Fall of the Blue Spirit - A Zutara Oneshot
"ZUKO!"
Katara's voice echoed throughout the prison, as she ran down hallway after hallway, searching for her beloved. Suddenly, she came upon a prisoner being dragged down one hallway by two of the prison guards. She was about to run by them when she realized that the prisoner they were dragging had a massive scar splashed across the left side of his face.
"Oh my God! Zuko!"
"Katara? What is she doing? She shouldn't be here!" came her father's disgusted voice from down the hall. At that, Katara rounded on her father, her eyes blazing, "I don't care! As his wife, I have visitation rights! After everything you've taken from me, my home, my family, you should at least grant me this one courtesy of having these last few words with my husband! Unless you're a man of no honor then?"
"…Place the prisoner in the cell at the end of the hall, and make sure to watch them," Hakoda barked at the prison guards.
When the guards threw Zuko into the cell, they were almost knocked over when Katara rushed by them into the cell after Zuko.
After she helped him sit up, Katara burst into tears.
"Shhh, sweetie, it'll be alrig-"
"NO. DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME IT'LL BE ALRIGHT, ZUKO. THAT'S A LIE AND YOU GODDAMN WELL KNOW IT," Katara wailed at him through her tears. "THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN HELP US."
Zuko just held her to his chest as she yelled herself hoarse, rubbing her back comfortingly all the while, waiting for her to let all her anger out before talking again. 'Dear Agni, what have we done to deserve this punishment,' he thought. He suddenly realized that Katara had stopped yelling and was now crying softly in his arms.
"Hey, 'Tara, look at me," he said, using his thumb and forefinger to lift her head up to meet his eyes. "Honey, there's nothing short of a miracle that we can do, except make the most of what little time we have left together, okay?"
Katara averted her blue eyes, "I just wish- there's nothing I can do! I've tried everything!" she sobbed. "B-but Hakoda and Arnook threatened war against the Fire Nation again if I t-tried to stop them, and I c-couldn't do that to our p-people so soon after ending a war! I don't know who to t-turn to! Iroh is still in h-hiding, and I don't- I can't-," Katara let out heavy shuddering sobs that echoed down the hallway.
"I JUST CAN'T LOSE YOU ZUKO!" She wailed. "THIS ISN'T FAIR! I CAN'T GO ON WITHOUT YOU NOW THAT-" she caught herself before continuing, "now that the Fire Nation is finally at peace."
Catching her hesitation, Zuko said, "'Now that' what Katara? What were you really going to say?"
"I- I- can't say it," she sobbed quietly, "it'll put us in danger!"
This baffled Zuko for a moment. He knew she couldn't be talking about him and her, since his fate was set in stone, quite literally, so he was confused about who the "us" was.
"Katara…" he whispered into her ear, "what do you mean 'put us in danger'? I know you don't mean me and you, because my fate is sealed, so who is 'us'?"
The waterbender hiccuped. "I- I only j-just found out, but-" she hesitated, not sure how to continue, "Z-Zuko. I'm pregnant," she breathed in his ear.
He froze. Looking her in the eye he asked, "how far-?"
"Two months," Katara whispered.
Zuko didn't know how to react; he felt as if his voice had left him. Instead of speaking, he pulled Katara's face closer towards his own, and bestowed upon her lips, a searing kiss filled with the joy and happiness he was feeling. She melted into his kiss, pouring back to him the love and devotion she held for him.
Pulling away, Zuko rested his forehead against hers, smiling widely as he gazed into his wife's beautiful cerulean eyes.
"This-" he whispered, so as not to alert the guards, "this is the happiest moment of my life."
Suddenly his expression became serious.
"No one must find out. If the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom discovered that you were carrying my heir, Agni knows what they'd do to you. You have to go into hiding. Find Uncle. Something, so that no one can find out, Do you understand me, Katara? If I can't be there for my family in person, then I am going to ensure your safety before I pass on."
Tears still streaming silently down her eyes, Katara nodded, rather reluctantly. "I love you so much," she whispered, loud enough for the guards to hear.
"And I love you, 'Tara"
"I don't want to leave you, Zuko"
"Then stay with me," he said.
Pulling up the pillow and blanket provided in the cell, Zuko lay down, situating himself behind Katara, pulling her closer to his person, and rested his hand over her stomach, hold her, and their child, close to him for the last time 'In this lifetime, at least,' he thought.
"Always," came the whisper from his wife, as they slipped into the realm of dreams.
