I turn back, my heart pounding in my chest; he's fallen! My eyes quiver when I see the blood soaking through his clothing, but turn back to the woman before me with a determined glare. My teeth clench and my feet plant themselves defiantly; I will protect you. I effortlessly send a whip of water towards the Firebender glowering at me, one that is simply evaporated away. Azula, how can a sister hate a brother so much? I don't know where the others are, I have no idea what's happening anywhere other then right here, Zuko lying motionless behind me, Azula looming threatening before me.
"Give up, little Water peasant." She hisses as my eyes turn to slits. "Just let me finish him, and then I'll let you be." I manage a scoff.
"Like I believe that." I growl back, controlling what little water I have, sending out a pull to see if I can summon reinforcement from the nearby river, one hand focusing on calling it forth and the other on defense.
"Think I'm going to let you do that?" Azula barks, sending flaming balls towards me with two kicks, my concentration dropping as I roll away to dodge them, leading her further from Zuko's body. Hold on, Zuko. I'll have to use what I have until I can guide her closer. I pull slivers of water into the air and freeze them into tiny daggers, thrashing them towards the Fire Princess as she gyrates around, shooting fire balls towards me every chance she can, though I'm pushing her back towards the river. I have to be diligent; I'm using my water up quickly, and I still need some for Zuko.
We're both getting tired; it's been a long fight, even before Zuko hit the ground. I can see the sweat beading down her forehead as she continues to send attack after attack, my daggers keeping her on the defensive.
"Katara!" Finally. I don't even turn to see Aang, Toph and Iroh arrive at the scene, my two friends jumping into the fight immediately. Aang sends a blast of air in the form of a wall, and even though Azula bunkers down to hold her ground, it sends her backwards, and Toph follows it up with a roll of earth that knocks her to the dirt. I glance over my shoulder to see Iroh next to his nephew, fingers against his neck looking for that pulse I know has to be there. "Go help Zuko! We've got her." Aang shouts to me as I nod once, hesitantly looking to the trio, Azula back on her feet though the two benders quickly push her back, away from Zuko.
I run back to his side, kneeling in the blood-soaked dirt, not caring about my clothing or anything other then the gash in his side from the dagger Azula surprised him with. Iroh had already pulled the metal object from his skin, and cleared the fabric away.
"He has a pulse, though it's faint." I nod as I already begun to cover my hand in the cool water, setting it over his wound, concentration making little creases on my forehead. My hand begun to glow with the watery glove as the wound begun to heal itself, though the water was quickly evaporating.
"I'm not going to have enough water." I proclaimed, Iroh looking to me for a moment before realizing what that meant. My hand begun to stop glowing slowly until there was nothing at all, his wound still pulsating and blood still oozing, as I quickly took the water skin from around my neck, handing it briskly to the old man. No words needed to be exchanged as I heard him run off towards the river. I repositioned myself to be by his head as I placed a hand on his sweating face, and even though he was unconscious, his face was twisted in pain. "You'll be alright." I said quietly, stroking his hair gently, my thumb running over his scarred cheek. "Just a little while longer, then you'll be alright." Something glistening in the sun caught my eye as I glanced at the dagger next to me, soaked in blood, and something else, something green in color. I squint down at it, reaching for the blade carefully, lifting it to get a better look. What is that?
Just then, under my left hand, I feel his body lift slightly as he arched his back, a slight moan escaping his lips, then his entire body begun to violently shake in epileptic shock. I tossed the blade to the ground and used all my force to push his shoulders to the ground, screaming with him in surprise.
"No!" I scream out, as his body continues to convulse under my grasp. Poison. She poisoned the blade. Of course she did. I glance over my shoulder to see I was alone in this clearing; I could hear the battle, but couldn't see anything but the remnants of it, and Iroh was no where in sight. "Just hang on, Zuko, just a little longer." I scream out, though inside, I'm beginning to doubt that, my eyes brimming with tears as I try to fight the thoughts of this being the end. This can't be it! "I'm not ready to say goodbye! Don't you let it win!" I'm saying, throwing a leg over his midsection to straddle him, pressing him further towards the ground as he shakes under me, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Not like this." I scream out, as the tears stream down my cheeks. Not like this.
-----
"I-I don't understand." She's saying, staring at me with disbelief, as I try to stay strong.
"I think this is best for both of us." I state emotionlessly, folding my fingers together as my hands rest on the desk in front of me. This is never how I imagined we'd end up, so cold and distant, but it needs to be done. "I think we need this."
