Disclaimer: I don't.

A/N I know, please don't kill me and forsake this story. It's almost done, anyway.

Chapter Ten: Hard Choices

Her hands trembled as she drew the water to Suki's chest, desperately trying to knit together the torn skin and organs as her lifeblood spilled out and soaked the stones beneath their knees. Sokka's cries didn't help, neither did the heartwrenching shouts that came from Zuko as he struck at Hera. Vaguely, she noticed the sounds of battle had quieted, and the roars of flames had ceased from behind her. But maybe that was from her being hyper-focused on saving Suki's life, no matter how futile it felt.

At the angle of the wound, Katara knew immediately that Hera had skewered through Suki's heart and lung. No matter what she did, it wouldn't be quick enough. Suki was already fading too fast.

"If she was associated with you, she deserved to die!"

Katara jerked her head towards the offending scream, her eyes locking on Hera as she used Suki's sword to parry another one of Zuko's strikes. She could see the tears in his eyes as he grit his teeth and forced his sword closer to her, his power overwhelming her and pushing her down.

He was silent, however. No words from the mighty Fire Lord as he attacked his friend's killer with swords cloaked in his fire. Katara swallowed past the thickness in her throat and willed away the tears that were burning in her eyes. She shouldn't be thinking like that. Suki wasn't dead. She wasn't going to die.

As Katara pulled up more water and brought it to Suki's unchanging wound, she saw Zuko dodge a thrust by Hera, then parried her clumsy strike. After she tried to slash at him again he spun on his toes, one sword high and the other low, and he moved to take her down. He moved as if he was in an elegant dance, his face severe and blank and his eyes full of his pain.

The moment Zuko's glowing sword pierced Hera's chest, just like Hera had done to Suki, Katara let out a sharp breath and sobbed. It wasn't relief that had washed over her, not quite. Maybe relief had been there, but it had been overshadowed by her fear of not being able to save Suki. She was getting lightheaded from all of the strain she was putting on her body, yet her heart felt like lead in her chest.

Zuko fell to his knees, his sword clattering on the ground as Hera looked at him with disbelief. The woman had muttered something, then fell face-forward into the ground. As her blood started soaking the stones beneath her body, Zuko had reached a trembling hand out and gripped the sword that had been lodged in her chest. He pulled it out with a wet noise, then dropped it to the stones by his knees. If Katara wasn't busy healing Suki, she would have gone to him. But her bloodied hands were too deep in Suki's chest, trying their hardest to seal the wound shut and keep her alive.

But as much as she tried to move the blood back in, with every beat of Suki's heart leaked out more than Katara had put back in. Her frustrated tears burned in her eyes and her chest felt like it couldn't move. How could she breathe if her brother's lover was dying in her hands?

"Kat-!"

"S-sokka, stop."

Both Katara and Sokka looked down at Suki, who had taken up giving him a reassuring, yet bloody, smile.

"It's o-over."

Sokka's tears began anew and he shook his head vehemently. "No! No, it's not over! Please hold on, Suki!"

Suki had tried to shake her head as well, but she just moved it right into Sokka's arm, more blood leaking out of her mouth as she choked out, "Please..."

The sensation of Suki's lifeforce was flickering and fading in her fingertips, her heart slowing as it finally began succumbing to the loss of blood. Katara sobbed and pushed even harder, one hand focusing on using her water to stitch up the wound and the other desperately trying to use her bloodbending to keep Suki's heart beating. But a heart couldn't beat if it had no blood, and Katara realized most of Suki's was soaking through her tunic and pants as it flowed down onto the ground.

Sokka looked at Suki with pure disbelief, more heartbreak in his eyes than when Yue had died. Katara watched as Suki gave him a slow smile, so warm and loving as she said, "I l-lo-love y-you."

When his tears began anew and he sobbed, Katara did her best to look away as he cried out, "I love you, too! Please don't leave me!"

At that moment, Katara felt Suki's heart finally falter to a stop. The Kyoshian's eyes were still open, her lips still pulled into a reassuring smile for Sokka, yet she was gone. Katara saw Toph running to them, her unseeing eyes wide with disbelief, but she wasn't looking at Suki. She was looking at Sokka, listening to him cry out and scream for his lost love.

"Suki!"

Katara finally blinked and let her tears start to fall, cascading down and splattering onto Suki's blood soaked shirt. She noticed Zuko had crawled over to them, the look of anguish plain on his face as he stared at their fallen friend. She saw him reach forward, his arm trembling as he brought his hand over her face and slowly moved down, shutting her eyelids and giving her the look of restful sleep instead of death.

There was a shout, bringing Katara back to the present, and she saw Toph start defending them with a large rock wall and sending her own attacks over to take out more of the masked men. A flare of blue fire and a bolt of lightning joined the fray, coming from Azula as she raced to their side. Iroh was ahead of her, his flanks protected by the Kyoshi Warriors as they rounded together to protect the body of their fallen leader.

"Zuko!"

