AN: Ok so I warn you now that this chapter contains character death. I hope you enjoy it...not the whole death part, but enjoy the way its written and I would love to hear what you have to say about this character and their death. Enjoy you guys and thanks again for all the wonderful reviews you have left me with this story. Now onto the story!
The shackles round her wrists were cold, clamping tightly round her flesh creating small sores from irritation. Her cell was damp and dark; there was no food, no water given to her so she was literally wasting away. Coughing violently she brushed a strand of hair from her face, leaning her throbbing head against the cool metal wall and began thinking of the fondest memories her life held. For she would need every ounce of strength she had to do what was best for this world and her people, even if it meant sacrificing herself for the greater good.
For some time she had come to face the fact that she would probably die in the duration of this war at one point or another and it seemed as though that time had come. Not to say that she was fully prepared, but she was content with all that she had accomplished. She was ready.
Being a waterbender she could feel the pull of the moon, she could feel it rising towards the sky as the sun began to make its downward journey and knew that it was almost time. Breathing heavily she tried calming her racing heart. Death was always a common fear among mortals; she knew it, as did everyone else. She would not be afraid to admit openly that she was terrified of dying but she would not give her enemy the satisfaction. For a few brief moments she wondered how she had managed to end up here in the first place but decided that to lay blame was by far the most pointless thing to do with her time. No, right now she had to prepare her soul, ready for the spirits to take her.
Above deck Zuko leaned against the railing, watching his sister perform her stances for the manipulation of lightning. There were very select few firebenders who could create lightning and she was one of them. Though she had never truly perfected it, it seemed that now she was doing all she could to make sure there were no errors, no slip ups, almost perfect wasn't good enough, it had to be perfect. It was now, as he watched her train for the last hour and a half why she decided to practice this skill and the first thing that came to mind, he hoped was the wrong reason.
The breeze rustled through his hair forcing it to dance freely round his face, "Azula what are you doing?"
She stopped, midway through her stances, brushing away the hair from her face, glaring at him, "What does it look I'm doing dumb dumb?" she retorted.
Zuko kicked himself off the railing and approached her, "I know what you're doing, but why is what I was meaning."
Azula looked away, for the first time in a long time she had begun to feel an attachment towards someone, the waterbender who had treated her kindly. If Katara was to die by her hand, she was going to make sure it was a painless and quick death.
"Lightning is the fastest way of execution, especially if you aim for the—"
"Heart," Zuko's eyes widened as he finished his sister' sentence. Looking down at her he wondered what had changed her, why all of a sudden she would kill someone with, with…what was the word he was trying to think of…mercy?
Seeing the look of shock on his face she waved him away so that she could continue her stances, "I'm only doing it because she is a princess and royalty no matter their nationality do not deserve torture," she began as she started out with the first stance, then the next and the next until a blue streak of light billowed from her middle and forefingers that were pressed firmly together, out towards the open sea. A smirk on her face and an astonished look on Zuko's. In little over an hour and a half Azula had perfected her lightning bending.
Katara paced the floor of her cell, thinking with everything in her as to why she was being executed? What had she done to deserve this? Tears welded up in her eyes, on the verge of spilling over her bottom lid and down her face. She would never see her brother again, or her father, or her friends, or Aang.
'La, guide me, tell me what it is I must do, what it is that I have done wrong to bring such injustice upon me,' she prayed, her body giving way, forcing herself down on her knees, her forehead pressed against the wall of her cell, her fists slammed next to her head. Tears broke through her barriers, pouring viciously down her face as she tried not to give in, but what was the use. She had only but an hour to live, her eyes traveled over the open window near her cell, or less.