"We? I had nothing to do with this decision!" She's getting irate already.
"Surely you can't stand there and say to me you think everything between us is fine." Her eyes divert from my own, and it's all the answer I need. "It's just a break, Katara. People have them all the time. Just some time to be apart, then we'll see where we're at."
"What about my duties?" I can't help but look away from her before answering. It's a fatal move.
"Mai has agreed to temporarily help relieve those duties." Silence. I look back up to see her eyes brimmed with tears, staring at me incredulously.
"Mai." She states, her hands shaking. "Is that what this is about?"
"Let's not start on that." I try not to get agitated. It's hard when I know she won't let this slide simply. It's just a break! A break from the screaming, from the abusive words, from the accusations…
"Alright." I look to her, surprised. "A break would probably be good for both of us, you're right." My mouth gapes slightly. I can't believe this. "Aang has wanted my assistance for some time, so I'm sure he'd be happy to see me." I close my mouth and my eyes narrow for only a moment. I'm not sure I like the idea of her running off to be with Aang. That doe-eyed brat would do anything to have her look at him the way she looks at me. Suddenly this idea doesn't sit well with me. She's already heading for the door, as I want to say something, as I want to stop her, my breathing becoming irregular as I suddenly realize this might be a mistake. "Just one thing, Zuko," Her voice is strong, determined, as she looks back to me, "I need a little honesty. Are you and Mai…" That strong voice fades into nothing as she looks to the ground, my heart stopping in my chest.
"No." I say, I lie, I further betray. "Never." There it is again, another lie from these lips. She nods slowly, sadly, her lips parting as though she's going to say something else, but they close, and she turns to leave.
"Goodbye, Zuko." She whispers, I begin to get up, to say something, but the door closes and I'm alone again, falling back into my chair, defeated. When did we become this? When did we allow ourselves to destruct the only thing that kept us sane?
-----
Still. Everything is suddenly still, and it takes a moment for me to realize it. I open my eyes, tears still streaming down my cheeks, and my blue eyes fall upon his face; eyes closed, mouth open, head limply lying awkwardly on its side. He's not moving, I don't even feel him breathing! I sit up, looking down on him, myself not uttering a breath in anticipation; move, dammit! There's blood everywhere, on me, on the ground, soaking through his clothing, all over his chest…and it's stopped oozing. It's stopped because his heart isn't beating.
Fear grips me as I stare at him, blankly, dumbfounded. Zuko, dead? It simply can't be true! I scramble off to one side of him and begin to panic, feeling the sobs welling up in my throat as I begin something I've only seen others do. I pinch his nose with my right hand then seal my lips over his, blowing as much air as I could into him, twice. Then I sit back, stare at him for a moment, then place my hands over his chest, just below the rib cage, and press hard, four, five, six times; I have no idea how much I'm supposed to do this. I start over again, and again.
"Katara!" Iroh calls out as I freeze, after three pumps on his chest, my sobs becoming stronger as he arrives at my side, placing my water skin in front of me. If he said anything, I can't hear him, because I'm wiping at the tears in my eyes to see and then begin to cover my hands in the cool water, immediately pressing them against the wound, putting everything I have into it. I'm not ready to say goodbye!
-----
I'm standing on the balcony, looking down as her blue clad figure is helped onto an ostrich-horse. It's almost symbolic to see her in blue again. It's like she already moved on, already shunned her stint as faux Fire Lady. Like one day, while telling a bedtime story to two little blue-eyed babes, she'll relate our story of love that was never meant to be as if it were but a fairy tale. Only, perhaps, her tale would have a happy ending.
Ending.
Do I really think it's so final? Did nothing I said to her to ease her feelings have truth to it?
My blank stare goes from a fuzzy haze to clarity as I see, even from this distance, two blue eyes meeting my own.
Goodbye, Katara.
-----
I'm sweating and crying and all sorts of liquids are dripping from my face in a disgusting display, I just know it, but I can't care. The liquid on my hands are still glowing brightly, even though the wound has long sealed up, but he's still not breathing. Those fiery red eyes are still not locked upon my own. That sarcastic tongue hasn't lashed me with some bitter remark. I feel Iroh's hand on my shoulder and all concentration I was mustering fades as the water simply falls from my hands.
"There's nothing you can do." He says from my side. Nothing? How can you say that! I shake my head and go right back into trying to make him breathe. I can do this! I can! He's not destined to die, not like this, not now!
