A/N: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.
You're gonna wake to a whole different scene.
All your pretty lights and neon signs replaced with green.
And as you curse the river bed that you throw your compass in,
there's comfort 'round the bend.
But this house is filled with crooks and liars.
We regret to inform you there's no love here for you.
I The Mighty / Cutting Room Floor
Prologue
The energy bending that disarmed Ozai took, as the name suggests, an inordinate amount of energy. But seeing Toph, Suki, and Sokka safe and sound was more relieving than I could have believed.
I left the group with Appa so that they could transport the now harmless "Phoenix King" somewhere safe. Not that he needed protecting. But it would just be their luck for some loyalists to find him and rally anew in vengeance. We needed to get him off the scene to discourage his army.
I pulled my extra glider from Appa's saddle and took off toward the palace. The light display could be seen from miles away, so locating Zuko and Katara was not difficult. But the vivid glow coming from the palace courtyard was enough to get me anxious.
I hope I'm not too late.
No, they were still fighting, which meant that there was still something to fight for. There's no doubt that if something were to happen to one, the elemental complement would flee with their comrade to safety.
They must both still be okay.
I dropped to the roof of a pagoda to survey the situation before jumping in. I wanted to tally any advantages I could use against the rabid princess. And since I was already exhausted, I would need any advantages I could get.
What I saw made my stomach drop.
Azula's soldiers surrounded the square leaving a wide berth for the princess and her brother to… I gulped...it was an Agni Kai.
I scanned the crowd for Katara and found her nervously looking on. And occasionally fighting off the odd Fire Nation soldier from getting involved.
Dammit Zuko! What a hothead. We sent Katara to help him for a reason.
Zuko ducked beneath a particularly powerful barrage of blue flame. Katara turned to the scene, suddenly nervous. A Fire Nation soldier took advantage of her momentary distraction to knee her in the back. Another snatched her waterskin from her side. The first soldier wrapped his arm around to place a palm on her mouth while the other hand held her arm behind her back. Her eyes widened wildly.
Before I realized it, I was swooping down from the ledge and blasting a radius around the scuffle. I found myself haphazardly blasting soldiers away. When I finally reached the one who had apprehended Katara, I saw that he had knocked her out.
And then without warning, I felt immense. My mind stretched to infinity and every avatar surged through my spirit. I was vaguely conscious of the typical glowing down my arms. I saw myself outside of myself, and the power wielded me.
I took out the soldier easily. Katara almost toppled to the floor but I caught her in time.
Somewhere in the distance, Zuko and his sister acknowledged my presence, but continued their fight.
Without thinking, I pulled water from somewhere beneath me. Still in the avatar state, I didn't bother considering from where.
It came to glow in my palms, matching the arrows on my arms. I held it over her head.
Just when I felt the energy fading out of me, I noticed the burn-marks on her face and throat, and my fervor returned anew.
Her tried to kill her! He marred her beautiful face.
As if I was looking down on myself from above, I realized that without more pressing matters to attend to (healing Katara) I probably would have killed the man.
I felt the weak thrum of her heartbeat, but realized that I must have been missing something. I placed my hands at the base of her throat, searching for something. I began to sense where the blood was flowing.
Even with the unsteady strobe of flame light from behind me, I was solely focused on the direction that Katara's lifeblood was flowing.
Her back? Wha-?
I lifted her torso closer to me and reached around behind her.
NO!
There between her shoulder blades was the hilt of a knife.
Some part of me knew to pull it out and apply immediate pressure. I was approximately aware that some past incarnation of myself had dealt with a similar situation. But nothing in the world mattered more now than stopping this damn bleeding.
I applied more water to her wound and began to feel the tendons knitting themselves back together. The bleeding subsided and her heart drummed more steadily. But she had lost too much blood.
I thanked the spirits for whichever incarnation in my head right now that knew what to do.
I somehow just knew that my blood would save her. Not wasting time with sterilization (we would deal with any infection later), I slit my forearm with the offending knife.
Suddenly bloodbending, I pulled what I needed from the vein and began to approximate where I should cut Katara to give it to her.
In my arms, her heartbeat was still too weak. With the touch of my finger to her wrist, I could hardly feel anything at all. I was sure if not for bloodbending, that I would not know if she were alive or dead.
And if not for the avatar state, I would not even be able to bloodbend.
Suddenly, Sokka shouted.
Some small part of me grew annoyed.
