Fading

(i know i don't do author's notes in the beginning of the story, but all i'm gonna say is that there is character death, so...)

(also, italicized words are flashbacks [except the last bit])

You're laying on the ground.

You can't move anymore.

"Mako, let go! I'm doing this, whether you like it or not." she said, your anger stirring within you.

"Korra, you can't go after him," you yell. "He's dangerous. This is Amon we're talking about. And I'm afraid... I'm afraid that I will lose you." you choke out, the words coming out fast.

She gives a surprised look at you.

"Look, at least let me come with you."

She nods.

You hear her voice again. "Mako! Mako, no!"

You can't do anything. It hurts to move, to whisper. She yells something again, but the ringing in your ears prevents you from hearing her words. You see her fight, although it is hard as she's grasping her arm, gritting her teeth through the pain.

Memories of before race through your mind―Bolin and you on the streets, searching for shelter and food; the pro-bending matches; Korra's smile, the first time you meet her (and now you regret being an ass); your kiss with Korra, the way your lips tingled and the undeniable guilt after seeing Bolin; Asami, beautiful Asami, waiting for you by the bay; your mother, your father, their smiles, their last breaths.

Let the headache ensue.

It's the middle of fighting. You see her mercilessly fight against him, the man who wants her dead. The man who wants all bending gone. You try to go to her, but all the chi-blockers come towards you with their lightning rods. You're dodging, dodging every single swing, retaliating with a kick of fire.

One miscalculation, and you go tumbling down. The lightning rod hits your stomach, the electricity surging through your entire body. Two more hits, and you scream out in agony. The chi-blockers smirk, then flee the scene, leaving you to your death (or so they think). You know you must stay strong, stay strong for Bolin, for Korra, for Asami.

It's going to be a struggle.

Korra hears your scream, she turns to see, but not for long. She turns back to fight Amon. You lay there, thinking, 'Stay strong, stay strong, stay strong.'

Your head hurts. The loss of blood, thoughts running through your brain. It gets harder and harder to stay strong; the world as you know it is slowly turning black at the edges.

All of a sudden, you see the masked man fall. The mask is blown off; you try to see the face, but everything is much to blurry to even try. She runs, she sprints over to you, kneeling down and lifting your body. She takes you away from this scene, now slowly receding. You know it's a struggle for her, too―she's trying to run with a limp, the one arm still giving her pain. She huffs, she takes deep breaths.

It seems so sudden, all too fast, but before you know it, you are set down.

"Sorry, Mako; I can't go any farther than this." she whispers into your ear.

You try to reply, say it's okay, but it hurts to do anything. You want to hug her, tell her that it'll be okay; that you're sorry for being an ass. You want to hold her tight, bring her close, calm her. It's all too much, so you just reply with an 'it's okay' look.

"You shouldn't have come. I told you I would be fine! You need to stop worrying. You have Bolin and Asami; you'll be fine without me."

You shake your head. You want to say that you do need her, that life won't be the same. Bolin and Asami are vital, yes―but Korra is important too. She makes you want to bang your head against a wall, yet something about her draws you to her.

She puts her hand on top of yours. If only it could be like this forever. But no, it has to end sometime. You have to stay strong. Stay strong for everyone.

Slowly, though, your eyes start to close, the world blackens, it all feels so good. You feel like you're sleeping, like you could sleep forever. It all goes well until-

SMACK!

Your eyes jolt open. 'Did she just... Slap me?' you wonder.

"Mako! Keep your eyes open! I can't lose you!" Korra screams, the tears from her eyes now soaking your clothes. She's right. You have to stay strong, stay strong for everyone―but it's all too hard now. You know you're dying. You can't do anything about it. Your eyes close once again―and this time, not even her hand going against your cheek can wake you up again.

'It's okay if I die,' you now think to yourself, smiling, tears falling down your cheeks. 'I can't stay strong forever. I'll see mom and dad again; we can be together, watching over Bolin and the others.'

It's how it was meant to be.

You are sinking.

You are fading.

You

are

gone.

A/N: Yeah, yeah―character death, I know. I wanted to write about someone dying (does that sound right?). This is also a new writing style for me, so something new for all of my readers!

Also, I might have mixed up your/you're a couple times, so please help me fix my mistakes.

Anyways, tell me what you think! Leave a prompt as well, if you wish.

(I don't own LoK.)