A/N: Slight AU. I'll rate this a little higher for gory violence. It's not too bad, though.

Healer's Hands

"Quick, get him to the healers!"

Four soldiers of the Northern Water Tribe were carrying the body of a boy, blood trailing behind them on the icy streets. The cacophonous explosions that had filled the air earlier had now stopped with the onslaught of night. The Fire Nation had retreated back to about one hundred yards from the city, awaiting the light of day to continue their attack. People began to follow the soldiers carrying the boy, hurrying them to the healing houses. Once there they practically threw the bleeding body onto the table, drawing back as the Elder Healer pushed her way through the maddening crowd,

"Out of my way!" the old woman shrieked, running to the table and shoving a soldier aside. The room was packed with bystanders, silently watching with varying amounts of fear and angst on their faces. The tension was palpable, as people of all kinds had congregated to the Healing House- men, woman, and children all with crying faces. All looked grave and frightened. They whispered names and sentences, as Sokka, Katara and Yue entered the House, weaving between the people. Katara could make out a few words of what they were whispering, "dead", "shot-down", "Avatar". She and the others had followed the crowds throughout the streets, partly to see what was going on, and partly because they were trying to find Aang, who had disappeared to fight when the Fire Nation had attacked. They hadn't seen him in hours, and Katara was getting anxious and worried for him; the Fire Nation was ruthless, and she wanted to know if he was safe and OK.

They room suddenly became eerily quiet; all talking and whispering had ceased as the Healer began her work, the body on the table glowing slightly. Katara stood up on her toes to see what was going on, and if she knew the body lying on the table. When she couldn't see, she looked to her older brother, "Sokka!" she whispered, "Who is it?" He rose up on his own toes and looked around over the adult's heads. His face, however, went stark white immediately, and his eyes grew wide. Katara's blood began to pump, and her heart beat faster, "What? What is it?"

He didn't have to say a word, though. She could read it in his face, and in his eyes when he slowly craned his head to look into her face. Panic seized her at once, and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Aang!"

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

White hot, searing pain. That's all that the young boy felt when the fire-lit mass had struck his body full on, and he had plunged from the sky onto the Fire Nation ship. Appa had barely had time to sweep him up before the soldier's had probably killed him. He had remembered thinking how stupid his mistake had been, how he had been careless and slipped up. He remembered feeling as if all of his insides were pouring out of him, stopped only by crude, burned flesh that had created a dam, in which only blood could be seen leaking out. He remembered opening his eyes, only to be halted by searing pain across his face, and in the nano-second that he had opened his lids, he recalled that he could see nothing- that he was blind from the white-hot fire that had consumed him. He had thought it sad that he wouldn't ever be able to see again; that he could never see the sky that had always played mother to him, how he's never be able to see Appa's grinning face at him, waking him and greeting him in the morning. He thought it particularly sad, though, that he'd never be able to see the face of beauty again….

Just when he felt his sad life begin to slip away in the rivers of blood that left his body, he thought back to that very face….

Katara had been magnificent, ever since the beginning. She was a loyal, caring, powerful bender, who had taught him many things along their journey, and not just about the element Water, either. She had taught him maturity, and responsibility. She had taught him how to discard apathy and fear, and meet challenges head on with getting frightened and running from them. She had taught him how beautiful life can be, and that if he ever doubted anything, that all he had to do was look up at his mother-figure, and know that for something so amazing to be just sitting there, right above there heads, that there had to be something out there to hope for. He loved Katara for that. Sometimes it was like she knew his own element better than he did….

I'll miss her…. He thought as his life slept from him. I'll never forget waking up to that face. If only I could do it again…

He knew he wouldn't make it. At least he could be free from this horrible pain that was engulfing him. Even now he could feel it abate more as his mind slipped deeper and deeper into dead-end unconsciousness. How beautiful life had been. The soldiers were now carrying him throughout the Northern City streets, but it didn't matter. He felt them slam his body on the table. There was an almost content look on his face as he slipped further away from them. And then he heard her.

