Love's Self-Sacrifice

Republic City had been under attack for days. Explosions filled the air; piercing screams of innocent civilians rung throughout the city. Equalists littered the streets; the police were terribly outnumbered. Everything was spinning out of control, and everyone but the Equalists were losing hope.

Where was their hope?

Where was their savior?

Where was the Avatar?

"Mako?" Her heart was beating dangerously fast; fear began to instill itself in her. He was hurt. Badly.

Why? she repeatedly asked herself as she rushed to him. That idiot! Why?!

"Mako?" she asked again, this time more anxious. His head was lowered, and his limbs were visibly shaking. He felt Korra's presence and tried to make an effort to look at her, but as their eyes met, he immediately winced in pain, clutching his chest tightly. He lost his balance and fell forward, Korra catching him. She wrapped her arms around him and slowly but carefully set him down, his back gently touching the ground. He grimaced once again in pain, covering his mouth with his hand as he coughed harshly.

"Is your heart the only place it hurts?" she questioned worriedly.

Mako nodded weakly in response, feeling his chest tighten greatly in that area. The pain was unbearable, and his heart took on an arrhythmic beat. He didn't want her to know how much it hurt, how terribly hellish it felt.

"I'm fine, Korra. Really," he attempted to reassure her, but it failed as she snatched the very glove he used to cover his mouth, the glove conspicuously sprinkled with red.

"Blood," she whispered, staring hard at the dots of crimson. Fear began to dissipate as anger replaced it, glaring down at him. "Don't lie to me, Mako. You're not okay! Are you sure it doesn't hurt anywhere else?" her voice undeniably apprehensive.

He sighed. "It doesn't hurt anywhere else," he calmly told her, making direct contact with her eyes to hide the fact that he was lying. Unfortunately, everything was beginning to hurt. The Equalist he had fought on this roof prior had put up a good fight and quite a challenge. The male Equalist had ambushed the two from behind, aiming for his main target, the Avatar. Mako was quick, however, attacking the Equalist before he had a chance to hit Korra. This Equalist was unlike the others – violent, strong, and merciless. He had hit the pressure points of the firebender with great strength, in addition punching the location of Mako's heart, one of his ribs puncturing it. Mako screamed and staggered in pain, Korra earthbending the enemy off the high roof as her friend was in great trouble. The Equalist fell to the hard streets below, no longer a threat to anyone. The Equalist had undoubtedly caused more damage to the firebender than was expected – Mako was bleeding on the inside, hemorrhaging inwardly at an alarming rate.

"I didn't expect the Equalist to hit me that hard," he admitted, recalling the fight. "Especially there. Getting chi-blocked in the chest definitely –" He screamed as an excruciatingly sharp pain shot an arrow through his heart, bringing fear back into the Avatar's eyes. He tried biting his lip to hold back the pain, but all he did was bite through it. He licked away the red liquid before it traveled down his chin.

Korra was at a loss. Water on this lonely roof was nowhere in sight to possibly help heal him. She didn't know how much help it would've been if there were any, but at least it maybe would've helped dull some of the pain.

Maybe.

"This is bad, Mako. We – We need to find help." As she began to rise, Mako immediately grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"No, Korra," his voice strained, wearily shaking his head. "Don't waste your time."

Her eyebrows furrowed in anger, and she shook off his hand. "What do you mean?! Do you just plan to die up here?!"

He didn't answer right away, but when he did, his voice was still and without fear. "You and I both know that there's no one for miles who could help us. The city's under attack – doctors and medics have fled with everyone else." He attempted to rise from the ground in his frail condition, but sadly collapsed back down. "And besides, I'm in too much pain to even move," he grunted.

Korra didn't want to hear it; she didn't want to hear him give up. But she knew he was right, and now she was furious.

"You idiot!" she yelled. "You didn't have to protect me!"

Mako chuckled feebly, a small glint in his eyes. "Is that all you have to say? No 'Thank you, Mako, for saving my life?' I'd rather take that than an insult."

Korra knelt beside him, hands balled in tight fists. "This isn't a joke! How can you laugh when you're … when you're …" Tears began to well up in her eyes as she just couldn't say it, because she didn't want to accept it. She didn't want to believe that he was dying; that her dear friend was dying; that the one she loved was slowly fading. It was all too quick, too soon. "I can handle myself! I should be in your place right now! I can reincarnate – I can return. You can't!"

Mako nodded in understanding, but shot her a smile. "That's true, but … the next Avatar wouldn't be you."

The girl shook her head vigorously, hot tears streaming down her face. "What about Bolin? What about Asami?"

He closed his eyes and exasperated a short sigh. The memories consisting of him with his little brother played through his mind as if it were a silent movie on fast forward. He'd miss his baby brother's innocent smile, the memories they shared both good and bad, surviving together on the streets. Other blood-related family members were unknown; the two brothers only ever had each other.

