Chapter 36

Heartbreak

A/N: Chapter 36 of the series. Thanks to Rosey for her amazing words and her help. Without her, this story would not exist. Thanks again to everyone who has written a review.

Disclaimer: Avatar… belongs to Nickelodeon.

General Iroh had accepted that he'd become an old man, but he had never been angry at his own body for not reacting as fast as he wanted. He knew what was happening at the Plaza, and yet he had deemed it safer to rid the Capital of every fighting soldier before heading in that direction.

However, he had arrived too late, and he cursed his old legs for not carrying him faster to stop the scene that was developing in front of him. Almost as if he were beneath water, he saw the water-bender holding his brother at bay - without a doubt using blood-bending - and he also saw how injured Zuko was.

Iroh cried out as he saw Zuko lift his hand, and even at a distance, he could feel the power of his nephew as he got ready to kill his own father. It was like a nightmare. No matter how much faster he wanted to move he couldn't get closer, and he knew that even if he shot his own lightning, it would only be attracted to Zuko's and wouldn't change a thing.

The bolt of lightning escaped Zuko's fingers, weaker than any shot Iroh had seen, though it still had the power to end his brother's life. It had been what the old General had hoped to avoid, having Zuko kill his father would effectively destroy the young man's soul.

Ozai also saw things moving rather slowly, or perhaps it was just the way his perception was working. The lightning bolt moved straight at his heart, and he knew he would be dead unless he completely overpowered the water peasant's power. He expelled all his power at once, the one thing his teachers had always told him to avoid, and the magnetic storm above him attracted the weak bolt his son had thrown at him.

'Even in death you are a failure,' Ozai thought, feeling his body burning from the inside out. 'Perhaps I will die, but I will take all of you with me.'

The bolt shot upwards and was redirected by the random lightning that was surrounding Ozai's body. It entered the magnetic storm and emerged, its trajectory altered and diverted from the Phoenix King's body. Unable to talk anymore, Ozai merely opened his mouth and fire came from it, reminding him of the trick his brother used that gained his nickname of 'Dragon of the West'.

Iroh saw with a mixture of happiness and despair that Zuko's last attack had failed, but as his eyes followed the discarded lightning bolt, he felt his blood run cold as he saw where it was headed.

Azula, the last Fire Lord of the Fire Nation, was standing on shaky legs and was in the direct path of the lightning bolt her brother had fired.

"So you wanted… to get rid of us failures," she gasped, blood dripping from her mouth. She raised her injured arms, causing unimaginable pain to shoot through her body, and took a stance her uncle recognized.

"Let's see… you get rid… of this," Azula coughed, and caught the lightning bolt with one of her hands. She instinctively re-routed the bolt through her body, and –like her brother – added whatever little power she had left in her body and threw it back at her father's feet.

Iroh paused. The events had taken an unexpected turn and he knew then that he had not been meant to get to them in time. His brother had striven to make his children as similar to him as possible, and it was time to sow the seeds of what he'd planted.

Ozai growled, finally realizing what his children had done. It was clear that the lightning that was coming at his feet would be attracted by the magnetic storm that whirled above his head, and since he was unable to move, it was obvious what was going to happen.

'This can't be happening!' he desperately thought. 'I was supposed to be the Phoenix King of the world!"

The bolt, now traveling low and headed at Ozai's feet, was drawn to the storm and immediately changed direction. It entered the Phoenix King's body through his knee, traveled through his stomach and heart,and exited through the top of his head. Ozai had a moment of clarity, a small moment of regret, before his heart exploded and the fire around him died.

Katara screamed and closed her eyes. She released her blood-bending the moment she felt the lightning bolt shoot through Ozai's body. She turned around, leaned over and placed both her hands over Zuko's chest, not wanting to see what had happened behind her.

Ozai remained vertical for a full second, before falling face first onto the stone floor of what had been his Coronation Plaza. Blood began pooling around his motionless body as the magnetic storm above him slowly disappeared.

"Let's see… you trying to… have more children," Azula said, before falling down to her knees. Iroh rushed instinctively to her side, somehow knowing Zuko would be tended by the water bender and that the one needing him most was his niece.

He kneeled next to her, and was surprised by the vacant expression she had on her face. Iroh looked all over her without touching her; not out of fear, because he couldn't feel a trace of her power. Yet he knew that anything could completely break her and she would never be whole again.

"Azula," Iroh softly said. "Do you know what you've done?"

She slowly turned her head and looked into Iroh's eyes, her expression dangerously neutral.

"I… killed Father," she said, and Iroh could hear a faint wheeze in her voice. "Why do I… feel like this…, Uncle Iroh?"

'Because both your arms are critically injured and you have a hole in your chest.' Iroh thought, but he chose not to voice such concerns.

"Taking a life is never easy," Iroh carefully said. "It is a very confusing feeling."

"Why should… I feel… confused?" Azula said, and more blood dripped from her mouth. "Father wanted… to kill me…"

"Whatever the case may be," Iroh replied. "Don't think about it right now. Don't think about anything at all."

"Alright…" Azula weakly nodded. "It… hurts, Uncle Iroh."

"Can I touch you, Azula?" Iroh carefully asked. Azula looked into his eyes, and where he had once seen madness, he could only see emptiness as she nodded and leaned into him.

"Rest now, Princess," Iroh said as he held his niece. "I promise I will try to fix you."

