Chapter 1

Korra

Korra stood at the edge of the water letting the tail end of the waves lap against her toes. The top of her wetsuit hung around her waist leaving her upper half clad in a blue and white polka dot bikini top. The warm breeze ghosted across her muscular body, warming her bare shoulders and back. She closed her eyes for a moment, rolled her shoulders back and inhaled the scent of brine as she adjusted the hold on her propped up surf board.

She grabbed both sides of her Hydroflex Bender and jammed it into the soft sand, letting it go so it would stand up on its own. Then she quickly tied her shoulder length brown hair up in a tight top knot. Slipping her arms through the arm holes of the top of her wet suit she pulled it up and on. Zipping it closed she took another deep breath of the salty sea air just as the sun started to peek over the horizon.

She grabbed her board up and with a jubilant smile on her lips she raced forth into the crashing waves. She paddled out, wanting to get a good ways out before she picked a wave to ride. Her muscles flexed and propelled her through the water. Looking up she caught sight of an approaching wave that couldn't be paddle over. Not wanting to lose the distance she'd gained she quickened her paddling. Then as the wave drew closer she gripped the sides of her board and took a deep lungful of air. With great force she pushed the nose of the board down, pushing it underwater. She kicked her legs as hard as she could propelling herself and the board down into the dark water and under the wave.

When she'd cleared the undercurrent of the wave she adjusted the angle of her board and kicked towards the surface. Breaking the top of the water she continued to pull herself forward until she reached her destination. Bobbing in the water she watched the sun break further over the horizon and saw a swell in the water. Grinning she turned her board around to face the beach. Then she started paddling for all she was worth.

The wave rushed to catch her, racing her to the shoreline. As it began to overtake her she quickly pushed herself to her feet. Finding her balance she rode the wave letting out a loud "Whoop!" She cut back along the wave, shifting her weight to gather a little more speed. The wave had reached its peak and started to curl in on itself, crashing apart. Korra adjusted her stance and weight as the curl approached her. She watched as it the tunnel started to reach past her, trying to trap her in its furious wake. She reached her hand out and let her fingertips glide across the formable wall of water next to her.

As the opening in front of her started to draw in on itself, closing up, she shifted her weight again. She picked up speed and just as the wall of water slammed in on itself she came shooting out. Arms upraised in victory she let another triumphant yell and glided until she felt the board start to wobble beneath her. She quickly lay back down on the board and started paddling back out to her previous position.

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Asami

The beautiful alabaster woman looked out the windows at the alternating scene in front of her. One second buildings would fly by, then beach and ocean, then trees, then buildings again. The sequence continued for many miles. Checking her phone and not seeing what she was wanting displayed she reached over and fiddled with the dial on the radio. When she heard the sounds of a familiar song pump its way through the car speakers she let her hand fall back to the bench seat. With a "humph" she went back to watching the passing scenery.

"I really hope you aren't like this the entire trip." Asami cut her eyes to the rearview mirror, glaring at the woman that spoke. In the mirror she met annoyed green eyes and a disapproving frown.

"Yeah Sami, relax. Quit worrying about Iroh. He isn't here for a reason and that reason is he's stupid." A young man with twinkling green eyes added. She watched in the mirror as he raked his hands through a disheveled pompadour and then settled an arm around the shoulders of the woman next to him. "Besides Opal has a point. You won't be any fun if you're like this the entire trip." The man pulled the woman, Opal, close to him and gave her a quit peck on the cheek.

"I'm trying Bolin, I just … grrr … I hated how we left things, ya know?" Asami twisted in her seat to look back at the young man.

Bolin nodded and stroked a thumb across Opal's shoulders. "We know Sami, but you tried, and he didn't. Don't let his stupid choices ruin your fun time!" Bolin said soothingly, then he reached up with his free hand and ruffled the top of her perfectly curled black hair.

"Hey Bo, how much further is this place anyway?" A very moody looking man with severe eyebrows asked from behind the wheel of the car.

"It should be just up here Mako. Chill Broski, we're almost there." Bolin smiled as Mako shot him a 'go to hell' look in the mirror.

"Mako when did you learn to surf anyway?" Opal inquired as she relaxed into Bolin's side.

Mako's amber eyes turned worried. "Uh, I really haven't ever tried, but how hard can it be?"

"Dude you are so going to get slaughtered." Bolin called out. "Hey turn here Broseph, this is it."

