Author's note: Yay Friday! Man, it's been a long week.
Sorry I didn't have time to get around to individual replies to reviewers again. I'm still unpacking, but I'm just about done, so hopefully things will return to normal soon!
So, just wanted to give a shout out to all my reviewers so far:
AnnaAza, lostatseanomore, hg-always, secretsofadarkangel, Aimaphobia, ArrayePL, Pirate Ninjas of the Abyss, BlackMagicWhiteMagic, InItToWinIT , Demyx-Axel-2362 , Katey123 , Dreaming 11, Jumpingbeans480, angelkenzie022, Katey123 , alexxxpac3, Asabella, and dnino.
Thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! I treasure each and every one of them!
Here's the next chapter – hope you guys enjoy it!!
Chapter 2: Battle
Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt! May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love.
–Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
In the heart of the Fire Palace, a crumbled piece of parchment was being squeezed in an unrelenting hand, moments away from being turned to ash.
The young Fire Lord had been sitting in his study, pouring over troop movements in the Earth Kingdom when the missive had arrived. A messenger had hesitantly knocked at the door, and he bade the man entry.
He knew what had arrived, and rather than feel the elation he had expected, all he felt was dread and emptiness. He was about to discover the precise location of the Water Tribe remnant, which meant he was about to destroy Katara and her people.
He had been gathering his navy for the assault on the inhabitants of the north. Once they were defeated, the survivors would either swear fealty to him or be imprisoned. He would control the world. And Katara would likely be dead.
As much as he wished her to run from the fighting, it was more than likely she would run to it. He felt in his soul that it was their destiny to meet again. The feeling of dread wrapped around his heart.
As soon as he read the missive, the fury once again rose inside him. He fumed as he realized that the people of the Water Tribe had been hiding right under his nose – in the already defeated capital city of the Northern Water Tribe.
Of course, he had to give them credit. Their carefully constructed façade of an abandoned city was certainly a clever idea. Not clever enough to save them, but intelligent nonetheless.
His scouts in the north had left him with the impression that the Water Tribe remnant was nomadic, moving with the animal herds they depended upon for survival. His spies had informed him that they set up villages consisting of tents and igloos, but were constantly on the move. Therefore a planned assault was nearly impossible.
Now that they had apparently abandoned the nomadic lifestyle to occupy their former city, an invasion was possible. Once found, the underground ice caverns would be a death trap. The leaders of the Water Tribe had obviously been counting on the fact that they would never be found.
Their location had been discovered, and the Fire Nation held the advantage. The Water Tribe would fall.
He strode out of his study with purpose, and called for a meeting with his generals in the war room. This day had been years in coming, and he knew the men would be eager to finally plot the downfall of the Water Tribe. The bulk of their people had been eliminated, but the remnant had proven to be a thorn in the Fire Nation's side for years.
When Zuko arrived in the war room, the men had already arrived and were awaiting the presence of their Fire Lord. They bowed to him as he entered. Zuko looked at the group of men gathered before him. Each was a competent warrior in his own right, as the Fire Lord refused to appoint any man to this position who had not earned it by showing prowess in battle. Each man was in charge of a different division of the military.
"Gentlemen, we have finally been afforded the opportunity to effectively eliminate the Water Tribe remnant as a threat. The central location of their people has been discovered," he paused as he let the information soak in. He watched as several heads nodded in approval.
He continued. "They have apparently been hiding right under our noses. Their waterbenders have carved out a city in the ice underneath the former capital of the Northern Water Tribe," he explained, anger evident in his voice.
Angry murmurs made their way through the group.
"This invasion is too important to take lightly. I will personally lead the attack," he said with determination. "General Arata, you will be in charge of naval operations. General Taiki," he addressed a stout man with graying sideburns, "since General Kuro is in the Earth Kingdom at the moment, you will be in charge of the land assault. The rest of you will provide support. Prepare the archers and calvary. General Sora, gather our tanks and other resources."
"My lord," General Taiki addressed him, "who is to be in charge of the country in your absence?" He left it unspoken that in previous instances of Zuko's absence, Azula had taken over his duties.
"I have already set up a temporary chain of command that will run day to day government operations while I am absent," he reassured the men.
"Any more questions?" he asked, looking each man in the eye. No one spoke. "Good. Now go and begin preparations for an invasion. We will reconvene tomorrow to go over strategy. We will depart for the north in one week."
He watched in numb satisfaction as the men scurried out of the room to do his bidding.
