Mai sat in her chambers, holding her daughter, as she watched the courtyard bustling with activity in the early morning, shocked by all the ice that had appeared. Alora was halfway between sleep and awake, having just been fed, her rosebud lips closed. Looking down at the babe in her arms, Mai felt warmth course through her at the precious sight. Most wouldn't believe that someone like her, so monotonous, would be a good mother or one at that, but her gentleness towards this girl was astonishing. She mainly reserved her feelings for her family and friends, but sometimes she even hid them from the group, but when she was with Alora, there was no barrier, no way to steel herself from the bright gold eyes filled with innocence.

Smiling a little at the sleeping bundle, Mai looked back out the window with a sigh. Zuko and the others had been gone for the night and she was worried. He had told her what had happened, and she knew they had to save Katara and the world, but being left behind made her feel restless. Although she was the Fire Lady and a mother, she couldn't help but want to go out there, to help save the people of the world again.

A knock came to her door and she stood to get it, revealing a messenger. It was Lee, who bowed deeply before her and the princess. "Fire Lady, you are needed in the throne room. There are some issues that need to be discussed. Some of the citizens are not sure how to rid the town of the ice." He looked a little pale himself and Mai noticed now that there were crystals in his hair as if a snow drift had fallen onto him. That puzzled her. Why was the snow not melting? Had this, and she mentally cringed, curse grown strong like Zuko had said? Either way, she had to do something; it was not natural for nature to be this discontent. The weather was still hot, and the ice was supposed to be long gone. Other than a few puddles here and there, the frigid weather remained overall, bleaching the land white.

Mai sighed, a little annoyed, but moved ahead, gesturing Lee to follow her nervously, as if unsure about what to do. If she were honest, so was Mai. What could she do about any of this? She was no miracle worker, nor was she a Waterbender. This was way out of her league and she knew it; even a leader or the wife of one had their limits. Still, maybe she could give words of praise but said that they had to wait for the ice to melt. If anyone asked, she would tell them that Zuko and the Avatar can fix what was happening. That should relax everyone's frayed nerves.

As she handed the baby to a maid, Mai thought about her husband and their friends, and prayed to Agni that they were safe. They had to succeed and bring Katara back. A frown creased her face a little as they walked; she felt sorry for Aang since he was the one who was supposed to strike Katara, according to Zuko. That must be hitting the young man hard, knowing he had to do it, strike the heart and hopefully put an end to this danger. Ma knew he loved the young woman very much, possibly enough to want to marry her, but if Katara dies… Mai stopped that thought, knowing she should not think like that. They will make it out of this alive and Katara will be brought back to them. She had to have hope; it helped a lot more than people would believe.

Once they were inside the throne room, the council members, all loyal to the young Fire Lord, stood and bowed to her as she headed for the end of the table, nodding to each of them in return of respect. Like Zuko, she didn't feel comfortable sitting on the throne, marking her as higher rank than anyone around the table. She preferred to be equal to the men and women around the table, to listen to their thoughts as they expressed their concerns. Lee bowed and left them alone, and for a few moments there was silence, everyone sitting still. Finally, General Zing, with the gold eyes and graying black hair, cleared his throat. "May I, Fire Lady?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"Go ahead, General. What's the situation?" Though her voice still had a low and monotonous tone to it, there was slight emotion in her voice now, rarely heard of but there.

He took a breath. "The land is in complete disarray, my lady. The ice, unusual for the Fire Nation, has not melted, nor has the snow. We have tried everything we could think of without burning any buildings, and some of the Waterbenders that have come here since the war ended have tried all techniques they knew, but nothing worked." He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "It almost feels as if a spirit has claimed this place as its own." There was a murmur of agreement among a few while the others looked skeptical, particularly this woman, a commander, named Lia. Hard core and slightly heavy, she had few wrinkles and silver hair.

She scoffed loudly and Mai frowned, annoyed again. Her irritation grew as Lia talked. "I don't believe it. Why would a spirit attack this place? The war ended a long time ago and we have Benders from all around the world living together in peace. That makes no sense." Some of the other non-believers voiced their assent.

Councilman Hugh, a tall broad man, spoke in a deep voice. "What else could it be? Maybe we angered the spirits somehow by living in colonies everywhere. Maybe a person summoned them."