-----
I head back into my palace, tearing my eyes from hers was the hardest thing I've done in these past few months. It's best this way. It's best for her to get away from me, someone who would betray her without a blink. It's best for us because we could never really be together. It was time to stop fooling ourselves. It's time to grow up.
As I enter my private quarters, I see the gold ribbon on my red sheets, ribbon that was attached to a red stone. I stand by the bed for a long while, staring at it like it was a hallucination, a malformation caused by nights without sleep. Finally, with timid fingers, I reach out and pick it up, the thing as fragile as our relationship always had been. I stare at it in my palm. How a small thing could mean so much, could hold so many memories, I suddenly couldn't seem to fathom. My fingers close around it as my jaw tightens. How could I let us get to such a point as this? How could I let our love be reduced to an abandoned stone?
-----
"Don't you give up!"
I'm pounding on his chest now, again and again.
"You failure!" I scream at him.
"You're weak if you give in to this!" I bellow between sobs.
I feel Iroh's hands on my shoulders as he tries to pull me away, but it's not fair! It's not! I'd only just gotten to know him, and he'd only just begun to live! He'd saved me, Aang, even Sokka before, now it was my turn, that's how these things work! "It's not fair! We need you! I need you!" I throw another fist into his chest, and the sound of his gasp silences everything else in the world.
-----
It's been two weeks since I last saw you. I'm sorry it had to be that way. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you, and for what I still do. I am. Do you think you can ever forgive me?
I'm standing in front of thousands of people on the main steps of the palace now, and I wish you could be here. I wish I were holding your hand, but I'm not.
Mai's here. She's beaming, but the Fire Nation symbol in her hair doesn't glisten as much as it ever did in yours, though none of the people here would ever know that. They're cheering for her, a cheer you would have never gotten. A cheer you only dreamt about. Someday, when you find him, you'll stand in front of your own people and they'll cheer for you. They will, Katara. I know you would never believe me if I said that to you, but they will.
-----
I stare down at him as his eyes flutter open, confused, pained, dark as though he'd been through torture. He's staring back at me, imploring me for the details I can't seem to find, and he sees the tears cascading down my face. We stare at each other in silence for a long while, my sobs still uncontrollable, until a hand reaches up to cup my face for only a moment, then his eyes travel to the man behind me, and the hand falls. I can't feel disappointed because you're alive!
"My chest hurts." He says, and I can't help but laugh between the now happy sobs.
I think she knows. She must see it in my eyes, especially after finding me alone in my study, holding onto the necklace, staring down at it with forlorn. She pretended not to have realized what it was, but I know she did. She used to comment on my mood change, asking if anything was wrong nearly every supper we shared. The other night, I overheard her talking with Uncle. She was asking him about me, and if he had noticed anything different, noting that it's been ever since Katara left. That old man, the meddling old fool he is, just had to open his mouth.
"She saved him once, you know." He said, his face solemn and thoughtful. "She brought him back from the dead, I watched with my very own eyes. Ever since that day, they've been connected. He owes her his life." Mai, her never expressive face, nodded. Since then, there have been less questions. Either it confirmed her suspicions, or settled her mind. Either way, it doesn't really matter.
We haven't slept together since that first time. Haven't even shared the same bed. I'm sure she thinks it's only because I'm waiting for after we're married, being the gentleman I'm not. If she only knew it was because I can't do it again. I haven't even slept in that bed again since that night. I've curled up on the couch in my study, fallen asleep in the grass of the garden, even crept into Katara's old room, still smelling of her perfumes, and curled up on her old bed.
Where ever you are, my Waterbending Master, I hope you're happy. I hope you don't hate me. I hope you find a better life then I could ever have given you. A life that makes you forget all about me and the five years we've spent together.
I miss you.
-----
We sit in silence. I don't have to say a thing. I just lean my head against his shoulder and he rests his hand over my own. I thought I'd already lost you. It doesn't need to be spoken, as his hand grips my own tighter. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. His free arm wraps around my back and pulls me even closer.
I don't ever want to part.
-----
I will always love you.
------------
AN: Alrighty, so there's the ending, finally, if any of you are still reading, that is. I apologize that it took me this long, and I hope it was even worth your reading.
So my next story is going to be another crossover, but in the more literal sense. It's a Firefly/Avatar cross...I'm obsessed with both currently, so it was only natural this would happen. Hope to see some of you commenters over there...it's going to be a bit lighter and with a lot more characters (Wee, more chances to be OOC). Check out the first chapter; I'll have it uploaded shortly after this goes live.