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Chapter Text

Prologue

Water.

Earth.

Fire.

Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

A hundred years passed and my brother Sokka and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. Although his airbending skills were great, he had a lot to learn before he was ready to save anyone. But from the day I first met him, I believed Aang would save the world.

And he did it.

We did it.

We fought and we won. The world is already saved.

Now it’s our time to heal it.  

Chapter Text

Katara

Aang points to the map on top of the center table. “I never realized the Fire Nation had built so many colonies in the Earth Kingdom.”

We all look over his shoulder, all 7 pair of eyes – Aang, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko, Earth King Kuei, and me – intent on the map. (Save for Momo who has been staring at Bosco for quite a while now.)

“Yes,” the Earth King agrees, “For the earth people, they’re a constant reminder of the War… like an old scar. Oh! I – Fire Lord Zuko, I didn’t meant to – ”

“No, Earth King Kuei. You’re right. After all the pain my father has caused, it’s my duty to bring healing to the world. I’ll remove those colonies, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Aang turns to face Zuko, and we all step back to stop squeezing each other. “But removing the colonies won’t be easy. A lot of people’s lives are gonna be disrupted. We need someone to oversee everything, someone to make sure everything goes peacefully, someone like… me!”

Zuko smiles, and I giggle. “Really? You’d want to do that?” Zuko asks.

“Yeah, I’m the Avatar!” Aang remarks, “Making stuff go peacefully is my job!”

“Wonderful!” Earth King Kuei bounces up excited. “The Avatar’s personal involvement will give the entire process an air of hope!”

“Sokka and I can help!” I offer a little too enthusiastically, not caring about jumping in the air in excitement.  

Sokka pouts. “Aw. I was gonna visit Kyoshi Island.”

I elbow him on his side.

“It’ll be a movement – ” Earth King Kuei’s mutter is grave in its sudden solemnness “ – a movement towards harmony. We’ll call it… We’ll call it…”

“The Harmony Restoration Movement!”

(I could swear my ears almost bleed for Sokka’s scream!)

The King seems excited, though. “Yes! The Harmony Restoration Movement! I like it!”

“What’s with you and your goofy names for everything?” Toph does not like it.

Sokka shrugs, smiling proudly. “It’s a gift.”

When our reunion with the King is over, he lends us a royal carriage and security escort by the Earth generals for us to travel to the Jasmine Dragon – General Iroh’s new tea shop. (Zuko refused to bring Fire Nation security because he was afraid someone would see it as too threatening just yet.) (Not that I can blame him. Too soon.)

General Iroh comes to receive us at the entrance as the servants help us get down from the carriage, and he’s followed in the distance by Suki, and Mai – the latter who’s oddly enough dressed in silky Earth Kingdom attires.

(I think the colors fit her skin tone more than her usual Fire Nation clothes, but I don’t think we are close enough for me to point it out.) (Maybe after she and Zuko had been dating for a few more weeks?)

“How was your reunion with the Earth King?” Suki asks all us as she puts her arms around Sokka’s neck.

“Great!” I say.

“As great as a political meeting with five teenagers can go,” Toph clarifies with a joking smirk.

“We were three war heroes, the Avatar, and the newly crowned Fire Lord,” Sokka recounts, “I think we earned the right to be in there.”

“You said it, Captain Boomerang!”

“And it’s time for all of us to celebrate your accomplishments,” General Iroh cuts in with his softly rasping voice, and caring, proud smile. (Looking at him like this, it’s hard to believe he is the same man who defeated all of the Fire conquerors inhabiting the Earth Palace by himself.) “C’mon, everyone; I made my especial jasmine tea for the occasion! Zuko, you help me serve our guests.”

“Going!” Zuko answers eagerly and smiles back before leading our way to follow his uncle into the beautifully remodeled tea shop. (I would be happy if we stayed here in the balcony a little longer, though. The sunset is beautiful!)

“You know, you could have brought some of your own servants for that,” Mai observes as we all walk behind Zuko’s back.

