Title: Story's end.
Author: Ultra-Geek
Rating: T
Summery: Every story has an end, but not all are happy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
AN: Anyone here ever hear of Il Divo? They're this Italian group. I was listening to their song 'Feelings' when I wrote this. But, for the record, I know not a word in Italian except 'mafia'. I have no clue what they're saying, but I'm putting the lyrics in here. Enjoy…
Prima c´eri, ora no
Prima amavi ogni mio respiro
Spiegami di come I brividi ora sono
Le spine, di un amore alla fine
It was finally over. Sokka gazed over the wreckage that had come from the main battle. He was tired, he was more sore than he could ever remember being, and he was relieved. Toph picked her way over to him. Sokka looked at her, and they both started to laugh slightly. But then he remembered that Toph and Katara were together the last he saw. "Where's Katara?"
Toph bit her lip. "I don't know. We got separated when the second wave of firebenders came."
Sokka looked around there was no sign of Katara. Panic gripped his heart, and he began to walk forward, yelling out her name.
No answer.
Mi baciavi, ora no
Mi parlavi fino a tarda notte
Tra di noi c´era tutto ora niente
Feelings, sto parlando di feelings
It had been an hour, and still no sign of her. "Katara!" Sokka's voice cracked. He fell to his knees, all hope seeming to vanish. Then, as quiet as a breeze, a small voice called out.
"Here…" Sokka looked over to where Katara had managed to stick her arm in the air. He flew to his feet again, and ran over to her. She laid on the ground, surrounded by countless soldiers, all bearing the mark of her bending. But even the mightiest bender could be taken by an arrow. That arrow was buried deep into her stomach.
"Oh my god." Sokka whispered. "We need to get you help."
"No, no," She smiled weakly. "I'm fine, really. It….It doesn't even hurt anymore…" Her eyes glazed over, and Sokka looked down at her, feeling as if his heart had burst.
Dove si va se non c´è
Feelings
Come si far per tenerlo con sè
Dimmi se, dimmi che forse credere si può
Oh feelings dove si va se non c´è
Toph heard the heart-rending cries before she saw him. He sat in the bloodied grass beneath the full moon, holding her still body. The earthbender's hands flew to her mouth in disbelief.
"No!" Sokka was screaming at the sky. "No! Not Katara, gods, please, not her…!"
Toph wrapped her arms around his body, and he shoved her off. Toph put her hand to her cheek, finding it wet. She hadn't even realized that she had started to cry. After a few minutes, she placed a hand on his shaking shoulder. Toph doubted he even knew she was there.
Èun dolore che orami
Tu lo sai, è per noi una lama gelida
Sorridevo, ora piango
Oh feelings, sto parlando di feelings
Aang stood waiting at the gate. He and Zuko had been at the palace at the time of what was being called the greatest battle of their time. The Fire Lord had been defeated. Zuko stood next to the Avatar. All that they knew was that Sokka, Katara, and Toph had ridden to battle. And that out of the ten thousand participants in said battle, only two thousand were returning. The odds were against them.
The horn from the walls sounded, signaling the return of the warriors. In they came, all looking weary and bearing the auras of having seen too much. Aang watched as wives ran to their husbands, and little children were spun in the air by their fathers. Aang finally spotted him. Sokka was walking in with the remaining members of the tribe. Pushing through the crowd, he yelled, "We won!"
Sokka showed no sign of hearing him, and walked right past. Aang was about to go after him, when he felt someone put a hand on his arm. He looked to see Toph. "What's wrong?" He asked. She wordlessly pointed to where the dead were being brought in. They started with the honored Generals and Warriors. Among them were many of the people who they'd known who they were friends with.
Then she was carried in. Aang fell to the ground, his mouth open in a silent scream. Toph took the roll as the comforter, once again, as the Avatar rocked in grief. The wind blew around them, calling everybody who was present's attention. Only Zuko looked over to where Sokka had froze, leaning against a wall as if it was the last thing keeping him standing.
Dove si va se non c´è
Feelings
Come si far per tenerlo con sè
Dimmi se, dimmi che forse credere si può
Oh feelings dove si va se non c´è
It was tradition that went back farther than anyone could remember to return the Water Tribe dead to the water. Katara's body had been wrapped in a blue shroud, her hands placed to cover the arrow hole in her stomach. Sokka stood near the shore, Aang and Toph standing on either side. Several waterbenders pushed the water gently so the boat she rested in floated to the sea. An arch of fire flew from a peak, lighting the boat aflame.
No one could say for sure why the Water Tribe's burials involved fire, but it was tradition.
Waiting until it just caught flame, Sokka turned, and walked away. Toph was sure that she was the only one who noticed. She waited until the flaming pyre was out of sight, and stole away in the direction he went. She heard him in his room, but couldn't be sure. The floors were metal in the Fire Nation, and she couldn't 'see'.
Persi nella scia
Di una storia che va via
Dietro gli alberi di quest´ alba fragile
"Sokka," She called quietly through the door. "I'm not going to pretend to understand what you're going through, but Katara was my friend." Her voice broke. "You are killing yourself over this. You haven't talked to anyone, or eaten…Damn it, Sokka! We can't loose you too!"
There wasn't any noise from inside. Toph opened the door, and listened. Sokka was definitely not in the room. She felt the breeze blow in, presumably from an open window. She heard someone walking across the courtyard.
Dove si va se non c´è
Feelings
Come si far per tenerlo con sè
Dimmi se, dimmi che forse credere si può
Oh feelings dove si va se non c´è
She ran to the stables where Aang was sitting with Appa, absentmindedly stroking Momo's fur. Zuko was grooming one of the many Ostrich-Horses, even though there were countless grooms to do the menial task. Anything to keep his mind off of her. Zuko's way of dealing with things was to not deal with them.
"Sokka's gone." Aang looked up, and Zuko glanced over at her.
"Where'd he go?"
"I don't know…" She was interrupted by a groom outside yelling 'hey!'
They ran out, and saw the retreating back of the Water Tribe boy galloping away. Zuko grabbed the reins of another, but Aang stopped him. "I'll go." He pulled out his glider and went after their friend.
When he finally caught up, the Ostrich-Horse was grazing listlessly. Clouds had rolled over, and it had begun to pour rain. Sokka was standing on a hill, staring up at the sky. Aang could barely make out what he was saying.
"Yue, I need to talk to you now, damn it! You owe me this, at least!" To Aang's immense shock, the clouds peeled away, revealing the moon. But, a glowing figure was hovering just above the ground. "I just…I need to know if…if she got to 'the other side'." Sokka's voice cracked, and Aang found himself crying again.
The figure nodded, and placed a hand on his shoulder, before fading away. The clouds rolled back over the glowing orb, and it began to pour rain, as if the entire world mourned for the loss of Katara.
A year later, in the field where she died, a statue would be raised. She stood; her arms flung out as she bended the granite water. Underneath, the inscription read:
Every story has an end
Her's came too soon,
Katara of the southern Water Tribe;
Friend.
Hero.
There was uproar, for the day after the statue was erected, someone scratched on the base beneath the inscription:
See you on the other side.
Dove si va se non c´è