Prompt 12: "You'd like that"

Zuka sat at her brother's bedside. He was getting weaker by the day and the doctors feared he would not last the week. Agni it was so unfair! They were finally a happy family. Azulon was only twenty-three years old.

There had to be something she could do. She was Fire Lord for Agni's sake! She could get the best healers and maybe Aang could go to the Spirit World and find a healing spirit. Surely Katara could get her some spirit water from the North Pole.

"Don't die, Azulon. I need you."

Zuka wiped her tears on the sleeve of her formal robes.

"No you don't," came the hoarse reply.

Zuka looked up through watery eyes at the pale face of her younger brother. "Y-you're awake."

"Either that or this is the most boring dream ever." Azulon sat up with some difficulty. Zuka rushed to put another pillow underneath his head.

"Why would it be boring?" Zuka asked.

"I've been listening you to cry for the past hour. I would like my last moment to be either full of a dramatic battle or peace and quiet. I don't care which."

"Don't talk like that. You're… you're going to be fine."

"Zuka, I'm dying and there's nothing you can do about it."

"We could get some spirit water." Zuka sniffled, speaking her earlier thoughts out loud.

"No." He rolled his eyes.

"But Azulon!" Zuka pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I've outgrown my purpose years ago. You won't miss me at all." Azulon watched her with that infuriating neutral expression of his. She had no idea what was going on in his head.

"You can't die because I haven't found anyone that can make blue flames for the Great Gates of Azulon."

Azulon took Zuka's hand and made a small blue flame with his finger and touched it to her palm. "There. Now you don't have any excuse."

Zuka could feel the heat of the flame in her hand. Her inner fire responded, feeding the tiny flame some chi to grow it. It felt like carrying the dragon's flame in the Sun Warrior's temple.

When she turned back to Azulon, his eyes were closed. "I… thought you'd… like that."

And then he was gone.

The only thing left of him was the blue flame she held in her hand.