Iroh knelt down and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, his eyes wide as he looked at Suki's body and the amount of damage on the other teens.

"We must get you to safety."

Zuko shook his head and made to stand, his legs wobbly and his posture uneven as he inhaled raggedly. "No. I need to protect my people. I can't do that from a bunker, not after I've been out here for so long."

Iroh gave him a reprimanding look, but remained silent. Azula skidded to a stop next to them, her stare going straight to Suki and Sokka. Her lips were pulled into a tight line and then her eyes flickered up to Katara, holding her gaze for a moment, then she went into action. Quickly, she called for one of the Kyoshi Warriors and went to Sokka's side, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him out of his revere.

"Sokka, come on."

He shook his head weakly, his eyes never leaving Suki's pale face.

"We are in the middle of a battle, we can't sit around and mourn the dead yet."

The Kyoshi Warrior that Azula had gotten, Tula, had knelt down next to Katara and reached across Suki's body to grab Sokka's bloodied hand. "Please, Sokka. We need to move her body."

The calmness that came from Tula chilled Katara to the bone, but she had to remind herself that they were warriors. The Kyoshians were used to death within their ranks. But just as Sokka lifted his head, eyes furious and mouth in a snarl ready to snap, the familiar sound of a loud horn bellowed through the city. Katara's eyes met Sokka's and they both turned towards the entrance of the caldera, where in the light of the rising moon and the remaining fires, Katara could see the blues of the Southern Water Tribe march into the city. Warriors from their home were already rushing into battle, striking down masked men and corralling them towards the plaza.

Everything afterwards seemed like a blur: the men of the Southern Water Tribe swarming the city and weeding out the rest of the masked rebels, then storming the central square and the palace plaza to keep them from escaping. Her father had arrived at some point in time, his large hands holding her face and asking if she was alright after he practically ripped Sokka away from Suki's body.

By the time the commotion had ended and no more bombs were going off or fires were raging, Katara watched as the sun rose in the east and washed the city with a pale glow. Her eyes immediately went to Zuko, who was standing off by himself near the gates of the plaza, where Suki fell and where Takeshi's and Hera's bodies were still strewn on the cobblestones.

"Zuko?"

His eyes snapped up to her as she approached, seeming to break himself out of the daze he had been in. His body wavered in place before he steadied himself and showed her a weak smile. "Hey."

"What are you doing over here?"

Zuko's eyes drifted down to Takeshi's body and his demeanor changed to sour as he scowled. "Wondering what I should do with him."

Katara followed his gaze and was horrified to see that Takeshi was still breathing, his damaged eye looking up at them and his breaths coming out in harsh pants. Zuko adjusted his grip on his sword and looked as if he was debating on the benefits of slicing off the man's head, but Katara limped over to him and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from even considering it.

"He needs to be brought to justice, Zuko," she murmured, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over her. She stumbled, but Zuko caught her, his free hand clamping onto her waist to keep her in place. After she regained her balance, she met his eyes and added, "He has to answer for his crimes. Execute him in front of an audience, announce all associated with him as terrorists. That way you can solidify your strength as leader despite your absence and bring the people together under a common enemy. He brought all of the destruction, and he deserves to have people cheer as he dies."

The intensity in Zuko's eyes was dizzying for her. He stared at her silently, his mouth pulled down at the corners and his jaw betraying his hard look with a soft quiver. He inhaled sharply, then dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. They remained like that for a long moment, uncaring of any prying eyes that had seen the Fire Lord's sudden move of affection, and Katara felt herself finally relax after what felt like the most trying four days of her life. Almost as equal as the days leading up to Sozin's Comet passing.

"I can arrange an execution tonight," he sighed into her hair, his hand coming up and threading his fingers through the knotted ends. "Him and all of the rest of the Xi Lang that are here."

"And the New Ozai Society."

Zuko and Katara pulled apart to see Mai approaching them, the bored look ever present on her pale face. Zuko frowned and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Your father's men were here?"

Katara's eyes bulged out and she stared at the former lovers in shock, stunned to hear this revelation.

Mai's face pulled into a disgusted frown as she supplied, "Apparently my father and his men were joined by some of the Xi Lang and had attempted to attack the Southern Water Tribe-"

Katara's heart stuttered in her chest at the thought of her home being attacked.

"- since it was still growing and had no real line of defense like the North. He was cut off north of Whale Tail Island by Hakoda and the other Water Tribe men. They had already been in route to Caldera when it happened, so nothing happened to the tribe."

Katara almost felt like Mai had added on that last bit to comfort Katara, a thought she was immediately grateful for. Her eyes went to her father, who had just stepped away from the group of captive Xi Lang members and was making his way to Iroh and Azula. He watched as the two men bowed in respect to each other and Hakoda greet Azula in the same manner, which she returned with a raised eyebrow and an elbow in the side by Iroh. She gave Hakoda a small bow, more curt than the one he had given her but Katara deemed it progress.

"And what of this group of attackers?"