'If you only knew how close you were,' Mai thought. Though this thing wasn't summoned, not on purpose, it did seem to involve the supernatural or something like it. It was time to voice the truth.

"I'll tell you what's happening," she said, silencing everyone. Even the skeptics looked mildly interested. Mai continued. "You may not believe this, but my husband never lies, nor would our friends leave unless it's urgent and the truth." She proceeded to tell them of this frozen Heart curse, explaining to the best of her knowledge about what it is and what it does, of Katara harboring it against her will. She was never there for the explanations by the group, since she had to take care of Alora and help Zuko run the country. When she finished, some of council and generals looked thoughtful while the skeptics remained…incredulous. Mai knew how they felt. It wasn't easy to learn of something like this.

Councilwoman Cho said, "If this curse is responsible for the destruction, how will we stop it?"

Mai shook her head. "Zuko and Avatar Aang will take care of it. The others will be there to help them. If there is anything I learned from the group, they won't give up until the threat is contained. Even though Katara has fallen prey to this, I know she would not give up fighting it."

Even Lia looked worried. "But if what you say is true, than only the four elements can stop this curse by piercing the heart. Everyone knows that Master Katara and Avatar Aang are together. How will we know if he can do it?"

Mai was silent for a few moments before looking Lia in the eye again, hers flashing in honesty and strength. "He can. If it means saving everyone, including those he loves, Aang will do what is necessary to save this world. Don't forget, he and the others have brought hope, hope we thought lost long ago. They brought it back." She looked at the others. "We have to believe in them and their abilities. They will fight and prevail or die trying. There is always hope. We have to remember that."

Nods were exchanged and the topic turned to other matters, like frozen food and water. But Mai tuned most of it out unless someone asked for her opinion, thinking of her words, and a small smile graced her lips.

There was always hope.


Zuko dived to the side as ice flew in his direction, rolling to his feet as fire escaped his fist, which she easily dodged. Katara had started attacking the minute they had landed on the ground. Close by he could see Toph trying to entrap the curse girl but the agility with which Katara moved could rival Aang's, who was Waterbending at her. He didn't know how this curse worked completely, but Zuko knew they were running out of time. He could tell because of the fact that she was barely holding back anymore, even attacking Aang and Sokka in the process.

Sokka threw his boomerang, but his sister easily deflected it before shooting ice at him. Zuko heard a yelp and turned in time to see his friend fall, ice covering the Tribesman's legs. Like a living thing, the crystal grew quickly until only his head was free. No matter how hard he tried, the young man couldn't get free and Zuko knew he couldn't help him. His fire didn't melt the ice at all, not even a little. Still, they had to pin her down so Aang could what he needed. It was the only way to save Katara.

He fired at her again and Katara created a shield. Throughout this whole thing, she hadn't broken a sweat as if this were all normal. Some traces of his friend were still there, but they were diminishing right before his eyes. Zuko had to help her. If she died inside her own body, it would hurt everyone, especially Aang, who loved her more than anyone else could. The Firebender chanced a glance at him and could see the strain the young man was under, but also a determination burned in his eyes and body language. He had to admit: Aang made the perfect person to be the Avatar. He was strong but fair, young and wise. There was no one better.

That observation, however, caused him to lose concentration, and snow hit him square in the chest, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Too late he tried to retaliate, for Katara covered him in ice as well and, to his horror, ice continued to expand until only his face was open. Zuko supposed this curse hated Firebender's most, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe because ice and fire were opposites. Now was not the time to think of it though. The world was in crisis because of this thing that has Katara under control.

Helpless, hating himself for letting his attention waver for even a second, he saw from his peripheral vision of Suki being taken down next. She did put up a valiant front, trying to hit Katara in certain spots that would have incapacitated her, but the Waterbender was too fast, reflexes lightning speed that would have put Ty to shame. Though Ty Lee had taught the Kyoshi Warriors everything she knew about chi blocking and striking where it was most vulnerable, in this instance, it was simply not enough, not when Katara was influenced by a powerful curse. Suki ended up against the cliff face, trapped like he and Sokka were. Now only Toph and Aang remain standing. Zuko did something he didn't do often: prayed to Agni that they would make it out of this. He had to hope, had to believe, that they would succeed.


