Hey everyone! I'm so sorry this has taken so long! Please forgive me! I had a rough week last week, and then I couldn't find any time to type. So here's this one, the last part of the Scarlet Solstice, and I hope you all enjoy! FYI, I've been noticing that my writing's become a little too dramatic, and I see it all the time, and so please tell me if you like it or hate it. I don't know what to do. But I hope you like it though, and please tell me what you think of it. Please read and review, and once again, I'm so sorry that it's late! Don't hate me!! No!! Just to let you know, this is a sad episode, so don't hate me even more! Anyway, please review!

Ara was far away from her side of the war, deep into the Fire Nation's armies. But that didn't stop her as she killed more and more soldiers. She kept getting burned, but she didn't feel it as her hate grew even more. With a mixture of water, air, and the abilities her family had trained her with, she was unstoppable, even to a whole army of dangerous, power-driven firebenders.

As she spun around, using her elements, she used every move she ever knew, and killed every single one around her. She continued this for at least a half hour longer, killing near to the hundreds.

As the last one dropped, dead, in front of her, she breathed deeply, drawing in her chi, when out of the earth behind her shot up one last Dai Li agent. He shot towards her, shooting the clay fingers off of his gloves, but for war, they had been sharpened to blades at the points. Ara turned and jumped sideways, but not before one of the blades cut a deep slit just above her right eyebrow and across her forehead. She landed shakily, blood dripping down her face, though her anger far from over.

She flipped frontwards, spinning her water above her head, then shot it at the agent, who dodged and shot boulder after boulder at her. One of them hit her, knocking the injured water-airbender to the ground, her necklace flying off. She heard a pop from her left knee, and with it came the blinding pain, and she knew it was bad. But she didn't give up.

The Dai Li got into a solid stance as Ara got up quickly, on one leg, and shot a whirlwind towards him. The earthbender built a wall, blocking the powerful gust, but Ara jumped over the wall, hit the man with her water, and slit his neck, and while watching him fall, Ara landed on her back and rolled a few times. She turned her back to the body.

But somehow he had survived the attack—barely.

He grabbed a sword, and, weakly jumping up, yelled as he leapt towards her, digging the sword deeply into her back.

Ara screamed as her back burst in pain. She fell to her knees, one already dangerously painful to the limit she could bear, but the Dai Li got up and pushed the sword deeper and down her back. But as much pain as she was in, even after that final blow, she bent her last water droplets out and formed it into a blade. She turned to face him, anger imploding within her, and she bent it over his throat once more.

The Dai Li fell over, dead. Ara gasped in pain as her final enemy was destroyed, but at her price. Her blood pulsed out, the sword still deep in her back. She couldn't breathe. Her mind went numb. But she knew two things. She needed to get up and get to help. She limped a few steps, and then fell to her pain-filled knees again, her world becoming unsteady and black. All of her pain suddenly overcame her; she felt every burn, every cut, every wound that she had received—suddenly she could feel them all, killing her. She then felt her spirit detaching from her and leaving, but strangely, she wasn't afraid to die. She fell forward, drifting into darkness and silence.

Zuko and Katara finally got Aang to the medical tent. Already it was filled with the hundreds of injured and the dying, but they ran in, screaming.

"Please help! It's the Avatar! He's dying!" Katara cried as she pushed walking people out of the way. Zuko hurried to keep up, Aang slowly leaving them even more. He kept trying to warm Aang with firebending, but the man kept getting colder. "Please!" he cried. "Anyone! Help us!"

A doctor hurried towards them. "Follow me, we'll get some healers and try to save him. This way!" he cried, leading them down another makeshift earth hallway. Along the way, the doctor grabbed a few more people with him, and he finally led them to a separate room. "Lay him down on that bed," he instructed, and Zuko gently put his best friend down. Immediately doctors and healers surrounded the Avatar, trying to find his most fatal wounds first.

At that moment, Katara and Zuko were suddenly shoved out of the room, and the screen was closed over the door.

At that, the strong, nearly unbendable waterbender couldn't take it anymore. At that, Katara lost it. She started screaming, and she lunged for the door. "Aang!" she screamed over and over, tears falling with her crying hysterically, but Zuko caught her by the waist, pulling her back. She tried to fight him, hit him, scream at him, but he wouldn't let her go. He finally grabbed a hold of her shoulders, hugging her with all of his might, but still she fought.

"NO!" she screamed. "He'll die without me! I'll die without him! I already died once without him! Let me go! Aang! Aang!" she screamed, over and over, but Zuko held her strongly in his arms.

Finally, Katara's weakness overcame her, and she collapsed to her knees, fatigued, overwhelmed, and shaking. Zuko fell with her, still holding her close, and she finally leaned into his hug, sobbing. The prince was quiet, but his tears slid too. He eventually released his strong grip, but kept embracing her in a protective and loving hug.