The ship had docked silently into the harbor, no one speaking a word to one another. The middle class city was still as all gathered at the royal palace city to watch the public execution. They were infamous in the Fire Nation. Executing the enemy before all subjects was common and it was expected most of the time. Zuko thought it was absolutely barbaric but he was not yet Fire Lord and therefore could do nothing about it. His heart reached out for Katara as he thought of her out on the scaffold, with Azula as her executioner and over a million strange faces watching her as she would take her last breath. It was horrid and he never wished that sort of suffering on anyone, at least Azula would make the execution short and painless for there was nothing either of them could do. To go against the Fire Lord was treason and they knew that their father wouldn't tolerate such dishonorable acts from either of his children.
The guards came for her, her shackles still clamped firmly round her wrists and now a rope tied round her neck so that she could be lead to her death like a dog. Her eyes were sadden, dull and filled with life no more. If any bystander saw her, they would say that her soul had already left her body and that there would be no execution needed for she looked as if she were already dead.
Yue kept her head down watching the ground as her feet passed over it, blood dripped from her wounds received after many beatings, this execution would be her freedom. It would release her from the pain and suffering she was forced to endure and she hoped it would come on swift wings and make her soul take flight.
Being led up the stairs in chains seemed rather useless; there was no way for her to escape and no way for her to defend herself from death. She thought it utterly pointless and thought it more of a display than anything. Her eyes remained glued on the back of the soldiers' heads that lead her off the ship, passing Zuko and Azula. She would not even give them the slightest look for she knew they would be able to see the fear in her eyes. They had seemed to have gotten along great with one another over the last few days and now she wondered what had changed. Zuko had confessed that he to felt something for her but could not describe it. Obviously it wasn't love, if it were he would be trying to protect her or at least get her out of this situation if he did. But she couldn't blame him fully. It was the Fire Lord who ordered her execution not Zuko or Azula and she knew it was a fool's prayer to think they would defy their father for a friend they only had for two months. She knew that if she were in their situation that she would do the same as they were doing now. She would never dare go against her father, ever.
Zuko and Azula waited until Katara had been brought up from her holding cell, she was being led away in chains and both of them felt guilty and pathetic at the same time. This young girl had done nothing to their knowledge and was now being sentenced to death. Zuko had made up his mind; he would demand an audience with his father to understand the situation and Azula would go off and prepare for the execution.
Everything was prepared. Seats were arranged on the terrace for the Fire Lord, his brother and son as his daughter would see out the execution. The scaffold was guarded all around that way the overbearing crowds could not thrash and mangle the body of the dead enemy. The palace city entrances were opened shortly before dusk and people came flooding in, crowding around the scaffold so that they could get a better view. Whenever Princess Azula saw out an execution it was always bloody and very entertaining. Some would be sickened by that, but not these people. In their eyes their Princess was rightfully executing the enemy and they deserved nothing less, let alone mercy.
Upon hearing that there had been an enemy spy in the palace, conspiring with his brother, the Fire Lord was enthralled with rage. His brother was many things but never would he have pegged him for a traitor. No physical evidence was given that his brother had betrayed him, but there was evidence of an unknown person roaming the halls of the palace and according to his intel was the one that had been seen with his brother. At first his heart plummeted when he read the description of the young woman, he thought that after everything he had done, after the kindness that he had shown her, Katara betrayed him and his family. At first he wanted to burn the flesh slowly from her body himself, but after noticing a drastic difference in a particular trait he knew that it could not have been Katara. Furthermore, he realized that she was on leave at Ember Island with his children and their friends and that there was no way Katara could have been the one who had been seen with his brother only a few days ago.
So after making such astounding yet already blatant epiphanies he decided to visit the prisoner in question. Their eyes were the same, their skin as exotic as hers, their facial features perfect in every way, but the hair is what stood out. Her hair was the color of the moon, bright and radiantly white, not at all the dark curled locks that Katara beheld and there was another thing. A betrothal necklace, almost similar to Katara's but yet very different. He sighed after coming to the only logical conclusion; this must be Princess Yue, her brother's wife.
