Katara sat on her knees staring after her brother and friends. They would just leave her like that. Turn their backs on her and leave. The tears streamed down her face as she moved to look to Aang's body. He was almost unrecognizable . She moved and crawled along the dead foliage to where his body still jolted. She shivered as she looked over him, the black sticky ooze bubbling up from his throat. Her face contorted as his eyes looked around frantically. She frowned as his neck began to thread back together. The fear shot through her in wild currents as he began to heal himself. Her eyes darted back to the forest where the other's had disappeared. She looked with wide eyes as Aang's arm darted up and grabbed her by the throat. She tried to pull away from him, but his hand only tightened. His eyes locked on hers as he sat up. She pulled her hand up and tried to concentrate on his veins. She grasped at invisible strings as she realized that the black ooze was not any kind of water.

"Katara..." She tried to scream but his fingers began to dig painfully into her throat crushing her wind box. His eyes darkened as the tips of his fingers began to break the skin. She tried to pull his hands away from her, she tried to claw at him. She kicked she thrashed and gurgled as the blood spilled into her throat. She saw the world start to grow dim as she could feel the black ooze start to crawl into neck. It was then that she realized that what her brother said was right. This was not Aang. He was a walking breathing corpse that was bent on causing destruction and pain. Searing pain coursed through her as the ooze forced more blood from her body. She could feel it catching on her insides binding itself to the very core of her.

Aang's grip tightened as he pulled her to him and kissed her hard. He forced his tongue into her mouth filling that warm cavern with even more of the darkness. As her blood gushed from her neck, he body became limp. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, as her skin started to darken with death. The skin around her face sunk as the tissue died. Aang pulled away from her and ripped his hand out of her neck. She fell limply over against him. He ran his hand over her hair and broke the binding at the end of the braid. Her hair fell loosely around her as her body convulsed. As much pain and as much torture he had to go through at her hands, he had finally had his revenge. As Katara's body died she was overrun with the darkness, and soon would be his. After all the years of hidden love and painful times apart, and her adamant refusal to be his in life, she would be his in death.

The group walked in silence. A heavy cloud darkening their steps and hanging over them. Zuko couldn't seem to keep his hands off of his wife. Whether it was walking with his arm around her waist, holding her hand, or touching her face when he ask if she was okay. Had he known of her pregnancy he would have never allowed her to go tramping about in the woods. Then there would have been a fight. But now more than ever he felt that need to protect her. He had failed at protecting her to begin with and now the child he didn't know she was carrying was infected with a spirit disease. He would not fail her further.

Sokka walked beside Haru the silence between them thick and almost tangible. Sokka didn't know what to say. He didn't know if there was anything to say. He could try an awkward attempt to make the man feel better, but it would come across as either a joke or an insult. His face twisted in disgust. He would have never imagined taking a man's side over his sister's, but then he could have never imagined killing Aang either. Sokka stopped and looked up with a frown, glancing over at the husband and wife duo. He turned and looked back at the entrance to the water spirits cave. He closed his eyes as he let the sounds that rolled through the dead forests sink into him. Soothing voices blending in an aquatic lullaby. A warmth filled him as serenity forced out the dark thoughts.

Haru's breath caught in his chest as the songs wrapped around him. His eyes scanned the forest for the source of the sounds. His deep green orbs settled on the form of three maidens walking along the mouth of a dark cave captured his glare. They were waist deep in water their hands skimming the surface as they walked in circles around one another, their mouths spilling out a song that was enticingly soft and insufferably inviting.

The weary group stopped at the bank and watched the maidens. Zuko frowned and looked down at the water, the decaying bog was clearing as the human particles visibly sank or dissolved. He looked down the length of the river as it started to glisten. The sun broke through the slight overcast and caused the water to sparkle as it returned to it's former glory. The water maidens stopped their serenade and looked up at the travelers. Smiles spread across their faces warmly as they liquefied and returned to the water.

Sokka stepped down into the cool water, his feet sinking through to touch nothing but mud. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Nothing like a fresh spring."

"Says you." Toph grumbled as she grabbed her stomach. Zuko had been fussing to picker her up and carry her but she wouldn't allow it. Haru jumped backwards with a yelp as a man appeared just inches in front of Sokka. The man's deep eyes looked over Sokka, as he shook his head in a languid motion.

"The illness has fallen you again?" Master Shya turned his head as Zuko stepped into the water as well, pulling Toph with him. The water spirit's face grew cold as he looked over the woman.

"I did not know she was with child." Zuko frowned and looked down at his wife.

"Neither did I." He said watching Master Shya's face. The blue eyes moved over to Haru who was frozen on the dry land.

"Step into the water, new friend." Haru snarled his nose and took a step back. Sokka shook his head and jumped out of the water. He walked over to Haru and gave him a nice hard shove, sending him stumbling and finally falling face first into the water. He stood up with both cuss words and water spitting out of his mouth. Cold hands surrounded him as the water maidens appeared around him. Their cool fingers sizzled against his feverish skin.

"Girls." One stern order from their master was all it took to melt the maidens back into the crystal water. Shya stepped forward his hand coming up to touch Haru's face.