Mai paused for a moment, long enough for Katara to bring her attention back to the conversation, and she watched the woman chew on her lip and sigh, "The ship was sunk, and from Bato's account all of the men on board either were killed immediately or drowned."

The almost-disconnected apathy Mai displayed was flabbergasting, but before Katara could say anything, Zuko reached out to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Katara noticed he had almost curled in on himself, as if he was injured, but he pushed through it to give Mai a sympathetic look and say, "I'm so sorry, Mai."

"He stopped being my father the moment he forsook his family to further his own goals," she replied steadily, her face not showing any sign of duress. "His sullied our honor by creating that little club of his."

When she sighed again and winced, Katara noticed she had been nursing her hand against her chest, hidden in her long sleeves. "Mai, are you hurt? I can look at it, if you'd like."

The noblewoman chuckled bitterly and shook her head, her other hand lifting up to pull the sleeve back and reveal her other hand. Or at least, where her hand had been. Instead there was a bandaged stump, a small dot of red peeking through the stark white. Zuko inhaled sharply and Katara saw his eyes widen at the sight. Her jaw dropped in shock, words lost as her mind tried to grasp the situation.

"What happened?"

Mai grinned and shrugged, her voice wry when she said, "A man with a sickle and a mean right hook. Spoils of war, I suppose? Ty Lee already took good care of it. There's just the matter of how I'm going to relearn to write with my other hand. Toph did offer to make up a contraption that looked like a prosthetic but had the same abilities as my knife holder, so I guess it's not as bad as it would seem."

"Mai, you lost a hand!" Zuko exclaimed, confused and outraged at the same time. "Are you sure you're okay? Normally people aren't just fine when they lose a limb."

The small smile Mai had never faltered and she just shrugged before turning on her heel and walking back to the palace. Barely a moment passed before Zuko hissed and he clutched at his side, his face screwed with his pain.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded quickly and sucked in an unsteady breath while flashing her an uneasy smile. "Yeah, just a little sore."

Without giving him the chance to deny, she gloved her hand with more water and probed his side, where she found four separate broken ribs. She clicked her tongue at him and quickly fused them back together. She felt his sigh brush against her face and she looked up to see his face starting to relax in exhaustion.

"We need rest."

Zuko snorted and nodded, then let his head fall to her shoulder as she finished up healing him. Her own head fell forward, pressing against his collarbone, and she inhaled deeply. They stood together for what felt like ages, but were broken up when they heard someone else approach them.

Iroh stood solemnly, his golden eyes lidded with grief, and he tucked his hands into his sleeves as he said to Zuko, "There were no casualties within the palace, however some of your guards did parish in the plaza... There have been confirmed civilian deaths from the explosions and rebels taking them out. The most being nonbenders or the elderly."

Katara saw Zuko grit his teeth and clench his fists tightly. With a steeling breath, he replied, "As soon as it is available, I would like a list of all of the fallen. I shall mark a state funeral in their honor and visit their families myself."

"Very well," Iroh stated with an approving nod. "Anything else, Fire Lord?"

Zuko sighed and scrubbed at his face with both hands, smearing some of the soot and dirt that had accumulated their during their fights. "See about getting the executioners ring set up in the plaza. We are to burn these traitors when the sun sets."

Iroh seemed surprised at Zuko's swift action, but did not say a word. Instead he gave his nephew a proud smile and made his way to the palace steward, who was covered with soot from head to toe. Zuko followed his lead, making his way to the destroyed entrance of his home. Katara made to follow him, but her sight was caught by her father as he started heading towards her.

He was smiling at her, a comforting gesture, and when he reached her they silently wrapped their arms around each other in a strong hug. In his embrace, Katara finally began feeling the exhaustion from the day completely set in.

"Hush now, polar pup," he murmured into her hair. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. Quietly, Hakoda led her to the palace, guiding her when her feet stumbled or her body became unbalanced, until they reached the unscathed Water Tribe rooms that she had been staying before this second debacle.

She didn't even realize she had been laid into the bed or changed out of her bloodied clothes, not until she was already tucked under the blankets and her father started humming one of the old lullabies her mother had favored singing to her when she was young. Her grief was raw, but it was overshadowed by the sleep that was taking hold of her.

Zuko stood in his study, his eyes glued to the initial list of fallen souls from the attack. His heart ached and his mind spun. His mother was sitting in front of him with worried eyes and a solemn frown. But he could barely pay attention to her, only the names on the page stuck out to him.

One more glaringly heartbreaking than the others.

"Is there anything I can do for you, honey?"

He shook his head and chewed on his lip. "Not right now. But thank you."

"I can bring you some tea."

He lifted his head and gave her a wry smile. "No, thank you. Are you alright?"

Ursa nodded and readjusted her legs. "I'm fine. Luckily I was in the meeting room with Iroh when the bombs first went off. He tucked me into the bunker beneath the table and I stayed there until he came back for me."

Zuko mulled on her words before sighing and bringing his attention to the paper. He sat and sighed, eyes scanning the names for the nth time. For some reason, Hera's name was listed among the casualties, despite her being one of the rebels.

