It has been a while since you've seen me. What with the holidays and nanowrimo and what not getting in the way. Anyway here's another go at it. Thanks for all of you staying with me this long. Please don't forget to review. It really does help me keep going.

Korra leapt straight in the air. Forward or backwards wouldn't make much of a difference. She had wandered too far into the trap. Maybe if she was able to use a firebending propelled launch then it would have been possible, even if extremely dangerous. The inferno raged to life under her, stretching across the tarp in seconds.

"Korra!" She heard her name. She knew Mako's voice. It sounded surprised. It sounded afraid. She almost remembered that she wasn't even supposed to have left her place on the wall. Maybe he was just as afraid as she was. Korra knew the ledge he was standing on was too far away to reach her even if he did jump down to help.

She twisted as she fell. Her form was sloppy as she reached for water, forcing it to materialize out of the chemical waste of gasoline. She bent the water away from where she landed forming a small circle of safety around her. All around her the fire was burning unnaturally high and her skin ached at its closeness.

"Mako!" She called back once she knew her landing was safe enough, "I'm ok, just give me a minute!"

"Too long!" She heard a voice say from inside the moat of fire. She lashed out with her bending towards the voice. A streaming of flaming gas tearing through the air at the career. She smiled at the feel of fire in her hands, her own bending burning the flames brighter in a way the gamemakers would never be able to discern. Yong barely managed to dodge the attack. The gas struck the cornucopia wall and splattered into little fires that died in the gravel.

Yong responded with a punch that forced a massive fireball from his fist. The sun, this region, the immediate fire filling the air around him, all stacked against Korra and fueled his bending. Making the career stronger. Instinct alone caused Korra to throw up her arms and form a shield with what little water she could supply.

The attempt was one that could not last long. The shield carried chemicals that burned as the fire touched it. The bright flames distorted her vision so horribly it was hard to even see Yong anymore. But she could feel her defense withering away under her hands. The water turning to steam as he pressed his attack.

The assault ended almost as quickly as it began. She could hear the whoosh of ignition some distance away from her. Mako had finally reached her. Yong turned his position, defending for only an instant before turning his attack towards Mako.

Korra jumped and put a hand against her mouth to stop a scream. She had felt the fire touch her. Burn through her boot and send pain shooting through her leg. It took only a second or two to put it out but she knew her shelter was getting smaller and smaller. The fire continued to try to spread, burn away at the tarp she was still standing on. A sweeping motion widened the circle of safety, but it would not last forever.

She could see mako trading blows like no bender she had ever watched before. She had seen firebenders, that wasn't what seemed so off about it. But it was the way he bent, a style that was both foreign and intriguing. He seemed to dance on his toes and his raised forearms protected his face. His blows were fast, more like jabs than actual punches, that still had a defensive edge to them.

Korra was still astonished when he took his first hit. A blow to the shoulder that knocked him slightly off balance. The second was aimed at his knees. It was too large, too fast, no one could have been expected to dodge that. As he stumbled Korra saw Yong pull back for a third, possibly final blow.

Korra acted out of instinct rather than training. A feeling that boiled inside of her and pushed her to act before even she was aware of moving. Flames parted at her will. She moved at a speed she didn't even know she could reach, covering the distance between her and Mako just as she realized she was going to him. The boy fell backwards as she almost crashed into him, hardly taking notice of the boy she was protecting. Her arm raised against the fire Yong had thrown. It struck her hand as she absorbed the energy of the fireball. In another firm movement a thick wall of stone was erected stretching above her head. Nothing Yong could throw at them could reach them easily from this angle.

Only when the barrier was erected did Korra feel the force drain out of her limbs. She looked back at Mako on the ground who was only looking back at her. His eyes were wide, but what was she seeing in them? Fear maybe? More like recognition. Shock. Pieces were fitting together that were finally becoming clear to him. But all Korra felt was panic. How had she? Why had she? This was bad. Her bending . . .

"You're, you're the avatar." Mako finally said.

"Never mind that. You're getting distracted," Korra said using his words. Mako nodded and got to his feet.

"Knock him off balance," He ordered. Korra twisted in two wide kicks that sent the wall flying towards the cornucopia in seperate waves. Flames split as they ripped through the tarp. To one side they caught a glimpse of Yong diving out of the way. He shouted something Korra couldn't hear as her earth struck the cornucopia sending rocks of various sizes flying in all directions. He shook his fist and disappeared inside.

"Do we chase him?" Korra turned back at Mako. She hadn't even realized that he had been throwing fire behind her rock wall. But the question held since she wasn't too keen on walking into some other trap he might have buried inside.