I think I see Zuko wince, but it’s so subtle I can’t be sure. “I want to help my uncle on my own,” he replies.

I feel like I could wince myself.

The party goes just as swimmingly as I wanted it to. The Jasmine Dragon is beautifully decorated, but slightly different than before. Maybe it was reconstructed, though. I didn’t get the chance to take a proper look the first time I visited. I was too busy running away from Zuko only to fall into Azula’s trap. (Worst. Day.)

The walls are constructed on a more rustic fashion now with rough, porous granite. My hand slides over the surface, allowing my mind to get lost on the sensation.

After all the crazy we went through the past days… weeks… months, it’s wonderful to finally have a break and hang out with each other without having to fear for our loved ones.

The thought makes me shiver. More violently than what I’d like to describe.

I rub my arms. Too soon, Katara.

Too soon. It’s still too soon. Don’t think about the war, not now, not today. Not right after we got out of it. Not now, push it away, it no longer exists.

The memory of Long Feng materializes in my mind.

A newly familiar feeling – one that I’ve become acquaintance with over the past week, since Azula, since the comet – revolves on my stomach. It’s cold, and it triggers small electric pinches on my skin. They are sparks from Azula’s blue lightning and fire.

No.

I thought I would feel triumphant after the war.

Not like a hero – I never looked to be a hero – but I wanted to feel glory, joy. In its place I feel like nothing has changed, and like everything has changed, to become sharper and darker instead. Even the blinding sunset looks…

My ears awake searching for an explosion at the distance, my hands feel twitchy for how fast I prepare them to move on a surprise attack. Concern and anxiety claw to my limps as I focus on my friends standing next to me.

I breathe out.

I need to calm down.

I need to enjoy the party.

I need to make this a happy ending. Everyone deserves a happy ending. Zuko, Toph, Sokka, Aang… they all deserve a happy ending.

I can make this a happy ending.

***

Zuko

“Hey, you wanna know what fireworks are like for me?”

“Sure.”

“Close your eyes. BOOOOM!”

Sokka shrieks and hangs on to his ears when Toph finalizes her demonstration.

“Oh, Toph!” Katara’s lips curve in a joking and indulging grin as she puts an arm around Toph’s shoulders. It is only then that I can see how much taller Toph has gotten over the past weeks. She’s almost Katara’s height already.

“Don’t be such a grump,” Katara continues, “You’re out with friends on a beautiful night, celebrating the fact that we saved the world!”

“True.”

“C’mon. General Iroh wanted for us to arrange tables on the balcony for us to watch the fireworks and still enjoy his tea.”

“And the cream cakes! Don’t you forget the cream cakes.”

“Right.” Katara’s arm passes to hook with Toph’s and pull her inside the Jasmine Dragon. “Don’t bother helping us, Sokka. Suki has more strength in the arms anyways.”

“Hey!”

Sokka runs after them screaming something about how much pushups he has been doing, the girls giggle. I turn around to look over the balcony, down to the Earth Kingdom citizens celebrating us more than the fireworks. They are all smiles and admiring, innocent looks gazing at me like I was a sudden new bright star on the sky.

I don’t deserve this.

“What’s on your mind, Your New Majesty Fire Lord Zuko sir?”

I don’t turn away from the crowd, but I catch a glimpse of Aang’s gray eyes staring at me intently with his own permanent, enthusiastic smile on his face.

“I visited my father in prison the other day…,” I say. The wind blows my hair, bringing out the coldness that I’ve been feeling on the inside. “Aang, if I asked you for a favor… would you do it?”

His eyes widen in shock, even his smile crumbles down, he almost looks offended by the question. “Sure. Anything.”

“If I asked you for something unthinkable… something unforgivable… would you do it?”

I turn to him to the fullest then. His expression is blankly solemn. His eye shape is naturally round, but now they appear squared because of how set his brows are. It’s hard to think he’s only a 13-year-old at the moment. (Has he turned 13 already?) (Do I even know when his birthday is?)

(Can I call myself his friend even despite that?)

“What are you trying to say, Zuko?”

