Mako didn't make a sound.

If Zaheer hadn't called out to her, Korra wouldn't have even known. When she turned and saw, Korra went as cold as if she'd just jumped into the sea at the South Pole.

All she could think was, Not him.

"You can't save him, Avatar," Zaheer sneered as Mako fell his knees, clawing at the bubble of air that had from around his head. His fingers passed through nothing.

Everything around Korra stilled. No, not really, but her world shrank. Zaheer, Mako, her. In that moment, she was not the Avatar. She was only Korra—terrified, panicking Korra.

Anyone but him.

If she could just get to Mako. If she could just save Mako… Had Aang every experienced anything like this? The question flashed through her mind as she shot to her feet. Did he ever have a moment where the world faded away and all that mattered was one person?

She knew the answer even before the voice in her head said, Yes.

Korra's head snapped up at the long-absent voice. Strength from thousands of lives, all flooding back, filling her body and mind. Her body came alive. She was on fire. She was electric.

She was the Avatar.

Korra slammed her fists in to the ground, catapulting Zaheer into the air. Around her the other still fought, their own battles consuming them. A quick move of her hands and they had all been blown to the ground. Just her and Zaheer.

Her initial attack had surprised the airbender enough that he released Mako briefly. The firebender gasped in a quick breath, but Zaheer had him again a moment later. His body arched as he fought for air.

This time, Zaheer did not release him as he fought off Korra. Time was running and she could not bend that.

Korra attacked Zaheer, using her renewed Avatar state to move faster, strike harder. She couldn't bend time. So she'd just have to free Mako before time ran out.

He was cautious, defensive. Some of his concentration must have been caught up in maintaining the air bubble, because he was barely deflecting her.

Or maybe that was just the natural advantage of the Avatar state.

Korra blasted fire at Zaheer, forcing him to roll. He countered with a mini-cyclone. Korra jumped up, using airbending to propel herself high. She came down, feet flaming, as though to strike at Zaheer's face. He shot at her again, but she expected that. While his body was still engaged in the airbending form, she flipped, coming down behind him instead. Korra jumped Zaheer before he could turn. Caging him with her arms and legs.

"You're too late Avatar. As long as I can bend…"

"I know," Korra said.

And then she pressed her fingertips to his face and took away Zaheer's bending.

Mako collapsed.

How long had it been? Seconds? Minutes? Was he breathing? Korra was raised in the South Pole. She'd been to more than one drowning.

Zaheer fell listless behind her as Korra raced to Mako, pulling him into the shelter offered by a now ruined wall. Mako lay pale and still. She watched for the rise and fall of his chest, but it did not come.

"No," she cried, pounding a fist against his chest as she knelt, her forehead pressed against his.

Korra blinked, eyes going to her fist against his chest. He wasn't breathing, but maybe...

Placing both hands firmly on his sternum, she pumped. One. Two. Three. Then she tilted his head back and used her own breath to force air into his lungs. Three breaths. Three pumps. Bolin was yelling. Three breaths. Three pumps. Bolin crashed to his knees next to them.

"Korra, what are you-?"

Breathe for him. One, two, three. Would this work? She'd only seen it used to clear water from lungs, but maybe-Pump now. One, two, three.

One. Two. Three.

"Mako, breath. Please," she panted, tears streaming down her face.

One. Two Three.

Mako gasped, his body stiffening as he took his first breath in-how long had it been?

"Mako! You're alive!" Bolin pushed Korra away, falling on his brother. He was crying too as he crushed Mako to his chest.

"Bolin?" Mako rasped. His eyebrows scrunched together. "Korra, what happened?"

"Bolin, keep an eye on him," she said, standing. "I'm ending this."

Her body was sore from the fights beforehand and being in the Avatar state. She felt drained. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. But still, she drew on her past lives one more time. There were still people she loved out there and the Red Lotus was never hurting any of them. Never again.

The ground shook beneath her. She was wreathed in water and flame.

Korra flew.

###

Korra did not look for him after the battle. She had already shirked her duty because of him once. It wasn't going to happen again.

Instead, she watched as Lin herded first P'Li, then Ghazan, Ming-Hua, and, finally, Zaheer into the hold of the airship. She tested their bonds. Glanced over their guards. And did one final check to make sure that their bending was gone for good.

They were finished. They would stand trial for what they had done and they would be punished. Again.

"Good work, Korra," Lin said, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder. The chief of police winked at her. "Now go. Someone has to make sure that fool follows the doctor's orders and we both know it won't be Bolin."

The last Korra had seen of the two brothers, they were heading towards the air temple infirmary. Kya would have checked him over. He was probably fine by now.

Korra didn't know what she was going to do.

Anyone but him.

She felt ashamed. Never in her life had her happiness seemed so tied up in the very existence on another person. She was the Avatar. She was supposed to be stronger than that. And yet...she was also Korra.

And Korra loved Mako.