"We can't let him just hide." Mako nodded, "This is our best chance. Hit him hard while he's still just as confused about what you are as the rest of us."

"Mako I-"

"Save it for after this." There was that little smile again. It silenced her even though she had planned on arguing. With her cover blown Korra decided that sticking to only waterbending was a stupid precaution. Naturally she was less skilled with fire having not been properly trained in it. She was capable enough of using her power alongside Mako to clear a path through what remained of Yong's fire trap. The air still felt hot and thick, like a spark would still ignite the air around them. A smile played at Korra's lips as a fragment of an idea appeared.

"Come on out One!" Korra shouted from the entrance. At the edge of her vision she could barely see Mako's surprised expression. "What's wrong? Scared of a real fight? And I thought you were supposed to be a career. What happened to your honor? "

She felt Mako's hand on her arm as he hissed, "What are you doing?" Was that real anger in his eyes or just frustration?

"Nothing," Korra answered staying loud so the career could hear her, "Just, you know, waiting for the fight to start. But I guess it won't, he's just too much of a coward. Guess I'll just have to go in there and smoke him out myself."

"Korra don't you dare go in there." Mako commanded sternly.

"Don't worry," She told him with that confident smile. "It'll be easy. Just like when I killed Chee."

Mako's confused face was worth the lie. It's effect though was immediate. Fire exploded from the cornucopia with a roar. Yong was a powerful storm of anger, his fists engulfed with flame.

"You killed her!" He shouted facing Korra, "I should have never let you escape that first day!"

"Yeah," Korra fell into her fighting stance. This was wrong. It felt cruel. But it felt just too easy. "She brought it on herself really." She had planned on making another taunt but it never came since Yong decided to throw a fireball at her face.

Mako returned fire first, "Maybe you'll find a strategy that doesn't involve making him mad?" He snipped.

Korra let fire burn through her limbs. She hadn't let power like this be free inside her for what had to have been a decade. She had none of Mako's skill or training. Her blows were less powerful, more fluid. It felt almost as though she was still bending water. It was foreign. It was raw. It was exhilarating. For an instant she almost lost herself in the bending and forgot she was under attack at all.

"Korra stop!" Mako ordered and she did. How did she not notice the shadow that covered her? An airship? Had they already won? She hadn't heard a canon, but then again she hadn't been paying attention.. "Move. Now!"

Something opened in the base of the ship. Something shot from that opening. If Mako hadn't warned her the hole that was just blasted into the ground would have been filled with all sorts of assorted Korra pieces. She felt Mako's hand against her wrist pulling her away. She could hear Yong shouting as they tore into the labyrinth. Was he following them? She couldn't hear him over the explosions.

"Where are we going?" Korra finally managed to say. She could feel dirt spray against her pants from that last blast. The air was burning around her as the shots came closer.

"In here!" Mako turned a corner and with a shove they were crouched inside the small grocery store. Korra cringed at the sight of can openers blood still staining the dirty floor. "Keep moving." Mako roughly pushed her by the shoulders until they were almost in the center of the building. The ground shook. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling. Korra raised her arms to shield her head. Would they bring down the whole building?

"Here," Mako had pushed a broken table out of the way revealing a patch of concrete. "Make a hole here. Big one if you can." And Korra did. The action was followed by Mako shoving her into the hole she had just made. With his orders she closed it above their heads.

Without being able to see she lit the tiniest of fires in her hand. Immediately Mako put it out and whispered no to her. They waited completely engrossed in darkness. They could only hear the explosions above their heads and the groaning sounds of strained metal and wood. Something crashed. Was it the building? It was probably the building. How many stories of scrap metal and wood and stone separated them from the sky now?

Then there was a long, terrible silence. What were they doing? Agitation itched at Korra's skin. She didn't like how close the walls were. How dark the world was. Now that the building was on their heads how far would they have to dig to see the sky. Would she even be able to dig through the metal scraps of the building. She wasn't a metalbender at all. Had Mako's plan ended with them being completely trapped underground.

A cannon echoed. Korra's breathing steadied only a little. Had Yong died during the bombing? A second cannon fired and Korra lit the flame in her palm again. Had something killed Mako in their hole? Was she the only one alive? But he was sitting there looking up at the solid stone ceiling until he saw the flame and put it out a second time, this time telling her to hush.

There was a click and then a voice so loud they could hear it in their little hiding place.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the winner of the twenty-fourth annual hunger games: From District one: Yong Arashi."