Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Italic parts taken directly from Episode 20 of Avatar: the Last Airbender, The Siege of the North, Part II
Selene
"It gave me life," she murmured, looking down at the out of place grass amid the tundra of the North Pole. "Maybe I can give it back." She stood up slowly, trembling almost invisibly, but I noticed it.
"No!" I all-but yelled, grabbing her hand and intertwining my fingers with hers, "You don't have to do that!"
"It's my duty, Sokka," she whispered, eyes downcast, looking sadly at the corpse of the spirit.
"I won't let you!" I actually did yell now, my expression turning defiant. But in my heart I knew that she would always put duty before herself. She would have married a guy she didn't even love just for her tribe!
"Your father told me to protect you!" I said, a now familiar anger rising deep inside me once again. Why should she have to sacrifice herself? I thought. Why couldn't someone else just do it? Why can't I be the one to do this? But I knew deep inside himself that she was right. It could only be her. No one else in the entire North Pole had ever been anointed by the Moon Spirit. Only she could give its life back.
"I have to do this," she said, squaring her shoulders and looking straight ahead with a fierce, determined expression.
The old ones back home at the South Pole used to say that during critical moments during someone's life, they are able to have thousands of thoughts and memories flow through their mind to help them make their decisions. I had never believed in this. Until now.
Every experience I had had with her, every happy memory, was now travelling through my mind at an almost blinding speed. Watching her flow past in her boat, completely ignorant of my awestruck staring. Sitting next to her at the feast, trying to impress her despite his sister's snide comments. Our moments on the bridge, over the canal. Ridding the Sky-Bison. Our kiss. Her trying to push him away. Watching her cry silent tears as he prepared for war.
It all came down to this final moment.
She placed her hands over the fish and it began to glow, shining brighter and brighter until I had to shield my eyes. After a moment, the light dimmed, returning the world to darkness. Time slowed for me. She was still standing, if only for that moment. I watched at her desperately, wishing beyond reason that she would not have to make the ultimate sacrifice. And then cruel time, immortal enemy of the entire universe, began again.
She collapsed with a sigh, and if I hadn't caught her she probably would have fallen into the oasis.
"No!" I cried, refusing to believe that she was dead and that the stupid spirit hadn't even come back to life
"She's gone. She's gone," I murmured, my voice breaking as I repeated myself, huddling closer to her beautiful body, trying, wishing, hoping to make her live through sheer force of will.
And then she was gone. Completely and utterly. Her body, vanished into nothingness, despite the crushing grip I had as I hugged her close.
The body of the Moon Spirit glowed with new life, and the old man released it back into it's home waters, back with it's mate, it's companion.
The oasis started glowing with a pure white light that reminded me so much of her silky hair.
Something came out of the water, something that looked similar to steam, yet completely different in my mind. It materialised into what could only be called a ghost. But not a cruel, mean and terrifying ghost, like the ones in the stories my sister had made up when we were younger. A kind ghost. A beautiful ghost. The ghost of my love. My chest ached as I thought that. I had loved her. But now she was gone.
Flowing robes and a shawl floated around her in an soft ethereal breeze, touching nothing but her.
"Goodbye Sokka. I'll always be with you," she whispered. Her voice echoed strangely around the oasis, and he savoured every word she spoke and every echo. She floated down to kiss him one final time. It wasn't like their other kiss, her lips were now insubstantial, lifeless. Yet he still yearned, no, ached for more. She moved away, releasing her hand from my cheek, and disappearing into thin air.
And then, as she vanished, a little piece inside of me died.
The moon returned to it's rightful place in the night sky, defeating the darkness of night once more. However it couldn't defeat the darkness that was creeping slowly into my heart.