"Sire, there's someone who wants to see you."
The Firelord looked up sharply.
"How's she doing?" He asked as he rushed down the long, dark hall with the servant.
"Not well, sire." The servant bowed his head as he walked.
"Where's Katara? Is she in there?" The Firelord's eyebrows were knit together. The torches on the walls wavered unsteadily; reflecting his emotions back to him.
"Yes. Mistress Katara is with the other waterbenders. They are doing everything they can, sire."
Zuko didn't have anything to say to that.
Mai's going to be okay. He whispered in his head, over and over again.
The palace was silent, except for their footsteps echoing on the hard, marble floor.
Firelord Zuko felt a shiver ran down his spine, though it wasn't from the cold.
They rounded the corner and discovered themselves to be in front of a small door, slightly ajar.
"Excuse me, sire?"
"What?" Snapped Zuko impatiently as he peeked inside the room, not wanting to disturb the healers.
"Should I send word to your children and grandchildren?" The servant asked tonelessly.
"Yes, of course! Now go!" He waved his hand at the man in frustration.
The servant scuttled away and Zuko continued to peer at the people in the small room.
It was a modest room, and a single bed lay in the corner of the square room. Gentle light shined through the little glass window and onto the bed where a woman was lying. Not one torch was lit in that room, the sunlight was radiant enough to bathe Mai's temporary home in brightness.
The warm seemed to want to cheer everybody up, make everything better. But Zuko only felt chills.
A healer who had thinning, gray hair, was leaning over the small bed, with her hands on the patient's heart.
Water surrounded the gray haired lady's hands as she gently soothed the older woman's pain.
The water seemed to glow; the mark of an expert healer. If anyone could heal the Firelord's wife, it was her.
Other waterbenders were nearby, holding small bowls of water, speaking soothing words to the lady on the bed, and constantly watching for a response from the woman.
The Firelord shifted on his feet, getting more and more nervous by the second.
Katara looked up at the sound and inhaled sharply.
The rest of the healers in the room mirrored Katara and soon every pair of eyes, save for one, was on Firelord Zuko.
They began to bow their heads and kneel but Zuko stopped them.
"Don't bow, just continue healing!" Everyone could see the fright on his face and the way Zuko's fingers played with the hem of his sleeve.
"Take over for me, will you Cho?" Katara said softly to the waterbender nearest her.
The aging woman got up from her kneeling position on the ground and walked over to her longtime friend.
"So? How's she doing? I want to know everything." Firelord Zuko said without greeting his friend.
Katara just sighed and said, "There were no injuries like you suspected."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Relief flooded his face, "How long until she'll be up and about?"
"Zuko, listen to me. Her heart is old. It's beating at an irregular beat." Katara looked straight into the Firelord's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Zuko's throat was getting dry.
Katara hesitated, "Zuko, we all have to go someday-"
"No. No, Katara. No, Mai isn't going. She's staying right here with me and our kids. No." Panic crept into Zuko's mind. His hands shook and his legs felt weak.
"Zuko?" A raspy voice came from the bed.
The woman laid a hand on the waterbender who was trying to heal her and motioned for him to stop.
"Zuko, please come here."
He rushed to her side and took her hand.
"Come, let's leave them in peace." Katara ushered the healers out of the small room, took one last look at Zuko and Mai, and closed the door silently.
The little room fell silent with the exception of Mai's ragged breathing.
"Mai, plea-"
"Zuko, you have to understand. I'm old." Mai put her hand on his cheek and smiled softly.
"So am I, but you don't see me going anywhere." The Firelord started to protest.
But Zuko could tell it was getting harder to breathe for Mai.
"Let me tell you something Zuko, I love you, I love the children, and I will see you again." Mai was oddly calm this whole thing.
The Firelord started to say something, then decided against it. Silence was better at a time like this.
Zuko looked at his wife. Her almond shaped eyes, the soft curve of her mouth. Even with her gray hair and wrinkles, Mai still looked just as beautiful as she had to Zuko when they were just teenagers.
And for once in her life, Mai didn't hate the world, she was cherishing it.
"You're so beautiful, Mai." Zuko's eyes watered and a single tear fell from his scarred eye.
Mai just closed her eyes and relaxed her head against the delicate, feather pillow. A smile was on her face.
Zuko had only seen that smile four times. The first during their first kiss on the beach. The second when he had told Mai he loved her. The third after they had been pronounced married. The fourth was now.
Mai looked so young right then. She always did when she was sleeping.
For years Zuko had insisted on sleeping last, just to see how tranquil and peaceful Mai looked when she slept. She was always pushing others away and despising everything in the world. That all disappeared when Mai closed her eyes.
Zuko just sat there, holding Mai's hand. Remembering all they had went through together, and how they had always been there for each other.
Time passed in silence and the two lovers stayed in the infirmary for hours.
Then, a brilliant array of gold, orange, and red filled the room.
As if sensing the colors, Mai opened her eyes.
"I love the sunset."
"It's when we had our first kiss." Zuko smiled blissfully, remembering.
"That was so long ago." Her voice was so soft, Zuko could barely hear it.
"Yes, it was."
And together, they watched the sun set from the window opposite Mai's bed.
Zuko wished that moment would last for eternity, but the colors soon disappeared. And like the sun, Mai had to go.
The aged Firelord turned back towards Mai and discovered that her eyes were barely open.
"Mai?"
"Yes, Zuko?"
"Are you going to leave me?"
"Never."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay. Then I set you free."
Little Han with his chubby legs was the first of his cousins to reach the palace. The four year old ran and ran and ran.
"I'm coming Grandma!" He shouted.
And when he reached the small hospital for one, Han pushed open the door hurriedly.
What he saw was an old man kneeling at the foot of a bed sobbing uncontrollably, and holding hands with the woman lying on it.
The man was whispering three words over and over again.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
Over and over again.
"I love you."