Everything she tried to prevent had just happened, right before her very own eyes.
Amon was right when he said he'd save her for last, while making her watch helplessly the downward twisted spiral of Republic City, her friends, and him.
When Korra came to, she knew she was too late. Amon and all of his chi blockers were gone. Her vision was hazy, blinking slowly to adjust to the dim lighting of the smoldering flames around the bare room. Once she came to, Korra could see the radical banners with Amon's likeness plastered all over them. Her gaze was finally cleared, looking up at the blank ceiling, down the soot covered walls until she finally saw something.
It was a bundle of crimson and grey, crumpled up like yesterday's trash. Then there was a familiar tuft of raven black hair. Her memories hit her like daggers into her diaphragm. The figure was next to her, slightly on top of her. That's right. Before she passed out she saw Mako, trying his hardest to get to her, struggling from the grasp of two chi blockers, even as Amon's hand wrapped around her own skull. The young Avatar could only watch in despair. There was a sudden scramble of fiery flames and lightening before something much worse, something so gruesome that Korra had already blocked it out.
"Oh Spirits no!" She exclaimed, her voice hoarse with a dry cry. Korra didn't want to admit it, but that was Mako's limp body against her own. "Mako! Mako!" She shook him by his shoulders, though there was no stirring from the firebender. "..C-c'mon Mako.. It's over now. Wake up." She stammered out, her facial expression fading to a blank realization.
Mako was dead.
His broad body felt utterly weak, despite most of his weight resting on top of her. The only warmth that came from him was his own blood that had long seeped into her Equalist attire, staining it with an unavoidable truth.
There was so much left to be done, left to be said. She would never be able to utter those words. Beyond that, this was all her fault. If she had never pried herself into his life through probending, he would have never got caught up with the Equalists with her. That red scarf was draped over her moreso than him, and she knew what he trying to do. "I'm the Avatar. I would have been alright. Mako why'd you—"
She began to cry, her body clinging onto his, her blue eyes swelled with tears. Hands dug into his lifeless back. "Why? Why do you always have to be the protector?"
Korra felt like a failure as an avatar, a failure as a woman, a failure as a friend.
They'd remain like that, with her face buried in his now cold shoulder for some time. Her cries were deep, loud, and throaty, and they didn't stop until she could only heave dryly.
Feeling the crimson fabric drape down and caress her cheek, Korra could hear what was probably his last words.
"You can have this.. you're safe now.."