He attempted to put thoughts of a blue-eyed waterbender out of his mind. The Fire Lord thought he was successful until he woke up with a yell in the middle of the night. She continued to haunt his dreams.
Bato stood hesitantly before the newly-formed Ruling Council of the Water Tribe. Everything in him rebelled against betraying Katara to the Water Tribe leaders, but he had no choice. He couldn't take the chance that she might either intentionally or inadvertently betray their people.
"Bato, we are so happy your mission was successful and you have returned our Katara to us," Master Pakku said graciously.
"Thank you, Master Pakku. I too am happy to have Katara returned to us. I only wish we could have saved the other warriors as well," he began.
The Council members nodded sadly.
"Well then, Bato, let's get down to business. What did you wish to speak to us about?" one of the elders asked.
"I-" he hesitated before continuing, "I wish to speak with you about Katara. I am concerned about her," he started.
He noticed Pakku stiffen in his seat. "How so?" the gray-haired man asked, worry evident in his voice.
"On the voyage home, it became evident that she has…feelings for the Fire Lord," he choked out.
A few involuntary gasps erupted from the throats of some of the men.
"I love her as my own daughter, and I hate to think such things of her…but I will not risk the Water Tribe. Not even for her," he said in a rush.
"What do you recommend we do, Bato? You know her better than anyone else," Pakku said sadly.
"I do not believe she would consciously betray us, but then again, I never thought she would…grow fond of the Fire Lord," he said, bile rising in his throat at the thought. "She should be closely watched. Perhaps bring her before you to question her about her captivity. Our best warriors should be made aware of potential betrayal," he said, unable to keep the despair from his voice. "We should also begin preparations for an invasion," he finished quietly.
The Council nodded their agreement.
"Very well. We will have her watched, although I suspect she will notice even our most stealthy warriors. She is highly skilled herself, and will be aware of such things. She will appear before the Council tomorrow for an interview," Pakku stated, his eyes suddenly dull.
Bato gave his agreement, paid his respects, and left the room. He couldn't believe it had come to this.
Shortly after her arrival, Bato had informed her that she would be brought before the Ruling Council of the Water Tribe. The government of her people had been essentially non-existent for years following the eradication of the southern population and the defeat of the northern capital. The royal family had all been killed, and the people of the Water Tribe had been scattered.
Now that they had been moved once more to a central location, the people of the Water Tribe had seen the need to set up a provisional government. There were still isolated small villages in the northern lands, but the idea of rebuilding their culture had appealed to many, so several hundred were now living in the under-ice caverns of the city or in the general vicinity of the former capital.
Bato had come to her the morning of her appearance before the Ruling Council. She had been blindsided with the announcement that she was to attend an audience with the council to tell them of her experiences in the Fire Nation. That was the last thing she wanted to do.
A short time later, she stood alongside Bato before the group of six men. They represented quite a range of ages – the youngest appeared to be in his thirties, and the oldest looked as if he was one step away from joining the Spirit World.
Figures they would all be men.
Much to her relief, she had learned that Pakku was one of the men that had been elected to the council, and he offered her a curt smile of reassurance when she looked over to him.
She stood, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she awaited their words.
"Miss Katara," the ancient one began, "we wish to speak to you regarding your captivity in the Fire Nation."
She took a deep breath, attempting to hide her anxiety. After all, she was unsure of what Bato may have told them.
Master waterbenders do not show nervousness before a group of pompous men.
"What do you wish to know?" she asked coolly, clasping her hands in front of her.
Another council member, one of the middle-age men with graying hair, addressed her next.
"Did you, at any time, reveal any of the secrets of our nation?" he asked, the wrinkles in his face becoming deeper as his suspicious expression grew.
"No," Katara said simply.
Our nation's secrets? No. My secrets? Yes.
The council members all seemed to shift in their seats, clearly dissatisfied with her succinct answer.
What do they expect? Do they want me to throw myself at their feet, crying for them to believe me?
The youngest man spoke next. He was a fearsome-looking, muscular warrior who seemed to regard her with ill-disguised loathing. His question was tinged with hope, however.
"Did you note any weaknesses of the Fire Nation? Perhaps of the Fire Lord himself? Certainly you saw something. I'm sure you wish for the defeat of the Fire Lord," he stated, although his tone hinted that he didn't quite believe this of her.
For La's sake, what did Bato tell them? And Zuko's weakness? Even I, the woman he claimed to love, am not a weakness. He plans to kill me if I get in the way.
