AN: Sorry I haven't updated sooner. You have permission to poke me with sticks.

Chapter 22: The Source

Zhao's crew only fought their peers in fear of their Admiral. This fear was evident in their faces, and those under Iroh and Ozai were lenient, choosing to incapacitate their enemies rather than kill them.

Katara used her water-bending to create waves that knocked everyone off their feet and Sokka ran around clubbing people with the other Water Tribesmen.

All in all, the battle was more a show for Admiral Zhao than anything else. Too bad he wasn't watching.

Zhao blocked another well-aimed fireball and returned it with one of his own. Anzha ducked beneath it and kicked out. Her swords lay forgotten nearby, their uses not needed at the time.

A momentary lull in the exchange allowed the flames and steam to clear. Anzha and Zhao glared at each other through tired but determined eyes. Zhao lunged to send a flame at her and Anzha flipped backwards to avoid the attack. The battle continued.

Zuko sank to the floor, pain scorching through him like a thousand knives, and his groan echoed around the metal room. Only the contour of Aang's body could be seen in the void of light as he moved closer to the Fire Prince.

Aang sensed the Source in Zuko and he wanted it, the power within him wanted it, and he drew upon it. With every step he took closer, he took more of Zuko's Source, and Zuko's pain grew. But just as suddenly as he had sensed the Prince's Source, he sensed every Source on the ship. And he wanted them all.

Every bender has a Source, whether they can truly tap it or not. So, suddenly, every bender on the ship had fallen to their knees and were screaming incoherently. The few non-benders, three Water Tribesmen including Katara's father, tried desperately to help the tortured benders to no avail.

Zuko pulled himself up onto his knees, his desperate Source driving him.

"Aang!" he called, first in a whisper, then repeatedly, growing in strength until he was shouting. At last, the pain dwindled a tiny bit, showing the Avatar was listening to him.

"Aang, I don't know what Zhao did to you, but I know you don't want to do this! Think about it, you are hurting Katara! And Anzha! Think of my men, your allies! You're hurting them!"

The pain dwindled again, and the voice came to him breathless.

"I don't want to hurt them."

"Then don't."

On deck, the benders suddenly found the pain subsiding, and they stood, unwilling to continue their battle.

Aang whined to Zuko.

"But Zhao told me to kill you. I have to listen to him."

Zuko nodded, still unable to stand.

"I know, I know. It's okay, Aang." He held out his hand. "Take my hand Aang, and then you can kill me. Just make it quick okay?"

Aang nodded, and reached out to take Zuko's hand. But Zuko knew something Aang didn't, and that was that the power of Solzen's comet was directly related to the Source. Their hands came into contact, and with the last of his strength, Zuko surged forward and cut Aang off from the comet.

A particularly fierce fireball nearly forced Anzha off of her feet, and she skidded to a stop just in front of her swords. Zhao watched her and her eyes never left his as she slowly bent and picked up her swords.

"You think those little pieces of metal will help you, you insolent bitch?"

Anzha grinned. "You never know."

Zhao sent an angled fireball at her, and she crossed both swords in front of her to block it, but the force still sent her back and she crashed into the railing. Her eyes opened slowly and she saw the trebuchet lying in wait for use, feet above her head.

Zhao advanced on her, but she lunged up and forward and cut the ropes holding the trebuchet in place. It swung around and caught Zhao square on the chest, flinging him out above the churning waves. He hung from the trebuchet by one hand and stared at his only daughter in shock as she advanced on him. Desperately, he called out to his Source.

Don't let me die, don't let me die, and I'll pay whatever price!

But his Source did not respond.

Anzha raised her sword, eyes flashing dangerously, blood seeping from a wound in her side.

"Today's a great day to die, isn't it Daddy?"

And she swung the sword. The momentum she put behind it sliced cleanly through the former Admiral's neck and shoulder. Amazingly enough, his arm remained clinging to the trebuchet while the rest of his body was lost in the churning sea. She was disgusted, and cut the rope it held onto, but turned so she didn't have to watch it disappear into the sea.

The rain fell, purifying all. Anzha turned her head up to it, so pure.

Aang cried out softly as Zuko absorbed the power of Solzen's comet. Once the power was gone, Aang's form reappeared as he sank gratefully to his knees.

Zuko shivered, the power infecting his being, but he ignored its pleas for the Sources around him. He had to release the power, or it would consume them all. His body was already succumbing, he could not hold it. He raised his arms and pushed it out, as he would his inner fire. It scalded him, every molecule of his being was scorched, and he screamed.

