Author's Note: Okay, before you read this, remember this story is marked Tragedy/hurt/comfort and this chapter is the start of that, so if you really really like the happy glowy chapters you might not want to read any farther

Katara was picking ash berries on the edge of a cliff. Aang and Zuko had to go on a mission to some, she wanted to make a pie for them when they returned.

Suddenly, before she even realized what was going on she found herself pinned against the wall of the cliff.

Several men in tattered earth kingdom clothing surrounded her. "Well, well, well, what do we have here." one said.

"A little firenation girl, wandered to far from home." said another. "Bad choice."

"Wait a second, Han." Said a third man, "Look at her pendent, she's not firenation, she's watertribe."

"Oh, yeah," Han said. "I recognize her, now. She's the girl that travels with the Avatar."

"Bad day to be you, missy." snarled the first man. Katara stared at them frightened, she couldn't bend, she couldn't move, she couldn't even think. Before she even realized what the men were doing there was a sharp, quick pain, then nothing but black.

~~~

Suki was walking with Toph, trying to find Katara, she was supposed to be home over an hour ago. Aang and Zuko would be home soon, it wasn't like her to keep them waiting.

"Oh, no." Toph said suddenly. She grabbed Suki's hand and started running around the corner of the cliff to something that Suki couldn't see.

"What's the matter?" Suki demanded.

"Katara!" Toph said, not explaining or slowing down.

Suki raced faster following Toph's lead, they turned the corner. Suki saw part of Katara's dark red dress sticking out from underneath a pile of rubble.

"NO!" Suki screamed racing over to her friend. Toph sent the rubble off of her, she looked so small and battered, alone underneath the shadow of the cliff. Suki carefully turned her onto her back, her eyes were closed, her mouth half open. Toph gently touched Katara's chest, tears rolling down from her sightless eyes.

"She's gone." Toph whispered, her voice small and defeated, she ran her hand up to the base of Katara's throat then traced her fingers around the necklace. "Someone snapped her neck."

"Who..." Suki started, "Who could do something like this?"

"I don't know," Toph said, "They're long gone by now."

"I can't believe this." Suki whispered, she wiped her eyes with her gloved hand, smearing make-up on her fingers. "I can't believe this could happen."

"We...We have to get her back to the palace." Toph said.

"You go, Sokka's alone there now," Suki told her, "Prepare him for this, I'll follow you."

Suki gently lifted her friend's body off the ground and cradled her in her arms. She was only 18, she was engaged, she had so much in front of her, how could this happen to her? Who could kill her in cold blood like this? It wasn't fair, it wasn't right.

The walk back to the palace was short, even lagging under Katara's weight, the walk was entirely way to short. Sokka was waiting for her.

"Suki!" Sokka yelled, "KATARA!" He ran towards them, "What happened to her? Toph said she was ambushed, is she okay?!"

Suki shook her head, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"NO!" Sokka yelled pulling his sister's body out of Suki's arms. "No! Katara! She can't be dead! She can't be!"

"I'm so sorry, Sokka." Suki said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Aang's home." Toph announced, "What are we going to do?"

"We can't hide it from him." Suki whispered, "Let him come."

Suki held Sokka's shaking shoulders Toph sat next to them on the ground.

"Hello?" Zuko's voice called, "Are you here?"

"Katara?" Aang yelled, "Sokka, Suki?"

"We're in the courtyard." Toph called, her voice tight.

Zuko walked in, a smile on his face that flickered out when he saw the scene in front of him, Aang right behind him.

"What's going on?" Aang asked, pushing past Zuko and falling to his knees beside Katara, "Is she alright?" He put his hand on her heart, tears came to his eyes when he realized there was no beat. Tears flooded his eyes, "WHAT HAPPENED!" He shouted.

"She was attacked by earthbenders." Suki said, suddenly Aang's tattoos began to light up with a blue-white glow, his eyes opened to the same light. Sokka grabbed Suki's arm and pulled her back as wind began to whip around Aang's body. Zuko pulled Toph back. Aang started to rise in the air as dust and wind encircled him.

"What's going on?" Suki asked.

"He's in the Avatar State." Sokka said, yelling over the wind. "It happens when he's feeling a powerful rush of emotions."

"How can we get him out of it?" Suki asked.

"I don't know," Sokka yelled, "Katara's the only one who can face him like this, she's the only one that can talk him down. I don't know if anyone else can."

"Aang!" Suki called, "Aang, listen to me! Katara is dead..."

"How is that supposed to help?" Sokka demanded. Suki waved him off.

"But she loved you and she wouldn't want you to hurt! She would want you to be the Avatar, she would want you to be okay, the world needs you. She would want you to keep going, you know that! She still loves you, she will always love you! She will never leave you, but you have to keep going, you have to keep her alive. You're the only one that can truly keep her love alive."

The wind got worse. Suki hid her face behind Sokka's arm, maybe Katara was the only person that could talk him down. But then the wind got less intense and Aang began lowering. The glowing faded, Sokka ran out and caught his body before he hit the ground.

Suki was right behind him, Toph and Zuko ran over from the other side. Aang looked exhausted, he pulled away from Sokka and buried his face in Katara's body, his chest heaving. "This can't be happening, this isn't fair."

"I know." Whispered Sokka, "I know."

"What happened..." Aang asked, "I mean how did she..."

"Her neck was snapped." Toph murmured, "From what I can tell it happened very quickly, Aang, she probably didn't feel any pain at all."

"But she's still gone." Aang sobbed, "She's still gone."