“If I asked you to end me…,” I let the words flow with the icy air just like the sound of the fireworks’ soft explosions, “would you do it?”

The world stops for me, and it trembles for Aang. He stumbles backwards with his eyes newly widened, but with more horror than shock. I am the source of that horror. That is what I deserve.

I reach out to help him straighten up, but a sudden feeling of unworthiness breaks on my chest. Breaks me.

Can I call myself his friend?

“What?” he chokes on air alone. “Zuko, what are you even talking about?”

“It would be only if I turned into my father,” I clarify, not caring about how desperate my voice sounds.

“What?”

“Even now, after everything that’s happened, my family’s legacy is still a part of me. That’s why it’s my duty to heal the scars the Fire Nation has left on the world. But it is my father’s blood running through my veins…” I distantly sense my own fingers stroking my wrists. “And Azulon’s and Sozin’s. I can’t afford to become one of them. I don’t want to become one of them! I need you to do that for me!”

“Zuko, I can’t – Why are you even asking me, of all people? You know I could never do that to you!”

“It would be part of your Avatar’s duty.”

My words feel like a double-edge dagger stabbing us both.

Aang’s whisper comes out as a steely realization. “You want to use me.”

“Twinkletoes, can you come help us with this?” Neither of us turns to Toph’s voice. “Ironically, even you got more muscles than Sokka.”

We remain staring at each other. Maybe it’s just my imagination – (a small part of me hopes it is my imagination) – but I see anger on Aang’s eyes.

I absorb it; it’s the only emotion that I really know.

“Going.” His eyes never leave mine as he enters the tea shop but his gaze turns deep and dark; like this conversation should (and will) remain. Buried and unspoken.

It never happened.

Chapter Text

Zuko

List of things that I hate:

1. Politics.
2. Speeches.
3. Political speeches! More so if I’m the one that has to perform them.

And tomatoes! I hate friggin’ tomatoes!

I repeat that when one of the tomatoes coming from the crowd finally hits me on the head.

“Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lord Zuko!” I can only tell my guard’s approaching for his voice coming close, I can’t see a thing with tomato juice dripping on my healthy eye! “Are you alright?”

“Do I look like I’m alright?”

“Sir – ”

“Just get me out of here.”

“Down with the traitor!” The crowd chants as I step down from the platform on Yu Dao’s – (the first of the Fire Nation’s colonies) – main block. “Down with the Fire Lord who betrays his own people!”

“Fire Lord, Zuko!” Yu Dao’s mayor, Mayor Morishita – an average-looking, short man with mismatched beard and sideburns (kill me if I ever grow some of those things) – rushes towards me, followed at a slower pace by a woman only slightly younger than him and a young girl around my age.

When he finally gets to me he kneels at my feet. “My sincerest apologies for my people’s rash behavior! Have mercy!”

“There’s no need to ask for mercy, Mayor.” One of my servants hands me a handkerchief to wipe my face, I take it. “Disagreeing with one’s leader is not a crime.”

I turn my head at the sound of a scoff. The girl that was following the mayor stands next to the other woman, with her arms crossed and an annoyed snarl and arrogant stare on her face.

“Not yet at least.” (It’s a very poor attempt of muttering considering we all hear it.)

“Excuse me?”

“I said,” she looks back at me with her eyes filled with challenge, mild hatred and repulsion, “it is not a crime until you say it is, Fire Lord.” (The title sounds poisonous in her voice.)

“Isn’t that what you know how to best?” she continues, glaring and returning my stare fearlessly. “Change the laws to your convenience? Like instituting the Harmony Restoration Movement only to destroy your people’s homes? Some ‘leader’ that you are!”

“Kori!” the Mayor calls in a reprimanding voice that lacks conviction when it sounds so fearful at once. “I wholeheartedly apologize for my daughter’s behavior as well, Fire Lord.”

He ducks his head pressing it against the dirty ground.

“Stand up, Mayor,” I say, “There’s no need for such a gesture.”

“Kori!” he repeats, “Kneel in front of your Fire Lord”

The girl – Kori – his daughter – looks like she could spit at me.

