There was a stillness to the air.
Everyone was waiting with baited breath, to see who would rise up from the ashes as the victor: the Avatar or Ozai the Phoenix King? It all came down to this, to this very moment.
Of course, it was not only those two who fought- no, entire kingdoms had picked up arms against another. It was the Fire Nation against the rest of the world. They all stood outside the Earth Kingdom gates, doing their best to keep the Fire Nation guards from infiltrating the city. They could not let Ba Sing Se fall, they just couldn't!
Blue eyes scanned the area, nimble hands gesturing for the water between her palms to rise up, aiming straight for the group of Fire Nation soldiers. She knocked one to the ground, her smile quick, but soon was fading as a voice caught her attention. "Katara, look out!" Turning, dark hair swinging, Katara could see the fire bolt coming straight for her- there was no time to escape. She threw her hands up over her face but instead, she felt arms come around her waist, dragging her to the ground just in time. She and her savior rolled three times before coming to a stop, they draped over her, panting slightly. Her azure eyes snapped open and she found herself staring up into eyes similar to her own.
"Sokka! Oh, there you are!" She cried out, throwing her arms around her brother, embracing him tightly. "I was worried!" Katara sat back on her hunches, arms folding over her chest, chin jutted out just a little. A chuckle escaped him, but at once he sobered, a sound like thunder rumbling overhead. Both sets of eyes stared upward, to where Ozai and Aang had clashed in battle once more.
"You have to be more careful," he admonished, much like a big brother would, however his hand extended, to help her onto her feet. She nodded silently, biting back a comment of her own. "When it's all over, we'll all meet right back here. Tell the others." Katara felt a wave of tears prickle at her eyes, as if within her heart she already knew they would not all meet up again. She reached out for his hand, gripping it tightly, for just a moment. And then he was gone, brandishing his sword with a guttural battle cry. Now it was her turn. Calling forth the water she needed, Katara formed long whips with the liquid, striking out against the nearest soldiers. Each strike was met with a fire blast and steam was rising up from around their feet. She hissed with pain as a cast off from an attack grazed her left cheek- but there was no time to heal herself. Pushing on, she struck down another soldier, and then another.
Hours passed, two… maybe three before she finally stumbled into a clearing, to where there was nothing but fallen bodies all around her. Breathing hard, she turned around and around, blue eyes tired but stance never wavering. She could not give up, no matter how tired she felt, no matter what injuries she sustained. If Aang could go on, so could she. However… Katara knew that he had to be losing momentum. The battle had been going on far too long. She knew why- because of Aang and his idealism. He still could not see killing the Fire Lord as an option, despite that being the only one. "Please Aang, please…" She pleaded, her eyes focused on the battle above her, rather than what was happening around her.
Creeping up behind her, was the slinking form of the Fire Nation princess, Azula. Only the day before had she and Zuko taken her down, leaving her chained below the surface of the street in a drain outside the Fire Nation palace. Apparently, she had been freed. No doubt by one of the many Fire Nation sympathizers. How she had gotten here, Katara wouldn't have time to wonder. The princess stepped out of the shadows, the crackle of her wicked blue lightning catching Katara's attention one second too late. Just as the waterbender turned, the attack crashed into her, catching her in the right side. She went flying through the air, thrown high up and then hitting the ground with a solid thump. Rolling across the ground, she slid to a stop and lay still, just on the brink of unconsciousness.
Azula stumbled forwards, laughingly madly, and it was quite apparent that her crown was no the only thing slipping. She was on the edge of insanity. Katara could hear her laughter, could hear her approaching footsteps, but she could not will herself to move. Her entire body was screaming in pain. "Katara!" She heard a voice call out and then heard the unmistakable sound of lightning crashing. Opening her eyes, she could see that Azula was no longer focused on her, instead, she was locked in fierce battle with…
"Zuko…"
From overhead, there came a bang, louder than ever before, causing all eyes to turn skyward, even Azula's. Ignoring the horrible, searing pain it caused her, Katara rolled over onto her stomach, palms pushing down into the dirt, forcing herself up off the ground. Sozin's Comet was speeding past, seemingly disappearing as quickly as it had come, which would return the Fire Benders power back to normal; now would be their chance. She wondered if Aang realized this; but then she saw it, his head tipping back as he slipped into the Avatar State. The power that emerged was enormous. His whole body was glowing an eerie blue, a power emerging that they had never before witnessed; Aang reached out both his hands, setting them against Ozai's head. The Fire Lord began to glow red, then, it began to fade. Instead, the red light began to wrap around Aang, as if it were filling him up. There came a terrible crash and a flash of light; both bodies began to tumble, falling faster and faster towards the ground.
