Title: Turn Back Now

Rating: T

Word Count: ~900

Summary: Korra's sight fades in and out while her head throbs and her body aches. But as soon as she regains enough consciousness, three words tumble from her lips. "Turn back…now." Book 3 speculations from the trailer

Warning: Mild spoilers for Book 3 as this fic includes scenes from the trailer, and the name of one of the villains.

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Her head is throbbing, and her body is consumed with pain and ache. Her mind is bleary, covered and obscured by a thick fog of burning agony from her injuries. It's too much. It feels as if her mind is going to burst from her skull from the sheer overstimulation. Korra clenches her jaw and tensed, trying desperately to keep from crying out or allowing a pitiful whimper to escape her throat.

Quickly though, her mind and body adapts and the world outside her comes rushing in. She feels a firm hand under her arm and on her hip, holding her body upright as she slouches with gravity, her body still limp. Beneath her, the world jostles up and down. Naga's coarse fur rubs against her leg where her pants are torn and soiled with blood. A body of warmth is pressed up behind her, holding her steady as they ride to wherever it was they were pointed.

Slowly, her eyes flutter open to a squint. Korra can't see much; her head is lolled forward, neck slackened as she struggles to gain the bodily control she is accustomed to. She sees blood on her thigh; she has to wonder if it is her own. She just can't remember. The dusty road beneath the polar bear dog's feet stirs no memories.

"M-Mako?" She mutters softly, not sure if he can even hear her above the noise of wind whipping in their ears.

After all, who would be carting her off bloody and beaten? No matter the changing dynamics of their relationship, he was undoubtedly always looking to shield her. He was loyal to a fault.

"Save your energy, Korra."

The voice that comes from behind her is certainly not Mako. It's decidedly feminine and smooth, but there's an edge of worry that borders on frantic.

"Asami?"

"Hey, you're safe," Asami said. Her voice sounded slightly distant as if she was checking over her shoulder as they traveled.

"W-Where are we?"

"Safe. For now."

Safe? From what?

Naga darts quickly to the side, and a sharp pain originating in her gut cuts up through her chest. Korra can't help but moan in pain, her arms so weak she cannot even feebly hold herself. Spirits, she was hurt.

Suddenly, it all comes back to her. Ming-Hua. They were ambushed in town and hopelessly overpowered. Her body fell limp to the ground from the force of the blows that assailed her and cut through the most powerful defense she could muster.

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"Go! Take her and get out of here!" Mako screamed, his voice hoarse. "You have to get her out! They're here to take her!"

"What about you?"

"Bolin and I can hold them off long enough for you to get away! Please…" his voice grew softer, "keep her safe. I…we can't lose her."

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"M-Mako…" She whimpers.

He's still back there in town. He's fighting a losing battle in which he can only try to keep his ground for as long as he can until it crumbles beneath him and lava bursts through the cobblestone from Ming-Hua's accomplices. Mako has moxy and heart in a fight, but sometimes that isn't enough in the thick of it. He needs help. He needs her.

"Turn back…turn back, now…" Korra tries to turn on Naga, but her weight is still carried by Asami's strong hands.

"We can't do that, Korra," Asami's voice cuts through the wind.

"He needs my help!" The Avatar tries to sound strong as she lifts her head of her own accord. Her fist weakly pounds against the woman's thigh behind her, begging her to take notice of her will. "He needs me…"

"I promised him I would get you to safety. Korra, I'm so sorry…"

She can hear the pity in her friend's voice. Korra hates this. She hates feeling so drained that she is helpless. It's a loss of control she cannot abide. She is the Avatar, master of all four elements. She is a metalbender and a friend to spirit and humans alike. She is strong…but not now.

Mako…that stupid fool. He should be with her now, fleeing the battle to fight stronger another day. The last time she saw him he was being blasted into a wall while her vision spotted and faded to black. The possibility that he could die here, in the Earth Kingdom, alone, strikes her swiftly and with great force. She can't even remember the last thing she said to him, but she's sure they weren't the last words she would have wanted.

She digs deep within her, searching for a pocket of unused energy. All she has to do is turn Naga around. They couldn't have gotten far. But a black tinge creeps along the edges of her vision again, and her head grows heavy.

"You'd better live," she whispers, "it's been a while since I've told you how much I love you."

And her world fades to black.

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Author Note: I wasn't really planning on writing a trailer speculation fic, but this sort of just came to me. Eh, not sure if I really like this one.