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“May your love for me be
like
the scent of the evening sea
drifting in
through a quiet window
so i do not have to run
or chase or fall
... to feel you
all i have to do
is
Breathe.”
― Sanober Khan, A Thousand Flamingos
~0~
It's in the chaos of the inferno that Zuko sees crystal clear for the first time in his life. The tumultuous cacophony of the fight narrows down to a slight ringing in his head, drowning out everything else but the cobalt of her eyes, illuminated like the spirit water of the Northern Oasis in the light of Azula's lightning. The lightning travels faster than an eelhound, the sound of sparrowkeets ringing in Zuko's ears, and he can see time slowing down to this miniscule moment. The white, jagged streak of Azula's rage, the frozen terror of Katara's winter gaze, and the flip of Zuko's hair as his body shoots forward.
No! His heart sings, and it won't be until later does he realize he shouts this out loud, his hand reaching forward to catch the lightning. He throws himself in front of Katara as the lightning reaches them, and the moment it kisses his fingertips may be the first time in his life that he knows exactly what he should do.
Zuko feels his whole body stop in mid air, lightning coursing through his veins. He is surrounded by white light as the world continues to move around him in slow motion. Through the haze, he thinks he can make out Katara's scream and Azula's maddened laughter. But there's fire in his blood and his skin burns and his organs are twisting as the lightning tears him apart from the inside. He writhes, his jaw wrenched open in a silent scream of agony, and he just barely twists his arm to send the lightning into the sky before he hits the ground, body going limp in the dust.
There's still lightning twisting inside his body- remnants of electricity he couldn't dispel. He twitches, clenching his arm to his chest where he took the brunt of the attack, and just barely hears Azula screaming at Katara.
Boom.
"I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu, if you don't mind!"
Boom.
Through the pain, Zuko forces his head up, and sees fireball after fireball consuming the palace, Azula's cackling echoing the flames as she chases the blue shadow of a slight waterbender with fire in her soul. He reaches out a hand, but that costs him too much energy, and he collapses back to the ground as the agony rises within him again.
Boom.
"Zuzu, you don't look so good!"
Boom.
I have to...have to get up... Have to help her!
Boom.
Katara!
Boom.
~0~
When she sees the crimson streak take the brunt of the lightning for her, she realizes she loves him when her heart comes crashing to a halt, and the breath leaves her chest. The boy she loves is writhing midair in front of her, and there's nothing she can do but watch this moment, suspended in time, and feel her soul shatter.
Then his body comes crashing down, and time moves again. She's flying forward, coating her hand in water (whether it comes from her waterskin or her own tears, she doesn't know), and desperately reaches out to him, heart pounding-
A cracking snap of lightning arches towards her, with no firebender to catch it. Her body reacts before she even comprehends the danger, summoning a wave of water to counteract Azula.
Azula lands on the roof of the nearby pavilion, already summoning more lightning to her fingertips. "I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu, if you don't mind!" she cackles. Katara dives, throwing her body behind a pillar as the lightning strikes the ground where she’d been standing. Panting, she peers from behind the pillar to see Azula screaming in laughter, Zuko’s crumpled body twitching in agony on the ground-
Another crackle of lightning jolts Katara from her thoughts, and Katara jumps out from behind her pillar to another as Azula obliterates the one she had been hiding behind. Katara stares at the destroyed pillar and turns away in determination. She stretches her hands out and summons water from a nearby fountain, and throws her wave to the roof. The water roars and smashes down on the building, extinguishing the flames, and Katara straightens in satisfaction, only to find the roof empty. She whirls, heart pounding-
- and narrowly avoids the flames shot at her as Azula comes from behind. Katara grunts and summons more water, creating an ice ring around the two of them, hoping to trip Azula in the process. She skates across the ice, desperately weaving, but Azula summons flames to her feet and jets across the ice, melting it as she goes. Katara summons more water from the fountain, but a sudden fireball rises to meet her, exploding against her water wave and evaporating it into steam. Azula cuts her off and blindly firebends towards Katara, a clumsy demonstration of firebending, but still powerful nonetheless. Katara screams and instinctively pulls, water coming to her rescue and surfing her away just in time.
She stumbles into an open pavilion, collapsing against a grate. Her eyes closed, chest heaving, Katara struggles to suppress the rising wave of panic welling inside her. Like the tides, Katara , she coaches herself. Breathe, rise and fall like the tides.
Her eyes open, and she looks down through the grate. Below her, fresh, life-giving water pulses. Thank La, she thinks. The world narrows down to her and the water, the sounds of explosions dimming as she focuses on the water. She looks up, and spies a metal chain looped around a pillar. She stands.