Did she need him? No. But she wanted him to be there. The time apart had been good. She'd needed it. In the past few months, she'd grown so much, in ways that she wouldn't have grown in if they'd been together. Since that day she'd walked away for what she thought was the final time, she had spent so much time thinking about where they'd gone wrong-where she'd gone wrong, because let's face it-she had no control over Mako's actions. Only hers. But he had grown too and if he would meet her halfway? Well, this was worth a try.

Let Mako be the one to walk away this time. If that was what he wanted.

She saw him first. Sitting on an infirmary bed, looking better than when she'd last seen him. Not nearly so pale, though he still looked a bit washed out. His brother sat chatting with him. Bolin saw Korra first.

He smiled and waved. "Hey, Korra over here."

Mako looked up at her name. Just like he'd done days ago at the Misty Palms. He slid to his feet, but this time, he did not open his arms to her.

Bolin chattered as she headed for them. "Kya won't let us leave until she's taken a look at Mr. Grumpy Face over here, or we would have come looking for you."

Twenty paces. Walking was too slow, but Mako had just died and he still looked…fragile. She didn't want to hurt him. He must have had a great view of her boots as she stopped just inches from him.

"You okay?" she asked.

Mako rubbed at his neck. "Yeah."

"Good." Korra launched herself forward, arms going around Mako's neck. His arms hung at his sides briefly, before he wrapped them around her waist. She took that as an invitation to bury her face in the crook of his neck and sob.

"I'm just-I'll be over there," Bolin said.

Korra didn't know where there was. She didn't care either. She was too busy feeling Mako's pulse beat against her cheek. His heart thumping against her chest. He was alive.

"I thought I'd lost you," she said. "You were dead."

"I know." Mako tried to pull away.

Korra held on tight. Just for another minute and then...well, she didn't know what then, but she was tired of trying to keep her own feelings in in an attempt to make this easier. It was never going to be easier for them, they were both too hot-blooded, but maybe, just maybe if they could learn from their mistakes it could be worth it.

"Bolin said you brought me," Mako said.

Korra nodded.

"Thank you," he said. "I owe you one."

"I had to," she said.

"Korra..."

"Anyone but him," she said, pulling away finally. Mako blinked in surprise. "That's what I thought when Zaheer had you." She cupped his cheek in her palm. "Anyone but you and I could deal with it. Anyone but you or..."

"Or?"

"Or I'm not sure what I would have done, but it wouldn't have been pretty."

"Oh." Mako looked away. "I guess it's a good thing we don't have to find out this time."

Korra stepped closer. "Let's hope there's never a next time. Promise me."

"Korra that's not a promise I'm sure I can keep."

"Promise you'll try."

"Okay."

"I love you, Mako." She stepped closer again. Just a few inches and they'd be aligned, knees-thighs-hips. Just a few inches and she'd be kissing him.

Mako let out a breath. Korra's insides clenched together, waiting until he breathed in again. Would it always be like this now? Scared that each breath would be his last? She hoped those memories would fade eventually.

"I-I love you too, Korra, but-"

"I love you," she said. The tips of her fingers brushed his cheek, bringing his eyes back to hers. "And I know we've both said and done things we both regret. We've made mistakes. And we definitely need to talk about how our jobs effect our relationship, but I love you. And that's not going to change." Please don't ever leave me again, she wanted to add, but she dismissed it. It wasn't like he could follow her everywhere all the time. He had a life. So did she.

Mako blinked. "All this time, I thought-"

"I was trying to make it easier."

"Didn't work."

"I know."

"You still love me?"

"I will always love you, Mako."

His hands came to rest on her hips. "And I'll always love you."

Korra leaned into him, pressing their lips together. Relishing the feel of their warmth, their aliveness against her own. Her hands fisted in his hair as she pressed her mouth more firmly to his. His arms tightened, pulling her onto her toes.

"Well," said a voice from behind them. "Looks like Mako's fine. Would you two get out of my infirmary? I have wounded people to deal with right now."

Korra turned her head to see Kya walking away from, waving a dismissive hand behind her.

"About damn time," the older waterbender muttered.

Who is ready for the Book 3 finale tomorrow?! Yeah, me neither. Not really sure about how it is going to go, though I do think that it might end with Korra reconnecting with the past Avatars. As for who lives and who dies and whether or not the Makorra ship will once again sail, well, I stopped making those kind of predictions after Allegiant.

So the way this is going to work, this is the first scenario I came up with. With Aang and the other Avatars reaching out and helping her protect someone she loves. I will not apologize for shipping Makorra. It was endgame in the first season and I haven't seen anything to make me think that that has changed. They broke-up because it served the story the Bryke wanted to tell and we'll see where they go from there. I'm not saying I'm not wrong (though I am right 88% of the time), I'm just not convinced.

But back to how this is going to work. This is the first scene. I have to two more planned with the same scenario, just a different character time. Never done anything like that before, but I couldn't decide which one was better.

Enjoy. And here's hoping for tomorrow. I've got some writing to do before the end of tonight.