He remembered Katara mentioning that both she and her sister-in-law had been captured and that she had not seen her since they had boarded the ship. But then this lead to even more questions. If Princess Yue was a spy, did that mean that Katara was there right alongside her? When he had questioned the Princess she seemed astonished and surprised to say the least that Katara was still alive and in fact residing at the palace. As much as he wanted to go against the ruling, Ozai could not defy the council's decision. They had found her guilty and a prisoner of war and as any prisoner of war, especially any that were of great importance to the allied forces, their punishment was death by torture. The execution would be public so that all the citizens of the Fire Nation would know what happens to enemies and traitors to instill fear and patriotism.
Sighing he stood out there on the balcony watching as they lead the young woman in chains to the scaffold. There here hands were separated, chained individually and hooked to longer chains that ran down her sides and hooked into small slots in the floor of the scaffold, her feet were left alone for there was no way she could run with her arms bound the way they were. Her arms and torso were spread like a bird taking flight so that the torture could be much more brutal and even more visible.
Even though he wished to continue this war, he did not like the idea of killing people publicly or prolonging their suffering. He believed in a quick and painless execution, that way it would be done and out of the way, but it was the councils who long ago instilled this tradition and he was no one to go against it. His heart went out to the poor thing; she was but a child and was so willing to die for a cause that did not seem to even be a conceivable action in his mind.
How would her death bring about an end to the war? To his demise and to the fall of the Fire Nation? How could one girl's death bring so much chaos?
At first when she warned him he thought she was doing it to scare him, but when he looked deep within her eyes like he had done Katara, he found them easy to read. She wasn't saying this to scare him, she was saying this to warn him and to let him know that she was prepared to die for it was her destiny and that no amount of torture would ever make her go against her already made up mind. Not like she could anyways but he saw that same glint of determination and stubbornness in her that he had seen in Katara. He admired this girl. She would be a hero to her people, but a fool to his.
He had been so in depth with his thoughts that he did not even notice the drums had begun beating low and steadily nor the sound of the trumpets when his daughter arrived on the scene or the fact that his brother now stood at his side and his son bursting through the guards completely out of breath.
It was only when his son yelled to him that his attention finally came back to him and he noticed all these things taking place. The execution was about to start. His eyes wondered over to the scaffold, his daughter's face held a look of bewilderment and joy, the crowds cheering as Azula took off her armor and proceeded to make her rounds of her next victim.
"Father," Zuko ran up to him, grabbing his shoulder with such force that Ozai thought he was drawing blood, "father why are you doing this?" he asked, clearly out of breath.
Ozai turned to the execution scaffold and sighed, "It must be done. She's an enemy Zuko and she has been found guilty of war crimes that I cannot stop," he stated softly, hating the fact that he could do nothing to save this poor young woman. But what hurt him the most was that Katara would be devastated and would never grant him forgiveness after this day.
"Father she has done nothing wrong! Katara was with Azula and me—" Ozai turned quickly to face his son, cutting him off mid sentence.
"Katara is not the one being executed Zuko, it is Princess Yue of the Joined Water Tribes," he replied, his eyes widened in shock and confusion, "she was found roaming the palace as a spy for the enemy," he grabbed his son by the shoulders, "Zuko where is Katara?!" he demanded.
Both their eyes traveled down to the scaffold where the execution was about to take place.
"Katara!" they both yelled simultaneously and bolted from the terrace and down towards the scaffold to keep Katara from being Azula's next victim.
"Well well well, what do we have here," Azula sneered her infamous sneer, "you are not who I was expecting and quite honestly I am thankful for that, but no matter her time will come shortly," her hand trailed along Yue's jaw line, it clenched as her fingers danced across it lightly, "state your name," she demanded, "so we have the pleasure of knowing who it is we shall be celebrating the death of."
Yue straightened herself; her eyes scanned the thousands of faces, staring at her their eyes hungry for her blood, for her screams, for her life. Swallowing a lump that she did not even know formed in the back of her throat she stated firmly and as emotionlessly as possible, "I am Princess Yue, Princess of the Joined Water Tribes, Daughter to Chief Arnook and his wife Gaia and Wife to Prince Sokka of the Joined Water Tribes."
