Chapter Twenty Six The End
Katara somberly stood up, still aching even after healing herself and Zuko. She helped Zuko stand up, who grunted in pain. The looked at each other for a tense moment of realization of what happened then Katara spoke, "No one can know of what happened here, no one."
Zuko nodded understanding then he walked off to Azula, who was secured all the way up to her neck, she appeared deranged, insane even, the breathed fire, desperately trying to escape, but she remained, "Looks like it's over," Zuko said wearily.
Azula stared at him in the eyes, searching for a retort but none came to mind, thinking how pitiful she was right here she began to sob, Zuko turned away and walked over to Katara, "We'll have to move her,"
She nodded but at that moment the royal guard came out, they raised their arms at Katara and Zuko, who merely stood there, tired and in pain, then they saw a chained and imprisoned Azula, looked at each other then fell to their knees, the lead saying, "All hail prince Zuko."
Katara looked at him and said, "I wonder how Aang is doing."
As she spoke the comet finished its pass and returned to its orbit in space, "He'll beat my father, he's a tough kid," then he turned to the guards and said, "Take her and imprison her,"
They looked at him awkwardly and then said, "We're not earthbenders sir"
Zuko sighed, "Get and earthbender, but in the meantime watch her and make sure she doesn't escape, I have to leave."
"Do you really trust them?" Whispered to him.
"What choice do I have?" he said, walking over to Appa, "She's no threat now, come on lets go."
With that the boarded Appa and began heading for the fire lord's palace.
Within the end of the day the rest of the group had arrived, Aang had defeated the fire lord and Azula and he had been imprisoned, Sokka ran up the stairs towards Katara and Zuko, he had broken his leg and was using crutched to stand, he rested his crutches against himself and embraced Katara in a hug, "It's finally over." he said, his voice barely a whispered. Katara nodded, solemn from what she knew was to come, Sokka looked over at Zuko then back at Katara and asked, his brow furrowed, "Where's Nazca?"
Tears started to form around Katara's eyes as she shook her head, Sokka's eyes widened, "You mean he's, he's dead!?"
Mai who had ran up and given Zuko a hug said, "What's going on?"
Zuko spoke first, "The boy, Nazca, he was killed by Azula's lightning."
Mai's eyes widened and she turned around scanning the small crowd until she finally saw her, Ty Lee talking to Suki about becoming a Kyoshi warrior, "This is bad," she said, "Ty Lee spent the entire ride telling me about what they were going to do together, I mean she really loved him."
Aang raced up the stairs and gave Katara a hug, "Then as he noticed her solemn expression he asked, "What's the problem?"
"Nazca," Sokka said, "He died."
"WHAT!?"
Ty Lee raced over to Sokka and said, "What did you say?"
"Nazca was killed by Azula's lightning," he said, his voices cracking as tears came to eyes.
"No, no!" she yelled backing up, "Your lying!" tears started to fall from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Mai whispered to her.
"No you're not," she retorted, "You couldn't care less, none of you cared about him!"
"He was our brother!" Katara yelled at her.
"And our friend," Toph whispered.
"We all cared for him," Suki said, resting a hand on her shoulder.
Ty Lee shook her head, starting her head and turned and began to run away, Mai let go of Zuko and began to run after her but was stopped by Iroh, "Let her go," he said.
Mai looked solemnly over at Ty Lee, who continued to run, until she turned the corner, "He helped us win the war, we couldn't have done it without him," Iroh spoke then, "Let's go get you crowned."
After Zuko's coronation as fire lord came the funeral. The order of the white lotus was there along with many members of the southern water tribe, the gang was present and solemn. There was no body so they used his White Lotus uniform, after a moment of prayers for him they lit the garment, sending it ablaze. Iroh spoke while the uniform burned,
"He was a great warrior, and an even greater friend. He worked for peace, that was all he wanted, the peace for the nations, for the world. Although some things he did may be considered wrong, he always fought in the name of what was right, he knew he may not survive the war, and he was okay with that, all he wanted to do was make sure he ended it. He fought for us, for all of us, and so he fell, for us all."
One by one they walked up, mumbled something quietly and threw a flower into the fire. This continued for several minutes until Aang who was last walked up and threw his flower in saying, "Thank you."
Ty Lee sat there on the rock crying. She was where she first met him, the place where they were beaten by the giant beast. She sat there crying her heart out, she was sad, she had lost the person she loved most, but she was angry, she was angry and Zuko and that water tribe girl for letting him die, the girl could heal, why didn't she heal him, she was angry at Iroh, he had caused their original separation with this stupid order, but most of all, she was angry at Azula, angry because she, that royal piece of dung, killed him, now she was going to kill her and with that thought, she began to bend lightning.
It was formless and shapeless, but yet in knew all it needed to know. It had returned as it always said it would, it would now end them all, yes that was what it had swore to do so many, many years ago. The boy walked into the sanctuary, paying homage to the spirit that had saved this town the boy spoke saying, "I'm so sorry Yue, I've realized I was a real jerk to you, and I wanted to apologize, you deserved someone so much better than me but now your locked away here as the spirit of the moon, I wanted to also let you know that the war's over, the avatar beat him, but you probably already knew that." he paused tears forming, "I'm sorry."
The spirit, smiled to itself, the boy should be happy his girlfriend turned into the moon, she, at least would survive the ordeal, but it was time, the spirit had gathered enough energy to possess, and so he entered the boy and took control.
End of Book One