I'm really sorry for not updating sooner than this. Work has been crazy and I got sick so I haven't been able to get on this computer like I wanted to. My Grandma is fine by the way. Thanks for asking:) I also have this other idea for a story. I'm not going to post it yet, but if you wanna know what it's about, just ask in a review, or pm me and I can tell you what it's about:) There is a bit of a time skip in this chapter. I know most of you hate time skips, but I gotta get this story moving. You didn't miss anything really. Korra's nightmare is depressing so if you wanna skip that you can. It's just the part between the lines. Now on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra

Hearts On Fire

chapter twelve: A Discovery Through Nightmare

Mako's P.O.V

Korra's arm healed and she still stays at our house. The abuse has been getting worse and she started having nightmares a few days ago. I get worried thinking about her. She's strong and she can deal with this, but for how long. Everyone has there limits.

It's around 1am when I wake up to screaming and loud crashes from Korra's house. I walk over to my window to see if I can see what's going on next door. I see some one leave the house. Not long after there is a knock on the door. I rush downstairs to open the door. Korra stands on my doorstep, crying. I take in her appearance. A black eye, busted lip, and a large cut on the front of her left thigh. I grab her hand and lead her into the kitchen. I sit her down in a chair at the counter and grab the first aid kit. She won't look at me and she's sobbing loudly. I look at her for a moment and bring her into a tight hug. She winces in pain before relaxing into the hug. After a while, she stops crying.

I take out some medicine to clean the cut on her lip. She cringes when it touches her lip. Once that's done, I sit down and put her leg in my lap to examine it more clearly.

"Well, you don't need stitches." I say

She lets out a small sigh. I'm guessing in relief. I bandage her leg, then turn to face her. She looks down at the floor. I brush some of her loose hair behind her ear and gently turn her head so that she is facing me. She looks up at me with sad eyes. I give her a small reassuring smile to show her that she can say what she wanted to. She opens her mouth to say something, but she doesn't. I decide to say something first.

"What happened this time?" I ask her

"I talked back to her."

"So? You've talked back before."

"She was drinking. That's something she picked up recently, but I decided to leave out that detail."

I sigh and rub my temples trying to fight the headache that coming on.

"So that explains why it's been more frequent." I say

She simply nods. I walk over to the fridge an pull out a reusable icepack I bought her. Other than the night she broke her arm, Korra's showed up with a few bruises. She always comes up with some story to tell Bo, which he always chooses to believe. I look at her again, thinking of something else to say, when I notice the dark circles under her eyes.

"You look tired." I say

"I keep waking up from the nightmares. I had one right before my mother stumbled through the door." She runs her hand through her hair.

"What was it about this time?"

"My mother's trying to kill me."

"I'm pretty sure that was a reality."

She glares at me. "That wasn't funny."

I just shrug my shoulder.

"You're all patched up now so you can head home or you can stay here." I say

I put away the first-aid kit and Korra walks to the guest room. I say goodnight and head to my room. I fall asleep knowing that Korra is safe here.

Korra's P.O.V

It's peaceful and quiet. Soon the peacefulness morphs into late chaos. I'm sitting at the desk in my room. The door slams open and Tarlok storms into my room. I try to scream out but he covers my mouth with his hand. I'm slammed into a wall and I scream out in pain. I look over to my window and into the next house. I see Mako walking around in his room, but then he disappears. I start kicking at my attacker which earns me a slap to the face. Tarrlok pins my hands above my head with one hand and slips the other under my shirt.

"Get away from me!" I scream

Everything changes again. I'm lying on the floor watching a fight. I look closely at the two people. One I recognize as Tarrlok, and the other...Mako. Suddenly the sun turns a dark red color. I snap my eyes back to the fighting when I hear the sound of breaking glass. Mako is laying on the ground and my eyes widen as I see Tarrlok pick up a large shard of glass, walking towards Mako.

This is the last time you get in my way boy!" He says

I try to get up off the ground and run to him. I try desperately to get to him but I can't move. At all. I try to call out to Mako. I try to plead with Tarrlok to leave him alone. He gets closer and closer until finally he's standing over Mako. He raises his arm slowly preparing to strike.

"Stop! Please!" I beg "I'll do anything, just leave him alone!"

"You should have thought of that earlier." he says, bringing his hand down .

"NO!" I scream. And all I can do is look away.

I hear Tarrlok laugh darkly. I open my eyes to see Mako lying on the ground with the shard sticking out of his stomach. I regain my mobility and crawl over to Mako. I put his head in my lap. He looks up at me with his warm, amber eyes. He wipes the tears from my cheek and starts to close his eyes.

"No! Mako, Look at me! You can't die because I need you. Okay! I need you! So you can't leave me.!"

He gives me a small smile before he stops breathing and my world ends. I start to shake him. He has to wake up. He has to be okay. But he's not. And he's not.

"Mako please?" My voice is a whisper now. "Please, I love you"

I start to cry even harder. I hold him tightly to me and rock back in forth.

Suddenly I'm yanked away from him and he disappears again. I start to kick and scream but get no results. Tarrlok holds my hands behind my back and I'm face to face with my mother, holding a giant knife in her hand.

"Now you know what it's like to have everything you've ever wanted ripped away from you."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I ask, looking into her eyes. The same icy blue as mine.

"You destroyed my life. So, now I'm gonna take yours."

With that she took the knife and stabbed. Straight. Through. the Heart.

I wake up in a cold sweat and my chest hurts where my mother stabbed (in my dream). that's the first time I had a dream where she succeeded in killing me. all of my fears were in that dream, and I know that I won't be able to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.

I walk out of the room and into the next one. I kneel down beside the bed and take a moment to look at the person in it. Mako is sleeping peacefully in his own house. Alive. I needed to know that he was still here, so the gentle rise and fall of his chest is soothing. I shake him gently.

"Mako?" I shake him again

He stirs and blinks his sleep filled eyes.

"What are you doing up so late?" He asks me

"Can I sleep in here with you tonight?"

He move over and pulls the blanket back so that I can climb in next to him. I slip under the blanket and turn so that his chest is to my back, and snuggle closer to him. He wraps one arm around my waist and quickly falls asleep again. I feel safe here with him. I don't feel that anywhere else. He genuinely cares about me, like no one else does. I think I do love him. But he can't feel that way about me.

I can't help but think back to the horrible dream that brought me here. I cringe at the memory of Mako lying on the ground lifeless. Nothing like that can ever happen. I won't let it.

I fall asleep in Mako's arms. Into a dreamless sleep for the first time in weeks.

Now that I read this chapter, it's really depressing. I'll probably change it later. I feel like I should just redo this chapter.

Anyway, if you wanna know about that new story let me know. Read and Review!