#durasilex

in dreams, people sit above the clouds and gaze down on themselves and laugh with the mirth of gods. the spirit world was ephemeral and colorful, brave and unstable as a lone red kite in the bleak sky, but at the same time it was the only thing. when one sits directly in the light, they forget that the dark ever existed. the whole world was painted in broad strokes of vivid blues and purples and pinks, no want for cheer apparent.

a man sits by a tree, back scarcely brushing it , though his muscles were tensed. everything in him was tensed, in fact, and his soul seemed to reach downwards, seep into the ground in the fashion of those who had left something behind in life. sweet-smelling wind rifles his dark hair, carrying with it laughter and the faint scent of strawberry fields, but he does not look up. the avatar appears.

korra deliberately trod as heavy as she dared, meaning to indicate her arrival to mako. the grass was a candy-wrapper color, the exact shade of spring green that lawns are meant to be but never are. these details are no longer wondrous to her. ' hey. ' she speaks halfheartedly , with a bittersweet note that always tinted her voice when she spoke to the dead. mako had been here for years but still carried the standoffishness of a newly freed soul , visually aching for the encumbrance that he had left. he had his parents but had left his brother among the breathing. it was the most selfish desire , for someone to accompany him unconditionally , but he felt it anyway. a simple , human need. dark eyes lock upwards with blue , and his instinct was to reassure, to perk up. but she knew him better.

the girl stoops down to sit with him in a distinctively tumbling fashion ; even in the spirit world she was bold. her smile appears gradually , rising until the crooked break of earnestness illuminates her swarthy face. korra was fond of him in a way that was dangerous for a hero , with so much to protect , but mako was beyond harm - physically , at the very least. she lays a hand on his and , to him , the warmth of her skin is more palpable than that of the dark cloth on her palms. she keeps her voice soft and steady.

' you've been through a lot , mako , and now it's time to rest. it's all over now. you can relax , you've earned it. ' again would the cold-flame gaze look up. ' i - i know , korra. i've never been any good at that. but i'm okay , don't worry about me. ' a lock of eternally black hair lolls forward , making him look even younger than he had on the day of his untimely death. a boy waiting for his little brother. a chill pricks her neck , because she knew what was to come. a shadowy presence , flitting from the spirit world and out , a dear friend. it was his time. korra rises abruptly , avoiding the questioning glance from mako , and steps forward. ' i have to go - to the portal. i'll be right back ! ' and along she ran.

somewhere on a ground of clay , there was a house. in that house , there was a room. in that room , there was a sickbed surrounded by people clad in a million shades of green , the darkness only present on their faces. bolin's hair had given in to gray , and several long years of laughter were etched into his face. his heart , too , had aged , but the universe cannot let such a wise heart exist among the living. so he died. peacefully , sleeping , with opal clinging to his hand and his exhausted children dozing beside him. their tears watered his skin before his flesh had gone cold.

a moment hangs in time in the spirit world as korra waits. then the newly dead materialized in the pillar of yellowish light , his smile even bright in comparison to the land of no - darkness. korra felt bolin's fleeting solidity as he embraced her in the way that was distinctive to him. ' korra ! it's nice to see you again ; i've missed everyone so much ! '

the sky shimmers with his merry step as he follows the avatar deeper into paradise. worn boots halt by a lonely tree where a lonely man sits , almost obscured by the swaying grass. he stands.

the younger might have been more exuberant , but he was left speechless. a minute passes. two. the blue - clad girl stands aloof , for she knew that blood was thicker than water. then the scarlet rodent scuttled to his lost master's feet.

' i - pabu ! mako ! ' and now it was broken , and they knew each other again. bolin runs , spry as he was in youth , and tackled his sibling as if he was the only thing in the world.