TLOK and its characters are owned by Bryke.

Korra approached the grand steps of the Sato mansion, tension rolling along the muscles of her body. She knocked three times, waiting patiently for one of Mako and Bolin's new cousins to open the giant doors.

"Ah, Avatar Korra. I assume you are looking for Mako?" Tu grinned a little cockily.
"I was actually, can you tell me where I might find him Tu?" Korra ignored the smirk he was sporting.

"Middle floor, training room last I seen him, trying to toughen up Grandma Yin's love bunny." He gestured pointedly at the stairs behind him. "Take the left, pass two doors then a right, and another left after a hall." Korra performed the old earth kingdom bow and set off to follow his directions. A navy bag dangled at her hip, bumping it on every step and reminding her why she was here.

Korra took the twisting and turning path until she stumbled into an empty training room. It bore the scars of recent use and incomprehensible voices teased at the edges of her ears. She stepped through the room to a closed door; Korra assumed it led into one of the many sitting areas of the mansion. Behind it she made out one distinctly male voice and another that was distinctly Wu.

"So you dated Avatar Korra? Come on Mako you gotta tell me about that. Gab away!" Korra froze, waiting anxiously for Mako's reply.

"Uh yeah, I dated Korra. It was wonderful, we really, uh I guess, clicked?" Korra's breath caught in her chest and she leaned her ear closer to the door. "You know, when we weren't fighting at least. When we could forget work and training and stress it was amazing, she had this kind of affect that makes you forget every other girl in the world. But we were just so out of balance, our jobs quickly became the third person in our relationship and it crumbled. I still miss her, even after all these years. Seeing her the other day just reminded me at how much I missed her and finding out that she wrote to Asami and not me was like she had sucked the air from my lungs. I was angry sure but I just felt empty. After three years I still can't look at another girl. If I hadn't sworn an oath to Beifong I would have left the instant I heard she was missing." Korra felt heat flow to her cheeks and her heart flutter dangerously.

"You really haven't dated anyone else in three and a half years? Now I find that hard to believe Mako. Surely there was one lucky lady in your life?" Wu raised his voice a little on Mako's name.

"There was a few days with Asami but that was more her than me. It was just after Korra and I broke up, Asami came on to me and I didn't respond but I didn't push her away either. I was still so focused on Korra I didn't know what to do. I still don't, she's the only one I've ever loved."

"Wait. You mean to tell me, you hooked up with the Avatar and the Sato dame? You have got to teach me your ways o' glorious bodyguard!"

"Grow up Wu. Are you feeling up to round two? Toughening you up may take a while at the rate you're going." Korra stumbled for a moment before standing and knocking on the closed door before the bodies inside could catch her eavesdropping.

"Mako, you in there?" she tried to ask with out hinting she had been there long.

"Its open," He called back, thinking it was one of his cousins. Korra pushed through, forgetting the blush that still tinted her cheeks. She met his eyes briefly.

"Sorry, Tu told me you were training the Prince." She looked past him at Wu. "Your Highness," She acknowledged, bowing her head. "Would you mind if I pinched Mako for a few minutes, you'll have him back beating you up in no time."

"Sure thing Avatar. Mako, in a few minutes." He grinned wildly and strutted, there really is no other word for it, out the room.

"So Korra, what brings you here?" He sat back on the couch where he was during his conversation with Wu.

"You do, actually. I came to apologise." She walked over and took the seat on his left.

"Apologise? Who are you and what have you done with Korra?" They laughed uneasily.

"I wanted to clear up lunch the other day. When Asami told you that I wrote to her and not to tell you." She tugged gently on her hair before he cut in.

"There isn't anything to clear up Korra, I'm just glad you're home." He placed his hand gently on her leg.

"And I'm glad to be home, but there is something I need to clear up. It wasn't that I didn't write Mako, I just never sent the letters. I could never find the right words, and whenever I tried to write a letter to you, Asami or even Bolin, I just didn't want to tell you all that I wasn't getting better. I couldn't be the Avatar in a wheelchair." She paused for several moments. Mako just watched her intently. "No, that isn't right. I wrote dozens of letters, I just couldn't find the strength to send them. I didn't want you to see me as weak or broken. Any of you. I've only ever been the Avatar and, after Zaheer, I couldn't even be that. I didn't want any of you to see that."

Mako took a moment to absorb, before he turned and looked her gently in the eyes. "I know that when you were growing up it was all Avatar all the time, but you were never only the Avatar to me Korra. To Bo and me you were Korra first, you were our friend first. You were our friend Korra who drove us insane and just happened to be master of three elements." He moved his hand from her leg to her cheek. "In those three years, all I wanted was Korra to say she was coming home, being the Avatar could wait." She pulled him into a rib-crushing hug.

"You know, I never really felt at home until I came here." Korra whispered gently into his shoulder. She pulled away after several moments had passed and removed the bag from her shoulder; sucking in a deep breath she met his golden gaze once more. "These are all the letters for you that I didn't send. They are only up to before I left the South Pole, not much time for writing letters when you're trying to steer a boat across vast oceans or when you're trying to go unnoticed through villages, and then I hit Toph's swamp and things started to get… Messy." Mako threw the strap over his shoulder as she froze, horror crashing over her features like the tidal of all waves. She looked into his eyes, panic overflowing her own. "Oh no." She stated simply.

"Korra? What is it? What's going on?" He asked, his voice climbing in volume.
"The swamp, I can feel the spirits in pain and panic, so much panic." She took his hands roughly and stood, pulling him up with her. "Mako we have to go right now." Korra began to drag him out of the room but he stood still.
"Korra, tell me what is going on. Now." His face stood firm, an unmovable mask. She turned to him, that wild look still blanketing her features. Her answer threw him an unexpected curveball. She set her panic ridden eyes on his, as unmovable and stubborn as the girl he had grown to love.
"Kuvira."