"I'm sorry. I was confined to a small, dark cell for the duration of my imprisonment. I was not given much chance to explore the Fire Nation's state secrets," she said, a hint of sarcasm leaking into her voice.
The young warrior's expression darkened.
"You were in Fire Nation custody for months! Do you mean to tell me you saw nothing in the entire time you were there?" he asked, his voice rising in volume. Katara noticed Pakku give the man a quick disapproving glare. At least someone seemed to be on her side.
Katara bristled at the attitude of the younger man. "I was the one imprisoned! I was the one interrogated! Not the other way around! The Fire Lord was certainly not going to give any secrets away!" she said sharply.
Except for a few of his own personal secrets.
Pakku interrupted the exchange before it grew more heated. His face, although still stern, managed to convey softness and pity to her. The look made her want to burst into tears. She didn't want pity.
"Katara my dear, I am aware that your captivity was difficult. All the council needs to know is whether you may have accidentally revealed anything – perhaps in a moment of weakness?" he said gently.
Carefully trying to control her anger, Katara responded. In a hard, quiet voice, she said, "I watched one of my friends die before my eyes because I would not reveal anything. Your name and location in particular, Master Pakku. No. I did not reveal any of our secrets."
The ancient man spoke once more.
"In light of the fact that several other Water Tribesmen were taken prisoner and presumably tortured, I suggest we begin making preparations for battle. There is a very real possibility that we will be found, no matter how well hidden we think we are. The Fire Nation could very well show up on our doorstep tomorrow," he advised.
The Ruling Council dismissed Bato and Katara, and she heard them discussing the city's defenses and battle strategies as they exited the chamber. More disconcertingly, she felt their suspicious glares on her back. Once a prisoner, always a prisoner. They would never believe her. Despite the elder's words, she suspected that the preparations for invasion were being made because of her.
A month later, Katara sat outside in the icy chill. The sun beat down upon her, but provided no warmth. The tribe was making a last minute push for winter preparations. Hunting had been poor this season, and fishing had only been marginally better. Winter would be harsh this year.
Amid preparations for the winter, the people of the Water Tribe had also been making preparations for war. The waterbenders had worked on fortifying their outer defenses. Weapons were being constructed and sharpened. Traditional warriors and waterbenders alike were continuously sparring, trying to keep bodies toned and reflexes sharp. The number of sentries keeping watch had been doubled.
The men had just returned with a few baskets of fish, and Katara was busy helping the villagers clean them. She automatically moved through the motions. She had learned to clean a fish the moment her parents had trusted her to handle a knife.
She slit the fish open and cleared out the organs. The smell of the freshly cut fish entered her nostrils. The people of the Water Tribe had learned to use nearly every part of the fish. The meat and some of the organs were used for food. The oils from the liver were saved to use to fuel lamps. Bones would be used to make various tools. The grainy roe was revered as a salty delicacy. Even the stomach and intestines were used as bait to capture more fish.
Once the fish was strung on a line with several other fish, she set them out for the filets to freeze dry. The meat would be preserved for the winter.
As she moved through the motions on each fish, her mind wandered. Sadness had swept over her when she had realized that she would never fit in with her people again. Their gazes seemed to carry suspicion. Katara was no longer certain that Bato had not breathed a word of her strange relationship with Zuko. She could not shake the feeling that she had betrayed them all in her feelings for the Fire Lord.
She carried on polite conversations when the opportunity arose, but for the most part, she remained isolated. No one made moves to talk to her. The close friends she had had, such as Akna, were now dead. Her family was gone, and Bato no longer trusted her.
It seemed as though she had been tainted with the Fire Nation, and no one wanted anything to do with her. She had wished so fervently to come home during her imprisonment, but what had she come home to? Strangers…and the only familiar faces regarded her with poorly disguised suspicion. Master Pakku had been oddly distant in the past few days, and Katara suspected that Bato had revealed to him that she had experienced more interaction with the Fire Lord than she had let on.
In the past few weeks, she had noticed some of the Water Tribe's elite warriors following her closely. They were extremely subtle in their movements, but Katara knew when she was being watched. At this point, she was certain the Ruling Council had appointed them to monitor her every move.
During her imprisonment, she had hoped that if she ever escaped, she might come back to train other waterbenders. Now, she doubted anyone would trust her with that task. She would never shake the stigma of being a former Fire Nation prisoner. She knew that wild rumors circulated about her…and she feared that there was some truth to them. Perhaps she could journey across the tundra and find one of the small nomadic villages…somewhere where she could forget everything that had ever happened to her.
