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Memories from Western Airtemple	By : DarthAnimus Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality > Slash - Male/Male Views: 16187 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: the Last Airbender" or the characters. I don't make any profit out of writing this.

Chapter List
- 46
- 47
- 48
Memories from Western Air Temple
Chapter 47
No Justice Is Meant for All

It was Sokka who came to inform Katara of the situation, telling her about a fight between Zuko and Azula, and that Aang had gone to interfere. Katara’s immediate reaction had been horror, while Suki expressed worry. Katara had only paused to grab her water pouch before following Sokka to the supposed scene of the battle with Suki hot on her heels.
A wide area of the ground was completely covered in a fine layer of ash, a clear sign that there had been some enormous fires burning here only a short time ago. Katara’s feet left footprints in the blackness as she followed Sokka to where Aang and Toph were flanking Zuko’s sides, the firebender sitting on his knees, curled in on himself and his clothes in burned tatters. At first Katara feared that Zuko might have been severely wounded to be in such a defensive position, but then she realized that the prince was knelt over another body.
Zuko was cradling Azula’s unmoving body against his own, one arm around the girl’s back while his right hand rested on her chest, over her heart. While Suki stayed a short distance away to keep an eye out for any attackers, Katara carefully made her way over and Zuko’s pleading golden gaze came to meet her blue one.
“Please.” The word was whispered from two mouths at once, and Katara saw the palm pressed on Azula’s chest flicker with white. “She can’t die.” Zuko was breathing heavily, unsteadily, and Azula matched his rhythm without any difference.
“Katara! Please!” That last desperate whisper undid Katara and she drew out her water, kneeling down opposite of the boy and looking the barely-there princess over.
She recognized this type of clinging to life. This was the handiwork of that vicious lighting bending technique. It was ironic, how the one who had almost destroyed all of their hope with this attack was now withering away from its effect.
Katara wanted to let Azula die. She wanted it so much that she scared herself with the maliciousness in her heart. She was glad for the shaking almost-sob Zuko released, as it brought her attention to her reason for doing this; were Azula to die, Zuko would break. Katara never wanted to see any of her friends broken.
“Whatever it is you’re doing, Zuko, don’t stop.” Katara’s command was stern and Zuko nodded as a dry sob made him quiver along with the body he was somehow keeping alive with sheer willpower.
The damage done was deep, so it took time and effort for Katara to reach it, but once the girl managed, she could feel the body slowly starting to heal. It wasn’t near being liveable, so Katara would need Zuko to keep the body from giving out before she was finished.
Looking up to the firebender, Katara saw Sokka with his hand on Zuko’s shoulder, expression such a degree of concern that Katara was surprised to see it on her normally-collected brother’s face. But then she realized that this situation probably hit well home with her brother; Azula was Zuko’s younger sister, as Katara was Sokka’s. Feeling like she was able to concentrate even harder now, Katara turned her attention back to her ‘patient’.
Once the lethal injuries were healed, Katara let out a sigh of relief and gave Zuko a small smile. “You can stop now.” The girl gathered more water from her pouch. “She’s going to live.”
The sound Zuko released at the words was completely indescribable, but Katara recognized the expression of relief for what it was as Zuko slumped backwards into Aang and Toph’s waiting arms. Katara looked back down at Azula, who was still unconscious, still in need of healing if she was to survive this, and continued with the healing.
“What did you do, Zuko?” Aang’s voice held a hint of awe and Katara, curious as well, listened to the conversation with half an ear while she worked on healing the battered firebender lying on the ground.
“I didn’t mean to.” Zuko sounded so weak, so broken. “I swear I didn’t mean to kill her.”
“You heard Sweetness, Firecracker, she’ll live.” Toph’s tone held a strange tone of tenderness that Katara had only heard when the earthbender was talking about her family. “You haven’t killed anyone.”
“And that’s not what I meant, Zuko.” Aang shifted and Katara glanced up to see the airbender pulling Zuko against him in a comforting sideways hug. “I was asking about the thing that kept her from dying. I’ve never even heard of something like that.”
“Her flame of life was dying out.” The statement was strange to Katara, but the way Zuko said it indicated that it was a rather commonplace analogue from Zuko’s perspective. “I actually saw it weaken and I thought that I might be able to…make it burn brighter. Like when bending regular fire.”
Life bending? Was it really possible? Well, Katara supposed there were many things about bending that were a secret to most; the art was filled with long since forgotten secrets.
“I say it was the comet that made it possible,” Toph commented insistently. “You said you could feel it.”
Katara finally looked fully up from her work in time to see Zuko nod his head in agreement, the firebender not saying a word. It seemed that this new skill was possible with an unusual increase of power coupled with desperation. It was much like blood bending, only Katara could never imagine blood bending being useful in such a manner, in saving a life.
“I’m done,” Katara announced as she stood up, dusting her knees off. “Let’s carry her to camp.”
Zuko pulled away from the two shorter benders supporting him to stand up, only to collapse on the ground immediately afterwards, hissing in pain. That was when Katara noticed what she had previously missed when Zuko had been sitting on his knees; the firebender’s pants were torn, or rather burned, apart and his legs were covered in different degrees pf burns from a bit above his ankles all the way to halfway up his thighs.
“That’s awful.” Katara’s heart ached at the damage, especially since she knew she had used up all of the water with her to heal Azula. “You should have said you were injured.”
“It’s nothing…in comparison…” Zuko stood up unsteadily and immediately Aang was by his side, arms around him in a mixture of a hug and support.
“Lean on me.” A single statement and immediately Zuko relaxed against the airbender, seemingly completely comfortable with the close proximity. Katara drew her attention away from the two to look at the still unconscious Azula, who was being lifted between Sokka and Suki. The analysis Katara made of the situation was tiresome; it would be a difficult trip back to the camp.
To be continued...
- 46
- 47
- 48
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Memories from Western Airtemple