Her voice boomed across the crowds, it held no fear, no sign of any emotional struggle, it was just dead.
From his place at the terrace Iroh's hands clenched round the railing so hard that his already paled knuckles paled even more, they tightened to the point that they cracked loudly, but he did not care. Here he was, subjected to watch this valiant young woman die at the hands of his maniac of a niece, while his brother and nephew ran to save the life of another brave and beautiful young woman.
It was not that he did not admire nor adore Katara, but he had known Yue much longer. She was bright, gifted in bending, and she was as kind and gentle as any woman could be. Here she stood before her enemy's people prepared to die and for what?
Before they had brought her out to face her last moments on this earth, he begged her to allow him the chance to free her but she declined. She said that it was this moment; this small action that she was taking would awaken a sleeping world, would encourage a young avatar and so many others to finally put an end to this war. And if her life was the price the spirits demanded, then she would be more than willing to give it.
Flashback:
Her hands bound together reached through the bars, caressing the elderly man's face, "Oh General Iroh, I thank you for your efforts but this is how it must be, this is how it must end. If not today then I shall die another, if not now then I shall live a life of uncertainty, wondering if I shall make it through the next few minutes, the next few hours or the days to come," her hands reached down, gripping his in her own, "I once had a vision that one day I would bring the world together with a simple act of willingness, with the pure heart to do what is best for the world and my dear friend that time has come," she smiled, encouraging him to do the same.
"But what about those who care about you? What about your husband and family? How can you leave them behind to finish a war when your death will only lower their moral?" he begged her trying to make her see that this was not the wisest of decisions.
Yue's smile turned into a sadden one at the mention of Sokka and her family, "I shall miss them, I love them all so deeply that even when I am gone I will be with them General," her hands moved to his chest, "when I was young my mother always told me that if anything ever happened to either her or my father that if I carried them here," her delicate fingers pointed gently to his heart, "and here," then to his head, "that they would never leave me. As long as they carry me with them, and you carry me with you, I shall never truly be gone, ever," her smile was radiant and beautiful, so full of life and hope and the General could do nothing but smile at this. Even in the face of death she was still at peace and knew that everything would turn out as it should.
"You are a brave young woman Princess Yue, just like Princess Katara," he whispered.
Yue laughed at the thought, "Katara has always been the more willful and courageous out of the two of us. Everything that I am today is because of her. Katara is the most valiant and selfless person I have ever come to know and I am thankful that I knew her in this lifetime. She is a worthy friend General," Yue started, "I need you to promise me something," she asked, firmly grabbing hold of his hands, hers were like blocks of ice and his were the soothing flames on a fire, "promise me that once I am gone you will do whatever it takes to protect Katara, no matter how long her stay here is. She is very important to me as well as to many who are allied with us, for it is she General Iroh that will finally help put an end to this war and save the Fire Nation from its demise," she whispered, hearing the creaking of the prison entrance, "I have seen it," she finished.
Iroh nodded, he would keep his promise and would look after Katara no matter the costs.
"I swear it on my son's grave I shall protect her Yue," his hand reached through the bars, cupping her cheek in his hand, "I am just filled with infinite sorrow that I was not able to protect you."
She smiled sadly at him once more before footsteps reached their ears, "Go and General," she whispered one final time, "thank you, your son would have been proud if he were able to see you now. I shall tell him of your love for him and know that you will be reunited with him one day, as I with my loved ones."
Tears pricked at his eyes, he leaned forward pulling her head to him and kissed her forehead fiercely, "May the spirits protect you and guide you through your journey to eternal peace, my princess," and with that he was gone.
End Flashback
An agonizing scream echoed throughout the yard below and General Iroh found himself pulled from the memories buried deep within his mind, to the scene of what was happening below. Azula had created a fire whip and began to take Yue's payment out on her beautiful flesh that covered her back.
This was when the tears began to fall.
"Forgive me," he whispered softly, "forgive me." He crumbled to the ground, scream after scream echoed in his ears and he could no longer bear to watch. Hearing her agonizing screams were all he could handle, or so he thought.