The sharp filet knife slipped in her hand, and sliced into her finger. Muttering a curse at the sharp pain and sudden well of blood that issued forth, she quickly liquefied some snow and pressed it to her finger. Relief was instant as the blue glow filled her hand.
She was furious with herself for being so careless. Her father had taught her the proper way to handle a knife at a young age, and she had never cut herself. She must have been truly preoccupied with her thoughts.
A shout from several yards away broke through the chilly morning air, distracting her from her injury. She looked up in time to see several people emerging from the cracks in the ice to stare at something. Bato came up next to her.
Something dark caught her eye as it fell through the sky. Black. Soon the sky was filled with pinpricks of black. Black snow…the pure snow of the Water Tribe mixed in with the dirty soot of the Fire Nation. She numbly reflected that this could be a metaphor for herself. Her eyes widened in horror.
I knew he would come. But this soon? How did they find us?
She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and realized that Bato and two other warriors were moving toward her with purpose. Fury was written on their faces…Bato's was the worst of all, for he carried the hurt of betrayal. Comprehension settled upon her as she watched them move toward her. Bato must have told them. They had been watching and waiting for any sign that she had betrayed them. Apparently the soot-stained snow was the sign they had been waiting for.
Her heart sank as she realized that they blamed her. Pain ripped through her at the thought that her people thought she had betrayed them. Dimly she realized that she was the cause of the black snow. That she had brought them here. It had been unintentional, but the result was the same. Zuko had followed her here.
And they were going to imprison her before the most important fight of her life. Her waterbending instincts kicked in, and she was away in a flash, speeding away on a pathway of ice. Dimly she realized that the action would solidify their idea that she was guilty, but they would think that of her anyway. Some of the warriors attempted to capture her, but she was one of the Water Tribe's most skilled waterbenders. She easily eluded them. Fortunately, Pakku was inside. He was the only person who stood a chance at catching her. She didn't want it to come to a fight. Tears flooded her eyes as the thought struck her that they would surely think her guilty now.
She would escape to higher ground and fight the battle on the fringe. She would fight for her people. Continuing on her icy pathway, she made her way to the top of the glacier. She lifted herself up the ice face on columns of ice and water. After a few quick glances below and behind her, she determined that the warriors were unable to follow her up the sheer cliff.
When she reached the summit, the sight that greeted her was astounding. From this high, she could see for miles out over the water. Fire Nation ships were just now coming over the horizon – and they stretched as far as she could see. At the head of the fleet was what must have been Zuko's flagship. The massive vessel dwarfed all the others. A golden dragon graced its bow, and smoke belched from the ship's furnaces, mixing with the snow.
Katara sank to her knees. Her heart plummeted in her chest as she realized her people were vastly outnumbered. In the distance, she saw several sentries running for the center of the city, bringing with them the terrible news of the Fire Nation fleet. The dark snow was falling heavier as a storm moved in. The pure white flakes continued to mix with the soot of a thousand ships, and Katara numbly watched the black begin to cover the ground. Her blue parka now carried smeared stains of ash.
She closed her eyes and mentally prepared for the battle ahead. She feared that nothing would prepare her for the coming confrontation.
Zuko stood in the command center of his flagship, gazing through a telescope upon the frozen tundra they were about to invade. He barked orders to the helmsman as his ship maneuvered into position. They would, of course, have to destroy the newly reinforced gates of the city first. The only other way into the city was to scale the sheer ice cliffs. It wasn't the most expedient way to invade the city.
Atop the icy cliff, a few figures in blue ran for the city. Sentries. They would bring word of the imminent attack. Not that it would be much help for the Water Tribe now. The Fire Nation fleet was closing fast on the Water Tribe territory.
Soon, a line of ships floated in the water, their weapons facing the outer walls of the Water Tribe city. All was prepared. Zuko gave the command to raise the flag that would signal his fleet to commence the attack. Catapults were readied, and soon flaming projectiles were being launched at the massive walls of ice.
The next hours were chaos as he sent out communications to other ships in his fleet, attempting to coordinate the battle.
Within hours, the gates had been breached. It was time for the land-based assault to begin. Zuko adjusted his armor and prepared for battle.
Katara watched from her perch as the Fire Nation ships on the front line used their dragon-shaped bows as battering rams to finish off the once-impressive Water Tribe city gates. A low rumble echoed through the ice as the massive walls of ice came down in an avalanche. She looked away as a few figures in blue were overtaken by the falling debris.
