Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar because I do not have enough gold pieces to pay for it. Dang.

Gone

A chill ran down my spine, so I shivered. Turning away, I felt a warm hand on my arm. I couldn't look at him. I just couldn't...

- - -

I remember watching Zuko take his last breath. I had done all I could, but nothing would work. The lightning had hit him so fast, and Azula just laughed as she saw her brother die, trying to save me. It was a blur, but it was still clear enough to be a terrible memory.

The giant, bleeding wound on his chest was still warm as I reached the beautiful prince. His last words to me were, "Tell Mai I love her." Hearing that made my heart crack open. I never told him how I felt. Never.

- - -

Aangs delicate hand still grasped my arm. "Let go," I commanded, still not turning to him.

"No," he answered. His voice had deepened. "I love you." A tear broke through and slid down my cheek. I escaped from his hold on me and marched out into the field not but thirty feet away.

I could hear the light footsteps behind me. I wanted him to disappear. "Go away," I said harshly, repeating what Zuko had said to me so many times before. Aang ran up to my side, and I kept looking straight ahead towards the tall, soft grass.

"Why won't you talk to me?" he asked. I stopped, and turned to him, cringing as I did it.

"I couldn't save him," I sobbed. Aang's expression darkened. He didn't want to hear this. "He risked his life to save me, and I couldn't save him." Tears kept streaming down my face.

"Come with me," the Avatar said. He and I walked together and found a nice spot to sit in the grass. "Explain to me what happened that day."

I cried as I spoke. "Z...Zuko had challenged Azu-Azula to an Agni Kai. Fire and sparks were all I could see until Azula shot a lightning bolt in my direction." I tried to get the rest of the story out. "Zuko...Zuko jumped in front of me, blocking the blue lightning. It, of course, hit him. Azula just kept laughing, and I just cried. I caught Azula and chained her to the ground, and that's where she was found the next day. When she was taken care of, I ran up to Zuko's side and tried to heal him. He kept thanking me, and I cried. I cried and cried."

"Katara," Aang whispered, hugging and holding me, "you did everything you could to save him."

My voice was weak. "B...But I couldn't s-save him. I sat over him and the last thing he told me was, 'Tell Mai I love her.'" I could feel the smile on Aang's face.

"It's okay, Katara," Aang whispered again. I sat back up and looked at his sweet face. "I love you. I do," he assured me. I'd never be able to reply with the answer he wanted so desperately. Little did he know what happened as Zuko's eyes began to close.

- - -

"Tell Mai I love her..." Zuko's wary voice said as his eyes gazed upon me for the last time. I smiled, wanting him to feel warm as he left.

His golden eyes were about to shut, and I wanted to tell him how I felt, what I had realized after that long year, but I knew he couldn't hear me. I suddenly felt his pulse stop, and I cried, moaning. I looked at his cold, yet gorgeous face and leaned in. I quickly kissed his dead lips, and whispered, "I'll tell her."