Mako sighed once again, his sigh sad and regretful. "Bolin … I know he'll take it hard, but … He's mature enough to realize that none would go through this war unscathed." He coughed, releasing more blood on his shaky hand. "I hate to leave him, but … there's no avoiding it. Everyone's bound to die sometime or another. And Asami – I'm not sure how she'll take it."

"What do you mean? She's your girlfriend! Of course she'll miss you."

"I know she'll miss me, but she's – she's no longer my girlfriend."

"W-what?"

Mako closed his eyes, trying to choose his next words. "Listen," he began slowly, grasping her attention. "You had asked why I protected you. It's simple." He paused. Talking was now a difficult task, and it hurt. But he needed to get his words out, to tell her what he has been itching to say for days, weeks, even months. "When you love someone, all you ever want to do is to make sure they're safe, to make sure no harm ever comes their way. Even if that means putting your own life on the line.

"You're a tough girl, Korra, but you're not invincible." He paused once again as his mouth was becoming hesitant to form words. He couldn't stop, he couldn't afford to; there was something he needed to say, and he had to say it now. "What I did … I did because I wanted to. Please understand that."

Korra was beginning to refute something, but instantly shut her mouth as three unexpected words escaped from his now colorless lips.

"I love you," he whispered.

Her eyes grew big, and her heart stopped. "N-no."

"I love you," he repeated more firmly.

"No," shaking her head as she believed his words weren't true. Mako belonged with Asami, or at least that was what she forced herself to believe. "You're losing it. I'm not Asami, Mako. I-it's Ko –"

"My mentality is fine," he interjected. "I'm aware of who I'm talking to."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Out of all the times to confess to me, you choose the moment you're dying?!" she began to cry. Mako tried to lift himself up, wincing as he did so, sitting up to meet Korra. He put his gloved hand on her cheek, lifting her head to meet her eyes with his.

"Don't cry," he strained to say. "The last thing I want to see is your crying face. Can't you try managing a smile?"

She couldn't smile. She knew she couldn't. Now wasn't the time. Mako was growing terribly pale; the vivid, golden iris of his eyes draining drastically in color. His eyes so normally ablaze with color were unfortunately dimming in brightness. She absolutely hated seeing Mako like this, so weak and practically lifeless. The world was becoming a mixed blur as tears flowed down her cheeks like a continuous waterfall.

She was afraid. She was scared of losing him.

The firebender tried his best to embrace her, but as he was too low on stamina, he leaned against her body, resting his head in the crook of her neck.

She was still upset at him, at his self-sacrifice – she hated and loved him for it. She angrily hissed with a quivering lip, "That was the dumbest thing you've ever done."

He grinned against her. "No, I think that was the wisest choice I've ever made."

She held him close, hoping to feel his familiar warmth, to sense some life still existing within him. "You're cold."

"You're warm," he croaked with failing strength.

He choked out innumerable amounts blood, staining Korra's Equalist disguise. But she didn't mind, she didn't care. Mako's breathing was becoming labored, and his heart was beating dreadfully slow. Soon, Korra began to panic as he became motionless and silent.

"Mako?" she asked.

"M-Mako?"

No response.

"Mako!"

He shifted just the tiniest bit, and rasped, "Still here." But Korra knew it wasn't going to be for very long. She laid his body back down on the ground, and his eyes cracked open with all the strength he could muster. He tried to look at her radiant, blue eyes he knew so well, but they were sadly now red. Everything was a horrible bloody red, and his vision was failing him. The fire of his heart was extinguishing fast.

"Korra," his voice choked out. He sounded unlike himself, unnatural, short gasps between words, drowning in the blood rising up through his lungs and essentially his throat. He had no energy to swallow his blood, the stuff spilling out and running off his face.

"Protect Bolin. Protect A-Asami. S-save the … w-world."

She nodded her head, giving Mako's hand a tight squeeze. His fire had burnt out; he was icy to the touch.

She leaned her head to his, kissing him for what would be the last time. The terrible taste of rust invaded her tongue, her lips lingering on his, ignoring the blood smearing and painting them a dark red. She removed her lips from his and gave one last look at the firebender, burning the image of him in her mind, crying once again as she had no desire to let him go.

She didn't know whether or not he was still alive, but it no longer mattered. Amon had to be defeated, to end all of this destruction and pain he brought to this city. Because of him, she had lost Mako – her friend and the love of her life. Her emotions began to take over her being, eyes glowing brighter than the moon, this power surreal.

She ran off the roof with great speed, Amon's airship her aim.

Before leaving this world, Mako grinned blissfully, and whispered, "That's my girl."

In a moment's time, Korra would face the revolutionist leader, sacrificing her life in the process to relinquish Amon and ultimately end the anti-bending revolution he had begun.

Prior to igniting the engine of the airship, and seconds before the explosion, she beamed a smile with a lone tear escaping her eye, and she faintly whispered, "See you soon … Mako."

Hope and so much more had been restored.

-END-

A/N: … I have no words to say, other than, "What have I done? I've killed them!"