Earth
Fire
Air
Water
Only the Avatar can master all four elements and bring balance to the world
Wu struggled to keep his mind focused as Mako wrapped his hands around his arms. He slid Wu's wrists higher up, making them level with his chin. "Keep them up. If your opponent favors low, you need to be able to go high. Again."
Throwing all his weight into a punch, Wu lurched forward. Though Mako was an expert at blocking, Wu managed to get some solid hits in across the wraps on his forearms. That was until Mako threw in a curveball. Wu groaned as his back suddenly hit the floor.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"Our next lesson: the element of surprise."
Mako let out a breath and reached a hand down to help Wu up. He crossed his arms over his chest in refusal. "Nope," Wu said, turning away.
"Really?"
"I think you're being a little excessive," Wu continued, sticking his nose up into the air. Or as much up as he could get given that he was sprawled on the floor.
Setting his hands on his hips, Mako gave Wu a pointed look. "I actually don't think I'm being excessive enough," he began sharply. The bite in his words piqued Wu's interest and he ever so slightly turned the corner of his eyes back to Mako. "How many times in the last few years has something really bad almost happened to you?"
"...A lot," Wu murmured after a long pause.
"My point exactly. Soon, I won't be around to help you anymore, Wu."
"Don't sound too sad about it," Wu grumbled sarcastically.
Furrowing his brows, Mako leaned back as Wu pushed himself back to his feet. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," he said in return, readjusting his helmet. When Mako didn't slip back into his training stance, Wu exhaled and added, "Really, it's nothing."
"Didn't sound like nothing."
"I'm just still on edge after my kidnapping, that's all."
Mako hummed. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I mean, what else would be wrong?"
Wu gave Mako an odd look that he couldn't quite decipher, and Mako didn't like that. He liked Wu's face to be easily readable, preferably with his nice smile on it. This look was a lot more sharp, almost angry. Mako had no idea why Wu would be upset him, after all, he had just saved his life.
The door to the training room opened with an awkward creak. Mako's grandmother poked her head inside, an absolutely giddy smile on her face. "I hope I'm not interrupting," she said.
"Actually—"
"No, you're not—"
Mako and Wu glanced tensely at each other.
Mako's grandma flickered her eyes between them and their long, heavy gaze with a wistful shake of her head. She sighed and propped the door open even wider, gesturing for the boys to follow her. "Wu, I'm just going to borrow my grandson for a moment, if you don't mind. I would be very appreciative if, in the meantime, you went and tasted a few of the dishes I'm making for dinner tonight. They're my tried and true recipes, but I want to make sure everyone will enjoy them."
Wu gently bowed his head. "Of course."
When he had disappeared past the threshold, Yin raised her brows at Mako and told him to hurry. They exited down the other side of the hall and out toward the gardens. As Mako followed his grandmother in silence, he couldn't help but look back in the direction that Wu left.

YOU ARE READING
Winding Legacies: A 'The Legend of Korra' Rewrite
AdventureKorra, the new Avatar of the world, has grown up happily in the Southern Water Tribe. Well, as happy as one can be with constant Avatar training. She may have had her best friend, Lemaya, Master Katara as one of her teachers, and her amazing parents...