Standing firmly between the two guards, Katara struggled with her binds as the victim before her, screams filled her ears. Azula she had known as a merciless monster and that she was the only executioner the people desired to see for she made her victims suffer. Katara prayed that Azula would finish her off quickly, for she did not wish to be like the woman before her, screaming in such heart wrenching pain that it almost killed a person to hear. Whatever she was doing out there, was so horrendous that the screams alone made even the crowd turn away in repulsiveness.
But that soon came to an end when the woman's painful cries ended and the crowds overwhelming cheers filled her, apparently the woman before her had finally passed on, suffering through this torture no more making it Katara's turn.
And yet as she prepared herself to enter with dignity and pride the crowd cheered again and another scream erupted from the scaffold. Katara's heart sank, how long would Azula torture this woman and what had she done to deserve such a despicable fate?
Tears that she had long ago forbade to fall, fell freely down her trembling cheeks, staining the scaffolds stoned floor. Tears mixed with blood were spread all over the ground, mixed with burnt flesh and torn clothes. Azula was merciless.
Yue had known that she would suffer a fate worse than death but had made a vow to not will out and admit defeat. She would stand strong and proud till the end, which she pleaded would come soon.
Another crack from the whip of fire forced a scream to rip from her throat, the only part of her body that had brutalized had been her back, which by now she was sure that nothing remained of the flesh, but that the tissue and bones could be seen. Her back was stinging wildly, not just from the lick of the whip but also to the rotten disease infested oxygen that was soon wrapping itself round her exposed wounds.
Her eyes looked about through the blur caused by her crying and she could see all their faces. Wicked smiles mixed with fearful stares and apathetic looks reached her and it was at this moment, shortly before her death that she knew these people were not all the same. Not all of them were as wicked and vicious as the one torturing her, not all were as sadistic and twisted as so many in the world believe and for this she was happy. There was hope yet for the Fire Nation.
Another lick of the whip, another scream and more tears. She could handle this no longer, she would beg for death but knew that it would not be granted, "Please," she chocked through her sobs, "please."
Azula stopped, hearing her victim speak out to her, "Please what?" she taunted, grabbing Yue by the hair, she pulled her face to meet hers, "Please what?" her eyes were narrowed dangerously; a hint of sickened pleasure filled them.
"End this," was all she received before dropping Yue's head. Perhaps she should end this now, for Katara's sentence was still to come. She sighed.
"Very well," she began, "your final punishment, Yue Princess of the Joined Water Tribes shall be the Heart of Cold Fire," gasps filled the crowd, she had mastered it so that she could end Katara's suffering, but to be sure she would try it out on this barbarian before conducting it on Katara.
Katara stood there, now shaking fiercely as she listened to the guards mumble something about Heart of Cold Fire or something or other and she knew that it wasn't something pleasant, especially by the way they were eyeing what was going on out on the scaffold.
The gate that divided them from the outer world rose and it was this moment that Katara suddenly realized this was the end for her. After whoever that was out there was finished off by the Heart of Cold Fire that she was next and there was no one to save her.
After what seemed like an eternity of running, Zuko and Ozai finally made it down to the prison hold of the makeshift arena where they would find Katara. And found her they did.
She stood not too far from them, her hands bound and two guards in front of and behind her prepared to escort her out to face her death.
"Guards!" Zuko yelled as he ran towards her to see her snap around fiercely, her eyes lighting up with glee. He had come for her after all and trailing behind him not too far off was the Fire Lord. Praise La she was saved!
"My Lord, my prince," they bowed, and then regained their positions.
"Release this girl immediately!" the Fire Lord demanded.
They needed no further instruction. Immediately one took the keys from his belt, slipping it into the locking mechanism on the shackles and turned it, allowing the metal restraints to fall at her feet.