Her arms clung around his waist, her head in the crook of his shoulder as he rested his chin on her head, but they held each other tight, both now crying silently for the Avatar.

"Aang…" Katara sobbed. "Aang, please…"

A half hour later, Zuko looked down at her. "Come on. We need to get you help. Your burns are really bad, but you need your arms healed. We'll walk in together, tell them that you're his wife, and you can be in the same room, they'll heal you, and you can be with him, 'kay?"

"Okay," she whispered. He helped her up, and they walked in together.

The doctors and healers were cleaning Aang's body and bandaging it, but he still was pale and unmoving.

One of the doctors walked up to them. "I'm sorry we had to keep you out. It's just a matter of space in the room. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yea," Zuko said "This is Aang's wife, Katara. She's a strong, powerful healer, but both of her arms are shattered. If you can heal her and let her stay in the same room with him, she can probably save him. Please," he begged, "for both their sakes…"

"Very well," the doctor replied. He led Katara to the bed next to Aang's, and she laid down, finally closing her eyes. The doctor, an earthbender, turned the casts into dust, and they all gasped at Katara's arms, which were purple from bruising. They were also flat. Katara winced, but the doctor smiled. "You'll be fine, miss, after we heal you. I'll be right back."

Katara sighed deeply, but looked into Zuko's eyes, who stood by her side. She gently sat up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, for everything," she whispered, smiling sadly. She leaned back and turned her gaze to Aang, who was still being worked on. She closed her eyes slowly, and then opened them. Zuko looked towards Aang as well and then back to Katara. "You just rest now," he said. "I'll be right outside, waiting."

He walked out of the room, and, not being able to do anything else, paced anxiously.

Twenty minutes later, he was still pacing, when Mai walked around the corner, and her eyes locked onto his form. Tears came to her eyes.

"Zuko?" she waivered, unsure if she really saw him in front of her. But when he turned, saw her, and whispered her name, she ran to him. She still had pants on, and a robe, but her stomach and chest were wrapped in a bandage, as well as her hands and arms. Her face was burnt as well. As she ran to him, her stomach and wounds pulsed and ached, but she didn't care.

She ran into his strong embrace, nearly knocking him over, and they just fell into each others' arms, not letting go. Zuko's eyes closed as he held his love, sighing shakily.

"You're alive," Mai whispered to him, crying silently to him. "All I could think of was you when I was here. Ty Lee—," she broke off.

"What?" Zuko said, breaking their embrace and staring into her eyes. He put his hand on her cheek and she leaned into it. "Is she dead?"

"No, but she's very badly injured. Azula—," her voice cracked in anger and sadness. "—Azula broke nearly all of her ribs, dislocated her shoulder, and burned the whole front of her. She might die. And all the while as they bandaged and cleaned me, and as I sat next to her side, I only worried and thought about you."

"I'm alright," he smiled, but in his eyes, she saw sadness.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Aang," Zuko whispered, looking down. "He's dying. I could feel him leaving this world as I held him and ran to bring him to help."

Zuko started to sob as Mai held him, and now he fell to his knees. Mai fell too. "It's amazing…what he did Mai. The power he controlled. And he killed my father. But now…my best friend…he nearly died in my arms."

Mai just held her love tightly as Zuko cried his heart out. She noticed that he had only thought of others, as he was still cut up, burned, and bleeding. He hadn't even gone for help for himself. Mai smiled and held him closer.

A few minutes later, his tears stopped, and Mai helped him up. "Come on, we need to get you fixed up." She smiled, and he returned it. She kissed him gently, and supported him over her shoulder and began to walk him to an open room, when the sounds of men yelling outside and buildings crashing were heard.

A scream split through the air, but not a human scream. Zuko immediately recognized it.

He started to run, Mai calling after him, outside to where all of the commotion took place. Immediately Zuko saw him.

"Warrior!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, the bloody head of the white polar eagle shot up, looking to the person he knew. His feet and talons were tied, and he was held down by at least a few dozen men and ropes. But at Zuko's voice, he became still.

Zuko ran to him, Mai behind him, and he placed his hand on the great bird's neck. Warrior trembled under his touch. "Easy boy, it's okay, calm down," he whispered, stroking him. "What's going on here?" he asked, in a calm but firm voice.

One of the soldiers ran up to Zuko. "Thank you, sir. We've been trying to keep this bird under control. His wing is broken and he's a bit injured, but all we've wanted to do is heal him. He also keeps trying to fly back to the battlefield, though we don't know why."

The prince's expression turned to shock at the realization of why Warrior wanted to get back.

"No…"

Mai stepped behind him. "Zuko?" she asked worriedly.