“That’s not necessary, either,” I assure, returning the handkerchief.

“We are so sorry that your last visits to Yu Dao have been so conflictive,” he mumbles, standing up at last even though his eyes keep settled on the ground. His head is still shamefully ducked, and in a not a very ergonomically favorable way. “The people is… yes, conflicted… about…”

“You don’t have to masquerade your disagreement,” I assure once more, “I’m well aware that you – Yu Dao as a colony and you, personally, Mayor – do not agree with the movement instituted by me, the Avatar Aang and the Earth King Kuei.”

Mayor Morishita is taken aback by my straightforward admission. His head finally darts upwards with his eyes wide enough for me to see the anger hidden in them.

In advance to any possible confrontation, I square up my shoulders to impose authority – one that I still don’t feel myself all too possessing of, and the sentiment makes me feel sick and like a fraud.  

“Granted, you’re very upfront, young Fire Lord,” the Mayor admits with a breath of appreciation.

If it wasn’t such a casual gesture unworthy of royalty, I would shrug. “I take pride in it.”

“Perhaps you should, but not all of the decisions you’ve made so far are worthy of pride. Much less your personal one.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty” – Morishita’s expression tells not much respect is due – “my family has lived on this land for generations! This city was built on our blood and sweat! We have as much right to be here as anyone else!”

“The Fire Nation didn’t have the right to settle in an occupied land that wasn’t theirs,” I answer calmly.

“We are well aware of our nation’s violent past, Your Majesty,” Morishita counters, “but we have no concern in it! Fire Nation citizens and Earth Kingdom residents have cohabited together in harmony ever since then! – ”

“I don’t know if you are just as aware” I interrupt, feeling a cold metal cord in my throat that I keep from piercing my voice, “that I lived amongst the Earth Kingdom commoners for quite a while. And they weren’t especially fond of us, the Fire Nation, invading their land.”

“My wife is an earthbender.” Morishita’s declaration throws me off balance, I follow his signaling motion to the woman standing close to him and next to his daughter. “So is my daughter, and by birth, she’s also a Fire Nation citizen.”

My stomach revolves, my nerves are starting to get the best of me.

I hate it, I hate feeling nervous, it makes me feel unsure. Hesitant. Not like a leader. Not like myself.

I feel small, helpless, ignorant… like my fearful past self.

“You know, young man,” Morishita continues, “Your father, Fire Lord Ozai – ”

“Don’t talk about my father,” I say, my voice like the steel of the Dao swords that I don’t take out anymore.

“My apologies, but he at least always looked for the best for his subjects” – Excuse me? – “And he would have never let the Avatar and the Earth King to bully him into something so intrinsically bad for them.”

I inhale sharply, bristling, highly attentive to the various witnesses looking intently at our scene for whom I’ve to maintain a piece of composure.

“Abandon my presence, Mayor,” I order, quietly and steely. “Even though your behavior is only borderline insurrection, I can’t allow myself to show an indulgency that could be mistaken for weakness by inexpert eyes. This is a warning.”

“A first warning?” Kori retorts sarcastically. “You’re going to intimidate us through endless warnings out of your inability to properly inflict respect?”

“No,” I clarify. “I only provide one warning,” my voice becomes colder by word, reaching to a thin ice dagger. “My honor won’t allow me to not give you a chance to compose and correct yourselves. Nonetheless, it is my honor the one that won’t tolerate such disrespect either. The just solution for all parts is for me to warn you at least once, hoping it will keep you from forcing me to apply the punishment your offense deserves.”

Yu Dao goes silent. The booing crowd mutes, the sounds of the commercial establishments and workers hush, even the birds and the wind quit their chirping and blowing, it’s suddenly even hotter under the summer sun. It seems like the whole colony stuck in time with me in it.

I feel darkly hollow on the inside; disbelieving, mayhap disappointed and afraid of my own attitude. My hands shake at my sides and I ball them into tight fists. An already known and unwelcome shadow creeps into me, it has face and a voice. Their memory makes me sick to my stomach.

