Heaven Coming Down
Prologue: It had started out as a joyous day, just Katara and I. We were to fly across the beautiful landscape of The Fire Nation in the basket of a hot-air balloon that we had borrowed for the occasion. It was supposed to be the perfect, most romantic date for two newlyweds. How wonderful, I thought to myself. If only I knew how wrong I was...
The thrum of air rushing into the balloon filled my ears as I stood watching the material slowly bulk out. It would be at least another five minutes until the contraption was ready to be airborne.
Standing alongside the balloon was an all-too-familiar young woman who watched in anticipation as the piece of cloth gradually unfolded into a more circular shape. A gentle wind nipped playfully at her long brown tresses as the setting sun shone its glittering rays upon an object that lay wrapped around her finger; The object that now symbolized our joining of two separate halves to form a blessed whole.
As my eyes wandered away from the magnificent sight towards the orange-tinted landscape, I allowed myself a wry grin. Who would have thought that me, an impatient and perhaps all too disagreeable a person, could have captured the heart of the most wonderful woman in the world? I continued in my reverie, cherishing the memories of the months past, not hearing the pitter-patter of graceful strides approaching. Suddenly, I felt a soft and lithe hand slip into mine.
"Katara," I breathed.
Her sapphire orbs traveled to shine upon me, their color as deep and striking as the very seas. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed I couldn't help but be swept up within her gaze. Gently, she rested her head upon my shoulder. The scent of cherry blossoms greeted my senses in an all too flattering way.
"Zuko," she murmured.
As my hand parted from her grasp to find its place along her side, the other followed and cloaked her in my embrace. Foreheads touching, I whispered to my beloved in a low voice.
"Are you ready for a trip of a lifetime?"
I saw the corners of her mouth turn upwards into a happy smile. "I can hardly wait!"
"Mmmm, it's very beautiful up there... And definitely worth the wait."
"As long as I'm with you, anything is worth the wait," she said.
Grinning like a fool, I took a step out of the embrace. With an attempt at repaying the compliment, I cleared my throat and put on the most romantic voice I could muster.
"Nothing, dear Katara, could ever compare to your-"
"Although..." she stated, the beginnings of a cheeky retort completely snuffing out any form of flattery I was about to bestow, "The line to that one restaurant we went to was awfully long! We stood outside waiting for at least a couple hours, don't you think?"
I scowled.
She laughed.
Somewhere in the midst of our mock indignation, I noticed the hot-air balloon complete its routine as it sat awaiting takeoff.
"There goes your flying experience you were dreaming of," I teased, "It seems that the pilot, who was going to take you, now has been irked by your words."
With my nose upturned in the air and my eyes closed, I swiveled my head in the opposite direction of Katara, trying to play off the naive aristocrat I was. It failed miserably when I heard a fit of giggles erupting from the mouth of the lady I was pretending to ignore. Slitting open an eye, I peered affrontedly at her.
"Did you really just say 'irked'?" Katara asked.
"Yes, yes I did."
Katara was silent for a moment, taking in my words at face value. Instantly, she burst into another chorus of humorous laughter. Still in my mock indignation, I stomped off towards the now ready flying air machine in an ersatz fashion. My lover didn't notice me walking off towards the entrance of the balloon, until I was hopping into the basket. With an exclamatory yelp, she chased in after me.
As I found myself in the barriers of woven wood, I traversed to my piloting position. Nearby, I saw Katara close the entrance and take her place next to me. It was at this time when I gave a small sigh, and relinquished any form of playfulness that I had contained earlier. Immediately, I put my full attention into controlling the hot-air balloon. Such was my focus; I did not realize that we were still anchored down by the thick rope latched firmly into the earth. With a blast of burning flames, I launched us off of the sandy earth.
"Uhh, Zuko?" Katara inquired.
"One sec please"
"Bu- but Zuko!" She pleaded.
"One moment," I mumbled underneath my breath, still in deep concentration.
"The ropes still tied on though!"
As if by magic, that single sentence sent my attention wavering. I heard the ever sound slight rustle of cloth as my fiancé began to move. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Katara lean over the edge of the safety basket; the basket that was steadily rising in the air; my navigator's instinct told me that we were at least fifty-feet above solid ground.
"KATARA!" I barked. Without a moment's hesitation, I released my grip upon the steering controls, racing towards my beloved in an attempt to rescue her from the grave situation. The air pump I had abdicated burned on, fueling the ever-so-hungry flames higher into the concaves of the balloon, as it rapidly ascended upwards. Nothing stopped the steadily growing fire from racing out of its holder, as it began to consume the material around it.
With a powerful grip, I yanked my lover away from the long fall of doom, but not before I finally realized what she had noticed. What I had failed to perceive. The rope, now stretched taunt by the distance, gave a horrible tug on the hot-air device as a large thermal swept the balloon upwards high into the sky. The blazing inferno, the one I had abjured, flared haphazardly in the balloon, as it leapt in devilish gleam.
I heard a scream of pain, and the sizzling of scorched flesh as the scent of cherry blossoms molded with that of smoke…
And I knew no more.
Some say that night I became a changed man; one who never saw the light that life could hold .But how could I not be?
I see that one mistake I created haunt me day and day again. It plays in my mind whenever the subject is touched upon, may it be by my friends, my family, or by mere acquaintances. No matter how hard I try to hold back the pain, it never ceases to oppress my ever waning soul. My beloved's parents are always worrying for my health, fearing that I may crumble down and never be able to climb back up. Whenever I see them, all I can focus on is their eyes; their eyes filled with so much sympathy, pity and concern, it makes me turn away. For how can they show such feelings towards me when I took away what they cherished most?
My life was spared, but not hers. The dice of fate must hate me so.
Now, as I hold the barrel of the gun to my head, I know one thing. Without her, without my Katara, there is no longer any use for my life here on this world.
My heaven has fallen…