A/N From this point forward, the POV of each chapter will alternate between Mako and Korra.
...
The sun was yet to rise when Mako awoke, unable to take his horrifying dreams anymore. The scene always started the same way, Korra would scream after slipping from the cable and fall to the ground, but eventually the images became worse and worse.
He was tormented by other images, his brother falling from the ceiling alongside Korra, or his mother screaming just like Korra before she died.
Sometimes Korra died.
Sometimes she never woke up.
The images overtook everything in his mind, but as hard as he fought to forget them, he couldn't.
He had woken up in a cold sweat, he had been screaming so loudly in his dreams that he was surprised he hadn't been screaming in real-life too, but Bolin was still snoring quietly when Mako got out of his bed and this comforted him a little.
He mechanically reached for his scarf and wondered why it wasn't there for a split second, before remembering he had left it with Korra.
It didn't matter, he was going to go check on her now anyway, he wouldn't be able to shake off the images of her cold, still body until he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest again. He quietly slid open the door and shut it gently behind him, the night air was cool and he procured a small flame in the palm of his hand to warm him as he walked.
The night was still and silent. The only sound was the faint splashing of waves and Mako's footsteps as he approached her door. He slipped inside without making a sound, closed the door and turned around to walk to her bed.
As he turned around he was suddenly faced with a large Polar bear dog. He jumped in fright and tightened his lips as not to cry out from the shock. Naga had been depressed lately, without Korra to play with she was lonely. She entertained herself by chasing lemurs, playing with the children or Pabu but always slept alongside her bed.
"Hey girl" he whispered, giving her a pet when he had recovered from the scare. Naga let out a friendly growl in response and returned to her position curled up next to Korra's bed.
He was comforted by the sight of her, the moonlight was shining through her window and casting a gentle glow on her face, she was breathing quietly but looked no different to the last time he had seen her.
Despite how cold the night was he noticed she was sweating, he felt her forehead and was alarmed at the temperature of it, he took his scarf back from around her neck and loosened the blankets a little. He waited a few minutes for her temperature to go down before sitting in his usual seat.
He had told Pema he wouldn't spend all his time here but that didn't mean he couldn't come here at all. He decided he should return to his room before everyone woke up, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, even though they shouldn't have anything wrong with him just checking up on her.
He tried to think how many days it had been since the accident but it was all a blur. The days and nights melded together into one and the only things he could recall from the last few days was worry, guilt and disappointment.
He hoped, not for the first time, the today would be the day Master Katara would arrive. If anyone could bring Korra back it would be her. Not only was she the best healer in the entire world but she was very close to the Avatar. Not only Avatar Korra but Avatar Aang too, the spirits seemed to have bound her and the Avatar by a string of fate and he hoped they would grant her the knowledge to wake Korra.
He bowed his head in a silent prayer to the spirits before getting up and returning to his room.
….
"Be careful!" Tenzin yelled, running after his son who had grabbed onto the tail of a sky bison and was now hovering just out of reach.
Mako inhaled sharply as he remembered the last words he had spoken to Korra: "Be careful!" What good did it do?
He noticed Asami looking at him, concerned as they took a walk together out on the island. She had wanted to go shopping in Republic City but had settled for this. He smoothed his facial features and resumed the façade he had been keeping up for her.
"So…" He trailed off, not knowing what to talk about. Had striking up a conversation really been this hard in the past? "How is your father's business doing?"
"Very well, he's been working so hard. I almost never get to see him but he invited you to come have dinner with us! Isn't that great?" She squealed, Mako was only half listening, giving noncommittal grunts and nods. "You and he will really get to know each other!"
She looked at him, expecting a reply, and Mako racked his brains for something to say. How would he weasel himself out of this? He noticed something moving, past her head. He shifted his focus and squinted "Is that…?"
"GRAN-GRAN!" screamed Meelo, pointing past his father's head as he attempted to get him off the bison. Tenzin grabbed his son first and then turned around, the relief was evident on his face but it was nothing compared to what Mako was feeling.