"I did want to apologize to you," Ursa began, gaining his attention again. "For Hera."

He sighed with disappointment and closed his eyes as he rubbed his temples. "This isn't really something I want to discuss, mother. Not now."

"But I did want to say something about it," Ursa urged, causing him to look at her again. "It was at my insistence that she accompanied you to Yu Dao, which caused some of the strife you all experienced. Her hand was the one that slayed Suki... I am afraid that my misjudgment put you in peril and I am deeply sorry."

Zuko's scowl grew, but he held his tongue.

"I haven't done a sound job to protect you, as a mother should," she murmured, her eyes going to her lap and her hands tangling together. "I feel like I should own up to the fact that I didn't listen to my children's judgement and keep her off of that airship."

She paused, then brought her eyes up to Zuko's as she gave him a small smile. "Azula was incredibly concerned for your well-being. She was very vocal in her disapproval of Hera, and since I learned that Azula was behind her imprisonment I figured that was why. I should have listened to you both, instead I undermined your authority because I thought neither of you were of a sound mind. And for that, I am sorry. It was horribly wrong of me, as a person and especially as a mother."

"How did you even find out about her?" Zuko couldn't stop himself from asking, his curiosity taking the front seat.

Ursa sighed and she fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. "I suppose it all started back when I received news of your kidnapping from Iroh. Ikem was perfectly fine with me coming to the capitol, so I rushed here as soon as I could. Your sister had already arrived and purposely holed herself in her room, so I was already feeling as if I was failing. After your uncle filled me in on the situation and of Shun's passing, I decided as your mother I should take the initiative to find you someone that could protect you until you got back on your feet.

"When you arrived back at the palace I saw the state you were in," she continued with an uneven inhale and a sad frown. "Never had I feared so much for your life, my love."

"Not even when Ozai was going to kill me to ensure his throne?"

Ursa scowled and Zuko saw her blink away a few tears. "What your father did... he has been a vile man since before you were born. His greed outshone his love, but the love was still there. As your mother, I knew he would never do it. I had no doubt in my mind he would have stayed his hand and figured out a different solution had I not intervened. He knew Azulon would not have let him ascend to the throne had he slayed his own child. The man was cruel but he was not heartless. It was Ozai's heartlessness that had made Azulon give the order, after all."

Zuko kept frowning at his mother, his frustration now simmering softly as he waited for her to continue with her story.

She took a deep breath and said, "When you came back here, I immediately started searching for someone that could act as your personal guard until you were capable of finding one on your own. Not many were willing to jump into the application process, mainly because Shun had been possibly the best person for that position. There were some, but they were unqualified or too closely associated with convicted war criminals. For a while I thought I wasn't going to be able to find anyone."

"Until Hera showed up."

Ursa sighed and she met his eyes, the regret and sadness truly evident in her imploring stare. "I remembered her from your childhood. She and Azula had been in a class together at the Academy and she seemed promising. Her interest came up in a scroll delivered to me the morning after the Avatar left. I met with her and discussed the parameters of the job, and also gauged on whether or not she would be capable of watching over you in your most vulnerable. Based on what she told me and what I judged, she seemed qualified enough to fill the position temporarily until you got on your feet again."

Zuko did not reply.

"I suppose had I looked a little deeper and found out what happened between her and Azula, I would have declined her admission into the palace," Ursa conceded after a terse silence. "Bridges burned cannot be crossed when there is still a raging river."

"We all had lapses in judgement the past few months," Zuko replied softly, his eyes drifting to the names on the scroll once more. He lingered on Suki's before he sighed and stood. "It's best we move on from this. There's too much damage to repair as of right now and we can't keep dwelling on what could have happened."

Ursa rose from her seat, a watery smile making its way onto her lips, and she stated, "Spoken like a true king."

Zuko gave her a small quirk of his lips before he made his way towards the door. "My people need me to be strong. And right now that means showing a united front against the man responsible for this whole mess."

"Would you like me there when you give the order?"

He shook his head and let his mother leave his study before him, closing the door as he made his way into the hallway. They walked together through the palace, avoiding the random sections of destruction that had not been cleaned up yet. "I would prefer if you stayed here with the Kyoshi Warriors and Azula. We may have won today but you never know who may try to get the last word."

They paused at the throne room and Zuko was suddenly reminded of how tired he was. Ursa cupped his unblemished cheek and gave him a small smile. "It will be fine. But if you insist on me staying here, I suppose I can go give your friend a visit instead. He always likes the way I make tea."

Zuko's shoulders dropped and he let his gaze drift to the ground. "I don't think he's going to be up for tea any time soon."

The curtains were drawn and all of the torches were unlit, but Katara knew where to go. After she had woken from her short nap, she decided immediately to go to her brother next door. Right after the battle had ended, he was ushered inside to lay down. He had clearly been going through shock and was completely incapable of stopping Hakoda and Bato from taking him inside.