Zuko rushed up to her, engulfing her in his embrace, "Katara are you alright?" he dared not let her go for fear of losing her, but he was assured that that wouldn't happen when she wrapped her arms round him tightly pulling him closer to her.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice shaky, "I'm fine."
Ozai watched the two for a moment before intervening; this was now the time that he would have to tell her about her brother's wife and the confusion that placed her in this situation, "There seemed to be a misunderstanding. When I had sent out that message to Azula and Zuko, it was not meant for you, but another. A female was spotted in the palace and was of Water Tribe nationality; she was apprehended and sent to the councils. They tried her for various war crimes and sentenced her to death," he paused, he could tell that the gears in her head were working overtime as she tried to piece together what he was saying, "I was simply informing my children that upon their arrival the prisoner would be executed."
Her eyes darted back and forth as she focused on the ground as she tried to piece together what had just been said and how could the confuse her over someone else unless…
'Oh no!' her eyes widened, her head whipped around back to the entrance to the scaffold and it was then she knew.
"Princess Yue's sentence came as a shock to myself and my brother, there was no clear evidence of the various crimes that she had committed but by the time they had made their decision there was nothing we could do," Ozai began, he placed a hand on Katara as she stared dumbly at the scaffold entrance, "I am so sorry Katara," he whispered.
With that she ripped her shoulder from his hand, her hand from Zuko's, shoving the guards out of her way. Zuko and Ozai said nothing to the guards, rather chased after Katara themselves.
Her heart was pounding furiously; she threw herself through the guards, into the passage way and down the hall. When she finally made it to the surface of the scaffold she heard a noise that sounded like the cackling of lightning. Her eyes landed on the two figures at the scaffold, one was bloody and battered, the other standing in an upright position directing her fingers from the sky to the victim before her.
In the blink of an eye it was finished, the lightning passed through Azula's hands, out her finger's and straight into the back of the chest cavity where Yue's innocent heart pounded defiantly until that final moment. Katara ran as fast as her feet could carry her, shoving Azula off the scaffold with such force that she swore her strength was tenfold due to her adrenaline rush. She had made it just in time to catch Yue's descending body, catching her upper body in her arms and crumbling helplessly to the ground.
Rising screams of praise crashed against her ears, her hands baring the weight of Yue's head as her body shook violently, fighting against death with every breath. Tears spill down Katara's battered face as she mumble meaningless words to those above, praying that they may show mercy, that they may show compassion. Her body thrashed violently against Katara's and she could do nothing but tighten her hold as she felt a familiar coldness overcome Yue. Death is winning.
Knowing this is the last time they would see one another, she bent her head over, pressing their foreheads together. Tears pricked beneath her lids only to flow violently down her face and exploding onto Yue's, "Don't go Yue," she whisper softly as her sobs grow louder, "please don't go."
Receiving no reply Katara know that she had lost her, forever. Looking down, Katara met her lifeless blue orbs as they stared meaninglessly at the sky. A mixture of dry and yet fresh blood seep from the corners of her mouth, trickling down past her paled cheeks, soaking into the earth.
For a moment she sat there, numb to everything around her, trying to understand how this had come to pass. Her hand reaching for Yue's face, a mind of its own, closed the lids over her deadened pupils. This all seemed so unreal, like a dream. But deep within her heart she knew in truth that she had lost her and would never get her back.
Zuko and Ozai, along with Azula now stood round Katara with several guards standing behind them, their eyes focused on the scene before them. Crumbled in Katara's bloodied hands lay Princess Yue's lifeless corpse and holding her was a distraught and angered Katara, crying in agony at what had just occurred.
The crowd had hushed and watched the dramatic display that took place before them. They had never seen this before and were intrigued.
Iroh rose to see what had happened, his fist clenching round a small trinket with a blue collar strap.
Princess Yue was dead.
AN: Ok so please tell me what you think. I know this came to soon perhaps and I know some of you wished for Yue to live but in the the show she didn't. Sorry and I hope you enjoyed it somewhat for death is never an enjoyble thing to read...it isnt easy to write either no matter if the it is fictional or not.
