An alternate path for the S2 finale.
*
It wasn't enough.
The catacombs were in ruins, Ba Sing Se was covered in Fire Nation flags. Even Zuko's last-minute decision to join their side proved useless; Dai Li soldiers had ended his life just before his cackling sister was killed by a few well-placed sharp, pointy rocks to the chest. Sokka and Toph were alive, but likely wished they were dead as Fire Nation soldiers shackled their arms and carted them off to prison.
Katara looked around at the aftermath, feeling sick. General Iroh shook with silent sobs as he cradled the prince's dead body; one of Azula's friends, the girl with the knives, sat beside him in shock, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Ty Lee looked like she was going to be ill herself as she wiped the blood from Azula's clothes. Dead soldiers, ally and enemy alike, lay about in dozens.
"Katara..."
She sank to her knees beside him.
"It's gone, Aang. The Earth Kingdom is gone and it's all our fault," she choked as tears began to run down her cheeks. Aang wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, resting his cheek against her hair.
"We tried our best," he said, but even he didn't seem convinced of this. Katara felt a few drops of moisture hit her forehead and returned his embrace; he felt oddly cold and if it weren't for his heart beating against her cheek she would have thought him to be dead as well.
"Where did we go wrong? It all seemed so perfect, and then..." She sniffled. "I should have run as soon as I recognized Azula, I should have told someone, I should have-"
"Katara, there's a million things we could've or should've done," he said sadly. "But everything was so perfect we didn't have any reason to think it'd end like this." He stroked her hair. "At least you're alive, though..."
She tightened her arms around his chest. She was, and so was he. In spite of everything, they were alive, and they were free.
"Don't leave me," she whispered, "don't die like Zuko did, don't get sent to prison like Toph and Sokka did." Aang sniffled, his own tears flowing more freely now.
"I won't if you won't."
The question of where to go from there still hung unasked and unanswered between them. As soon as they left the catacombs they would have to come up with a plan to save their friends and avenge the people they'd lost. General Iroh would need their support after the loss of his other son.
But for now, Aang and Katara could only hold each other and cry.
In the end, even their best simply wasn't enough.