Hadn't I given him busy work? What is he doing here?
Then I heard Zuko shouting. What was he saying? 'Aim'? Oh no, Aang! My name!
I was abruptly aware of the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I felt static dance across my back.
Azula's laughter echoed distantly.
And then white. Bright. Too bright.
And the pain.
The force of the past avatars pulled out of me, painfully. Like getting the wind knocked out of you.
NO, Katara! I have to save her!
Too hot. Everything was too hot.
Then black.
Ten Weeks Later
I was dimly aware of a voice. It was comforting. I slipped into the cadence of the voice. It was a bassy sound. And it swung poetically. I decided to swing with it. Then it bounced merrily. Laughter. It slowed to a roll. Thrummed sadly. Sobbing. The bluster of sniffling ensued. The talking resumed. The same poetic swing. I pushed to the edge of my awareness, searching for something intelligible. Some words to grab onto. It hurt too much. I was too weak. The fuzziness clouded the edges of my awareness and I tumbled back out of consciousness.
I resisted choking on acrid smoke. I needed to remain alert. I had to protect him. I couldn't let them interfere. One of them tried to rush me. I pulled from the water at my side and forced him back with it. I wouldn't let him interfere.
She was trying to hurt him. Zuko! That's who she was trying to hurt. That's who I had to protect him from the men. They were trying to get involved. Trying help her.
Didn't they understand. It was about honor! They couldn't get involved. They weren't allowed to. It was between Zuko and her. I believed in him. He could take her. He could take anything she could throw at him. And if he couldn't, he would redirect it.
I was sure of this. So sure, as I forced another man back. Freezing him in place.
I felt an intense heat at my back and the edges of my shadows glowed blue.
No! I turned around. She was going to hurt him. She was winning. Azula! She was hurting Zuko. I had to help, do something!
Someone hit me from behind. Pulled my arm back. Pinned it against my spine. I felt a shriek building involuntarily within me. A sweaty palm slapped my mouth, trapping the scream in my throat.
"Katara!" someone shouted. Aang? No, he would get hurt.
The arm the man had twisted protested painfully.
My water skin sling snapped, yanked away. No! I had to get away. Help Zuko. Stop Aang.
I bucked my boot backwards and it met a shin. The man grunted angrily.
I was sure my shoulder was dislocated.
Spirits, it hurt!
A blur of blue light and wind blew toward me.
No, Aang! Get away! Help Zuko! I can take care of my-
ah! Something cold pushed against my back. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't supposed to be there.
I exhaled and then forgot how to inhale.
I coughed, not from the smoke. Something liquid sputtered in my throat.
And the bright fires, dancing at the edge of my vision, dimmed. And dimmed.
It feels so good not to worry anymore.
My shoulder feels better.
Blackness.
"... Lifted the mud from the ground. He bent it a wall to shield himself with it. And the Firebenders burned it into brick. The man truly is a mad genius." The voice chuckled. "I don't think we could have taken the city without him."
The voice hummed a bit pensively. He chuckled again, but hollowly.
"Piandao carried his weight too. That man can wield a sword as if he was born carrying it. It's obvious where Zuk-"
A hiccup, heavy with emotion. The man breathed deliberately.
"He's okay, you know. He's a good boy. So strong. He found his way. Eventually." Laughter.
"It did take him a while though." Sigh. "But for someone who has lost everything, it is sometimes hard to see the paths before one clearly."
I could not pretend to understand what the man was talking about. I was just so happy to have latched onto something intelligible. And it was a kind, comforting voice. Even if it was sad.
Yellow light pulsed behind my eyelids. I was warm. Something heavy and itchy rested against my body. But it was so warm.
I strained to lift my eyelids. Intense light burst beneath my eyelashes. I squeezed my eyes shut against it.
Okay, try again.
I took a deep breath to prepare myself.
"Katara?" The voice gasped. "Dear, are you awake?"
Iroh. It was Iroh. Oh thank the spirits. Someone I know. Someone I know to be good. I am safe.
For now.
I forced my eyes open. My vision swam in the light. My eyes stung with tears.
I blinked rapidly, trying to bring everything into focus.
My mouth opened to answer. "Ir-" my voice cracked.
"Oh, there, there, child. Let me get you some water. Don't strain yourself." A cup pressed gently to my lips.
I noticed that the skin on my lips was dry and tight.
I opened my mouth against the cup.
