Okay, this chapter will get a bit bloody (when I say I a bit there will be a lot) and there will be death. Just warning you. If you get queasy, you might want to ask someone for a summary.

Her Final Stand

A Hero Always Comes Home

Zoe woke up that morning. Her black cloak was still on her bed. Zoe quickly shoved it under her bed. Azula burst in.

"We'll bring out the prisoners in an hour. It's 7pm. Why did you sleep in so late?" Azula said calmly.

"Because I was tired." Zoe said bluntly. "When you're tired, you tend to sleep."

"Oh. Well hurry up and get ready. And you better not wear that necklace." Azula walked out of the room. Zoe walked over to her closet and pulled out a purple dress. If you looked at it for a while it seemed to switch back from blue to red. It was beautiful. Zoe put it on, and grabbed her black fingerless gloves on. The purple dress was v-neck and knee length. Zoe put on black pants. Zoe looked at her reflection.

"So this it." Zoe sighed. Zoe brushed her hair and looked at Hope's picture. Zoe breathed in deeply and walked out of the room and to the prison cell.

"Look who it is." Zuko smirked. Zoe didn't bother responding. Zoe unchained Zuko and bound his hands with metal handcuffs. Zoe repeated the process and when she got to Toph, Toph smiled.

"Thank you."

"I don't know what you are talking about."



"Yes you do. They don't know. You never betrayed us." Toph whispered quietly. Zoe smiled.

"At least you don't hate me." Zoe said quietly as she put Toph's handcuffs on. When Zoe was finished she closed her eyes for a moment. Azula walked in.

"Second thoughts?"

"No." Zoe said as she opened her eyes. Azula grabbed Katara, and Toph. Zoe grabbed Zuko and Sokka.

"Get up Aang." Aang feigned weakness, and pretended to stumble. Aang walked clumsily with them. When they reached the courtyard, Zoe lined them up. Zoe felt tears forming behind her eyes. When Azula's back was turned she wiped them away. Ozai then walked towards the courtyard.

The Firelord was garbed in a deep maroon color. He was terrifying. Hama was shaking. Azula even seemed nervous. Ozai's eyes were pure hate. Those eyes had seen terrible things, those eyes had seen death in the millions, and those eyes seemed to mock all that looked at them. Hama and Azula bowed to Ozai. Zoe forced herself to bow.

"Zoe." Ozai said loudly.

"Yes?" Zoe asked as she stood up.

"You will have the honor of killing these…things." Ozai laughed as he motioned to the Gang. Zoe breathed deeply. She formed five icicles and turned to the Gang. She threw the icicles.

Zuko braced himself for death. But it never came. He looked down and saw his handcuffs had been cut.

"What are you doing?" Ozai yelled.



"Saving their butts." Zoe laughed. Then her face turned deadly serious.

"Azula, Ozai I challenge you to an Agni Ki."

"You can't win." Azula laughed.

"Then why don't you just accept?" Zoe taunted.

Then one of the greatest battles began. Toph, Aang and Sokka ran to free the prisoners. Katara watched as Zoe dodge each attack. Hama raised her hand and Zoe froze. Azula shot lightening at her. Katara grabbed Zuko's arm. Zoe smiled and rolled out of the way.

"You're going to have to try harder than that." Zoe laughed. Ozai then charged at her, throwing fire at her. Zoe raised her hands in an X and then thrust them back. The fire separated and Zoe stood here for a moment.

"You know this is really too easy. Hama, why don't you join our little party." Zoe laughed and started to let the flames engulf her. The fire grew higher and higher and Zoe moved her hands in a circular motion. The fire followed her hands and Zoe pointed to Azula. The fire spun around itself, hurtling through the air towards Azula. Azula tried to create a shield but was too slow. Azula's hand was scarred.

"What? Can't take the heat?" Zoe laughed as she dodged one of Hama's attacks.

"You'll pay for this!" Azula screeched. Azula attacked Zoe mercilessly. Blue fire was everything. Zoe's pant's where ripped around her lower calf. Where the skin could be seen she was bleeding. Part of Zoe's arm was burned.

"You'll never be strong enough to win!" Azula laughed. Ozai directed lightening at Zoe. Zoe redirected it towards his heart. Ozai dodged it.



Ozai was getting tired of this. Prepare to Die. Hama spun the water around Zoe, faster and faster trapping the girl, cutting off her air supply. Azula threw a series of fireballs that circled around the icy prison. Ozai watched as Zoe fell to the ground.

Zoe fell gasping for air. Zoe struggled to get up. The air seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. Out of the corner of eye she saw Katara trying to help her. She heard Katara screaming her name. Zoe stood up, but fell down again. The ice was closing in. They were going to suffocate her. Zoe stood up again. She hit the ice, the back of her hand making contact with the ice. She remembered how Toph had broken out of her metal cell. She decided to use Toph's strategy. With each hit, the ice seemed to break. Zoe breathed in. Or tried to. Zoe fell to the ground.

"Katara my hand's turning purple." Zuko said calmly. Katara looked at Zuko's hand and it was in fact purple.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Katara watched Zoe fall down. She gripped Zuko's arm even tighter. Zuko took Katara's hand and pried it from his arm.

"I'm really sorry it's just..."