"I thought I sensed the sickness in you as well, but I see now that you have you demons and you are feeding them. The darkness is not a place for mortals to dwell." His face went dark for a moment, but regained its serenity as he took the small child's body from her father. "I will see that she is given a peaceful rest and crosses over successfully." He turned to look at the other three. "Come. We will heal you, bathe you, feed you and give you rest." He said turning around, but he stopped and moved to look at them. "Oh and we found a friend of yours." Sokka let a small grin pull at his lips.

"I'll pass on the bathing part thank you." Master Shya laughed and turned around as several of the water maidens giggled from the cave mouth. He looked over his shoulder at Sokka.

"It's not like they haven't already seen all your mortal body has to offer. Besides they have bathed many a traveler. "

Toph sunk down into the cook water and closed her eyes and shut off her senses. Her abdomen was on fire, but that came with bearing a fire-bender's child. She could deal with that. It was the rolling nausea and dizziness that her her worried. It didn't hit her until the sickness did. At first she thought it was just the simple symptoms of pregnancy, but she wasn't sure anymore. She felt the water shift against her skin as Zuko stepped into the shallow water next to her. He looked down at her and ran his hand over her forehead. She smiled and shook her head shaking him off.

"I'm fine. Stop worrying." She said with a laugh. Zuko frowned and fought the urge to sit down, and further ruin his clothes.

"I do worry. You know that."

"One of your few flaws, but I still love you." She shook her head and pushed herself up to stand. Zuko threw his cloak around her and looked at her.

"Are you filling better yet?" She hit him on the shoulder and stepped out of the water.

"Shya said it will take a few days." Zuko nodded as he rubbed his arm. They looked over to see Sokka and Haru around the small fire. A happy and healthy Momo skittered over Sokka's shoulders chirping wildly then running over to Haru's lap and chirping some more. They joined the other two after Toph dried off and re-clothed. Zuko sat down and frowned as Toph snuggled under his arm close to him. It had to be the pregnancy, it was effecting her mood. He took it with a smile and wrapped his arm around her. He looked over at Haru and shook his head.

"What are you going to do now?" Sokka ask earning a look from Zuko. It was the same question going through his own mind, but it felt a little quick to be asking it. Haru shrugged and tossed a dirt clod into the fire.

"My wife lied to me our entire relationship, and slept with another man. I should have left her before the child was brought into it."

"But then Snoozles would have tried to beat you for deserting his sister." Haru smiled slightly.

"That's true. I've lost my wife and my daughter, who I thought the world of..." He stopped and shook his head forcing back the tears that stung his eyes. "I'm swearing off women." Sokka frowned and blinked at him.

"That's not possible." Sokka said his eyes wide. Zuko couldn't help but laugh.

"Maybe for you it's not. But I think giving up women would be easy." Zuko said then stopped himself. He shook his head as the other two looked at him, and his wife turned to face him. "I didn't mean it like that!" The guys nodded and turned back around, but that did spark a question in his mind. "Did you mean it like that Haru?" Haru looked over at him with sad green eyes.

"I don't know what I am going to do. I'm not the type of person to be alone. I guess that is why I stayed with Katara as long as I did." Toph smiled as she snuggled into her husband's shoulder.

"There's someone for everyone, Haru. If your someone happens to be a man, oh well." Sokka felt the uneasiness of the conversation and decided to change subjects.

"What happened to Aang?" Haru looked over at him and blinked.

"You killed him remember?"

"No, he did not my friends." Shya said startling them as he appeared out of nowhere with bowl of fruit. He set it down and looked down at them. "The young avatar was already dead. He died the moment he let the darkness in. As you witnessed with the baby, the host must die before the darkness can consume them." Sokka frowned as he torn into a mango. Zuko thought for a moment then looked up at the water spirit.

"Then when Sokka slit his throat..."

"All he did was temporarily paralyze him. Also it freed the others that were forced under his spell. He will not regain control of the dead." Shya said as two of his water maidens appeared next to him.

"What about the creatures?" Toph asked through a mouthful of fruit. Shya's watery eyes looked over at the blind woman. He shook his head.

"He can regain control over them, sadly enough." Haru froze and looked at the others.

"We left Katara out there with him." He said jumping up. Shya shook his head again as a somber look crawled over his face.

"It is too late for your friend. He has pulled her into the darkness with him." Sokka frowned.

"What?! What does that mean?!' Shya looked at the boy and lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry my friend. But your sister is among the dead now." Zuko stood up abruptly.

"You mean that he is still alive in a sense and that now Katara is like him? How do we kill them?"

"You can't. Their bodies are dead and will eventually rot from the bones, though it may take years. But even the bones can't stay intact forever." Zuko narrowed his eyes and growled.

"It would have been nice if you would have told us this before."

"What could I have told you that you would have believed?" Toph grabbed her husband's arm and shushed him. She crossed her arms and 'looked' at the water spirit.

"We will eventually have to deal with spirit illnesses, demonic creatures and the walking dead again. So now what do we do?" Shya shook his head with a smile.

"I do not think he will bother you further. Either of them. The young avatar only wanted one thing after the war and he couldn't have it. He gave up his life to gain what he couldn't during his life. And now in death he finally has the love of the woman he worshiped." haru snarled his nose and shook his head.

"All for Katara." The others nodded.

"All for Katara." They repeated.

THE END! Hope you enjoyed it. Please Review Review Review!