Because of Aang
Katara peeked out from behind the black marble pillar at her injured friend.
"I have to end this battle quickly or Zuko is going to die!"
A flash of lightning sent her scurrying for another hiding place.
"You can't win this waterbender!" Azula shouted. "You and my worthless brother are going to die here and there isn't anything you can do about it!"
Katara ran from her hiding place using her bending as a shield as well as a weapon. Trying to get close enough to heal Zuko and getting pushed back every time she tried. Then she saw an opening and took it. She used her bending to pick up a large pot and smash it against Azula's head knocking her unconscious. She ran over to Zuko, kneeling over him inspecting the wound caused by the lightning strike that had been meant for her.
"You didn't have to do that" she whispered, healing him as she spoke. "Why did you try and save me? Your people need you and you could have been killed!"
Zuko's eyes fluttered and his chest heaved giving her the indication that the healing was working. She pulled the water away from his wound and saw that it had healed as much as her waterbending could heal it. Running over to a wall and ripping its covering off she began to tear it into strips for a bandage. As she wrapped the makeshift bandage around his body he began to stir.
"That's it Zuko wake up." She said smiling. His eyes fluttered open staring deep into hers. She finished tying off the wrap. "Hey you really scared me there."
"Katara. What happened? Wait where is Azula?!* He said trying to sit up. He grimaced in pain and laid back down.
"Don't try and move yet. You took a lightning bolt to your chest. I managed to knock Azula out. She's over there…. Zuko why did you try and save me? You could have been killed."
"You're my friend Katara." He said bringing his hand up and stroking her cheek. "And friends look out for each other."
Katara felt a shiver shoot up her spine. She herself looking into Zuko's golden eyes and quickly looked away. "Why am I so shaky?" she asked herself.
"But if you had died… what would your people have done? I mean you are the one hope the fire nation has for peace."
"But I'm not dead. I'm alive because you refused to let Azula beat you. And Aang is out there defeating my father. He is our real hope not me. Now help me up we need to tie Azula down before she wakes up and kills us both." Zuko said as he tried to stand, but Katara held him down.
"You are not going to move an inch Zuko. I can handle tying her up. We can't have the future fire lord tearing his wounds open." She smiled, stood up and walked over to Azula using the left over wall covering to bind her hands and feet. As she looked upon one of her greatest enemies she marveled at how such a beautiful girl could have gone from evil to insane in a matter of days.
"Zuko?"
"Yes Katara? What is it?"
"I've been thinking… About the way Azula was acting tonight. Is that the only think power gives you? That is… Does power always drive those who seek it over the edge?" She walked back to him and put his head on her lap.
"Not if they are seeking it for the right reasons. Compare my uncle and Azula. My uncle seeks power so he can help people; Azula seeks it so that people will fear her."
"Oh. I see." She said running her fingers through his hair. She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. She felt Zuko's head turn as if he had heard something. "Zuko what is it?"
"Someone is coming. We can't be sure what side they are on. Help me up. We may have a fight on our hands."
Katara sensed the serious tone in his voice and stood to help him. The doors flew open and in marched dozens of fire nation troops. Katara knew that neither of them were in the condition to fight. Zuko's injury was severe and she had used all of her energy fighting Azula and healing him. Before she knew it they were surrounded. A tall heavily decorated man stepped forward.
"Surrender. You are surrounded. And there is no way you can win. Perhaps Phoenix King Ozai will be merciful and kill you quickly."
"That means Aang…" Katara whispered, "Lost?" Her shoulders sagged in defeat.
"Damn it" Zuko thought, clutching his chest "So in the end Aang didn't have the courage to kill my father. And now the world is going to suffer for it." "Katara we don't have a choice." She turned and looked at him fear.
"But Zuko.."
"We've lost, Katara, we don't have another option." He hid his fear behind a stiff mask of determination.
"But if we could get to Appa…" she whispered.
"We wouldn't make it to Appa if we tried and Aang had the Bison whistle. Remember?"
She nodded and slowly released the little bit of ice that she had been holding like a dagger. She heard it shatter against the marble floor. Time seemed to slow to a turtlesnails pace as she felt Zuko being drag away from her side and two gloved hands forced her arms roughly behind her back. In the corner of her eye she saw a soldier bend down to untie Azula who had just regained consciousness. Azula gave them one of her best glares as if it were she and not her father's soldiers who had apprehended them. She stood and folded her arms across her chest.
"I'm not going to help you out of this one Zuzu." She said, sneering. "You are on your own."
Zuko winced, as he struggled to remain standing. "I have never asked for your help, Azula. And I won't start now. I never asked you to shoot a lightning bolt at Katara. All I did was make sure you didn't succe…" Zuko's faced twisted in pain and he fell to the floor.
"Zuko!" Katara shouted, breaking free and running to his side. "Zuko, are you alright? Talk to me."
"I'm alright Katara." He answered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Damn it. My chest hurts like hell."
"You have to get up, Zuko. Come on." She pulled his arm over her shoulders and tried to help him up. He attempted to regain his footing, but he slipped and fell back to the ground on top of Katara.
"I'm sorry Katara. I…" Zuko blushed.
"Don't even go there Zuko. Just try again." She helped him stand, making sure he didn't fall. She grimaced under his weight, but tried to hide it. Before she knew it her icy blue eyes had once again been entrapped in his liquid gold ones. She couldn't stop staring.
"Katara?" Zuko said.
"Yeah?"
"I think I'll be ok now. You can let me go."
Katara nodded and moved out from under his arm. But she stayed next to him until she was sure he wasn't going to fall again. Once again Katara heard Azula's cruel voice breaking the peaceful silence.
"Take the prisoners to the throne room. My father wishes to decide what punishment the traitor and his friend will ender personally."
Katara saw Zuko's eyes widen and could see that even he was afraid. Suddenly guards were pulling her arms behind her again. She felt a rope biting into the tender skin on her wrists, and bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. She drew blood, she could taste it. As the soldiers marched her down the hall, every so often she would peek over to see if Zuko was still standing. He was but she could see it was a struggle. He was continuously tripping over cracks in the time worn floor. Even so he walked with his head held high, like even if Aang had failed, his own part of the battle had been won. They approached the double doors of Ozai's throne room and Katara's courage returned. She knew that Aang would not want her show fear. He wouldn't want her to give up. Her back straightened a little.
"I have to be strong, even Zuko is trying to hide the extreme fear that I can tell he's feeling." She raised her chin, her face set as strong as the walls of Ba Sing Se. "I will not show even an ounce of my fear if I can help it."
The doors of the throne room flew open, the sound of them hitting the wall resonating down the corridor. Katara felt Zuko's shadow fall on her side and turned to look at him. His eyes were tired and his normally straight face had turned into a grimace of pain and sadness. Zuko turned and looked at her.
"How is she keeping her courage up? She has to know that Aang might not have survived because of his inability to kill my father." He looked into her eyes trying to understand.
"Aang will be here soon. He has to come. He will come I know it!" Katara said to herself turning back to the open door.
"I have to find a way to get us out of this. I cannot make the same mistake that Aang did. I cannot cause everyone else misery by letting my father live." Zuko set his face into the dancing orange shadows where he knew his father was waiting. "Here goes nothing. I hope Katara doesn't say anything rash. If she doesn't we might just make it out alive."