When she closed the door behind her, all light from the hallway vanishing completely, the room was doused in darkness and she was left to blindly make her way over to the bed where she knew he laid. Her hand found the mattress easily enough, and she was unsurprised to find him laying on his side on top of the blankets, right on the edge of the bed closest to the door.

She sat down next to his hip and felt for his shoulder, and when she found it she started rubbing it soothingly and she reached up to push his unbound hair back. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness and she could see him staring straight forward, not acknowledging her.

"Sokka?"

Not even a flinch.

"Would you like to go wash up? Zuko's made sure to stock our wash rooms with the soap you liked from Ember Island. You know, the fruity kind that made your skin feel really soft?"

Still quiet.

"How about some tea? There's a blend in the sitting room that tastes great with ice. I can make that up for you."

Her heart ached at his silence, reminding her how much he had already lost to this world. Two loves and an empty heart. He deserved so much more than this. She wondered how the Kyoshi Warriors were doing, where they were and what they were doing with Suki's body. Perhaps she could bring him down to see her one last time, just to say good-bye. He didn't really get the chance before their father arrived and pulled him away from her.

She pushed his hair back again and grimaced when something flaky came out with her fingers. Immediately, she pulled some water out of the pitcher next to his bed and ran in through his hair, cleaning out whatever gunk had made its way in there since their arrival in Yu Dao. When she was done, she discarded the water in the plant by the window and pulled the last of the water out of the pitcher to work on his face and arms. She let the water lick at his skin, swiping away all of the grime. She could feel it dirtying the water and felt that this wouldn't be enough for him.

But at least it was something.

When all of the water was too dirty to use, she cast it away and stood, then pulled the blankets up from under his feet and tugged them over his shoulders. After a quick kiss on his forehead, Katara sat back down and started humming the same lullaby Hakoda had sung to her that morning.

There was a knock on the door around the time she was certain she lulled Sokka to sleep. She stood as quietly as she could, then tip toed all the way to the door and opened it slightly. Her father gazed at her, unsurprised by her appearance in her brother's room.

"They are about to start the execution. Do you want to go?"

Katara gave a fleeting glance to her brother's silent form then moved out into the hallway. She nodded once, then shut the door. "Is Zuko already there?"

"He's waiting for us in the throne room," Hakoda supplied as he started making his way down the hall. Katara's eyes drifted to the opposite hallway, where the Northern Water Tribe rooms had once been. Now the walls were collapsed and the hall blocked off, a grim reminder of the past day. She sighed and followed her father, her footsteps echoing in the empty halls. She looked to his profile and saw the distress in his face. She knew Sokka had been grieving his lover, so it was no surprise his father would be grieving for him, as well.

They all lost a dear friend today. And Takeshi and the Xi Lang were going to pay for it.

By the time they reached the throne room, Katara already felt exhausted. She just wanted to go curl up in her bed and sleep for the next six days, mostly to forget the damage that had been done. But she knew things would never be that simple. The sun rose, the moon changed, people died. The fact that she had already lost so many people in this life made her heart ache and feel more numb at the same time.

The curtains were pushed back and Katara was greeted with the sight of her friends sitting near Zuko's dais. Aang was sitting lotus style, his staff discarded behind him while Toph leaned against his shoulder and seemed to doze. Zuko was sitting up on the dais, his feet dangling down as he spoke to Iroh. Surprisingly, Azula was not there. Katara figured she may have been requested to sit this out, probably because the people of the Fire Nation were not entirely comfortable with the former Crown Princess coming back into Zuko's good graces. She hoped soon they would warm up to her again. All of the people in the throne room had.

Mai was also absent, likely in the makeshift hospital wing to fix up her arm. Ty Lee was as well, but Katara figured she was with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors as they mourned the loss of their leader.

Her chest seized at the reminder.

As Hakoda and Katara approached the dais, Zuko's head lifted and he met her gaze. He did not smile, but she didn't expect him to. Not right now. She couldn't even manage one either so she figured it would be just as hard for him.

"Are you ready?"

"As much as we will ever be," Hakoda said grimly.

Without another word, Zuko jumped down from the dais and made his way past them to the door. Everyone silently followed him, moving through the curtain and walking towards the tunnel that would take them to the plaza where he had his coronation and his Agni Kai with Azula. The tension was thick as they walked, not one word being uttered by anyone in the entire party. Hakoda stayed close to her, holding her hand in the crook of his arm. They were the last ones in the entourage, lagging behind Aang and Toph.

"You know, we don't have to watch this."

Katara swallowed and looked ahead to Zuko, whose shoulders were tight under his ripped tunic. He still hadn't changed since the battle that morning.

Too much to take care of, she guessed.

"No," she said softly. "I need to be there for Suki."

Hakoda nodded and leaned over to kiss her softly on the top of her head. When they reached the building and climbed the stairs, they were quickly greeted by the curtains that led them outside, Zuko stilled and turned on his heels to face his friends, his face tight and eyes downcast.