Katara felt something was wrong when Zuko's hand fell from her face. She knew she shouldn't be having a breakdown when she was supposed to be healing her friends, but the toll of the battle had finally reached her. She looked up and saw Zuko's eyes closed and his head was hanging in a weird way. She shook him up lightly, but he didn't move or open his eyes.

Panic gripped Katara and she quickly placed two fingers on Zuko's neck, hoping against hope that he was just unconscious from exhaustion.

Seconds went by, time feeling like an eternity for Katara, and her fingers felt no pulse coursing through the prince's body.

"Don't do this to me, Zuko," Katara's voice trembled as she placed both hands over Zuko's chest. "This is a very bad joke."

She turned her head left and right, looking for someone who could help her. She quickly grabbed Zuko and placed him on his back, opened his mouth and covered it with hers, blowing air into his body.

'Not the way I thought I'd kiss you,' she thought as she straightened up and again pressed his chest. 'Get up, you lazy prince!'

"Somebody help me!" Katara shouted, frantically pressing Zuko's chest. "Anyone, please!"

Surprisingly, it was Master Paku of the White Lotus who got there first, unnoticed by everyone, and kneeled down next to Katara.

"How bad is it?" he asked as he took over the compressions on Zuko's chest and Katara breathed air into Zuko's mouth.

"He's got no pulse," Katara said, not noticing the tear that ran down her face. "Can you keep this up while I try to do something with my water?"

Paku nodded and kept pressing Zuko's chest, feeling a rib crack in the process. Both of them winced, but knew a broken rib wouldn't matter if they couldn't save his life.

Katara covered her hands with water, and pressed them over Zuko's face.

"Come on, stupid prince!" She yelled at the unmoving man. "You've never quit before, don't start now!"

Tense moments went by, and nothing happened, making Katara despair. She threw the water away and shoved Paku's hands away.

"You want me to be rough? So be it! Let's get your damned heart moving!" Katara said. She concentrated and bent Zuko's blood, forcing it to move around his body.

"Katara…" Paku softly said. "He might be…"

"Don't say it!" Katara shouted. "This doesn't end like this! It can't end like this!"

Paku felt Katara's power moving the blood inside the prince's body, but it didn't seem to be doing anything at all.

"Katara," Paku carefully touched her shoulder. "This was his choice. This is what he did for the world. This is what he did for you."

Katara turned her eyes towards her master, tears falling without control, and a sob escaped her lips.

"I don't care!" she said. "He always gets his way, doesn't he? But now I won't let him get away with this!"

"Katara, there are others who need you," Paku softly said. "Prince Zuko is beyond our help right now, but the Avatar and your brother need you."

The water bender shook her head. She continued to move Zuko's blood from his heart to his brain and to the rest of his body. She once again leaned forward and blew air into the battered Zuko's lungs.

"I can't let him go," she sobbed. "It's not fair!"

Without both of them noticing, a large crowd had gathered around them, silently watching their efforts to save the Prince of the Fire Nation.

"It's never fair," Paku said as he took hold of Katara's hands. "Sometimes all you can do is let go."

Katara stopped blood bending, and Paku solemnly placed his hands on her neck. He slowly untied the red ribbon that held her pendant, and without telling her what he was doing, tied it firmly around Zuko's right wrist.

"I once cursed him for wearing this," Paku said. "I believed him unworthy of wearing something I had once given your grandmother as a sign of my love."

Paku took Katara's hands once again.

"But I think he earned the right to use it," he continued. "He ended the Hundred Year War. Let's honor his sacrifice."

Katara openly wept. She cried because she had hated Zuko for so long, but had lately learned to appreciate everything he had done. It was true that he had been a thorn in her side for a very long time, but he had worked hard against everything and everyone since he'd been born. It seemed quite unfair that he had to pay for his father's sins.

"Go help the others," Paku said. "They need you. I will take care of him. I promise you no one will touch him."

Katara nodded and quickly stood up, fearing she might lose control of herself if she didn't get moving.

The members of the White Lotus slowly gathered and stood next to Paku, silently acknowledging his promise of guarding Zuko's body. They all feared someone in the army would see the prince and would want to defile his body, since he'd been part of the Fire Nation.

"How old was he?" King Bumi asked.

"Sixteen," Jeong Jeong answered. "He was just a boy."

"A boy who proved his worth," Paku said. "And to think I doubted him at first."

Someone pushed from the crowd and came to a stop right next to the old men in white robes. The dark haired bounty hunter stared at the unmoving boy on the ground and her body began to shake.

"Tell me he's just unconscious," Jun said. "Tell me he's not dead."

"I'm sorry," Paku looked up at her as he spoke. "He gave his all to defeat his crazy father."

"Why isn't anyone doing anything?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Why are you all just standing there?"

"Katara already did everything she could," Paku replied. "She used her healing and even blood bending, but nothing worked."

"And that's just it?" Jun asked, kneeling down and touching Zuko's chest. "We just give up? I thought we were supposed to help everyone who needed our aid; is this all the White Lotus means? A bunch of old men just standing over a dying boy?"

"He's already dead," Paku replied. "Katara is the best healer I've met, and if she couldn't do a thing, then there is nothing else anyone can do."

"Not everything is lost."

Every one of the White Lotus turned around when they heard Iroh, who had left Azula under Katara's care.

"While the sweet water-bender with the broken heart heals everyone else, let me give it a try," Iroh said, sitting down next to Paku. "Press his chest, my friend, keep his blood running. I have lost one son, and I don't plan on losing another."

Iroh assumed the lotus position and concentrated, hoping that a trip to the Spirit World would help him in the time of need.

End of Chapter