Toph was seriously freaking out now, and when she was freaked out, people knew the situation was serious. The great Earthbender has never fought against someone so fast and agile; it reminded her of Aang when he used his Airbending to avoid and evade. But this was a lot harder to pin. This curse that Katara was under has made her friend almost as agile as the Airbender. It was frustrating feeling Katara dodge her traps. They had to do something and quick.

Everything they threw at her didn't seem to be doing anything other than annoy the Waterbender. When Toph, Quin, or Aang attacked, she retaliated ten-fold. It was almost impossible to catch her off-guard. Still, they couldn't give up, when Katara and the world were in danger. As they continued to fight, Toph kept track of Katara's movements, studying, trying to find a weak link in her icy form. Because of her training and of how she grew up, Katara had been trouble when it came to fighting. Now, it was really hard to pin the cursed being down. But they had to try if they are to save the world. Again.

Also, Toph was worried about Appa. Though she and great bison weren't as close as he and Aang were, they still shared a kind of bond that went deep. From this distance it was hard to tell if his heart was still working and a part of her wanted to go over there or at get closer to be able to check on him. But she remained where she was, trying to pin down a being with a frozen heart. That said heart was slowing down too, scaring Toph more that should be healthy. They were running out time to save her; at this rate it would only take a handful of minutes until the curse was there to stay. They had to stop it before it was too late to repair the damage it had caused.

As she evaded another ice wave, Toph felt Quin run to their friend and stomp on the ground and surprisingly caught one of Katara's feet while she had been fighting Aang at the same time. As Katara tried to break free, Toph decided now was better to attack. Concentrating, she too stomped on the ground and encased Katara's other leg up to the knee, making the seemingly elegant figure lose her balance. Aang must have gotten the message because he ran forward and trapped his fiancée's arms, much like he had done to Ozai all those years ago.

As Katara struggled against the bonds, Toph felt the air turn frigid, making her breath come out cloudy. Suddenly there was agony inside her mind, and she clutched it on instinct. She felt Quin do the same thing as he staggered over to her. Something was clawing at their minds, as if searching for something. She remembered what Aang had told them during their journey here: this had happened to him the other night. This numbing cold was searching for the memory of the antidote that could save Katara. If it disappeared, than all was lost; they did not have time to look for it again.

Warm hands touched her cold face and lips crashed into hers, melting the cold within her, warming her heart until nothing existed. Quin let go of her and though the cold was around her, it didn't penetrate her mind again. Their love was stronger than this and if she had any doubts about the emotion's strength, they were wiped clean from her mind. His voice hushed, Quin told her what she will never forget for the rest of her days.

"I love you."

Having memorized his face since the moment she touched it that first time, she grabbed his cheek and whispered back, with all her heart, "I love you too."

He held her close for a moment before another blast of cold hit them, reminding the couple that the fight was not over. A blizzard started up, whipping up snow and ice in their faces, causing the remaining teenagers to cover them against the onslaught. She wondered how Aang was doing until the storm blew her and Quin away from the fight. They landed hard against the ground and felt themselves freeze against it, ice coating them until they could not move. Aang didn't fall like they did, and when she concentrated on him, she was pleasantly surprised to feel him underground, coming up now that the storm had slowed.

'Go get her, Twinkle Toes.'


When Aang had an idea about what was about to happen, he dived underground, sealing himself in the warm earth. When the spell hit, it hit hard, but whether from his love of the woman attacking them or from the warmth of where he was, the attack didn't wipe his mind of the cure that could save all of them. He felt bad about leaving Toph and Quin alone, but he knew they were okay. His earth sense wasn't as strong as his Earthbending teacher's was, he could still make out that Quin had kissed her, saving them both from having their minds wiped.

Now that the storm had died somewhat, he flew from his hiding spot and took a stance in front of his fiancée, who was staring at him in cold anger, teeth bared a snarl as she struggled even more against her bonds. Though there were some cracks in the rocks that held her captive, they remained strong, holding her in place, though ice grew and more of the rock cracked under the force that was surprisingly stronger. Aang knew what he had to do; the time had come to either save her or end her.

Taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, Aang went into the Avatar State, eyes and tattoos glowing whiter than the snow around them. When he was there, he manipulated the bonds until Katara was on her back, struggling even more against what held her captive, but Aang was stronger now, the wisdom of his past lives entering into his being, lending strength to the young man. Around them, the four elements came together, Aang moving his arms until a living spike formed around him, the elements coexisting in harmony. Before he struck however, he added one more element, the emotional kind that could end all of this for good. Love was in everything and everyone as long as they believed in it. He did, and it was time to bring it out with all of its force.

The spike glowed slightly, as if it were emboldened by the unseen force. As he prepared to launch it, a soft voice, one he was familiar with, came over to him. Looking down, he saw Katara, his Katara, break through a little. There was still a small snarl on her face, but tears streamed out of eyes that now held what he was feeling. In a strained voice, but one that was really hers, she choked out, "I love you."

The elements glowed stronger, blinding them and making the ice sparkle. Tears came out of his white eyes as he replied in his own voice, "I love you too." Then he waved his arms and the elements followed the movements. Eyes set on the target and praying that it worked, he struck Katara's chest. Light burst from the area of impact and Katara's shrieks could be heard from miles around. A pang hit his own chest as his Avatar eyes saw the pain Katara was going through, but he knew it was the only way to help her.

From where the five elements hit, mist came out, taking the form of some creature with white wings and cold blue eyes, three fingers and a body like that of humanized wolf-bat, all white. With a screech, it exploded in a flash of light, causing Aang to come out of his Avatar State and fall back, arm over his eyes in a protective manner. His fiancée's screamed died away, along with the winds, and then there was silence, deafening to his ears. Panting, Aang slowly looked around and was surprised to see the ice gone, water in its place. Everything that happened from the moment he struck her took mere seconds. The curse was gone.

He could hear groans from everyone as they sat up, clothes wet but unharmed for the most part. However, that was not where his attention was. The Airbender was looking at the figure on the ground, the rock bonds gone in small piles of rubble. Brown curls spread on the ground, slightly glistening from the water. The dress was gone, leaving her in her bindings. Skin its original of mocha, Katara laid still upon the ground. Without a word, Aang got up and ran to her, hands brushing her cool skin. He felt her neck for a pulse. There wasn't one. Panic seeping in now, he placed his head against her chest, listening for a heartbeat. Nothing reached his ears, not even a breath.

Tears streamed down his face again as he looked down at her again, guilt and anguish tearing at his insides. No; she couldn't gone, she couldn't die. Touching her face again, he felt her chilled skin, saw a small bit of pallor to her complexion. Choking, Aang gathered her in his arms and cried, loud noises erupting from the pit of his soul, feeling lost. That last element was supposed to save her, but it ended up killing her. She was gone and he could not bring her back.

"No!" his voice yelled, drawing out the word to show his desperation and sadness. Aang held her close before lowering her body, covering her protectively with his own as he wept, repeating the word over and over again. There was nothing he could do. They may have won, but the price was high. He didn't know how he was going to go on. How was everyone else feeling about this? What about Sokka and Hakoda? Oh, Spirits…Katara's father. What was the man going to do when Aang told him of his daughter's demise? It was too horrible to contemplate.

A hand touched his shoulder and he jumped, hovering over Katara's body protectively. It was Toph, who had knelt down next to them, looking uncharacteristically depressed with tears down her face. She shook her head mournfully. "I'm sorry, Aang. There's nothing we can do; she's gone."

Another wave of anguish and self-loathing came over him as well. He was supposed to have protected Katara until the day he died, and he failed. When Quin and Sokka came over and tried to lift Katara away from him, Aang glared at them and growled through clenched, "Don't touch her! Leave her alone!"

Sokka looked shocked and hurt, but Aang didn't feel bad yet, not when his heart was in turmoil. "Aang, she's my sister. I deserve to see her too." Aang took a deep breath and felt the guilt over snarling at them. It wasn't their fault Katara was dead. He leaned back a little and the warriors knelt down, faces grieved. Tears shimmered in the brother's eyes but they didn't fall as he touched her face, wincing a little from how cold her skin was. Suki knelt down too and kissed her friend's forehead, tears on her red cheeks.

They all sat there, mourning the loss of one of their own.