~Disclaimer~ I do not own Avatar:The Last Airbender (though it'd be pretty cool if I did: D.) I just own my OC Aqua (who probably isn't going to be in many of these. If she is, typically she'll have minor parts) and the little plots for them.
~Summery~
Guilt. Guilt still consumes his body. He never could forgive himself for what he let happen. He could never see all of his friends smiling at him anymore. Thing would never be the same, ever again. What if Zuko didn't step in front of Katara when Azula was about to hit her? What if he couldn't save her?
A bit of a warning, there are a few swears in here.
~Normal POV~
Zuko sighs sadly for what seems to be the hundredth time. He hates this day. The sixth month anniversary of when he made the biggest mistake of his life. He can't believe what he did. He can't believe what happened. It was his fault and he knew it. Mai had tried countless times to reassure him that he tried his best. But no matter what she said, nothing could comfort him. Sokka hated him. Aang could never forgive him. Toph didn't know what to say to him. Zuko knew all of those things. Everyone knew all of it. As he stares out his balcony from inside his bedroom, the Firelord tries to go over in his head of what he could've fix what had happened.
"No lightning today?" Zuko questioned. "What's a matter, afraid I'll redirect it?" It was the battle that was meant to be, an Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula. Brother verses Sister, good versus evil. The two seemed evenly matched.
The water tribe girl knew that this had to happen. She knew deep down that there was no hope for Azula. But what Katara didn't understand was, 'Why is he egging her on?' She kept asking herself that question. She knew that Azula would find some sneaking way to hurt him; she knew it. But Katara stayed put, and didn't move like Zuko had told her.
"Oh, I'll show you lightning!" Azula practically yelled. She gathered up as much electricity as she could muster. Zuko readied himself for the attack. The fire prince thought that if he lured her on, it would bring her on her hands and knees. How wrong he was.
Just as Azula was about to hit Zuko, a thought popped in her head. 'Let's see how Zuko likes it when I take away one of HIS friends.' Azula quickly and swiftly aimed her lightning attack for Katara. Zuko screamed for his friend to move. Katara was frozen in shock. She couldn't move her feet no matter how hard her brain told her to get out of the way. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Her last thought was, 'Mom, I'm going to see you soon.' She closed her eyes and waited to feel the lightning zap through her body.
Zuko ran to her and tried to intercept the energy before it hit the teenage girl. But he had reacted too late. Katara screamed out in pain, and she hit the ground.
"KATARA!" Zuko yelled. He tried to run to her, to at least attempt to help her, but Azula was about strike him with lightning. He ducked and ran behind a pillar. "Shit," he mumbled under his breath.
"Aw, Zuzu, your little friend doesn't look too good," Azula taunted. "Maybe you should've just let her help you. Maybe then she wouldn't be dead!" Azula blasted another strike at Katara, and he heard another yell give out.
"That's it!" Zuko proclaimed.
He tried to come out, but Azula pushed more fire his way. Zuko had to run behind the next pillar, and barely dodged the heat. Azula tsked, "You're not going to get her that easily." She let out a loud, evil, insane laugh and Zuko cringed.
'I have to save her, before it's too late,' Zuko thought to himself.
Azula shot out several blows of fire at her brother, but Zuko dodged and threw fire back. For a while, Azula and Zuko went back and forth with their fire abilities. They were, once more, evenly matched. Azula kept joking with him about Katara, and Zuko kept taking the mental hits. He wasn't going to lose to her. He wasn't going to let her be the better sibling. Not again. Unfortunately, he was knocked off his feet. Zuko tried to stand up, but he was in too much pain. Azula stood over him with an evil glint in her eyes. A smirk forms on his face. His sister's last words really pushed him off the edge.
"Mother can't come and save you now."
Zuko, in anger, roared loudly. He started his whole body on fire, and Azula backed away with wide eyes. He jumped off the ground and threw fire as fast as he could. Azula tried her best to dodge all of his strong strikes, but the wind was knocked out of her. Zuko ran up to her and picked her up by the collar of her shirt. He pushed her against the wall.
"I'm going to make sure that you never hurt anyone like that ever again, you hear me?" he threatened. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to Katara." He punched her in the face, causing a little blood to come from her nose.
Zuko noticed in the corner of his eye handcuffs. He picked them up with his foot, and tied her against the pillar. He backed away from her and Azula began to throw a screaming fit. She began cursing Zuko's name, and everyone who ever sided with him. The Fire Nation teen ran to Katara, who lie lifelessly on the ground. He picked her up and began cradling her in his arms. "Katara," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."
