It was a strange sensation, grasping something so cold in her grip. Hands that were once so warm and strong were now icy and fragile- barely holding on with quivering fingers
Within his private chambers, Zuko lay before Katara on his bed. His hands were held shakily up to her heart while she sat at his bedside. A few months preceding this is when Zuko's right hand began to develop a small tremor. As time went by and his newly discovered illness became chronic, the tremor spread to his left hand, and the condition progressively worsened. His skin took on a ghastly pale tint, making him ghost like in his appearance. The strength in his bones slowly diminished just as his organs began weakening.
Around that period is when Katara received a letter with the Fire Nation's Royal Family insignia on the cover. Avatar Korra was nowhere to be found in this world, so it couldn't have been anything important… or so she had thought.
"Zuko, would you like anything?" She asked him kindly, "Oh La, where are the attendees when you need them!"
The wizened ex-fire lord chuckled faintly in amusement at Katara's brazen demeanor. Nonetheless, his body was too weak to handle the laughter and he was attacked with a coughing spell. Katara gasped in dread and held his hands tighter. His body movements became spastic.
"Someone bring me heated water!" She shouted as loudly as an old woman was able to. Luckily the guards outside heard her pleas.
It took forever, but a basin was eventually brought to the old water bender. Immediately she began using a technique she specifically developed for his odd illness. With her hands on his chest, she could feel the inner workings of his body. Lightly she would knead her hands in circles to sooth whatever organs caused his coughing spells.
"Thank you Katara," He whispered only loud enough for her to hear, "You've been so kind to me these past few months… I'm forever grateful."
"Stop speaking as if this is a goodbye... You're going to pull through this Zuko."
Unperturbed by her fierce claims, Zuko watched the slow plummet of one of Katara's hair loopies. He grasped the loopy in between two willowy fingers; twiddling it like a flower. With delicacy, he placed the gray loopie neatly back where it belonged.
"Katara, promise me you will not cry…"
She stopped. More precisely, she froze. It was something she'd thought about many times since her arrival to the Fire Nation. Would she cry? Could she even hold the tears in when he… at his…
"Zuko, you-"
"Remember the time we fed turtle ducks in the park?"
Katara chortled. How could she forget such an eventful evening. The image of the Fire Lord angered by a turtle duckling was seared forever in her memories.
"Or how about our monthly Sunday brunches," His genuine smile pained her heart, "I'll admit, I did enjoy terrorizing the staff."
She looked down at Zuko, but her eyes seemed to look even further
"We started those brunches after Aang's death… it seems so long ago…" She thought.
The two of them had been the closest to Aang compared to the rest of Team Avatar. His death hit them both hard. Toph practically excommunicated herself, and Sokka seemed to see the positivity in his passing that neither Zuko nor Katara could find. So, they found comfort in each other.
Katara's face slowly contorted as tears began to fall.
Zuko sighed. "I told you not to cry," he croaked. He watched the elderly woman softly lean her body forward. Her forehead found itself resting on his chest… right where the scar was.
It saddened the old fire lord to see such a strong woman appear so dejected. He wanted to comfort her, but his body's condition only allowed him to place a cold hand on her back.
"I can't lose you too!" Katara sobbed, "My heart is still heavy with Aang's departure and… I can't bear losing another person I care about…"
Katara had faced many devastating and traumatizing losses throughout her life. Her Mother was killed, her Father passed away, Sokka had fallen asleep and never awoke, Aang's body gave out on him, Toph was AWOL, and now she would lose Zuko too...
"Katara, do you ever wish you could change the past?"
Steadily she lifted her head off of his chest and looked at Zuko. Golden eyes stared back vehemently at the face of a goddess. Wrinkles trailed her complexion of which was enveloped in a look of pure innocence; her seniority was apparent, but so was her youth. Katara aged gracefully.
"Yes I do," She dabbed at Zuko's forehead with a red cloth, "But I have lived such a full life, that I couldn't imagine any other future besides this one."
Zuko sighed. It was something he'd been doing a lot lately. His age was catching up with him.