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Kori remains unperturbable and undaunted, I would say she’s the only one around that is so. Her eyes are alive and contemplating if to kill me quickly or slowly.

Her father’s hands appear on her shoulders and softly remove her from my way. “We apologize once more, Fire Lord,” Mayor Morishita says, much calmer than before, “this was not the time, nor the place to have this discussion. We will continue to get back to you as the opening date for the Harmony Restoration Movement approaches. And I hope you’re not angered by my family’s boldness, especially my daughter’s.”

I glance at Kori one last time. She just doesn’t give up on her scowling at me.

I turn and start walking towards my palanquin alongside my guards and servants. “Not at all, Mayor, don’t you worry about that. And it was my pleasure to meet your family; your daughter reminded me of a friend of mine.”

Katara

“If you move to the Fire Nation, your people will be able to learn more about their past, Mayor Mishi – ”

“I’m sorry, young lady,” he cuts me off, “but I really would prefer if the Avatar was the one narrating this explanation.”

My brain shortcuts due to the abrupt interruption. “What? I mean…,” I blink, “Oh, sure.”

He turns to Aang, who’s standing not even a meter away from us. “If you move to the Fire Nation,” he starts, smiling diplomatically and adorably, “your people will be able to learn more about their past, Mayor Mishi.”

“That’s wonderful!” the mayor nearly claps.

“Hey!” Sokka and I call out at the same time, but he’s the one to finish alone: “That’s what my sister was just telling you!”

“I’m sorry,” the mayor bows lightly, but I would appreciate it more if he could make his face to look the actual tiniest bit regretful. “I just feel the most comfortable following the Avatar’s words. They have more weight.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean – ”

“I know exactly what you meant,” I guarantee, and next I turn around for the door making my steps as loud and firm as I can and listening to them resound from the floor to the walls.

I tear the door open. (Loudly, for extra emphasis.) Toph is waiting outside.

“How was your reunion?”

I growl and keep marching.

“I take that as a ‘very good!’”

I admit that I was not completely sure where I was heading to when I stormed off from the Mayor’s office, so I settle for standing on the edifice’s balcony, looking at the forest that surrounds the colony. It’s beautiful in the sunset, but I can’t make myself to appreciate it when only a minute ago I was told that my words “lacked weight” by some pretentious mayor.

“Katara, what was it that happened in there?” Toph comes next to me, leaning over the balcony.

“It’s just the same as always,” I say, sighing without air, exasperated.

“Oh.” Toph’s eyebrow arches and her mouth curves on a smirk. “So another one of those hot-shot mayors ignored you, huh?”

I glare at her through the corner of my eye. “You could say it more subtly.”

“More what?”

I roll my eyes. Toph snickers.

“But see that?” she goes on, “That’s why I don’t like getting into the reunions. What are we even there for? Twinkle Toes is the only one people wants to talk with.”

My gaze falls.

“I mean, no offense to your boyfriend,” she apologizes. “You know he’s one of my best friends and all, but it’s…”

“No, no, I agree with you,” I pledge. “You’re right, it’s hard to be ignored in favor of someone else like that.”

And it’s even harder when that person is someone you love so much, I think.

I love Aang. I really, really do. But it feels strange.

This kind of love… it is there, but at the same time it isn’t. It’s like there was something defective, like there was something that wasn’t allowing me to function properly and love him right. Could it be these disturbances with the mayors and the power because he’s the Avatar? It had never bothered me before, so why now? Why have I been feeling so bad all of these months letting him keep the spotlight in all of our meetings with the mayors and politicians? I thought I was okay with the way things were, Aang was the Avatar, washed with compliments by nearly everybody that we met; Sokka, Toph, and I were his loyal companions.

Companion. That’s the reason why I decided to improve and be more than “just a companion” to him, right? I wanted to be the person he wanted me to be for him, I wanted to be the person that loved him the most when the war was over. So then why do I feel like this now? Like a shadow instead of a being.