Zuko still remembers the look on Aang and Sokka's face when he brought her back to them. Sokka asked for an explanation, but he only shook his head. Later, after he told his Uncle, Sokka and Aang found out. They didn't talk to him as much as they used to. Zuko was still crowned the Firelord and he still thanked Aang, but he still couldn't believe the outcome of his brawl. Zuko walks outside onto his balcony and grips the railing tightly. 'I could've done more,' Zuko thinks to himself. 'I could've saved her.'
"Hey, firecracker," a voice calls. "You should try to be at least little happy once in a while."
Zuko whirls around to see Toph Beifong in all of her glory. She's wearing a new outfit that makes her look like some kind of guard. Her outfit appears like it's made out of metal. The Firelord looks at her like she's lost it. "How can you be happy?"
"The war is over," Toph says. "There's no more fighting. Even though I liked fighting and punching things, I'm just glad it's over. Finally, after one-hundred years, it's all over." Toph strides over and stands next to Zuko silently. The two remain silent as they watch the sun beginning to set. The sky was purple, pink, yellow, and the sight is just breath taking.
"What did you come here for?" he demands, breaking the quietness. "Are you here to point out my mistake too? I already feel terrible. She was my friend too you know."
"No, I'm not," Toph says surprisingly in a calmer voice. "I know I should be angry at you like Aang is, or hate you like Sokka does, but I-
"If I hadn't encouraged her-"
"Just listen to me, will ya?" Toph snaps. The Firelord immediately shuts his lips. Toph sighs and rubs her temples. She then looks back at him with her blind, light blue eyes. "What I was going to say was that even though I should feel that way about you, I don't. I'm not mad at you because it wasn't your fault. It was Azula who shot her with lightning, not you."
"I know," Zuko sighs, "but I still can't help but feel responsible. Just when I thought I got over with what happened to my mom, I loose Katara too. Not just for me, but for Aang and Sokka."
"Look, I'm not good at comforting people," Toph says. "I'm just here to tell you that Aang wants to talk to you."
"R-really?" Zuko questions.
"Yeah," Toph says with a light smile. "I think he's ready to talk to you now."
"Okay, so where is he?"
"Come on, I'll show you." Toph says. The best Earthbender in the world walks ahead of him. They walk the opposite direction of his bedroom balcony, and continue down the long hallways. The murals of the once great firelords are now paintings of Aang and his friends. Thankfully Sokka's wasn't hanging up. Toph doesn't realize it, but she ends up taking him to the door of the war room.
'Why would Aang be in here?' Zuko asks himself.
Toph knocks on the door. "Hey Twinkletoes, I found Zuko," she says.
"Let him in," Aang says softly.
Toph kicks open the door, and let's Zuko go in first. Toph follows shortly after and plops herself down on one of the chairs. The first thing Zuko notices is how many people are in the room. The people include Aang, Sokka, Toph, himself, his uncle Iroh, Hakoda, and several other people from the war who helped out. The next thing he notices is that his fathers old chair was removed. He sighs and thanks mentally to whoever did that.
"This is your fault that she's gone!" Sokka yells while slamming his fist against the table. Everyone turns to look at the nonbender. "Maybe if you didn't-"
"Sokka!" Hakoda scolds. The water tribe teen crosses his arms over his chest. "You have to be more mature about this. It's not like Zuko wanted that to happen." Hakoda turns to Zuko. "Please Firelord, take a seat."
Zuko walks passed everyone, and take a seat next to his uncle. Iroh smiles at his nephew and Zuko smiles weekly after him. The silence that had followed was very long and awkward. Finally, Zuko breaths out a loud sigh.
"I feel like an awful person. I let Azula mess with me, and I got someone killed. I don't even deserve to be the Firelord."
"You do deserve it." Everyone looks at the avatar. "Zuko," Aang starts, "I know you're still mourning the loss of Katara. We all are, but you have to move on. What you don't understand is that your mood affects everyone in the fire nation. You have to be strong. I've had my fair share of tears, but we have to keep going. A peaceful world is what she would've wanted. And we have to make sure it stays that way."
"…what do you suggest?" Zuko questions.
"I was thinking of remaking the air nation colonies," Aang says. "We can remake into a place where all nations, benders and nonbenders, all over the world are allowed to be. A place where everyone can live together in peace and harmony."
As Zuko examines all of the faces, he comes to realize that Aang's right. In order to redeem himself, Zuko has to keep everyone else happy, even though he might not be. "I like that," Zuko admits slowly with a fake smile. "I like that a lot."
~Kind of a sucky end, I know. But if you think about it, Tenzin wouldn't live, and no one would be able to teach Korra how to airbend. If this sucks, please put it gently. Or give me some advice because I'd appreciate that too. R&R!