"It's okay. She'll be fine." Zuko tried to believe himself but couldn't. He felt a pressure against his leg. He felt the shape of a knife on his lower calf. He pulled out the knife from the pocket inside his robe. It was inscribed… Never give up without a fight. Zuko breathed in and threw the knife towards Zoe. Katara slapped him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She screeched.



Zoe felt something graze her hand. Crimson liquid began to seep out of her. She grabbed the knife.

Never give up without a fight.

Never give up without a fight.

"Never give up without a fight." Zoe smiled weakly. The lack of air must be getting to her. Zuko's knife. Zoe picked up the knife and ran to the wall. The ice shattered. The ice cut Zoe's cheek. A little blood trickled down her face. Her dress was dirty and bloodstained. Zoe gasped for air. Ozai threw an Appa sized fireball at Zoe. Hama sent a tidal wave towards Zoe. Azula shot lightening. Zoe couldn't direct lightening, block a fireball and dodge a tidal wave. Zoe stood there waiting for it to come crashing down. And it did. Zoe fell to the ground. Zoe tried to get up but couldn't.

"So this is how the brave Zoe dies? Beaten and Broken? Too weak to move?" Ozai laughed. Zuko felt the urge to kill Ozai. Katara felt like she was dreaming. Zoe wouldn't have lost. Zoe couldn't have lost.

Zoe struggled to get up. She grabbed the knife.

"I'm never going to give up. You will kill me before I surrender to a monster like you." Zoe spat. Zoe charged at Ozai and went to stab him. Ozai laughed as Zoe ran towards him.

"Then die!" Ozai hissed and directed lightening at Zoe. Zoe felt the ground below her caving in. The lightening hit Zoe square in the chest. Zoe fell. Ozai was laughing. Out of the corner of her eye, Zoe saw Mai and Ty Lee fighting Azula, and Sokka and some girl leading the prisoners. Zoe closed her eyes as the ground seemed to give way beneath her.



"Zoe! Zoe! Zoe answer me you idiot! Please!" The voice broke. It sounded a lot like…

"Katara?" Zoe asked weakly as her eyes began to focus.

"Where am I?" Zoe asked. Zoe saw Zuko standing there. Toph was at the edge of where ever they were.

"Below the ground. Trying to heal you." Katara whispered. It was obvious she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" Zoe asked.

Katara felt a lump in throat. How do you tell your friend that they're about to die?

"Well Zoe…" Katara's voice betrayed her.

"What? What's wrong?" Zoe asked her voice full of concern.

"You….are….not….going…..to….make…..it." Katara cried. Zuko turned towards Zoe. He had been crying to. Zoe felt the news crash over her.

I failed. I'm going to die. I'm never going to see Nate….or tell him that I love him. Zoe thought. Zoe gasped. The knife was still in her hand.

"I lost too much blood. Didn't I?"

"No Zoe. The lightening."

"So Ozai killed me." Zoe spat. Zoe picked up the knife.

"I'm not going to die because of Ozai. I'm going to choose my death." Zoe said flatly. Zoe raised the knife and stabbed herself on the side of her stomach. Zoe dropped the knife.

Katara watched in horror as Zoe stabbed herself.

"What are you doing?" Katara cried. Katara began to sob as the color drained from Zoe's face. The knife clattered on the ground.

Zuko paled as Zoe died. Zoe was dying. Zoe was dying. Zoe was dying. Zoe was dying. Zuko couldn't grasp the fact that Zoe would be gone. Zuko felt a tear run down his cheek.

Toph heard the knife clatter. Tears ran down her face. She couldn't say anything. Toph blinked away the tears as she felt the vibrations of Zoe's last breaths.

Zoe felt the blood pouring out of her. Everything felt cold. Zoe didn't see her life flash before her eyes. All she could hear was voices.

"Zuko… You love her don't you? But not like that… like a little sister?"

"Yes."

"When this is all over… I'll find you."

"How come you always touch your necklace?"

"I don't know. It helps me remember who I am, what I stand for. It reminds me of how I promised to never back down."

"What?! This is all your fault! If you hadn't betrayed us then it wouldn't be like this!"

"I'm not the traitor. Zoe is."

"I don't need your help, Zoe."



Zoe saw their faces angry and hateful. They despised her. Zoe felt a tear run down her cheek for the last time. Zoe took one last shallow breath and fell into an eternal sleep, never to wake.

Katara watched Zoe pass away. Katara shut her eyes and thought about all the times she had yelled at Zoe and how she had told her how she was no better than Ozai. And now Katara would do anything to take those words back.

Zoe's body was a ghostly white. But she was barely recognizable under the dirt and blood. Her arms were burnt in several places. Where the lightening had hit her skin was red and burnt. Katara bended a little water out of her pouch and began to repair her wounds.

"It won't do any good." Zuko grunted.

"I don't care." Katara said as the burn marks and dirt slowly seemed to fade away.

"Katara…. We need to go and help." Zuko stood up.

"How can you say that? Our friend just died!" Katara screamed hysterically.

"What would Zoe want?" Zuko asked quietly.

"For us to go and fight. Zoe would've liked that." Toph whispered. Toph wiped away her tears. Katara sat there, crying silently. Zuko stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. After a moment Zuko hugged her. Toph joined in the group hug. And for a moment they let themselves weep for the girl who died for them, for the world and most importantly for freedom and a day when everyone of the Nations could live in harmony. And they cried for a girl who would never see that day.