Mako's POV

When the plague started spreading throughout Republic City, Korra went to help people in the hospitals. She said it was her duty as the Avatar. I should have stopped her; I knew the disease was contagious. I should have kept her from going. We should have left when we found out about the disease. All the things we could have done, but didn't. It started with a few people, and it seemed like nothing, but soon it turned to hundreds, and then thousands. You couldn't walk along the streets without seeing someone deathly ill on the ground. There was nothing the doctors could do. They had to let the person suffer through the illness to death. And then one day, Korra didn't come home. I paced back and forth frantic, and the kids tried to comfort me while not showing their fear. Soon, we got a call from the hospital, and I thought it was Korra, saying she just had some other Avatar duties to attend to, but she would be home soon. Instead, it was a doctor saying Korra was bedridden in the hospital. Then he said those terrible words…. The plague.

I made the kids stay home, for fear of them catching the disease. I called Bolin who came to our apartment as fast as possible. As he ran in, I ran out. When I got to the hospital and saw Korra, I knew she was in great pain. But she smiled at me when I walked in, and those beautiful blue eyes still shone with determination.

"Korra, everything will be alright."

"Mako." She strokes my face with her hand, and I hold it. "It's my time."

"No, Korra, you can't give up fighting. Fight for the kids, for Asami, Iroh, Bolin, fight for me." Tears streaked my face as I held my now deathly ill wife's hand.

"This won't be the last time you see me."

"That's right, because in a couple of weeks you'll be better, like the fighter you are. And you'll come home and I'll get you Narook's every night, and everything will be okay. Please, don't leave me, not yet."

I knew this wasn't true, the plague took all of it's victims in a matter of days, sometimes hours. I just thought if I kept saying it, it would be true.

Korra smiled at me and said, "I love you. Tell the kids I love them too."

"Don't say your goodbyes yet, you'll see the kids soon."

"I will see them, in my next life. We'll all be very close." Just then she got very serious and said, "You have to let me go, Mako. You have to accept it."

"Korra, no."

"Mako, don't make this any harder than this already is. I promise, I'll see you, very soon." Just then, Korra grew deathly still, and her eyes went into a blank stare. Her hand grew limp and he heard the monitors give one long note.

Tears filled his eyes and fell onto the hand of his wife he was still holding.

Just then a nurse walked in and said, "Sir, we have to move the people as soon as they….. pass on. Please take any of her possessions you would like to keep. I'm very sorry for your loss."

I stood up and held onto the railing of the bed to keep me on balance. I just wanted to fall to the ground and lie there, next to my wife, like I did every night. I looked at Korra and saw her wearing the betrothal necklace I gave her. 7 years. I had carved the symbol of every element into the necklace, by hand. I remembered being a goofy 22 year old, madly in love. I decided to leave the necklace with her, so she could always have it on. I kissed her on the cheek one last time.

"I love you, Korra. Always."

-
Outside Narrator

It was two weeks later, and he hadn't left the house. Hell, he barely left the bed.

Just then his little daughter's voice piped up, "Daddy, Uncle Bolin is on the phone. He's asking for you."

"Could you ask him to call later?"

Mako put his head under his pillow and heard some mumbling. Then, he felt his daughter's hand poking his back. He turns over and groans and takes the phone from her hand.

His daughter whimpers and he smiles slightly and kisses her on the forehead. Then he puts the phone up to his ear and hears the familiar voice of his brother.

"Bro, I know you're upset, we all are, but can you please come see your nephew?"

"I'm not really up to leaving the house."

"That's been your excuse for the past week. You have to leave the house eventually."

"I choose later."

"Well, if you're not leaving the house, then Misu and I are coming over there! We'll be over in 5 minutes."

Mako starts trying to argue with the idea, but he soon hears the robotic voice asking if he would like to make a call. He throws the phone to the ground and puts his head back under the pillow.

'When will this grief go away?'

-

"DADDY, DADDY, WAKE UP. OUR BABY COUSIN IS SO CUTE!"

He pretends to be asleep but keeps getting shaken by his persistent daughter. Just like her mother.

"I'm up, I'm up."

Mako walks out with his daughter right on his tail. He covers his eyes from the lights shining in from the window.

"Mako, meet your nephew, Howl."

Bolin hands the baby over into Mako's arms. He has dark hair, light skin, and then the baby opens his eyes to reveal a gorgeous azure color. Just then, memories come flooding back into his head. His proposal, the vows, the first time he held his daughter, and then Korra's words, "I'll see you soon."

He thinks to himself, 'Eyes are the windows to the soul.' This little boy in his arms, his new nephew, was the Avatar.