Hi everyone! I'm back again~ With a rather depressing oneshot this time, sorry to say. The only thing that you really need to know about it is that, yes, it is an AU. And before anyone asks, no, I won't be continuing it (or at least I don't have any plans to). It's strictly a oneshot. And also, I'd suggest listening to the song "Never Let Me Go" by Florence + The Machine while you read. It really amps up the emotion. Hope you enjoy, and reviews are always appreciated.

She never saw it coming.

One minute she was fighting, adrenaline coursing through her veins and fire at her fingertips. Equalists were falling at her feet, electricity crackling through the small space and making her hair stand on end, green goggles flashing in her peripheral vision, and she'd never felt more alive.

The next minute, her eyes locked with that soulless, shadowed gaze, scorching pain cracked through her skull, and suddenly she was falling.

Her vision swam in and out of focus as cold air whipped past her, tearing at her clothes and ponytails, piercing her skin like a thousand knives all attacking her at once. Agony throbbed from the spot on the back of her head where she'd been struck though the rest of her body, and her breath trapped itself somewhere in the middle of her chest, suffocating her lungs.

From somewhere far off in the distance, the hollow echo of a voice reached her muffled ears, broken and desperate with panic.

"KORRA!"

She hit the ocean with a resounding splash, and the last remnants of Mako's scream faded to an all-consuming silence.

A gentle current encircled her beneath the waves, rocking her to and fro and playing in the loose strands of her hair. Fractured rays of sunlight danced on the surface far above her, and she followed them with her eyes as best she could, the pain still pulsing through her and tugging at the corners of her consciousness. She tried to move her arms, kick out with her legs, do something, but her limbs felt heavier than a sky bison, and the weight of her drenched clothes was slowly dragging her down.

Somewhere beyond the surface, the hulking form of the Equalist airship blocked out a patch of the sun, as daunting as ever. If Korra squinted, she could just make out the tiny flashes of orange raining from the airship windows. A tired smile graced her features.

At least Mako was still up there fighting.

Darkness began to swim at the edges of Korra's sight as the pressure of the water around her built, squeezing the air from her body. The waves continued to lull her even as her lungs screamed for the surface, and she allowed herself to keep sinking, listening to the comforting quiet around her.

Oddly enough, she wasn't afraid. She knew she was drowning, that any moment now she would run out of breath and that would be the end, that the world would have to begin its search for the Avatar once again. Even so, she could accept it. Maybe it was the fact that her every nerve was going numb, and she could feel unconsciousness crawling up her veins to engulf her. Or maybe it was because she was surrounded by her native element, and even in her last moments, she trusted the water as much as she trusted herself.

Her eyelids drifted shut, and for just a second, she let her memories flicker in her mind's eye like the flames Mako bent. She pictured all the people she loved, all the people who had touched her life in some irrevocable way.

Her parents were first. She remembered their smiles, their eyes, — both an astounding blue, just like hers — everything she could about them. They had always been there for her, even when she'd run away from home, and she'd never gotten to thank them for it.

Next was Master Katara, her waterbending teacher and the only human friend she'd had growing up. Katara had been like a grandmother to her, always waiting with open arms if she needed someone. She hoped Katara knew that.

Tenzin and his family came after — her true family away from home. Tenzin had taught her so much, and Pema had been like her second mother. And the airbender kids — they were like the siblings she'd never had. They would be so heartbroken when they found out what happened to her.

And she couldn't forget Naga, of course. Naga was one of the best friends she'd ever known. She hoped someone would take care of the polar bear-dog after she was gone.

Bolin. There were so many things she wished she could've said to him. He'd been so sweet to her since they'd met. If only she could've repaid him somehow. She never could've asked for a better friend.

She saved Mako for last, wanting him to be the last thing she remembered before she lost the fight against unconsciousness. She drudged up every detail about him that she could — the sound of his voice, his hair, his eyes, everything. He'd been her world in the short time she'd known him. Thinking of how he would react to losing her almost made her feel guilty; he'd already lost so much.

Her back brushed the sand at the bottom of Yue Bay, and the gold of Mako's eyes faded from her mind as darkness finally crashed over her.

~x~

A cool breeze ruffled the trees of Air Temple Island, whispering outside the window of Mako's room. Moonlight poured through the open curtains, illuminating the firebender where he sat hunched over the side of his bed, face buried in his hands. In a distant part of the house, a clock chimed out the hour, the only evidence reminding Mako that time was still in motion, even if he felt like the world had stopped spinning.

They'd found Korra's body earlier that evening. He'd seen her fall from the airship, known she was injured and needed his help, but he'd been too overwhelmed with the Equalists to try and save her. Even so, he'd expected her to reappear eventually, to charge back into the fight with fire in her palms and in her eyes. After all, this was Korra. The same Korra that always butted heads with him because she was too stubborn to back down from anything. The same Korra that always rushed into trouble without thinking things through because she was so confident with herself.

The same Korra he'd fallen in love with.

But she hadn't shown up again. And he and Chief Beifong's forces had only just managed to defeat Amon and his followers when they'd heard the news.

It was like losing his parents all over again. He hadn't known what to do. Bolin had glanced up at him, tears streaming down his face and helplessness in his eyes, and Mako had been completely lost. His spirit had shattered, because this was his Korra.

And now she was just… gone.

In hindsight, he felt a bit guilty about the way he'd reacted once everything had clicked into place. Bolin had expected him to be strong, to comfort him and tell him everything was ok, because that's what Mako always did. But how could he have held it together when faced with something like this?

No, he'd done the complete opposite. He'd collapsed to his knees and cried like he hadn't cried in years. He'd screamed and told Tenzin that no, you're lying, Korra's not dead, quit saying she's dead!

And Tenzin had just looked at him, sadness and sympathy intermingling in his gray eyes, and Mako's world had shattered around him because he knew Tenzin was telling the truth.

Bolin had stayed with him. The two brothers had hugged one another and mourned their lost friend while everyone else had left to give them some privacy. They hadn't been allowed to see Korra after that. Tenzin had tried to argue with the healers about it, but they'd been adamant about keeping the brothers — Mako in particular — away from her for a while. Mako had caught the words "emotionally unstable" in their conversation, but by then he'd been too numb and exhausted to care what they called him.

Now he sat alone in his room, drowning in his own grief. His heart felt completely empty, his body dead weight on the edge of his mattress. The image of Korra swam before his mind's eye, perfect in every detail, as though she were standing in front of him still, bright and full of life. He could all-too-easily picture her dark brown hair, — tied up in ponytails as always — her cocky smirk, her beautiful blue eyes.

The way her lips had felt against his, pressed together in a desperate kiss just before the battle earlier that day. The words that had ghosted over his ear as she leaned in to whisper to him: See you on the other side, City Boy.

The muscles in his shoulders tensing, Mako lifted his head from his hands, casting his vacant gaze out the window. He could just see the shore of the ocean on this side of the island, the tides rolling in and out and adding their quiet rumble to the air. A sharp ache tore through his chest as it inexplicably reminded him of Korra, just as the water always had.

Groaning, Mako flopped backwards onto the bed, shielding his face in his arms. What was he supposed to do now? With Korra gone, he wasn't so sure he had a purpose anymore. The future looked bleak without her in it, and it definitely wasn't a future he wanted to be a part of.

…Wait.

Maybe there was a way she could be in it.

Mako let his arms slide off his face and onto the mattress, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. It was a slim hope, and it wouldn't nearly be the same as actually having Korra around, but maybe he could be useful after all. In a small way, Korra could still be in his life, even when she was out of his reach.

He was going to find the next Avatar.