Without thinking, without waiting, Katara was bounding forwards, ignoring the cries from her own body and those around her. She stopped below the falling bodies, her hands rising up, a wave of water rising high, high into the air. With shaking hands she lowered it slowly, so slowly.. Until both bodies touched down upon the ground. Panting, she felt her knees give out and she stumbled.. Hands caught her, steadying her, gently helping her back onto the ground. "Zuko," she murmured, blue eyes meeting gold, the terrible look within them telling her what she already somehow knew. They both turned towards the bodies, one stirring, the other still unmoving. All eyes were upon the Fire Lord, who was waking, rising up onto unsteady feet. His hands were rising up above his face, fingers curling over and over, as if he were trying to will his power to come. And that was when they realized what had happened; Aang had taken away his power to bend. He had done it, he had saved the world without killing him, just as he had said he would.
Blinking, Katara tried to pull away from Zuko, her lips moving but no sound coming. Tears were filling her eyes, trailing down her cheeks as she stretched out an arm, fingers grasping, hoping Aang would wake to take her hand. He remained still, laying upon his back, battle worn but looking as if he simply were asleep. And then Sokka was there, dropping to his knees beside the Avatar, his hand outstretched to feel for his pulse. With somber eyes, Sokka stood back up, turning back around to face her with those eyes. Katara felt her heart breaking and a strangled cry left her lips. Zuko locked his arms around her as she began to cry, his voice low in her ear as he whispered words of encouragement, of comfort.
And that was how the war ended.
[ x x x ]
Sunlight spilled in through the window… Groaning against it, she rolled onto her side, a soft hiss of pain escaping her lips. With a sigh, she found herself to be wide awake, and though she didn't want to, Katara forced herself up. She could not help but to flinch in pain as she got to her feet, her side taut with healing skin. There had been so many wounded, so many others who needed the healers attention… Katara had instead opted to allow her body to heal naturally, not even bothering to heal herself. This… This pain was her one way of dealing with the emotional pain of losing Aang. It was something that for the time being, gave her something else to focus on.
And today… Today she needed such a distraction.
To her surprise, there came a knock on her door and she turned towards it. Just who would be knocking on her door at such a time? "Come in," she called out and the door opened, and an unfamiliar woman stepped inside, glancing shyly around the room. At once, Katara knew who the girl was. She was dressed in the Fire Nation service workers, clearly she was a maid, perhaps once in service to Azula. "Did Zuko send you?" She asked, causing the girl to give a little gasp at Katara's informal mention of the Fire Lord, though not yet crowned, he was still already well respected by his subjects. He was a beacon of hope to the Fire Nation. She has asked him to leave her be, had told him she didn't need help from his servants. Truly, she didn't, but more so, how could she allow someone to dress her and comb her hair? She herself was nothing but a commoner, no better than anyone else in service to Zuko. "I really don't…" She trailed off as the girl stepped forwards, shaking her head slightly. Today, of all days, she supposed she did need some help, but she really wasn't about to admit that.
"Yes, he did. He also said you would resist." The maid said with a light laugh, eliciting even a smile from Katara. "He sent you these," she added, turning to beckon a pair of younger maids into the room, a box carried between them. They placed it down at her feet, pulling back the lid to reveal to her an exquisite set of mourning robes. Katara could not help but to reach down and pull first the dress from the trunk, the deep black silk soft against her palms. They were simple and all black; the dress was sleeveless with a high neckline, its length long, so long there was a small train in the back. The outer robe was also black, edged with a scalloped hem of gold. Tucked into a compartment was a beautiful necklace of black and gold gems, with a matching hair comb. From within the compartment, she also pulled a small slip of parchment.