Suddenly there was a very small star of hope in the universe that would otherwise have been black.
He watched the bison become bigger and bigger until it finally landed, an Air Acolyte that had accompanied Katara helped her off and she was almost immediately assaulted by hugs from her three grandchildren.
Mako had sort of tuned out during all the greeting pleasantries. He, Bolin and Asami had introduced themselves and she had said something of the importance of the Avatar having good friends. It wasn't until Tenzin started leading her toward Korra's room did he snap out of his revere and start paying attention.
He followed them to her room, Pema left to take care of the children because she thought it best if Korra wasn't too crowded when she woke up. She had been very careful of speaking about Korra as if she was definitely going to wake up, using words like 'when' instead of 'if'. Soon it was just Katara, Tenzin, Bolin, Mako and Asami.
Asami had asked Katara if she wanted them to leave but Katara thought it best for her to have her friends here to comfort her, but they shouldn't bombard her with information or crowd her.
They stood to the side as Katara approached Korra, she let out a small 'oh my' as she began to examine her. She began to check the least affected body parts first, covering Korra's hands one by one in mesmerizing blue glowing water. Mako remembered when she had done this to Bolin, the irony spirits were not on her side.
The last body part to be checked was her head; the rest had been relatively fine so Mako felt sure this held the key to her recovery. Katara's expression became almost pained as she examined her head; she muttered things about all the energy that had accumulated there and certain paths being blocked.
Eventually she let out a sigh, "This isn't going to be enough to wake her" she said sadly and Mako felt his stomach drop. It wasn't until she reached around her neck and pulled out a small blue vial that his breathing began to regulate again.
"This water if from the spirit oasis in the North Pole" she explained. "It saved Avatar Aangs life once, so I collected a small amount more. If this doesn't wake her I don't think anything will"
He had heard stories of this water, it had brought the Avatar back to life, this had to work! He didn't want to think of what he would do if it didn't work, he almost dared not to hope.
The water had a very different blue sheen to the water Katara was using before, it spun quickly above her palm and she applied to the young Avatars head. The glow was almost blinding, when the glow disappeared so had the water. But nothing had changed. He felt his knees start to become weak as the disappointment started to set in
It didn't work.
The atmosphere in the room was cold. Katara was the only one who didn't seem affected by no change in Korra; she kept staring at her determinedly, almost willing her to wake up.
There was another few seconds of crushing silence, Mako felt Asami beside him wipe at her eyes, she had been hoping for Korra to wake up too.
He wondered why Katara was as composed as she was, she had spent most of her life with the Avatar, didn't she care?
His thoughts were interrupted by a small movement.
Korra's hand.
He shook his head slightly, his eyes were playing tricks on him, he wanted so desperately for her to wake up that his desperation had been personified as an illusion.
But, Katara was smiling now.
Had she seen it too?
Korra's hand twitched again and she screwed her eyes up tight. Everyone looked at her in a shocked silence, Tenzin was the first to regain his speech. "Korra…" he whispered as she slowly opened her eyes.
His heart almost melted at the sight of that cerulean blue, there was not only one star of hope anymore, there were a million stars of happiness.
She looked around confused, her eyes fell on Katara first
"M-Master Katara?" She asked, her throat dry.
"Korra" She smiled a wide smile and pushed her back onto her bed as she attempted to sit up
"You're hurt Korra, don't push yourself" Tenzin said as he walked over to her bedside
"Tenzin?" She asked, sounding confused. "Why am I here?"
"You were in an accident Korra" I said, walking toward her, my heart swelling at the fact I could talk to her again. "You should save your strength"
She stared at me for a few seconds with a look in her eyes I didn't recognise. I hadn't thought when I saw these eyes again they would be filled with such confusion, though I suppose this was to be expected, she hit her head pretty hard when she fell.
"Who are you?" She asked.
All the stars faded and suddenly the universe was agonizingly black once more.
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