"Do you believe You and Aang were… destined to be together?" He closed his eyes and waited for her answer, only opening one eye so he could see her expression. To his surprise, she was smiling.
"Oh Zuko, we're such old sages now. We've missed the opportunity to have regrets," Zuko looked disheartened, "Moreover, I believe my fate could have happened either way."
His weary eyes perked up.
The fire bender felt precisely the same about his marriage to Mai. Being a widowed man had given him time to reflect on his life up to now. He should have been fulfilled, but it always felt like something was missing.
Zuko looked up at Katara, "Thank you for filling that missing piece," He chuckled, "Even if it was 70 years late."
Katara fully understood his implications and nodded her head in agreement.
"Maybe in the next life, Zuko…"
"… I'm not sure if I could betray Aang like that." He gave her a worried look.
Katara closed her eyes and smiled knowingly, "I understand. I will always love Aang too."
She inhaled deeply, letting it out slow as if trying to clear her mind.
"Sometimes two hearts find each other during peculiar instances of life; two hearts otherwise perfect for each other… but the timing isn't right."
Simultaneously the two benders sighed. For a brief moment they sat in peace. Neither of them wanted to break the serene quietness that settled over them. A quietness who's unspoken words seemed to speak volumes.
"Such feelings of love may be carried into the next life- if Oma and Shu gave their blessings," they both thought, not knowing the other was thinking the exact same thing.
"Katara, I lo-" But Zuko's words were interrupted by another coughing spell.
Katara jumped, "Zuko!" Immediately she reached for the water from earlier. Katara tried desperately to alleviate his coughing, but was only able to watch as it had no effect. With a petrifying hack, blood splattered on the front of his clothes.
His coughing subsided. The ghostly pale settled even deeper on his skin. His eyes were barely able to stay open.
"Katara, I'm tired…" He murmured in between sleep and wakefulness.
Katara's heart broke. Not in the dramatic way that many youngsters claimed to experience. It was a subtle crack that slowly seeped and caved in.
"Go to sleep Zuko. I'll be here when you wake up..."She said sadly, fully aware that death would murder sleep.
His eyes were already drifting close. It was only when she was sure that he was asleep, she began to sob.
Even in this huge palace, she felt so alone. It was a breed of loneliness that she hadn't felt since Aang's spiritual passage.
The downtempo of Zuko's heartbeat seemed to solely bring her sense of isolation to a crescendo.
Reaching into her pocket, Katara pulled out something very special to her. She held it next to a candle, watching how her mother's worn out betrothal necklace still glimmered in the presence of light.
"Thank you for saving me from the pirates," She kissed the necklace and placed it in his hand, "May we meet again."
Then, she was gone.
Fire Lord Izumi looked everywhere for Master Katara. The palace was on high security, making entering and exiting difficult. However, Izumi's efforts prove futile. Katara could not be found.
Within the next few hours, Zuko's soul passed on.
When the news was announced to the public, it felt like a part of the nation itself had died. People carried out there day in silence; mourning over the loss of their most beloved Fire Lord. What was left of Republic City's population took a moment to cast sky lanterns into the night to honor his memory.
For now, Katara flew high in the skies with her bison. What was left of her life, she contemplated. How would she live her last few remaining years?
"What will I do now?" She questioned herself with a heavy heart. She had outlived all of her cohorts, and now she was simply alone.
She could still feel the frigid temperature radiating from Zuko's hands, lingering on her finger tips. It was like the fire inside him had been symbolic of his impeding death as it died along with him.
"There's no one left… I've outlived my time."
However, It was then that a thought struck her.
"Toph."
Steering her bison in another direction, she headed straight for the Foggy Swamp. It would be a long trip, and Katara was not getting any younger. Nonetheless, she had her bending and her health, so she would find closure and comfort on this trip.
Katara clutched at the other necklace around her neck and looked up into the sky.
"Take care Zuko," She said, "Give Aang my best regards."
Somewhere off in the Spirit World, an Avatar and a Fire Lord were enjoying a game of Pai Sho together- drinking some of the Dragon of the West's finest tea.