Korra doesn't know how it happened. One second her life is close to perfect. Amon has fled; her bending has returned, and she has been touched by the love of another. She is held tightly in Mako's embrace; their lips locked together in a dance of dominance. The next second, they are forced apart by the sound of approaching footsteps. Korra turns her head slightly to see Asami and Bolin sprinting toward them. Jinora is wrapped up tightly in Bolin's grasp, and it looks like she's been crying.
The three slow to a stop, breathing heavy and shooting apprehensive glances behind them, their cheeks tinted peach by the cold arctic air.
"Korra…" Bolin starts shakily, avoiding eye contact with the girl in question.
"What is it Bo?" she asks, concern tinting her voice and clouding her normally clear eyes.
"We were followed," he sighs, green eyes finally meeting blue, "a group of equalists found the compound and attacked."
She steps out of Mako's warm embrace, "What?" she sputters.
"They burned the compound down. We got out, but everyone else…" Bolin trails off, and Jinora snuggles further into his chest whimpering slightly.
A million images flash before Korra's eyes, a million frozen moments of time. Her parents crying as the White Lotus drag her away on her fifth birthday; Lin saving her life at the arena; Ikki and Meelo riding her around on her back and claiming she's a dragon; Pema holding baby Rohan for the first time as a smile grazes her lips; Tenzin finding her on the floor of Avatar Aang Memorial Island; Master Katara smiling proudly after Korra's waterbending test. Each picture is a little more poignant, a little more heartbreaking.
"No," her voice cracks pathetically as more memories play through her jumbled mind. It takes her a second to register the tears trailing down her flushed cheeks. She doesn't believe it; she has to see for herself. She runs to Naga, clearing the distance in mere seconds, and pulls herself shakily onto the beasts back. When she glances behind her, Mako is already on the saddle, snaking his arms around her waist.
Naga shoots forward, retracing a familiar path back to the compound. At one point, Korra begins shaking, fearful spasms wracking her body. Mako's grip tightens in response, his lips ghosting comforting kisses on the back of her parka, and his hands drawing meaningless designs on her flat stomach.
They see the smoke first, giant clouds of gray coating the world in falling ash and staining soot. She squeezes her eyes shut, hoping that this is just another nightmare. When I get to zero, I'll be back on Air Temple Island, she thinks to herself as she squeezes her eyes shut tighter.
TEN… "That girl is tough as nails," Lin says, an appreciative smile on her face.
NINE… "Korra," Jinora says, "Is that the handsome firebender boy who drives you crazy?" Korra tries hard to hide her blush but fails miserably.
"Does he drive you crazy in a bad way or does he drive you crazy like you like him?" Ikki asks giggling. The oldest girls stomps her foot hard, sending the two airchildren flying into the sky.
EIGHT… Tenzin stands before her, a serious expression on his face, "I thought I should put of your training to uphold my father's legacy, but you are his legacy. You may stay and train airbending here with me," she intakes a small breathe and swears she can see a smile creeping onto Tenzin's lips. "Republic City needs its Avatar once again."
Thank you Tenzin, she thinks to herself.
SEVEN… Blue meets blue. "I think you're going to be a great Avatar" Korra swells with pride at the old woman's words. "Thank you Katara," she says pulling her oldest friend in for a hug. SIX… She collapses hard into Tenzin's chest, "I'm scared," she says fighting off sobs. "I know," he replies quietly, "and that's ok."
FIVE… They all pitied her, looking at her like she was about to break. But they shouldn't because it's her fault; she's the one that failed, not them.
"It's going to be alright," Tenzin says from where he stands with a sleeping Meelo in his arms.
"No," he's lying; he doesn't understand, "It's not."
FOUR… Three words find a special place in her heart. BE THE LEAF. Although it has been told to her many times in many ways, only now, as she dances through the spinning gates, can she truly understand those words.
THREE… "It's okay to be afraid," he says, but she knows it's just a lie because she's the avatar, and she's not supposed to be afraid of anybody.
TWO… She fights back tears as her mother pulls her in for one last embrace, "We love you so much."
ONE… "When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."
She fights the urge to cry as gentle hands come to rest on the base of her neck and her forehead. Suddenly, she can feel the tectonic plates of the Earth shifting and changing again. She can understand the sun's westward movement across the sky. She senses the moon preparing to begin its daily journey, and now she can also feel the wind. It tickles her cheeks and sends her hair rippling through its fingers. She is whole.
ZERO… She opens her eyes slowly and nearly cries out at the sight of the compound. All that is left is a pile of charred wood, black and ugly. It still burns in certain areas. Tongues of orange flames lick hungrily at what little remains, attempting to devour it whole.
She stumbles off of Naga, falling to her knees in front of where the door should have been, A flash of blue catches her attention a few feet to her left, and she reaches out and grabs the stone, wrapping her fingers around the smooth treasure. It's from her mother's engagement necklace.
"No," she chokes, her words a strangled sob, "NO!" she lunged forward into the inferno, but she is stopped by a pair of long arms from behind.
She fights his restraint, screaming and clawing at his arms while aiming fierce kicks at his shins, "Let me go!" she screams, slamming her whole being into his arms. His grip doesn't even falter. "I can still save them!" she screams. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly. That was what he had though when he saw his parents fall. Trying had only hurt him more.
She fights still. He leans his head forward, allowing his lips to ghost her temple, "No Korra, you can't," he grits his teeth, hating that he has to be the one to tell her this, but knowing it is best coming from him, "They're gone."
She collapses in on herself, and he follows, gathering her up in his arms. Her head is buried in his chest, trying, and failing, to muffle her heart wrenching sobs. Her nails claw frantically at the collar of his shirt, desperate to hold onto something- somebody. She can't lose him too, not now and not ever. He lets her cry herself out, even allowing himself to shed the tears that have been building up since his own parent's death.
Eventually, her sobs fade until all that remains are a few stray tears trapped in the expanses of her chocolate eyelashes and strangled hiccups that rumble sporadically through her tired body.
When she finally looks at him, his heart cracks a little at the sight. She looks empty and hurt, but most of all, she looks broken, completely and utterly shattered. He makes it his own personal goal to fix her, to make the pain bearable, to soothe away the nightmares that are sure to come, and to love her because now, love is the only thing the revolution hasn't stolen from her.
"What do I do without them?" she asks him, her voice shockingly hoarse and quiet and oh-so defeated, "They were my only family, and he took them away too."
"I'll be your family Korra ," he says as he carefully lifts her chin and nuzzles his face into the spot between her neck and shoulder, "Bo, Asami, Jinora, Naga, and I. We'll be your family, and you can be ours."
She lets out a shuttering sigh, relief washing through her body as more tears fall, leaving mazes on her chocolate cheeks. He would take care of her; he would catch her when she fell like she had fallen now, and she would do the same for him because she is hopelessly and irreversibly in love with him.
"Thank you" she sobs, her body shaking and her voice laced with emotion, "Thank you, thank you, thank you"
"Anything for you, Love," he whispers as sleep consumes her, and she goes limp in his arms
That's how Bolin, Jinora, and Asami find them sometime later. Korra is asleep in Mako's lap as he runs his fingers through her hair and whispers sweet nothing to chase away the nightmares.