She decided that the Water Tribe warriors were sufficiently distracted to bother with detaining her, so she made her way down to the thick of the battle. She had already dispatched a few Fire Nation soldiers who were attempting to scale the cliffs to attack from the rear of the city.
As she slid down the steep wall, she noticed that the Fire Nation ships had lowered ramps, and various tanks, archers, komodo rhinos, and foot soldiers were disembarking. She noticed one figure in particular that sat proudly atop a komodo rhino. He was small in the distance, but she would recognize his proud posture anywhere.
Zuko.
She was forced to put him out of her mind as she came to the edge of the fighting. A foot soldier threw some poorly-aimed fire balls at her, which she easily dodged. She quickly molded ice into a sharp blade, which had become her weapon of choice. It was very effective, and death came quickly – a quick slice to the jugular, and her opponent would be dead in moments. It was war, but she still did not wish to inflict more suffering than necessary.
Her icy weapons brought down several more soldiers, although the following ones put up more of a fight. Her parka was singed in several places, and her shin stung badly where one soldier's flame had burned through her clothing.
She recognized that she was attracting more attention to herself as the Fire Nation soldiers realized that she was a rather deadly warrior. Flaming arrows whistled through the air. Her heart pounded when one passed so close that she felt the hot wind stirred up in its wake. The once-quiet icy day was now filled with battle cries and the moans of dying warriors. Ice, water whips, boomerangs, and spears filled the air, and were interrupted by flashes of flame.
Her chest heaved as she fought off soldier after soldier – she was currently fighting with her octopus form, since she was surrounded. She whipped a tentacle out as one of her opponents filled his hand with flame. She heard an audible snap as the force of her blow broke both of his legs along with the accompanying scream. She had no time to examine the damage she had inflicted – two more soldiers were rushing her. She threw water at a fireball that was headed for her, turning it into steam. One of her water tentacles snaked out and grabbed one man by the ankle and flung him through the air.
She chanced a look behind her, and her heart sank as she found that she was being surrounded. There was no way she could hold that many off. All the other Water Tribe warriors were busy fighting their own opponents. Taking a deep breath, she gathered more water and prepared for the fight of her life.
Zuko had to give these Water Tribe warriors credit. Each seemed to be fighting with the strength of ten men. They were not only fighting for their home – they were fighting for their freedom, for their very existence.
The fighting was furious. Thunder filled the air as he threw a bolt of lightning at a group of Water Tribesmen. He sensed someone running up behind him, and he jumped with a spinning kick that sent a great wall of flame at his attacker. He could feel sweat trickling down his chest, even though the air temperature was far below freezing.
He continued to shout orders to his military as he fought off his own opponents. He was, after all, a popular target. After throwing another massive wall of flame at a quickly advancing group of soldiers, he backed off the front line for a moment to have a quick discussion of strategy with his generals.
After rearranging the positions of some of his archers and cavalry, he re-mounted his komodo rhino to get a better look at the fighting. Hope filled him – his forces were crushing the Water Tribe, and he had seen no sign of Katara yet. He hoped that meant that she had declined to join the fighting today.
He was about to turn back to the front line when movement on the edge of the battle caught his eye. Water, ice, and fire were flying every which way. A waterbender was fighting his soldiers. His mind went numb. He knew it was her. She was surrounded by about twenty of his men, and although she was holding her own for the moment, the sheer number of her opponents would overwhelm her. He ignored the thought that he was rushing to save her to kill her. He had to reach her. He had to see her before it all ended.
He kicked his komodo rhino into action, and headed toward Katara at a full gallop.
Katara was faintly aware of the noise of a komodo rhino running up behind her. She could feel the vibrations of the animal's furious pace through the ice, and she could hear its heavy breaths when it came to a stop behind her.
She was too preoccupied with the battle to even turn around to glance at it. She readied herself for the blow from behind, but she could not spare a moment of attention from the opponents in front of her. She already sported several burns where they had breached her defenses. She ducked, rolled, and came up flinging a sharp disk of ice that felled one of the enemy soldiers.
One more down.
She encased another man in ice, and disabled another with a well-placed water whip strike, but the feeling of hopelessness in her grew as she looked at the sheer number of soldiers that surrounded her.
"Stand down!" an authoritative voice cut through the fighting.
All went quiet around her as the Fire Nation soldiers immediately obeyed the voice. Katara knew who that voice belonged to. It was a voice she had both longed and dreaded to hear. Slowly, she turned around to face him, her water whip still in hand. He stood proudly in his armor, looking as if he'd only had a light spar.
