think so.” Mako shook his head and turned to face her. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be playing out there in your condition.” He made sure to give her a stern face. As team captain it was his job to ensure the safety of his teammates. There was no way he was going to let Korra put herself or the baby in danger just because Korra wanted to play in a probending match.

Korra looked taken aback and an icy fire ignited in her eyes. “What does my condition have to do with probending!?”

Mako’s eyes darkened in warning. “You could get hurt, Korra.”

“We get hurt in probending matches all the time!” she wailed.

"But...no one plays while they're pregnant." Bolin looked at his older brother for back up. "Do they?" his voice piqued with interest.

"No," Mako growled, keeping his eyes on Korra. "Listen, it's better to play it safe instead of putting yourself and the baby in danger!"

Korra’s face contorted in rage. “Look, it’s not like I’m keeping it; it’ll be gone in a few days!” she growled at the both of them. “So what’s the point of playing it safe if it’s not staying?” She glowered at the two bothers as they dropped their heads and stared at the ground. “Whatever,” she huffed, flipping her hair. “I’ll see you guys at practice tomorrow.”

Both of the brothers remained quiet, Mako in fumes and Bolin dejected, as Korra stormed back inside. Bolin looked over at Mako. “Talk about mood swings.”

“Seriously.”