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So long to all my friends.
Every one of them met tragic ends.
The princess’s eyes shone with anger, frustration and madness. She was at her breaking point. Zuko was not quite sure if it’s to his advantage or not, but was willing to risk it.
“No lightning today, Azula? Afraid I’ll redirect it?“ he taunted his sister.
“I’ll show you lightning!“ Holding onto the last bits of sanity she had, Azula centered herself. She circled around herself with both arms, her index and middle finger stretched out, electricity sizzling all around her. Zuko braced himself for the impact, remembering Iroh‘s advice.
“You must make the lightning go through your stomach. Not through the heart.“
Azula prepared to shoot and then she realised something.
She sent her lightning at the water girl.
Zuko realised what Azula was about to do a split second after she did it.
“NO!”
He threw himself in front of Katara, forgetting all about his uncle’s words. It didn’t matter where it hit him or what would happen to him. He couldn’t let her hurt Katara.
It went right through his heart.
With every passing day
I’d be lying if I didn’t say,
That I miss them all tonight.
It all happened so fast, Katara barely had time to process it. Zuko and Azula stood opposite each other, never breaking eye contact, waiting for the other to strike. Zuko taunted her about lightning. Then there was a loud sizzle, a flash of bluish white light heading towards her and she froze. Zuko shouted and jumped in front of her.
The world stopped. Katara felt like she was in some kind of trance. Everything seemed so distant and every sound was muffled. Her surroundings ceased to exist. There was only her and her friend’s body on the ground in front of her, convulsing in spasms. She saw the last bits of electricity escaping his body.
She pulled the water out of her waterskin to cover her hands in healing gloves and wanted, needed , to heal him. As soon as she made a step forward however, a blast of blue fire landed right in front of her, the impact sending her to the ground. More fire came soon after and Katara quickly realised that she wouldn’t be able to get to Zuko until she took Azula out of the equation.
She noticed the sewage behind her and the chain in the corner of the terrace. If she could just get her there…
Azula wasted no time and charged after her, sending firebolt after firebolt the waterbender’s way. Katara hid behind one of the columns, gaining protection for a split second and made her way for the chain after sending an icy spear towards Azula. She dodged it easily, but it bought Katara precious seconds as it kept Azula from sending another blast, which Katara probably wouldn’t be able to avoid with her back turned.
She grabbed the chains, turned around and let out a scream as she saw Azula charging right at her, clearly prepared to shoot another lightning bolt.
Katara quickly pulled as much of the sewage water from under them as she could and enclosed them in ice, Azula’s outstretched fingers inches from her face but unmoving. Azula was mad with rage. If looks could kill, Katara would no longer be among the living.
The waterbender composed herself and let out a breath to warm the water around herself to be able to move within the ice. A breathing technique she learned from Zuko.
She forced Azula to her knees, tied her hands behind her back and made a tight knot on the chain, fastening it to the bars over the sewage. The princess was seething with rage but there was nothing she could do. Not even scream.
Finally Katara turned the ice back into water and let it splash down, both girls coughing.
She ran towards Zuko, a sinking feeling overtaking her heart.
And if they only knew, what I would say:
If I could be with you tonight,
I would sing you to sleep,
Never let them take the light behind your eyes.
He was alive when she got to him.
His breathing was shallow and he could hardly keep his eyes open, but he was alive. Katara felt more relief than ever before.
“Zuko, why did you do that?! I’m here, it’s okay, I’ll heal you, just hang in there!”
“No,” the prince whispered weakly.
“What do you mean no?! Of course I will, Azula is restrained, I can do it!”
“No Katara, it’s too late, I-, he breaks off and coughs, droplets of blood falling from his mouth.
“No no no, Zuko, no this isn’t happening, I’ll heal you and you’ll be fine!” Katara sobs, her voice breaking.
“Katara, listen. I love you. I’ve loved you since the caves. I couldn’t let her… I couldn’t.”
Tears streamed down her face, lip trembling.
Zuko let out one last sharp breath – and he was gone.
Katara howled in pain. She tried healing him again. He couldn’t have left her. Not like this.
For a long time her hands glowed over his wound until she was exhausted and her skin wrinkled. It wasn’t until the water’s glow began to dim as her strength left her, that she gave up.
She gently lifted the fallen prince’s head and placed it in her lap, stroking his hair. The tears kept coming as she bowed down and planted a kiss to his pale forehead.
She loved him too.
In a sudden surge of clarity, Azula realised what had happened. What she’s done.
She stared at the water girl kneeling over her brother’s lifeless body, her shoulders shaking, mourning his loss.
Azula wailed.
One day I’ll lose this fight
As we fade in the dark,
Just remember you will always burn as bright.
Katara never marries.
Years later, she still finds herself thinking back to that fateful day when the crown prince of the Fire Nation saved her life – and paid with his own.
She thinks about all the things left unsaid, about the feelings they both had, but were too shy, too scared to act upon. The beautiful things they could have had, but missed out on. The pain and regret is too great to let go of.
She takes interest in other men every so often, but soon realises she can’t do it. She doesn’t want to do it. She doesn’t want to be with them.
Later in life Katara becomes the village grandma. She may not have children of her own, but her doors are always open to anyone in need of any age and she always welcomes them with open arms. She thinks about what Iroh said to her once after the war, when they mourned Zuko together.
“Sometimes the best way to help yourself is to help others.”
He was right.
It brings her joy to help the people around her. It gives her life purpose and temporarily takes her mind off her past that she never seems to quite get over.
Every year on the anniversary of Zuko’s death she lights incense and sings the lullaby that Iroh taught her on the first anniversary.
Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile tiny shells
Drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy
Come marching home
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home