He gestured to the soldiers surrounding her. "Leave. She is mine."
Zuko regarded the waterbender for a moment. Her chest heaved as she tried to gain her breath from her recent exertion. Disappointment and anger filled him.
"I warned you. You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice hoarse with anger. His posture was hostile as he clenched his fists at his sides.
Katara looked at him in disbelief. "Did you really think that I would not fight for my home and my people?" she asked incredulously.
Zuko shook his head sadly. "I know. But still…I had hoped."
They looked at one another for a long moment, each drinking in the other's presence before the battle commenced.
Zuko spoke once more, his voice breaking at the words. "Katara – I love you. But I cannot – I will not – let you stand in my way."
Katara struggled to hold her composure. She didn't want to do this. Hot tears pricked at her eyes when she spoke.
"Zuko, I love you too. But I will not stand by while you destroy my home and my people," she said, her voice a whisper, but the determination behind it was deadly strong.
Zuko stood mere feet from her, and she felt the sudden heat as he lit a flame in his palm. In response, she summoned a vast amount of water to her. She sensed she was going to need it.
The Fire Lord circled around her as she held her ground. He waited for her to throw the first attack, but it never came. Growling in frustration, he let a fire ball fly at her, which she easily dispersed with a flick of her water whip. The actions were mere child's play compared to what they were both capable of.
Suddenly, the true fight began. It was as if a dam had burst. Any warriors who were too close to the fight when it started quickly moved out of the way. The battle was epic – those who witnessed it would pass the tale of the clash of two benders down through the generations.
The pair was equally matched. Great walls of flame were countered with sweeping sheets of water that would freeze the instant its master willed it. Steam covered the landscape in a misty fog as the opposing elements met. Zuko let loose a flying kick that sent bright blue flame at Katara, and she deflected most of it. She cried out when some of the flame broke through her defenses and licked at her shoulder.
In response, she threw a series of deadly ice daggers. Zuko dove out of the way, but not before one had pierced his armor. Soon Katara's clothing was sporting several new burn marks, and Zuko's previously pristine armor showcased a new collection of cuts and gouges. A few lucky shots had injured him through the weak points in his armor.
Katara sped around the firebender on a pathway of ice, and he raced to catch her, enhancing his speed with jets of flame. To any observer, it would appear they were taking part in a deadly, beautiful dance. After what seemed an eternity, the opponents began to tire. They were evenly matched; it seemed they had reached an impasse. The colossal feats of bending became smaller as they moved closer to hand to hand combat.
Twilight was descending across the land, and Zuko realized that he must win this battle within the next few minutes, else she would soon have the advantage of the moon in the sky. Now was the moment when they were most equally matched – both the sun and the moon were low in the sky. Both waterbender and firebender had resorted to whips of water and fire, respectively.
Zuko grunted in pain as her water whip caught him across the small of his back, nearly knocking him off balance. He struggled to regain his center. If he lost his balance now, the battle would be decided, and it would not be in his favor.
After her successful blow, she took a split second to collect herself before resuming her attack. Zuko took full advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration and attacked with full force, sending wave after wave of flame at her. When he saw her strength wavering, he collected his flame into the form of a whip. He aimed for her legs, attempting to knock her off balance.
It was nearly over. The moment he had dreaded would soon be upon him.
Zuko's latest onslaught was unrelenting, and a well-placed fire whip knocked Katara off her feet. She fell flat on her back, the force of her fall pushing the breath out of her chest. As she struggled for air, she heard his footsteps crunching in the snow. He was coming towards her, and seconds later, he was standing over her.
His once-pristine armor bore new battle scars, most of which had been inflicted by her. In a last act of desperation, she molded a handful of snow into a sharp ice dagger. As she looked into his eyes, she knew it was too late.
His golden eyes looked down on her with regret as he filled his hand with fire. She felt the sudden heat-it cut forcefully through the sub-zero temperatures. Memories flashed through her head as she gazed back up at him. She thought of all the expressions his eyes had held. They had looked upon her with hate, with loathing, with exasperation, with bewilderment, with curiosity, with tenderness, and with love.
Katara prepared to die. She gave up her attempt to throw her ice dagger. Mere seconds had passed since she had fallen, and he would strike the final blow before she adjusted her position enough to throw it.
She would not close her own eyes. She would meet her fate head-on; she would not shy away. She would die with dignity. She stared calmly into Zuko's amber eyes, the light from his fire burning in their depths, and prepared for the darkness to take her.