Katara,
I know you said not to, but I had to.
- Zuko
It was simple and short, written in a quick hand, as if he had been unsure of what to write at all. For one split second, she could picture him, hunched over his desk, wondering what to write down. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she turned to the little group of maids, all of who were waiting for her answer. "Alright," she finally gave in, setting the note aside, taking a seat in the chair beside the vanity she had not even used. Staring into the mirror, the face looking back to her seemed almost unrecognizable. Her cheeks had thinned and her eyes were dark with her grief. It had already been almost three weeks since then, since the day that Aang had died… Katara realized she had hardly left her rooms given to her by Zuko. She had hardly ate, hardly slept… No wonder she looked such a mess.
A few hours later, she emerged from her chambers for the first time in days, dressed in the beautiful black robes, with her hair hanging down her back in soft ringlets. The comb was tucked into a small bun atop the back of her head, the necklace draped beautifully against her collarbones. The long sleeves of the outer robe were a little annoying, but she kept her hands tucked up into them, and allowed a pair of guards to lead her to where she needed to be.
From his place on his throne, Zuko could see everything. His throne room was empty, though, save for a set of guards posted inside the doorway. There was another set on the outside that he could not see, but he knew was there. His amber eyes darkened and a sigh left his lips as he sat back, hands idly toying with the black material of his robes. Zuko had spared no expense for the funeral of the Avatar- his father's vast amount of riches would certainly not go to waste. He had given back funds already, helping to pay for the damage within the Earth Kingdom, establishing a new friendship with them. The wealth of his realm would be used to better it and its allies, never again for war and selfish needs. The door creaked open, catching Zuko's attention, and he looked up as the guards announced her arrival. "Lady Katara."
Not used to hearing herself addressed as such, Katara blinked, looking to the guard who had spoken with an arched brow. This world of royalty and nobles was not one she fit within, that much was certain. But, she moved past the guards, crossing the threshold of the throne room, and looked up to where Zuko sat upon the dais.
He watched as she entered and his breath caught; she was beautiful. She had always been beautiful to him, but there was something different about her beauty in that moment. Perhaps it was the way the sunlight bounced off of her hair, or the way that her eyes shined like gems… Or perhaps it was the simple fact that he had not seen her in many days… He had grown used to seeing her face everyday, to go without it was strange and unsettling. He had missed her, in truth. Rising up from his throne, he caught her attention and she turned to face him, swiveling her beautiful face to peer up at him. "Katara," he greeted, coming to stand before her, feeling awkward in her presence. "How… Are you?"
Katara could not help but to smile; she reached out a hand to gently grasp Zuko's, giving it a good squeeze. She owed him everything. Without a word, she reached out and enveloped him into her embrace; it took only a few seconds for his arms to steal around her, returning her embrace gently, to avoid hurting her. For several long moments they remained like that locked into one another's arms, until there came a cough from the doorway and at once they sprung apart, as if caught misbehaving. Turning, both found themselves joined by Sokka and Toph, and though blind, the Earthbender was staring at her as if she knew exactly what Katara was thinking.
There was no more time to speak before another face appeared; Suki poked her head into the room, her hair pulled back into a soft bun, her features softened by sadness. "It's time." She said to them and the small group sobered, each one reaching for another's hands. The four of them stood side by side, hands clasped, heads bowed as for one moment, they could only hear the sounds of the other's breathing. For that moment, there was no one else but them. Aang's face flashed before her closed eyes and Katara felt the wave of emotion washing over her. This was it.
Escorted by the royal guard, the group headed out the main double doors of the palace, down the staircase and into the garden. There, erected in the last week, stood a tall marble statue, carved into the likeness of the late Avatar. Below that, a magnificent casket, which of course held Aang's body. Katara stiffened, her steps faltering. But then Sokka was there, slipping an arm around her waist, walking beside her until they reached the casket. Brother and sister stepped up first, nudged ahead by Zuko, who knew it had to be them. They were the ones who had awakened Aang from his hundred year slumber, they had been his first friends, the first ones to believe in him.
