Useless!

Pathetic!

Terrible!

Idiot!

Stupid!

Failure!

Mako screamed at himself as he strode down the street. He rubbed his arms, clutching them like he was hugging his own body. How? he thought. How could I have done that to Korra? Why did I do that to her? Why to me? I love her. I love her, and yet, I let everyone and everything around us get between us and tear us apart. Mako had gone to Varrick; he knew she would go to him in order to get home. The man only said that she had taken one of his boats and left like there was an emergency. Bolin was there with him in some ridiculous clothes. He took one look at Mako and asked what had happened. Mako just shook his head and walked away.

And there he was, heading nowhere, afraid to leave the city in case Lin needed him to work. No. That's not why I'm staying. I'm staying in case she comes back. However, Mako knew she was not going to come back. Korra had so much pride, but Mako forgot about her soft interior, which he had damaged. He was the cause of her shedding tears in front of everyone in the office. No, she would not come back, but still, he could not leave.

The sky was growing darker.

Mako ran through the door and went automatically to the very back of the large room. He heard Amon walk in, stop, and then continue walking. Hopefully, he hadn't noticed Korra wherever she had hidden. She yelled out and Mako revealed himself. "Let her go!" If he kept shooting fire at Amon, he could hit him and make him drop Korra. No, Amon simply raised his other hand and bloodbent him as well. Amon slammed them into the ground and made sure they couldn't move. Mako watched in terror as Korra was forced onto her knees and Amon placed his hand on the back of her neck. No, no, no! "Korra!" Mako didn't watch. That was it. Her bending- It was gone. It was just gone. He heard her drop to the floor.

"I told you I would destroy you," Amon gloated. "Finally, you are powerless." Mako pushed against the bending still holding him down. He moved his head up. Korra tried to bend, but she was weak and without her bending. One of Amon's followers entered the room, realizing the lie he had believed. Trying to attack him was futile, and Amon just threw him away. He stepped past Korra and headed toward Mako now. Mako breathed heavily. He had to protect Korra, find some way to help her and get her out of there! Amon would make a show out of her if he didn't escape with her. Building up his strength and fighting the pain, Mako sent lightning directly at Amon. He quickly felt the pressure of the bloodbending leave his body and hit the wooden boards above where Amon flew with fire. They collapsed over the bloodbender. Mako gently placed Korra's head on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her knees and back. He ran down the corridor, gasping for breath, the horror of Amon's power still gripping him.

"Mako, my bending…" Korra mumbled.

"Everything will be alright," he told her. "We just need to get out of here." He felt a surge over his body and couldn't move. Korra, having fallen from his arms, slid a few feet away. Mako's fear was plain on his face. He slammed into the ceiling and floor and each of the walls before landing at Amon's feet.

"I'm impressed. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that." Amon stepped closer to Mako. Mako's veins were on fire. They burned with his blood moving in a way it was not supposed to. "It is almost a shame to take the bending of someone so talented." His head bent backwards so he could see Amon above him. "Almost." This is it, he thought. My bending is going to be taken away. Mako stared into the face of his nightmares and heard Korra yell, "No!"

A strong gust of wind blew Mako and Amon down the corridor towards the window at the end. Mako braced against a wall, turning in Korra's direction. She stood against the wall, using it as support. Her eyes were big with surprise or lingering fear; Mako could not tell. "I-I can airbend?" she asked looking down at her hand. Making it a fist and standing up straight she announced it proudly, "I can airbend." Mako, amazed, watched her. She can airbend. She pushed Amon all the way to the end of the hall before he was able to control her again. Mako was about to get up and help her when she got angry. "No you don't!" With a solid kick she airbent Amon through the window and sent him flying into the water outside. Mako immediately went to her and helped her to the shattered window so they could see the aftermath. Amon's followers were crowded below them and began to scream and holler at her. She stared at the water where Amon's mask floated. Mako looked with her. Where was he?

A great splash of water sent the crowd's attention into the sky where Amon stood in his gust of water. He jumped back in to make his escape as Mako launched fire at him. Mako ceased when Amon was out of sight and turned to Korra, embracing her carefully. It was over… but her bending was fractured.

Mako could feel his heart pounding in memory of Amon's reign of terror over them. Korra was powerless in those last moments until she tried to protect Mako. He was only able to keep his bending because she was so frightened at what Amon was going to do to him. Amon was bloodbending Mako at the time with a much stronger grip than he had before. Mako realized how much she actually did for him just by coming to Republic City in the first place, and he had just thrown it all away in a moment of anger and stress.

That look on her face, he thought, was my doing. I did that to her. He had to find her, apologize to her, tell her how much she meant to him, and how much he actually needed her back.

"I don't care if you're the Avatar or not." I'm not leaving you, he wanted to say. "Listen, when Tarrlok took you I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again. I realized," Mako placed his hand on her face, "I love you, Korra." She grabbed his hand, not meeting his eyes.

"I can't." She ran to Naga and rode out into the icy tundra.

"Korra!"

"We need to be patient with her," Tenzin said approaching him from behind. "It will take time for her to accept what has happened."

"She shouldn't have to do it alone," Mako uttered. "We can be there for her." He turned to Tenzin. Tenzin gave his understanding with a small nod. Mako chased after her. The cold air stung his throat as he breathed in and out, but he didn't care. He could see her across the blank land. She was standing there at the top of the cliff. Almost there. He slowed down when he saw her lift off the ground, her arms spread. The water beneath the cliff splashed up to meet her. Fire and earth spread out from where she hung in the air. The sight was amazing in his yellow eyes.

Her feet met the earth and she turned around. Mako smiled in relief and strode toward her. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her and spun her around. Setting her down, he could not feel any greater than how he felt at that moment. She unclasped her hands and put one hand on his face. "I love you too." They closed the gap between them and kissed. Mako pulled her closer and reveled in the feel of her lips on his for the first time since that one night that seemed so long ago.

Mako slid down a wall and sat on the earthy ground. He looked up and down the dark alley he had ended up in before resting his head on the wall behind him. His knees were up, his arms resting on them so his hands hung between his legs. The air was damp and cold, making his breath come out in fog.

What was wrong with him? This wasn't like him. The way he would have expected himself to act was more annoyed than anything else. He thought he would just hide what he felt, being strong like he always had been. On the other hand, he had always been like that because he was trying to be strong for Bolin when they were growing up, when he was raising him. But because Bolin had nothing to do with him and Korra, things were different. Why am I acting like this? I should have stayed at work. I'm not one to be depressed and wandering. I need to suck it up and get back to reality.

What reality? Korra's gone. There aren't going to be anymore dates, nights together, or festivals. There's not going to be anything. Nothing. Absolutely nothing will happen. I'll be at work and she'll be off- "making another huge mistake!"

Mako put his head in his hands. He was such an idiot. How could he have said that to her?

"So, what? Are you breaking up with me?"

No, he had wanted to say. No, I just miss you. I don't know what to do. Mako looked up at the dark sky. One reason he really liked the southern water tribe: the stars could be seen in all directions. The sky was so pure and clear. In Republic City, there were too many lights. If you wanted to see the stars, you had to get high enough.

Mako tried to stand, but his head was dizzy and made him use the wall as a support. He exited the alley and looked up and down the street. He knew where he was now. Slowly but surely, he made his way back to the apartment he shared with Bolin.

Author's Note: I read my two little reviews. Oh yeah don't worry I'm gonna touch up on that topic. Trust me. So now that this chapter is done with, guess what happens next? Something I am looking forward to. Thanks for reading!