She grabs the chain and turns just as Azula arrives, hair in a disarray and clothing askew. She hides the chain behind her back and stands over the grate, gritting her teeth. Come on, come on.
“There you are, filthy peasant!” Azula snarls, and takes a step forward. Katara narrows her eyes. Come on, one more.
Azula's eyes narrow with hate. Katara moves, dropping into her forms as she sends streams of water towards the crazed princess. Azula dodges her water whips with ease and rolls across the drain. Yes! Katara thinks, and thrusts her hands up and out, just as Azula lunges for her. But Katara is faster, and the water responds, rising from the drain in a wave that freezes, sealing the two of them in a sheath of ice.
Azula’s eyes dart around in panic, but she is unable to move. Katara exhales, and the ice around her body melts into the water. WIth determination, she proceeds to chain Azula's arms, floating through the melt to pin the princess down to the grate. Azula gurgles angrily as her head is brought down, but she is unable to move as Katara secures the chain. Once Azula is secure, she drops her hands and waterbends the water back to the drain.
When the water recedes, both Katara and Azula sag, coughing and gasping for air. Katara turns and grabs the chains, tightening them despite Azula’s enraged screams. Katara looks at Azula, feeling something like pity rising in her, before sprinting away, heading towards Zuko’s crumpled body.
She throws herself down by him, gathering him in her arms. He coughs and groans, and Katara gasps, tears welling up as she stares at his ruined chest. His tunic is in tatters, and there is a smoking burn where the lightning entered his body, right over his heart. The smell of charred flesh burns its way into Katara’s senses, and she is thrust back to the very moment she held Aang in her arms, cradling his destroyed back. But this time is different- she doesn’t have spirit oasis water, and Aang, despite everything she feels about the boy, did not throw himself in front of death for her. Katara cries, and summons water to her hands, pouring all her love and pain into healing him. Her hands glow over his chest, and Zuko cries out in pain as she tries to soothe his angered flesh. She closes her eyes, and lets her subconscious enter him, tracing the lightning’s path through his ravaged body. She forces herself to breathe and if she breathes, then maybe he will too. Like the tides, she thinks, forcing her will to him. Back and forth, in and out.
He cries out one more time, then grimaces and relaxes. Katara opens his eyes to meet his weak gaze, and smiles in relief when she sees his weak grin. He raises a trembling hand and she grabs it, raising it to her wet cheek. Zuko’s fingers run over her skin, and she leans into his warmth.
“Thank you, Katara,” he whispers.
Katara smiles through her tears. “I think I'm the one who should be thanking you.”
She forces herself to take a deep, shuddering breath, and helps Zuko stand. He wobbles, and rests his weight against her. Eyes screwed shut and teeth gritted, his head lolls and rests in the crook of her neck. She feels him inhale against her skin. Like the tides.
Azula’s screams distract them, and they both stumble over to where the crazed princess lies. Now that she’s been defeated, any semblance of composure has left her, leaving behind a wrecked husk of the once proud girl. She screams and cries, gibberish and blue flames flying out of her mouth. It’s hard to hear what she’s saying, but Katara hears bits of Mother, and Zu-Zu scattered amongst the tortured screams.
She looks at Zuko. He stares, eyes empty and distant, at his sister. Katara can feel his body tense as he stares at Azula, the hitch in his breath, the tremble of his heart under her hands. Katara can feel his desperation to say something, anything , but all that comes out of his mouth is a ragged breath. He closes his eyes, then turns and practically drags Katara away.
“Zuko!” she cries. “You can’t- you’ll make your wound-”
He ignores her and drags her another few paces, before turning blazing eyes on her. “Katara, I-” he goes to say, but he’s cut off as he breaks out into a coughing fit. Katara cries out as his body trembles. He looks at her, eyes wide in pain, and coughs once more before going limp, eyes closing. She reaches out, catching him with her arms, but he’s too heavy, and suddenly they’re on the ground.
He convulses, and Katara can hear Azula, screaming and laughing in the distance. The girl sounds like she’s in a tunnel, as Katara’s focus narrows down to herself and this boy, and the ghastly wound on his chest that she can barely heal.
Footsteps come pounding up to her, and she looks up through tear-stained cheeks to see several Fire Sages come over to her. “My lady,” one whispers, kneeling down. “We need to move the prince inside. Let us help.”
Back and forth, in and out.