Mako rolled his eyes as he made a right into the parking lot. The group got out and stood surveying the scene before them. Waves roared and crashed against the shoreline. A small scattering of people sat on the beach enjoying the sun, but no one, except for one lone figure, dared to enter the turmoil of the water.

Asami watched as the figure paddled out into the chaos then stopped and bobbed in the water for a short period before turning and paddling back to shore. "Asami, come help with this shit!" Mako called, drawing her attention away from the surfer. She turned and headed towards the trunk to help carry their belongings.

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Asami shook her towel and spread it out on the sand next to Opal. The boys were tossing a football around while the girls decided to relax. Opal was stretched out in the full force of the sun while Asami stretched out under the shade of the umbrella. She envied Opal, she wanted to lay in the warmth of the sun too, but she knew she'd only walk away later looking like a cooked lobster. Not wanting to spend the entire vacation in pain she resigned herself to the shade. Making herself comfortable she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.

Setting her phone on her knee she dug out her book and settled herself back against the cooler. Suddenly a hand snaked out and grabbed her phone from her knee, she lunged forward and made a swipe for it but it was just out of her reach. Opal stood in front of her, Asami's phone clutched in her hand.

"You'll get this back before we leave understood?" Opal placed her fists on her hips and looked menacingly down at Asami.

"Fine!" Asami huffed out and crossed her arms over her chest.

Opal grinned and walked back to her towel. She dropped Asami's phone into a nearby bag and sat. "Have you watched this guy out there?" Opal called out as she jerked her thumb in the direction of the lone surfer.

"A little. I don't see how Mako is going to be able to even paddle out there." Asami muttered as she watched the waves pound against the sand sending white spray up in protest.

"Well I guess we're about to find out. There he goes." Opal stood up and raised her hand to shade her eyes against the sun.

Asami looked over and watched as Mako trotted his way out into the surf. Bolin came running back towards them. Asami stood and walked to meet him.

"Please tell me you have 9-1-1 on speed dial?" He joked as he turned back towards the water and watched Mako paddle out into the waves.

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Korra

Korra was waiting on one more wave for the day. One more and she could go home happy. She loved the water, loved the surf. She especially loved the surf in Hawaii. She grinned as she bobbed in the water and watched the shore. She was far enough out that she wouldn't get caught in a wave unless she paddled in, so she sat for a few minutes to catch her breath. She'd had the swells to herself today, which wasn't too surprising considering how brutal they were. So when she saw a figure starting to paddle out to her she didn't think too much about it, lots of experienced surfers would come out on rough swell days. Best time to get big waves, and there usually wasn't a bunch of tourists trying to make fools of themselves.

Finally she decided she'd ride the next one in, paddling forward slowly she waited until she felt the familiar upward push of the approaching wave. Grinning she willed her arms to carry her forward with the rising wave. She caught sight of a flash of red to her right, the other surfer was paddling, trying to catch the wave too. She half watched as she jumped quickly to her feet, coasting forward with the momentum of the charging wall of water. The other surfer was a little unsteady on his feet, she noted as she glanced over.

Korra leaned and cut her way towards the other surfer, wanting to draw in just close enough to try and see who it was. Suddenly he was gone, poof, nowhere in sight. She cut her eyes back and forth searching. She saw parts of his black board surge in front of her on the wave. People on the shore were screaming, it echoed in her ears. She cut her board back into the wave, ridding up and over it. Dropping down to straddle the board she twisted and turned looking for any sight of the downed surfer.

Off to her right she caught sight of something, turning she cut her way through the water toward it. It rose out of the water again, a hand, then sank back down below the surface. Korra took the biggest lungful of air that she could and drove into the water. Her head broke the surface and she kicked towards the bottom looking around. Everything was blurry and misshapen, the water swirled around her. She felt the safety rope at her ankle tug gently as her board coasted over a wave. She caught sight of something moving below and to the right of her.

Jerking the rope from her ankle she kicked as hard as she could. Drawing up on it she could tell it was the surfer. She reached out and grabbed them under the armpits then kicked for the fluttering light above her with all her might. The body drug against her, fighting to pull her down. Korra grit her teeth and kicked with everything she had. All the padding she'd done that day was taking its toll. The light above her drew closer, her lungs started to burn, and black spots danced in her vision. Her brain was screaming out for to take a breath and she fought the action to do so. Finally with one last desperate kick her head broke the surface.