Zuko looked at the soldier. "Are our people still out there?"

"As far as the last report said, the last person to come in came in about ten minutes ago. Everyone else is dead. The battle is over."

"Who came in last?"

"A few soldiers, but also, the good Firelord Iroh, sir," the soldier said. "He was carried in. He was badly burned and had been stabbed, but as far as I know, he'll live."

"You said everyone else out there was—dead?"

"Yes, sir, scouts went through, and they're all dead."

Zuko turned and suddenly ran to the young man checking everyone back in, counting numbers. "You sir! Please, I need to see the chart! Hurry!"

The man handed him the book. "It's alphabetical by first name, sir."

Zuko flipped through the first few pages, but her name wasn't there. He dropped the book. "No," he whispered, tears filling his eyes. Mai put her hand on his shoulder. "Zuko, what's wrong?"

Zuko couldn't breathe. His mouth was wide open as he turned to her, and a tear fell out of his good eye.

"Ara—she—she's still out there…" he stammered. "I need to find her!" he yelled, spinning around and taking out the bison whistle. He blew as hard as he could, and Appa suddenly came flying up and over the medical building.

The bison landed next to Zuko and he got on.

"Mai, come on!" he yelled, pulling her up. "We need to find her! Yip yip!" he cried, and the bison shot skyward, towards the battlefield.

A few minutes of searching from the air saved three lives, but none of them were the one he was looking for. Zuko then shot up. "I know where we might find her," he yelled back to Mai, who was watching over the injured, "the last time I saw her."

"When?"

"When she killed Azula…"

"What?" Mai gasped, open mouthed. Her eyes widened. "She killed Azu—are you sure?!"

"I watched her do it," Zuko said. "But she might be around that area."

Looking below towards the bloody battleground, Zuko spotted his sister's body, and landing next to it, jumped down. Mai just stared.

"She did kill her," she breathed.

Zuko ran to each body, frantically searching for the one person he hoped he wouldn't find. "Mai, help me!" he cried, in a voice of anguish and pain. Mai went to another section, looking, searching, praying, for the young girl.

With no luck, they got back on Appa and flew a little more, and then they both jumped off once again.

Zuko started to search once more, but Mai caught him by the hand.

"Zuko, we need to get the other people to safety. And you're badly hurt. We need to get you to help. She's not out here. She's fine. Please, Zuko!"

"No!" he cried, backing away from her. "I know she's out here. Warrior knew she was out her, and I am not going back until I find her! Mai, I can't!"

"Zuko…"

"NO! Please!" he grabbed her by her shoulders, his eyes full of sadness and grief, his voice to the point of cracking. "Mai, you don't know how much and what she means to me. Please—," he whispered, looking deep into her eyes. "I need to find her first."

Mai nodded quietly, and Zuko let go, continuing his search. She now understood why he had to find Ara. The young girl meant so much to him, and she had always saved his life; now he needed to save hers. They did have a bond, Mai thought, and as she stepped forward, she stepped on something, which crunched beneath her.

She lifted her foot, and there in the dirt, blackened and charred, was a necklace. Mai gasped as she bent down. It hadn't broken when she had stepped on it, but it was dirty. She picked it up, dusting it off, and immediately recognized the carving. It was Ara's necklace.

She gasped and quickly looked up, searching frantically around her, running and leaping over bodies and objects scattered everywhere. She moved her head back and forth, looking for orange and yellow clothing. Her gaze fell in front of her, and she stopped.

"Z—Zuko!" she cried out, her voice wavering, her eyes never leaving the spot about 20 feet in front of her. The prince looked up and saw her staring at something. His heartbeat raced as he ran as fast as he could towards Mai. He stopped when she turned and ran and ran toward him, tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His breathing quickened, searching her eyes for an answer, but she only held out her hand, and opened her palm. He stared down at her hand, and nearly stepped backwards.

He stared at the necklace, immediately recognizing the carving, the color, the tattered, faded, and bloody blue ribbon. Suddenly he felt like he couldn't breathe as he slowly walked past Mai. His eyes fell to the body lying ahead of him. He gasped for air and tears filled his eyes.

"No…"

Okay, so this is sad, and yet, mainly about Zuko again. He is my favorite character now, and the pain he faces is sad, and yet, it shows how he changes and grows. Poor him; he suffers so much, but it's not to last. Don't worry Ara and Aang and Ty Lee and Sokka and Toph and everyone else lovers. OR SHOULD YOU WORRY? MUAHAHA! Just kidding. But tell me what you think about the chapter, I'll get the next one up ASAP, and please read and review! Once again, sorry it's so late! I feel like I'm losing you guys! Please come back! Where are you all?

Iroh: You're sad! Hooray! You know what that means…

Me: NO!!

Catch ya'll later!

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