Kneeling down beside the casket, Katara bowed her head, hands clasped as her lips silently moved to not a prayer, but a song from her childhood. A song her mother had used to sing to her and Sokka when they had been small. A single tear slipped down her cheek and she sniffed, lifting her head a moment later, brushing away the tear with the back of her hand. Sokka stood and helped her onto her feet, before they stepped aside, allowing for Toph and Zuko to step up next.
When they had all paid their own private respects, the gates opened, and the mourners flooded in. It took only a few minutes for the garden to fill up, until there was no room left, and the people still flocked to get a spot. They all owed everything to the Avatar that had given his life to save them from the tyrant Ozai. General Iroh, Zuko's uncle, stepped up to the podium and he began to speak. He spoke poignant phrases and offered words of wisdom and comfort to the crowd, to his nephew, and to her. He told the story of Aang's awakening, of how the first thing he had seen had been her face. "He gave his life so we could have peace. Now, it is up to us to make this peace last." Across the garden, all heads bowed, hands all clasping as one last prayer was offered up for the Avatar's soul.
And that was it, it was all over.
[ x x x ]
The moon rose high in the sky, bathing her in its soft glow. Katara found sleep to be quite elusive these days and she spent most of her nights out, sitting in the very spot she sat in then. Her long hair fell loose down her back, dancing in the soft summer breeze. Like most nights, she was not the only one awake and restless.
Zuko paced his rooms, back and forth, back and forth. He groaned softly, running a hand through his already messy hair. Being Fire Lord was stressful, he had known it would be, but to still be dealing with his feelings about Aang's death was making it next to impossible. That was it, he couldn't stand it another second; without word to his guards, he burst out the door, pulling a vest over his bare chest. He burst out of the side palace doors, the ones that lead right into the gardens, right where Aang was buried. Stepping out into the night, he stood on the balcony for a moment, looking out across the gardens. The moon was high that night, its glow warm against his skin. To his surprise, he could make out the outline of someone already sitting down at the burial spot. He didn't need the light of the moon to see who it was. Walking down the steps, he entered the gardens, slowly walking towards the statue. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked by way of a greeting as he approached her; she turned to him, so caught up in her own thoughts, she had never even heard him coming.
A small smile appeared upon her features and she shook her head. "You either?" She asked, to which he nodded, and she patted the spot beside her on the marble bench. He stepped around, taking the seat without a word, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, palms cradling his cheeks. Now that he had joined her, he realized he didn't have a word to say; but that was the thing with Katara, he didn't have to speak up. He turned his head, realizing then that she was staring at him. The moonlight gave her a glow, as if she were a moon goddess instead of a mortal woman. He blinked, unable to find the words to speak. His heart was hammering hard.
"Katara I…" He began, trailing off, too caught up in those blue eyes to go on. A second later, she was leaning in, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. When she pulled back, he could see the crimson glow rising in her cheeks, could see the mist of tears clouding her eyes.
"Thank you, Zuko, for everything." She said, rising up, leaving him to sit there on the bench, long after she had gone, wondering if he had just missed an opportunity of the lifetime.
[ x x x ]
Returning home had been the best choice of her life.
Being there… In the Fire Nation… it had been too painful. Too look out her window everyday and see Aang's burial site… She simply could not do it. And so, the morning after her midnight rendezvous with Zuko, she had approached Sokka about returning home. Home. The word still felt foreign on her tongue. It had been close to a year since their last time in the Southern Water Tribe, far too long.
But now that she was back, she felt trapped. After months of nonstop travel and battles, a life like this felt foreign and boring. From the moment they had returned, Sokka fell right back into place; with stunning detail, he recounted every moment from every adventure to a group of starry-eyed kids. He had that and a lot of his time was spent with their father, as he trained to one day take over his spot as one of the most prominent members of their tribe. Back home, Katara was reminded of her losses on the daily- she had stepped back into shoes far too big for her to fill, her mother's. and to be here… it only reminded her that Aang was gone and her life had changed. She had thought coming home would do her good, but in truth, she was wondering if she had made a big mistake leaving Zuko and the Fire Nation behind.
However, it was too late for regret. She was home and she would find her place again, somehow.