Every person within a ten mile radius felt the power being released, and every one within a diameter of thousands of miles saw the light.

The light and power released were blinding to those on the Fire Nation ships. Soldiers fell to their knees, pushing away the power for the sole reason that their instincts told them too.

Katara hung onto the railing, feeling her brother's arms around her as the power surged around them.

The Water Tribesmen fell to the deck, unused to the immense heat, and some cursed the Fire Nation soldiers around them.

Ozai managed to gain his feet and rushed below deck to Natalani. She fell into his arms and they held each other through the storm.

Anzha fell to her knees, feeling Zuko through the power he released and lending him her strength to keep pushing it away from him. The joy and release of her victory a moment before was forgotten in Zuko's pain.

The light faded.

Zuko collapsed into the young Avatar's arms, who, unable to support them both, fell to the metal floor as well. Exhausted from the moments he himself had held the power, he slipped closer to unconsciousness, holding the Fire Prince close.

"Yes Avatar." Aang was startled.

"Yes? What do you mean?"

"Yes, I think we could've been friends."

"We are friends, Prince Zuko, we are."

Anzha pulled herself up and ran back over to Zuko's ship.

"Zhao is dead!" she called, and the multitudes cheered.

It was almost an hour before Iroh found Zuko, Aang, and the doctor in the ship's hold. Both boys were badly burned and they had a hard time getting them to let go of each other. Once they released each other, they were taken to the infirmary to be treated.

Ozai sent a letter to the Fire Nation that he was alright and for them to mark down Zuko's pardon, Zhao's death, and the end of the war.

The mangled ships headed to the nearest port, which happened to be Kyoshi Island. It took them three days to get there. After seeing the Avatar and his companions had allied with the Fire Nation soldier, the villagers were happy to help.

Zuko, Aang, and the many other wounded were given special care by the villagers. But both the Fire Prince's and the Avatar's prognosis was grim, and no one knew whether they would wake again.

And so, we find Ozai, whose arm had finally healed, Iroh, who is once again drinking tea, Anzha, who is sporting a bandage around her stomach, Katara, also bandaged, Sokka, who has matured greatly, and Natalani, whose pregnancy was unharmed during the battles, all gathered around a campfire outside the house where Aang and Zuko were being kept.

Atilla and the other Water Tribesmen were heading to their homes, spreading the word of the end of the war.

Anzha was fingering the ring on her left hand, and staring at the fire. Suddenly, Katara could take it no more. She stood.

"Anzha, can I speak to you? In private?"

Anzha looked bewildered but nodded, and followed Katara out of the village out onto the crags by the bay.

"What is it, Katara?"

Katara watched the waves briefly and summoned all of her courage.

"Sokka loves you."

Anzha sighed. "I know."

"He loves you, but you love Zuko! I mean you have to!" Katara flourished her hand wildly. "You're engaged to him!"

Anzha looked down at her ring as if she'd never seen it before. "So I am."

There was a tangible silence for several minutes as Anzha worked out what to say.

"I don't love Zuko the way you think I do. But I will not hurt him. If he loves me…" Katara cut her off.

"You...you love Sokka. And Zuko...I don't think he loves you like you think he does?"

Anzha stopped, her jaw dropped, not daring to hope. Her eyes narrowed.

"How do you know?"

Katara looked away. "Because he told me."

Flashback…
It was the morning before the battle.

When morning came, it was raining heavily. Katara woke to find Zuko huddling in a corner of the hut, his blanket wrapped around his shivering form. The look in his eyes told her he was once again remembering the night his mother died. She crawled over to him and embraced him. He laid his head against her shoulder and Katara sighed. She listened to his breathing slow until she was sure he was asleep. Her head against his bare chest, she listened to his heart, the steady beats lulling her to sleep.

She had nearly dozed off when she heard him speak.

"I don't love Anzha. No, she is my sister, I cannot love her. "

Anzha looked at the ground, her heart breaking and rejoicing at the same time. She slipped the ring off of her left hand and replaced it on her right.

"You can have him Katara."

Her head spun around. "What?"

"I think of Zuko as a brother, nothing more."

Silence fell, and together they watched the waves roll. Katara sighed. "That's not what I meant, Anzha. Zuko and I could never be."

Anzha smiled softly. "Then I guess I'll have to hook him up with someone."