I was thinking of this as a prompt for a longer story, not just a little doodle: Korra never airbends to save Mako, so he loses his bending too. But when Korra learns how to restore it, she restores his bending first.
Details: I'm going to try my best to keep to the actual storyline, but since the prompt is AU, the story is AU lol. Starts when Amon takes Korra's bending away in Endgame.
Chapter 1: Stripped.
Korra was physically drained. Every muscle, every tendon in her body, was being strained against her own will. As hard as she tried to fight it, her muscles would not obey her command; she was easy prey to Amon's blood bending grip. Seventeen years training, bending the elements, gone. Korra's body, now stripped of its bending, crumpled to the ground as Amon removed his thumb from her forehead. Korra's body was exhausted, her entire body sore from fighting Amon's vise. Everything went dark as Korra's eyes cut her off from the world. She was in desperate need of rest, even if it was only for a minute, even if it was in the middle of a war. As soon as Korra's eyes closed, she felt her body's tension being lifted—only it wasn't her body's strain, it was her actual body. Mako was carrying her as he ran away from Amon.
I saw this before. Aang, where are you? Korra was pleading to her former life, her former spirit. I need you. Why didn't I go into the Avatar state? You were able to enter the Avatar state when Yakone threatened your bending, why wasn't I able to? Why is my bending gone...?
"Mako," Korra whispered, too fatigued to bring her voice a level louder, "My bending…"
"Everything will be alright," Mako panted, his voice forceful, running as fast as he could carrying, "We just need to get out of here."
Korra wanted to believe him, but in her mind, Amon had won. As Korra closed her eyes, she contemplated the circumstances. The people didn't believe her, she lost her bending, and now, she was nothing. She was falling into the darkness, feeling the rebound of her body crashing into the floor. She was weary, but she had to go on, somehow. As she opened her eyes, she saw Mako's panic in his eyes as Amon raised his hand to his kneeling form.
"No!" Korra screamed, she attempted to bend fire with a punch, but nothing came out. So she ran, she ran as fast as her beat body would allow, but she was too late. She was still steps away as she saw Mako's body, and soul, shatter to the ground, just how she felt when her bending was stripped away from her. No, this can't be! Not him too! Amon, you monster! Korra screamed in her head, she was furious; tears were threatening to blind her vision as they spilled over. She didn't care; she kept running, right into Amon, tackling him into the window. The two crashed through the window, sending Amon over the edge into Yue Bay.
Korra's hand gripped the edge of the window, hanging on by four fingers. The last time she was in this position, she was holding Mako up in the finals of the tournament. Korra saw Amon fall into the lake. She closed her eyes, sighing. She felt satisfied for the moment. Satisfied that she accomplished that feat without bending, so, she let go of the edge—unable to hold on anymore, unable to hold on to life. She was tired. As she fell, she felt something cut her shoulders. It was a sharp pain that made her eyes snap open, looking up at the source of her pain.
"Korra, hang on!" Mako yelled, grabbing her collar.
With a heave he pulled Korra onto himself and back into the window. Then, the yelling began. Citizens of Republic City gathered around the docks where Amon fell nearby, seeing his mask float to the surface. Outcrys and threats for the Avatar's head roared above the waves crashing into the docks. Korra could not feel any lower. Why didn't Mako just let her fall? She crumbled into Mako's chest, silently crying over her failure as Avatar. Sympathizing with the Avatar, Mako just held her close. Korra's tears were joined by Mako's. She looked up to see his face, but his face was dry. His eyes wielded no tears, only concern and worry. But where was the water coming from? Mako and Korra turned, only to see Amon for who he is—a man without his mask, a man without fake scars, a man with an identity. Amon was waterbending, bending himself into a high, thin, tornado, facing all of his members.