I felt the water flow into my mouth.
Spirits, it tasted so good!
It fell down my throat like honey. So soothing.
I gulped ravenously. I felt it dripping down my chin and could not care, because it tasted so good.
Finally, there was no more. I gasped for air again, realizing that I had not breathed for all of my chugging.
I glanced up again, and there he was. Iroh beamed down at me and I tried with all my strength to smile back. He laughed in response.
"Oh I cannot tell you how happy I am that you're awake, child."
"Iroh." I said, dumbly, voice still cracking.
He nodded excitedly in response.
"You're alive, Katara." He grabbed one of my hands and grasped it between his. His palms warmed my fingers, which I only just realized were freezing.
A wave of nausea washed over me. Iroh must have seen my face turn green because he reacted quickly, pulling an empty bowl from the bedside table and holding it under my chin.
I hunched forward and he adjusted with my movement to keep it placed in front of me.
I gagged painfully and vomited disgracefully.
I heaved several times more before the nausea subsided.
Humiliated, I look up at Iroh apologetically. He smiled sympathetically, deposited the bowl out of sight, and handed me a handkerchief and a cup of water. After recovering, I apologized.
"Do not be embarrassed. You're going to be okay," Iroh whispered encouragingly.
I took in the strange room. Red designed tapestries hung imposingly on the walls. My bed was near a window, but it was dark out, and I could not see outside, for the room was well-lit.
"Where am I?"
"The Fire Palace." Iroh appeared to brace himself.
Questions burst through my mind, and I wondered why he looked so suddenly dreading.
"How long… was I…?"
"Ten weeks, yesterday."
Ten weeks?
He must have seen how horrified I was. He placed my hand in his again. "There, there. You had much to recover from. You are a strong person, Master Katara, to come back from death's door step."
Memories scrambled to the edge of my mind. I wracked my brain to reach out for them. Recall what the hell happened!
But they remained just beyond my grasp, the way dreams sometimes do.
"What do you remember?" Iroh invited.
I went backwards, searching for the concrete. I would piece things together starting there.
"Sozin's comet."
He nodded encouragingly.
"Aang was to fight Ozai. And Zuko and I went to find Azula."
He winced, but regained his composure. He looked at me to see if I had noticed.
I did not have the will to refuse him.
"What… what happened?"
"You've been captured, Katara." He divulged with visible reluctance.
"I'm..? Who captured me?"
He sighed, "Ozai was defeated and lost his bending. Azula took the throne. She took you prisoner."
I began to panic, "Where is-"
"You're brother is alive. He fled with Zuko, Miss Toph, and the Kyoshi warrior."
That didn't sound right. They wouldn't have just abandoned me. There had to be more.
"I do not know what happened. I only know what Azula tells me, as I arrived a week later."
"You were supposed to be in Ba Sing Se." I stated, aware that I was still missing many pieces of the puzzle.
He nodded, "The White Lotus and I retook the city. But then I heard that Azula had taken the throne. I left the city to their protection and came here to find my nephew.
"But I was arrested upon entering the Fire Nation, and brought here. Azula told me she defeated Zuko. But will not reveal what has become of him. I strongly suspect that she is trying to hide his escape. She did supply that you brother escaped with Miss Toph and the Kyoshian, though."
"Suki," I corrected.
"Ah, yes, Suki." He amended.
I took a moment to process all of the new information. Where had they gone? Were they safe? Would they be back for me? They have to. They're probably planning it now.
Iroh waited for me to piece it all together, patiently.
Wait! What happened to…
"And Aang…?" I asked pleadingly.
Iroh winced and squeezed my hand.
NO! I can't be. Nonono. It's a mistake. It's a lie. He's only hurt. I can heal him. He'll be okay. He's okay.
"He's dead, Katara." Iroh whispered.
Tears sprang unbidden from my eyes. "No!" I tried to shout, but it came out choked and too quiet.
"You're lying," I protested. Iroh pulled my torso to him and held me as I sobbed.
He spared me hollow condolences. I didn't want them. I wanted to cry and scream. Some small part of me was grateful that he understood.
I don't know how long he held me there. I don't know how long I cried.
But soon there was no energy left and my eyelids became heavy again.
I tried to push away the sleep, but it would not be discouraged.
I didn't want to sleep. I did not want to dream. Not in a world without Aang.
But sleep seized me at last.
A/N: Tell me what you think!