"I just want to let you know you can leave at any time," he started, his eyes averted. "You don't have to sit and watch as it all happens."

When no one spoke up, he nodded tersely as he spun on his heels and pushed past the curtains. There was a loud cheer as he made his way outside and when Katara walked through the threshold, she saw the majority of the plaza and part of the stands were filled with citizens. Their yells were unintelligible, but she could sense the anger as they shouted up to their king.

She made her way to his side and got a better look down below. Smack dab in the middle of the crowd was a wooden circular platform, slightly raised up above on stones and logs of more wood. The crowd was separated from it by a taller ring that surrounded the platform like a bullseye. Imperial Firebenders were stationed on top of the ring, facing inward towards the little stage.

After a long moment, Zuko raised his hand to silence the people. His face was hard as he stared out at them, sharing in their anguish at the destruction of their home.

"Justice will be served," he started, his voice carrying out over the crowd with clear conviction. "The people responsible for the chaos that ensued here shall pay."

An answering cheer boomed back at him.

"Any member associated with the group of people who carried out these acts of terrorism shall be deemed enemies of the state," Zuko declared, his anger evident in the low rumble of his voice. "As Fire Lord I give permission to execute the ones responsible for the deaths and destruction that occurred from their attacks. Agni smites those who kill the innocent."

Another loud cheer erupted within the crowd.

"Bring out the guilty."

The cheers grew louder as the crowd parted by the work of more Imperial Firebenders. Zuko strode down the stairs, away from the rest of the group, and made his way to the small balcony that hung over the platform. Katara could see a group of prisoners being led through the parted crowd, led by a limping Takeshi. Her heart raced in her chest with her fury and she had a half a mind to rip his from his chest, but she was immediately calmed by a squeeze of Hakoda's hand.

There were at least sixty people chained together, filing onto the platform in their torn and dirtied robes, their masks removed. Katara thankfully couldn't recognize anyone from their place on the balcony, aside from Takeshi. He was standing in the middle of the group, staring straight at Zuko with a defiant look on his disfigured face.

Zuko thrust his left fist into the sky, letting out a burst of bright flames. The Imperial Firebenders surrounding the platform did the same, their flames cresting up and dissipating before they all sank down into a kata. Zuko moved first, the same hand winding back as he lowered as well, then he thrust his palm forward and let out a large blast towards the platform.

Katara's heart shot into her throat and her eyes bulged open as the wood caught on fire. The Imperial Firebenders followed suit, their own flames engulfing the wood and scorching some of the rebels in the process. Their screams of terror started to fill the air, mixing with the crackling of the wood and the cheers from the crowd.

Her stomach churned when the first of the rebels was completely burned, their screeches grating to her ears and more so to her nerves. In that moment she noticed Aang had dismissed himself back to the palace, likely unable to witness the horror of this execution.

She tried to keep a straight face, but the sounds of the screams and cheers warbled in her ears, making her dizzy. Her eyes went to the straight line of Zuko's back, where his shoulders were still tight and his fists were clenched with righteous fury. There was a tug on her heart when she noticed his hands were shaking - with anger or distress, she did not know - but she knew it was best not to go comfort him. He needed to appear strong for his people in the face of their enemy.

And that face was staring him down.

Katara noticed Takeshi had not moved from his perch in the center of the platform. His eyes were pinned on the Fire Lord despite the chaos that was ensuing around him. Katara figured he would feel well at home, since that was what he wanted all along. Maybe not in this sense, but it was deserved enough. He didn't even flinch when his robes caught on fire and his followers started dropping like flies in front of him.

His stare was still on Zuko, hard and unwavering even in the face of death.

A chill ran up her spine and the disgust was starting to become too much, so she tugged on Hakoda's arm and motioned to go back inside. Her father did not even hesitate to nod and lead her towards the curtain and out of earshot of the screams and cheers. His quick reaction made her grateful, but she would never forget the sight and growing smell of burning flesh.

Katara swallowed down her disgust but clutched onto her father a little tighter. There had been executions in the Southern Water Tribe, the last one she remembered being right before the raid that killed her mother. A man was accused of raping and killing a teen aged girl, the most damning evidence being the claw marks on his face that were too thin to have been from a polar bear dog like he had claimed, and the blood under her snapped fingernails. Her father had deemed him guilty and he was stripped of his clothes and tied to the Wendigo Pole, left in the cold to suffer his punishment.

The next morning his body was frozen in the place they had left him, ice coating his bare arms and his face frozen forever in twisted agony. She never forgot the way her father looked when they removed the body from the pole and wrapped it in the funeral furs. It was not a look of pride or satisfaction. It was a look of shame, of disgust in one's self.

It was the same look she caught on Zuko's face when he turned away as Takeshi was finally swallowed up in the blaze.

She found Aang sitting in the windowsill of the library, his foot dangling down as he watched the moon rise over the lip of the caldera. She noticed a melancholy look on his face and the overall aura of exhaustion surrounding him. She approached him silently, uncertain of what exactly she should say. To be honest, she was still reeling from the battles that took place the past few days and her mind was a mess.

