Korra walked in slowly, frightened of seeing her dead. Of finding her waterbending teacher cold and lifeless. But no, she was still alive, if only just.
"Katara?" she asked timidly. The waterbender opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the young girl.
"Korra," she whispered, "come in." Korra stepped in and shut the door quietly behind her. Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi were already sitting around their mother, their eyes slightly red and watery from crying.
"How are you?" the avatar asked the old woman softly. Katara smiled and closed her eyes.
"I'm ready," she murmured. "I've been waiting thirteen years. I'm ready." Kya turned into Bumi's shoulder and sobbed. Her mother was so close to death, yet so close to being back with Aang. She was so ready to be back with her husband. All her children knew how much she missed the past avatar.
Her heart still ached, after almost fourteen years, for her deseeded husband. After Aang had passed away, Katara didn't know if she could go on, but then she remembered her promise. She told him that she would teach the new avatar waterbending, she had to, she'd promised him. Now, however, she was ready to be back with him. To hold him again and tell him how much she'd missed him and how much she loved him.
"Master Katara, thank you so much, for everything that you've done for me." Korra said, grasping the waterbender's hand. Katara's eyes fluttered opened and her blue irises shined dimly.
"You're very welcome dear," she almost rasped. She took a deep breath and smiled. She looked over at her children. "It's time." Tenzin's eye's filled with tears. Kya turned back to look at her mother as Bumi stared, quiet and desperate, wishing silently that his mother didn't have to die.
"Mom," Tenzin choked through his tears," tell dad we say hey." Katara looked at her youngest son and the ghost of a smiled passed over her face. She simply nodded and closed her. She took one last shallow breath, and Korra could have sworn it made the earth quake. She had never seen her airbending teacher shed tears before, but now, his tears spilled unceasingly and Bumi held onto his sister as she clung to him, as if he were anchoring her to earth.
"Master Katara," Korra's voice caught and she cried along with the three siblings. Even though she'd known it was her time, the avatar would miss her waterbending master deeply. Her death would leave a permanent scar on her heart.
"Tell dad we say hey." She looked at Tenzin and smiled. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Finally. Her heart stopped and she opened her eyes. Everything was so dark, except for the glowing blue figure hovering above her.
"Katara," he breathed. She almost cried at the sight of him.
"You came back," she whispered softly as if by raising her voice could make him disappear into thin air. Aang reached down and grabbed her by the waist.
"I never left," answered with a smiled. She pulled herself closer to her husband and hugged him. And her heart started beating in the spirit world.