Prologue
"C'mon Zuko, that can't be the best you've got!" jeered Katara. The golden-eyed boy grunted in protest and lifted his hands. Red and white fire roared around him in a circle, lifting him off the ground. He pushed it towards the girl in one fell swoop. She blocked it with a thick wall of water, turning the big ball of fire into steam with a loud echoing hiss. Katara squeezed her hands into fists and then thrust her hands and fingers out towards the firebender. Icicles whisked towards him. He darted out of the way, one catching him in the upper arm. He held back a wince as it tore through cloth, then flesh.
Angry now, he sent wave after wave of burning hot flames towards Katara. She skillfully blocked each one with shields of water. She even threw in a few whips of ice cold water between his attacks. "I could stop those weak attacks in my sleep! You're worse than Sokka at firebending Zuzu!" she taunted in a singsong voice. "Your father would be very disappointed!"
She had gone too far. Crossed a very dangerous line. Memories of Azula and Ozai and the Avatar washed through him. Memories Zuko did not want to or need to relive. As soon as she said it, Katara realized she had gone way too far.
Heat roared through Zuko's body. Not the blinding red-hot temperature of the fire he bended, nor was it the warmth of embarrassment. The heat of pure anger. With a fuming yell that nearly shook the gods from the heavens, Zuko lashed out at Katara, the temperature of his fire rising as it struck her. Katara barely had time to block the unexpected fire before it burnt her face to a crisp.
Before Katara could do anything else, Zuko lashed out towards the sky and Katara, pointing his right hand towards the sky and jabbing his left hand in Katara's direction. Lightning cackled in the sky, finding their way from a clear day to the tips of Zuko's outstretched fingers, through his chest, and out his left hand towards Katara.
Seeing the deep, piercing anger and hatred now dancing around in Zuko's golden eyes, Katara immediately stopped waterbending. She stepped towards him, hands raised in apology. That was when she saw the first spark of lightning form. Katara froze, Zuko's scream piercing her ears. The lightning came for her. It grew fingers, reaching out towards her, as if to envelope her in a deadly hug. Her eyes grew wide, and her hands dropped to her sides. She waited for death to come. She accepted it. Katara was frozen. There was no way to escape anyway. Not if her feet didn't move….
Realizing what he had just done, Zuko dropped his hands to his sides, stopping the flow of lightning. It was too late. In a few measly seconds the lightning would hit her…and she would die. It was aimed perfectly for her heart. The sparking energy would hit her chest, pass through to her heart, and rip a hole through her chest. Zuko wouldn't be able to stop it. Not now.
He would have to watch as she screamed in pain. As she crumpled to the ground--blood flowing freely from her chest--and gasped for a breath that she couldn't breathe in. He would run to her side and call for Aang until he came. Until he used Katara's healing water to close the wound. But it would be too late. He would see the hatred for him in her lapis lazuli colored eyes as she looked at him for the last time.
It would be too late.
Too late to stop it.
Too late to save her.
Too late to tell her he loved her….