Sucking in a grateful breath of air she looked about, miraculously her board hadn't drifted far. She blinked water from her eyes and looked at the body in her arms. The young man had his eyes closed. She adjusted a one armed grip around him and started towards her board. She pulled them forward with one arm and kicked with her legs. Her muscles ached from the strain, and she was very grateful to reach her surfboard. She found the safety string and pulled it up to fit between her teeth.

Grasping the man under the arm pits again she threw his arms over the surfboard and then quickly ducked under it to the other side. She wedged her arms under him and lifted him up, pulling him forward so his upper body rested on the board. Swimming back around so she was next to him she started kicking for the shore.

Korra's body was protesting the overexertion she was putting it through. Her muscles threatened to cramp up. She panted and strained and just when she started to doubt that she'd ever get them both to shore, an average height, muscular man was in front of her.

"Hold on, I'll get you guys the rest of the way." He assured her as he hauled them forward. "Mako I swear to Ravaa if you're dead I will never forgive you!" The man stood in the now shallow water.

Korra stood on shaky legs and grabbed the surfer's feet as the other man grabbed him under the arms. Together they drug him on shore and set him down on the sand. Korra dropped to her knees and pressed her ear against his chest. Where she should have heard the steady beat of a heart she heard only silence.

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Asami

Asami watched in horror as Bolin and the other surfer drug Mako's body from the water. He looked like a ragdoll as he swayed between them. She heard Opal's panicked voice on the phone as she spoke to the 9-1-1 operator. Asami rushed forward as they laid Mako out on the sand. Helplessly she watched as the surfer, a woman, pressed her ear against his chest. With a sad, defeated look on her face the woman rose back up. Shaking her head her voice rasped out, "he isn't breathing and he has no pulse." Asami felt tears well up in her eyes. She watched the woman deflate inwards and close her eyes.

A choked sob sounded from Bolin as he dropped to the ground next to Asami. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and covered her mouth with her other. She forced herself to hold in her sobs, but she let her tears flow freely. She looked back at the woman, her eyes suddenly shot open and in place of that sad despair was a fire. Asami watched as the woman placed her hands over Mako's chest and started to pump. She watched as the woman's muscles rippled under the force. She shook Mako's entire body as she pumped away as his chest.

The sound of sirens wailed in the distance. Asami closed her eyes and laid her cheek against the top of Bolin's head. She knew they were too late, they couldn't help Mako. He was gone, Asami's heart shuddered violently in her chest. She chocked down another sob, bit down against the scream of sorrow that welled in her chest. Bolin's body shook beneath her, his sobs tore through her chest. She looked back up at the woman, who continued to slam her hands into Mako's lifeless chest.

Asami couldn't watch anymore, she turned her head away and caught sight of flashing red and blue lights in the distance. The sirens screamed in her head, she pinched her eyes closed, and rose her hands to cover her ears. Abruptly, a racking cough broke through the noise. She jerked her head towards Mako and watched as the woman rolled him over to his side. She pounded against his back.

"Slow breaths. Don't fight it, let it come up." She rubbed her hand against his back now, a small smile playing across her lips.

Asami's eyes widened as she saw Mako move, his body rejecting the water in his lungs. She shook Bolin until he raised his head. Together they stared as Mako slowly sat up with great aide from the woman. Asami cut her eyes away from Mako, letting them fall upon his savior. Deep blue eyes locked onto her, her breath caught in her throat. Quickly she inhaled and mouthed "thank you" to the woman, and offered a smile. The woman smiled back and dipped her head in acknowledgment.

Opal skidded to a halt behind Asami. "Holy shit!" She glanced unbelieving eyes back and forth between the woman and Mako. Finally Opal reached down and pulled Bolin to his feet just as the ambulance halted next to them. With a rush the paramedics sprang forth and dropped down beside Mako. Asami listened as the woman explained what happened.

As the paramedics lifted Mako to the gurney Bolin ran to the woman, scooped her up into a hug.

"Thank you so much for saving my bro." Then Bolin set the woman down and jumped into the back of the ambulance.

Asami stared at the tanned face and the captivating blue eyes. Opal tugged at her arm, dragging her towards their belongings. "Come on we have to go." Asami shook her head and grabbed an armful of their things. She cast a look around the beach again, but the woman was gone. Trotting after Opal they loaded the car and drove off following the ambulance.