-xXx-
The next morning; dawn
The next day found Zuko being led to the gallows set up in the prison courtyard, which was filled with people from the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, as well as his own Nation. Looking over the crowd, Zuko saw Katara near the front of the crowd, sobbing uncontrollably while being comforted by Mai and Ty Lee, both of whom, Zuko noted, had heavy tear tracks running down their faces as well.
'Well at least she has someone with her right now, since her "family" is too busy happily condemning me to death.'
The guards roughly pushed Zuko as they made their way closer to the gallows. As he proceeded up the steps, Zuko looked over and made eye contact with Katara, Mai, and Ty Lee in turn with a look in his eyes that said 'i'll be alright' even though he knew it was a flat-out lie. Then he looked up at the men standing on the platform: Chiefs Hakoda and Arnook, King Kuei, and one of the nobles from his Council, who was a well-known Ozai-supporter in the war, and the executioner. As he walked by them, Zuko gave them each a look of pure hatred and disgust, the latter focused more on Hakoda than the others. 'What kind of father would willingly destroy his daughter's life in this way?' he thought.
Turning away from his prosecuters, Zuko was led by the guards to stand over the trap door in the floor of the platform, right below the noose that would soon be placed around his neck. The executioner stepped forward and began reading from the scroll in front of him.
"On this morning, we will witness the execution of Zuko, of the Fire Nation, who has been charged with several heinous war crimes against the three nations. The charges against him will be read by a leading representative from each nation."
The executioner stepped back, and in his place stepped Chief Hakoda.
"In crimes against The Water Tribe of the South, you, Zuko, are charged with unprovoked destruction and attack of the natives, as well as multiple charges of kidnapping of the Avatar, and of Katara of the Water Tribe."
Hakoda stood aside, and Chief Arnook stepped forward.
"Zuko. In crimes against the Water Tribe of the North, you are charged with the attack and destruction of the Spirit Oasis, a second attempted kidnapping of the Avatar, as well as the assisted murder of the late Princess Yue of the Water Tribe. May Tui and La have mercy on your soul."
King Kuei then stepped forward.
"In crimes against the Earth Kingdom, Zuko is charged with evading arrest of Earth Kingdom soldiers, unprovoked attacks on villages around the Earth Kingdom, theft of an Ostrich-Horse from Earth Kingdom farmers, aiding in the Fall of Ba Sing Se, attempted kidnap and attempted murder of the 52nd Earth King, and attempted murder of the Avatar."
When King Kuei stepped back, the Fire Nation noble took his place.
"In crimes of the Fire Nation, Zuko is charged with several attacks, thefts and destruction of property against the Citizens under the guise of 'The Blue Spirit', as well as the murders of the late Fire Lord Ozai and the late Princess Azula. May Agni have mercy on your soul."
The noble stood back, and the executioner once again stepped forward.
"Before the execution is carried out, does the accused have any last words?"
'You bet your ass i do,'
Zuko searched the crowd until he found Katara, almost right at the front. As he locked his eyes on her and looked deep into those cerulean blues for the last time he said, loud enough for the entire courtyard to hear, "I love you 'Tara, and I'll see you again one day."
At that, Katara's eyes flooded with a fresh wave of tears as she let out deep soul-wrenching sobs. If anyone had been looking, they would have seen a flicker of regretful concern flash across, not just Hakoda's face, but Sokka's as well.
Zuko stood there as the noose was placed around his neck, never once looking away from his wife, who had a hankerchef pressed against her face to quell the never ending flood of tears, to no avail.
Then he dropped. And his world went black.
-xXx-
Katara stood next to the funeral pyre where her husband's body lay. She was dressed in pure white, with a veil of mourning obscuring her face from view, as she listened to the fire sages.
"Zuko. Fire Lord Zuko. You were our leader for ten years. You, who dragged us out from the underbelly of the Hundred Year War. You brought peace and honor back to our nation. You were son of Ozai, now passed, and Ursa, now passed. Brother to Azula, now passed. Husband to Katara."
The head sage, walked up to where Zuko's body lay on the pyre, facing the crowd. Katara, recognizing her cue, walked out in front of the sage and knealt before the crowd. When Zuko's body was lit, the sage continued.
"We lay you to rest, as was your wish," the sage then raised the crown up in air, "you are now succeeded by your wife."
Katara felt the crown being placed into her topknot, as the sage continued.
"Hail Fire Lady Katara!"
She stood up, and as the people of the Fire Nation bowed before she thought, 'I can do this. We can do this. It's just you and me now, Baby.'
A single tear escaped her eye.
'No one will take you from me, Baby. I promise.'