But she had to say something to him.

"Aang?"

His head turned towards her and a soft surprised smile lit up his face. "Hey, Katara."

She approached him completely now, hands fiddling with themselves in front of her stomach. "How are you feeling?"

Aang's hand immediately went to his stomach and his fingers dragged against the fresh bandages there. "Much better, actually. If you hadn't showed up when you did, I'd be dead for sure."

She felt herself grin and she couldn't help but reply, "I don't think the Avatar would go down that easily."

He merely shrugged before looking back out to the sky. Katara followed his gaze and marveled at how bright the moon was. It was almost as if another sun had graced the sky. The entire city was lit up, the rubble of broken homes highlighted by the deep shadows and pale glow.

"Do you ever wonder if she can see us?"

"Hmm?"

Aang turned to her entirely, that same sad smile on his face, and he clarified, "Yue. Do you think she can see us right now?"

Katara's eyes moved to the moon and she felt herself frown, that same sensation of sadness for her brother washing over her. "Maybe. Perhaps she knows of Sokka's loss and felt the need to comfort him tonight."

"How is he doing?"

Her chest felt tight and her eyes dropped to the ground. "Not so good. I tried to help him a little before the execution but he wouldn't budge. I went back afterwards but he was still asleep. He's going to need more time than he did with Yue."

"It's not fair."

Her eyes rose and met his.

"He's lost two loves now. Why does he have to suffer so much for the greater good?"

Katara sighed and joined him on the windowsill, the ease of being near him coming back despite the awkwardness she was feeling before. "My mother used to tell me that the Spirits would test us with trials. Make us suffer because it would make us stronger. There is always a plan, even if we don't know it."

Their eyes met and Aang frowned. "How can you be so sure of that?"

She simply shrugged and moved her attention back to the moon. "I'm not. I don't know why things happen the way they do. No one does. That takes the magic out of life. We aren't meant to know when things happen or why they did. There's always a purpose to everything."

Aang chuckled and he lightly kicked her foot with his. "That was awfully wise of you."

She grinned in return. "I have my moments."

A comfortable silence stretched between them, the easiest one between them since before Zuko was kidnapped. After a few moments, Katara felt Aang's hand on her shoulder and she turned to see him looking at her with curious concern.

"Are we... are we, you know, okay?"

She couldn't stop the smile that spread on her lips and she stood. As she wrapped her arms around his shoulder in a soft hug, she replied in his ear, "Of course we are. We'll always be friends."

Aang sniffed and tightened his arms around her before letting go, his hands lingering at her sides for a split second before dropping back into his lap. "I do like being your friend... Your friendship is more important to me than thinking we're in love."

Katara's heart sank and she felt the sadness come off of him in waves. "Aang..."

He raised his hand to stop her from apologizing, likely knowing she was going to, then he added, "Katara, I love you. And I will always love you like you would your first love... But I've had some time to think and I understand why you had felt pressured to put on this farce for me. It wasn't fair to you. I know where your heart lies, and as much as it pains me, I know he will make you happy."

Her eyes widened and he took that time to take her hand and grip it tight. "I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. I know you denied it before when we were together, but I think you didn't know it then. He cares so much about you and was willing to put his feelings to the side to make sure you were happy. It's about time you both got what you wanted in life."

Katara would have commented on the matter more, but the door to the library opened and a servant shuffled their way in towards them. Aang stood, expecting a request, but the servant turned his attention to Katara and bowed at the waist.

"Fire Lord Zuko requests your presence in his study, Master Katara."

Her heart did a little jump in her chest and she quickly nodded and made to follow the servant. When she met Aang's eyes, he gave her a final encouraging nod and adopted that melancholy grin once more as he sat back down on the windowsill, his eyes lingering on her once more before going back to the moon. She bit her lip and turned to the servant, who ushered her out of the room with a brisk pace.

The servant took her on a path she had never gone before, likely to avoid the destroyed sections of the palace near Zuko's study. She knew his office had been in the wing that was destroyed, as well as his bedroom. Right now he had nowhere else that was his own except his study.

Her heart ached for him.

The door opened and the servant stepped to the side, letting her pass him without another word. Once she was inside, the door was closed and she was left alone with Zuko for the first time since they were stranded in the woods.

He was standing by the window, cloaked in silvery moonlight, his face downturned as his eyes scanned the scroll in his hands. Like before, he was still dressed in the tunic and pants he wore during their battles, seemingly unconcerned with how dirty he was and how torn up he looked. The only difference now was his hair was pulled back into a tight topknot instead of the low phoenix tail he had been sporting when they first left the Fire Nation.

His crown was still notably absent.

"You... wanted to see me?"

Zuko's head snapped up and his wide eyes met hers. "Oh, uh... yeah." He cleared his throat and rolled the scroll back up before straightening his posture and facing her entirely. "Yes, I did. How are you?"

