Promises Kept

By Revelias

I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. I am only borrowing the characters for the duration of this story. Please don't sue me.

Zuko lay dying. He had valiantly thrown himself between Katara and and Azula saving the water bender from his sister's attack. He could feel himself slipping away as he managed to open his eyes to see Katara knelling over him with tears slowly falling from her azure orbs.

Seeing the water bender allowed hope fill Zuko's heart. He knew that at any moment she would begin healing him and his life would be saved.

"Katara..." He begin only to have the water bender prompt him to remain quite.

"I'm sorry Zuko." Katara sadly told him as her tears continued to flow.

The sadness in her voice was enough to let him know that he would not be walking away from the battle. His injuries must be too sever for her to heal. Just like Jet he wryly thought as he forcefully begin to cough up blood. At least he would not die alone.

"Mai." He said looking up into Katara's eyes.

Katara feeling compassion for her fallen ally took his hand in hers. The last thing she wanted was for his passing to be any more painful then it had to be.

"Don't speak. I promise to tell her that you love her." Katara reassured the fire bender as she moved in closer to the prince.

"But before it's too late I need you to know that I could heal you. I could save your life and bring you back to Mai." Katara told Zuko as her words caused shock to register across his face.

"I told you that I would not allow you to hurt Aang. And regardless of the fact that you have changed for the better I can not trust that tomorrow you won't change again. I want you to know that I hadn't planned this and that I'm sorry but this has to be.." She told the speechless man as she placed a soft kiss on his check.

However, her last words had fallen on deaf ears. Zuko was dead.

Katara was remorseful for only a moment as she stood and left the fallen princes' side to turn and face the chained and crazed Azula.

"Your brother is dead and with luck your father is too." Katara coldly spoke.

"You killed Zuzu!" Azula screamed as she fought to free herself from her chains. "I'll make you pay for that. I was going to kill him myself. Then father would see that I was always the better one." She ranted.

"No you did that. I just let him die. But don't worry to much about it you will be joining him soon." The water bender remorsefully said as she moved behind the insane woman.

"Don't make me laugh you wouldn't dare..."Azula spoke before she was silenced forever.

Katara never wavered from her conviction. She stood watching Azula's blood freely flow from the deep slash across the princess' throat.

"A year ago you would have been right. Hell three months ago you would have been right. But today it seems you were wrong." Katara told Azula's lifeless body as she unchained the woman allowing the body to fall unceremoniously to the ground. The rest was silence.