Relief
"Please no, Zuko, not like this," Tears were streaming down Katara's face as she chocked back sobs.
There she sat, crouching down in worry at the figure that lay in her lap. Zuko's body lay limp in her grasp. His burgundy attire had been ripped to pieces, and in the center of his stomach was a huge, bloody scar.
"You can't do this to me," The water bender whispered softly.
Her voice was pleading as she looked him in the face. His eyes were closed and she couldn't make out a single breath, but still she prayed that he was alive. A few feet away stood a sneering Princess Azula, her hair was dancing in the wind and she had a wicked, far-off look to her. Zuko had been right; she wasn't herself anymore.
And then the voices came. She could hear it, voices, shouts, Azula cackling madly at her. Spewing annotations of hate, pride, and vanity, that all went deaf to Katara's ears.
Her blue eyes staring at him, she suddenly felt a rush run through her body that she had never felt before. It was of grief, but of pleasantness as well. It was as if in that moment she were connected to his thoughts. As if fire and water were finally linked. In her mind, she saw images and memories. They started from her very first encounter with Zuko and lasted all the way towards that very moment. She realized right then and there, she loved him. It wasn't just an innocent, little-kid sort of love she had grown to have for Aang, but it was older. Much more passionate, bigger than her.
"Come on, Zuko," She gave one last, desperate smile, "You promised you'd save me from the pirates."
The next thing she felt was a jerk. Violently, she felt herself being flung backwards as a giant electric bolt was shot at her. Groaning in pain, she opened her eyes to find Azula looming over her.
"Don't worry, you'll join my brother soon enough," She gave a cruel, sinister smile and raised her fingers towards the sky.
So this is it, Katara thought to herself, ready for it to all be over. She closed her eyes and waited for the final blast to come, but the shot never came.
Instead, when she opened them, she found Azula's body lying tangled on the ground in front of her. Beside it, a pair of familiar red shoes stood.
Confused, Katara's eyes lifted up to find a familiar figure standing before her.
"I'm not about to break a promise to you again," Zuko smiled.
Author's Notes
Ohhaithur! :3 Anyhow, first entry of Zutara Month! I might be a bit late to upload some of these as I've had a very busy month so far (and it's only the third day in. u.u). Anyhow, This takes place during Sozin's Comet when Zuko and Azula did the Agni Kai. My own little take on things. Heh.