 “You think this is how Sparky felt about Azula, The Bitch all those years they were young?”

“Toph!” I scold.

“What? She’s a bitch!”

“And she’s also Zuko’s sister! And you’re only thirteen years old!”

“Katara, I’m young, not stupid.”

I growl once more, but I don’t feel like engaging in a conversation about proper language. (That’s how drained I am?)

“Katara, Katara.” Aang and Sokka half-run to us.

“Mayor Mishi is so very sorry for his comment.” Aang is the first one to apologize.

“Sure…,” I say, dragging the word.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” he continues, taking my hands, “I should have said something to him.”

“It’s okay, Aang, it’s not your fault” – I mean that – “At least you did convince him about the Harmony Restoration Movement?”

“Yep,” Sokka says, “He was so convinced by the Avatar’s wisdom.”

Aang blushes.

“Relax, Aang,” I stroke the back of his hand with my thumbs, “That’s what we came here for, to inform the colonies about the Harmony Restoration Movement so they can prepare for the inaugural date.”

“Yeah, and we have been jumping from one colony to the other for months,” Toph observes, “I can’t believe I’m even more tired now than when we ran around the world.”

“Maybe we need a vacation,” Sokka offers.

“A vacation?” I parrot.

He puts an arm around Toph’s shoulders. “Yo, Toph, would you like to take a visit to the South Pole with us?”

“You want to take a vacation to your own home?” Aang asks, a little disbelieving.

“I’m just saying, we already dealt with all of the colonies assigned to us, and the relocation does not starts until a few months while the Earth King continues with the paperwork, the population’s numbers and blah, blah, blah. We can take some time for ourselves. And we haven’t been home in ages.”

“Only one year,” Aang reminds.

“Sokka, that’s an amazing idea!” I beam, containing the urge to give small excited jumps in the air. Drained what? I only feel happy and energized and thinking about Gran-Gran receiving us back home! “I miss the Tribe so much, and I can’t wait to tell Gran-Gran about everything we have done!”

“When are you going to understand, little sister, that all my ideas are good?” (I can’t even be angry at his arrogant smirk!) “What do you say, Toph? You in?”

She shrugs. “I’m in no rush to get back to Gaoling anyways.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“It’s wonderful!” Now I do jump, letting go of Aang’s hands.

Chapter Text

Author’s Note

Hey, everyone!

I know I haven’t updated this fic in quite a while, but either way I wanted to thank you for your support on it.

I just came to tell you my life hasn’t been easy recently and that’s why I’ve spent so much time away, and maybe it doesn’t help that I’m overloading myself with writing and art projects.

Lately, I’ve been having some more than stressful days; I’ve been repeatedly bullied on social media for a number of topics, form country’s (Venezuela’s) situation, to my family’s personal situation, to my favorite book authors. (It makes no sense; I know.) The BLM movement is somewhat triggering for me because the same people that bully me for being Latina claim themselves “anti-racists”, and granted, maybe they are not racist; they are just xenophobes. I just can’t stop seeing the hypocrisy and I don’t want to relate such horrible thoughts to such a noble cause.

All of that combined with my sleeping troubles gives me some awful migraines that certainly don’t get better if I keep pushing myself to work – (even if it is for writing and drawing, two of the things I love to do the most.)

What I’m trying to say is that I wanted to keep coming up with new chapters and new stories for keep bringing some joy even during the bad times… and also for trying to reach Cassandra Clare’s level of writing two books at a time.

But I guess I just can’t be Cassie Clare.

I realize now that I need to give myself some more space and treat myself kinder so, I’m going to use a little of that space for organizing my thoughts and then come back with more chapters. Just… when I’m ready.

I need some time to finish certain things and schedule new projects. Maybe with a new, more ordered agenda, I’ll find time to come up with new fanarts inspired on my current fics.

I’m not going to think much of it now, I just came to tell you that I’m glad you have enjoyed the fic so far, and that I hope you’ll keep enjoying it when I come back again. Thanks again for your support, it means the world to me!!

Bye!!

Hugs and kisses!!