Katara nearly laughed at the politeness in his tone, but instead she merely shrugged and tucked her hands behind her back. "As good as I can be, considering the circumstances. A lot has happened in the past few days and I'm a little tired."

There was a hint of an affectionate smile on his lips as he said, "I know how you feel. I'm glad you're alright, though."

She smiled and her thumbs fiddled with each other as she asked, "And you? How are you doing?"

Zuko sighed and he scrubbed his face with the heels of his hands. "I could be better. There's a lot of bureaucratic stuff that needs to be taken care of and I feel like I haven't been able to breathe."

"You're allowed to take a break, Zuko," she told him as she stepped closer to his desk. His eyes met hers, glowing golden in the contrasting moonlight, and she did her best to give him a smile. "The past few days have been particularly trying. It probably would be best for your well-being to go to bed and come back with a fresh mind in the morning."

A sour look passed his face and he slumped against the wall. "Unfortunately I don't have a bed now, either."

She snorted and made her way to him. "There are at least fifty beds in this place. Surely you can find one to nap in."

He let out a breath chuckle and let his head fall back with a soft thump. "With all of the people staying here right now, I doubt that. At least a third of the rooms were in the southern wing, including mine on the top floor."

"Of course this happens after you changed rooms again," she snickered, earning her a hard glare and pout. "Oh, come on. You know you have the worst luck when it comes to your bedrooms."

His shoulders dropped and he replied, "Yes, I know. Is your room alright? I forgot to ask you."

She nodded. "No damage to the Southern Water Tribe hallway. Though I can't say the same for the Northern Water Tribe. You'll have to let Chief Arnook know his precious water bed probably popped."

Zuko's horrified look was accompanied with a dreadful groan. "I don't think this day can get any worse."

"You want to talk about it?"

He chewed on his lip for a moment before pushing off the wall and making his way to his desk. He handed her the scroll he had just been looking at and then unfurled a second one that was right next to it. As she opened up the scroll and her eyes scanned the numerous names, he stated, "I have ordered a state funeral for those who died in the attack. But first I will be visiting the homes of their families, if there is any left, and extend a grieving hand. It's the most I can do under these circumstances. That being said..."

Katara looked up and he had been staring out the window.

"After the state funeral, I am going to accompany the Kyoshi Warriors back to their home island to lay Suki to rest. After all she sacrificed, I owe her that much. She saved my life by giving hers... I have to honor her memory by being with her when she is sent off to the Spirit World."

"That's very considerate of you, Zuko," she murmured as she laid her hand on his arm. He didn't move to look at her. "Your people will see how empathetic you are. It's a good move forward."

"I'm not doing to gain the favor of my people," he spat softly, the disgust in his voice clearly not aimed at her. "Many of my people died because a group of people wanted me dead. But they paid the price. Suki paid the price. And now my home is destroyed and my people are displaced. All because there are still people out there who don't want me on the throne."

"Zuko, you can't blame yourself for what happened."

His eyes met hers, hard and gleaming gold, and he frowned. "How can I not? She was protecting me. She shouldn't have had to lay down her life to make sure I lived. It wasn't fair to her to immediately jump in front of that sword just because I am apparently more important. I'm not. She had so much to live for, and now she's gone. Look at Sokka! He's lost another girlfriend to this stupid world! I live, and he suffers for it."

Katara felt her eyes burn and she took a step in front of him. "You can't blame yourself for Suki's actions. She made a choice, knowing what would happen if you died. She knew how much the world would suffer if you were gone. To her, you were more important."

"I shouldn't be."

"You're the damn Fire Lord, Zuko," Katara snapped as she crossed her arms. A tear fell down her cheek. "You want to know something? I'm upset about her dying, too. My brother is in his room practically comatose because he's in shock of watching yet another girlfriend die right in front of him. Do you think he blames you? Do you think I blame you for this? Suki made the choice and she seemed pretty content with it until her last breath. So stop playing the Zuko Card and accept the fact that she did it to protect you and to ensure the world remained at peace."

His eyebrow quirked up, betraying the otherwise angry and hurt look on his face, and he asked, "'The Zuko Card?'"

Katara wiped away the tears that fell down her cheeks and huffed, "The Zuko Card is when you act like you're so horrible and you deserve the bad things that happen to you as some sort of repentance for all of the wrong doings that you, your family, and your Nation committed. You don't deserve bad things to happen to you. You deserve to live."

His face dropped and he looked down to the floor. "So did Suki."

Katara's heart sank and she grabbed his hand. "Yes, she did. But you can't blame yourself for her dying. You didn't kill her. Hera did."

A tear fell out of his eye and Katara quickly wiped it away. When he didn't say anything more, she pulled him into a hug, holding him close as he dropped his head to her shoulder and wrapped his arms tightly around her middle. She felt the wetness of his tears through the shoulder of her dress, and unabashedly she let her own tears fall. Her eyes drifted out the window, catching sight of the moon as it glowed in the sky. As Zuko held her a little tighter, she vaguely noticed a bright star flickering in the sky next to it.

tbc.