"AANG!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Katara shoved her way violently to the healing table, tears blurring her vision as the charred body on the ice slab was recognized as Aang. She felt like her mind had snapped in half when her eyes scanned over him- he looked like an unrecognizable mound of flesh. The Healer was running water over him, glowing in a soft light, but it seemed effortless. He wasn't getting better.

"Stop, get out!" she screamed at the old woman, not caring at the appalled look she received from the Elder. It felt like she was just making it worse. But Katara didn't care. She wasn't going to be able to heal Aang. So, she was just going to have to try herself.

Her hands shook violently as they fumbled around her water canteen, the one she had used so many times before. She felt like it was right. But, then again, she had little to go off of but her gut right now.

Everyone cleared as she began to bend the water around and over Aang, using her healing power with the flow of the water to wash and spill over Aang, her tears mixing in with the water of her canteen. A soft blue glow consumed them both, but nothing was helping. She felt him slip deeper and deeper.

"Please Aang…" she whispered, "Don't leave us like this…Not this way….you're too strong to go down these easily…Please Aang, wake up…"

Her tears began falling more steadily now, and she concentrated harder, and she felt her body begin to ache. But she didn't care. She pushed harder, pushed her body to its limit and the glow intensified greatly- the whole room became filled with its light. People held their breath as the girl started to become one with the Avatar- the display of power marveled even the Elder Healer. Katara saw Aang twitch slightly, and his body moved just slightly- he was starting to wake up, starting to fight off death. Katara's tears flowed down onto him,

"Please Aang…Don't leave us…"

Don't leave me.

I can't lose you now.

There was a sudden jolt, and Aang's arrow began to glow- wind wiped in to the room and billowed around them in a terrible, cacophonous blast- a child screamed, but all of the adults were silent. They knew this display of power. The glow of the healing wisped around them, caught with the current of the air, and the entire section of the city glowed aqua blue. Katara placed her hands directly onto the Avatar's chest, and his glowing eyes flew open.

In a shuddering halt, the wind and glowing disappeared, settled thickly over the heads of the crowd. There was dead silence; even the frightened children were quiet and watching with tense faces. When Katara opened her eyes she saw Aang lying on the table, seemingly asleep- his body was completely bereft of any kind of wound or blemish. If he had been severely hurt, it would have been news to anyone who had not just seen the previous display. For a half-second, Katara felt her heart stop pumping- he looked like he was dead. And then, his fingers twitched and he moaned softly- the room suddenly burst with cheers and cries. The bystanders embraced and held each other as relief washed over them all.

The Avatar was alive.

Katara burst with tears and laughter, leaning down and gathering the boy in her arms, embracing him tightly- she knew she need not be ginger with him as he had no more injuries. She cried and gazed down at his sleeping face, and his lids slowly began to creep up.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

He had been brought out from the darkness into a light he couldn't ever fathom. It was just like when he had been encased in the glacier for a hundred years- black for so long, then slowly light engulfed him. He felt wrapped up by warm arms and heard the distant sound of cheers. He felt tears drip softly onto his shoulder. He wanted to see with his new eyes- for some reason, he knew he could see again. He wanted to see her again. He didn't know how soon he would get his wish.

Just like when he awoke from the glacier he awoke now in the arms of the girl he loved. He opened his eyes to sheer beauty and kindness, holding him tightly and crying his name. A soft smile played across his face as he felt tears well up at the very sight. He had got what he wanted. He had gotten to see Katara again. He wished he had the strength to reach up and touch her face, but he knew he was pressed for time. He couldn't fight the Fire Nation on his own, and he had to seek the Spirit's help. So, he favored her with his slight loving smile, with eyes that told of great love and gratitude, before opening his mouth and quietly whispering, "I've got to get to the Spirit World."

He knew by her look that she loved him too.