Feeling as though she is in a fog, she nods wordlessly, and lets the Sages pick Zuko up. One reaches for her and takes her hand, pulling her to her feet. She turns her head and looks at him. He smiles at her with gentle eyes. “My lady,” he says. “You have done the Fire Nation a service today. We can never repay you.”
She nods, then turns and reaches out, taking Zuko’s limp hand from where he rests between the Fire Sages. “Water,” she whispers. “I need water.”
The sage who’d spoken to her nods behind her, and they begin their trek into the palace. “Whatever you need, my lady.”
~0~
Katara sags against the bathtub, her hands red and dry from healing. Inside the tub lies Zuko, submerged in water except for his head. It’s been five days since Azula’s defeat, and everyday Katara has spent tirelessly healing him. His burn was finally healed, leaving a nasty star-shaped scar centered over his heart, but his body was still reeling from the effects of the lightning tearing through him.
The Fire Sage on duty next to her gently pulls her back to rest against the tub, placing a wet rag over her forehead. She murmurs her thanks and raises a weak hand to her forehead, holding the cool rag to her burning skin as she stares at Zuko.
“I’ll go fetch some food for you, my lady,” the sage whispers, and rises, taking his leave. Katara barely pays him any mind, but rather drops the rag and reaches into the water, lacing her fingers through Zuko’s.
“They won, Zuko,” she whispers. “Aang, he- he did it.”
The sages had told her of Aang’s victory hours after settling Zuko in his former room. When Katara had heard the news, she collapsed due to a mix of happiness and exhaustion. Luckily, the Fire Sages knew better than to move her out of the prince’s room, and had placed her on the bed next to him while she recovered. Once she’d woken up, she had tirelessly begun the routine of healing him.
Zuko made no sign he heard her, but Katara had hope that somewhere inside, he was still there, just waiting for the right moment to wake up. He had to. They didn’t go through all of that just for him to die.
She leans forward and places a tender kiss on his forehead. “Please,” she whispers against his warm skin. “I need you to come back to me, Zuko.” She closes her eyes and rests her head against his. “Please don’t leave me.”
She stays like that for a while, hovering in the simple moments between breaths. A pounding on the door distracts her, and she raises her head.
"Katara!" An achingly familiar voice shouts from beyond the door. It has her up and off the bed faster than one of Aang's air blasts, nearly ripping the door off the hinges in her haste to get it open. She gets a brief glimpse of blue and yellow before she slams into the warm, familiar bulk of her brother.
"Katar-oomph!" Sokka grunts, nearly collapsing from the brunt of her attack. She notices the cast on his leg and immediately backs off, her eyes going wide.
"Oh spirits! Sokka-"
She's cut off by the rest of the gang, who she didn't see earlier, crowding around her and engulfing her in a hug. She gets lost in the dust of Toph's hair, the tears in Suki's eyes, the warm smile dancing across Aang's face. She buries her nose in Sokka's chest, inhaling the familiar smell of boy and ice.
Aang pulls away first. "How is he?" He asks, and Katara jolts, remembering the boy who took lightning for her is lying deathly still behind her. She shakes her head and turns, leading her team, her family , into Zuko's chambers. Toph is the first one to his side, and she gently places her hand on his. Her milky green eyes close.
"His heartbeat...," She begins, and Katara sees her lip tremble (for the first time ever). "I've never felt it so weak."
"We heard about what happened," Sokka said, lowering himself gingerly down into an armchair next to Zuko's bed, with Suki's help.
Katara clambers onto the bed and runs her fingers through Zuko's hair. "He saved my life," she whispers. "And now I can barely hold onto his."
"Don't say that," Aang says, coming over and laying a hand on her shoulder. "You're the best healer I know. I know you can save him."
She takes his warm comfort and leans into him, closing her eyes. They stay there in silence for a moment, a ragtag group of people from all corners of the world, pulled together to save it. Two Water Tribe siblings, one a strategic genius and the other master waterbender; a Kyoshi Warrior, fierce and beautiful like her namesake; the world’s greatest earthbender, and the Avatar, the last airbender. Katara opens her eyes and looks down at the one person who has brought them together in Caldera city. Her burning boy, her brilliant flame, the Fire Prince who took lightning for her.
She leans forward and places her head against Zuko’s chest and listens to his weak heartbeat. In and out, prays. Please, Tui and La, save him.
~0~
After some food and a lengthy healing session with Sokka, Katara finds herself back in Zuko’s room with Aang hovering over her while she changes Zuko’s dressings. She gently wraps fress cloth over his scar and presses a hand on his chest. His breathing is steady but shallow, and she wishes so much that she could turn back time and take the lightning for him. Maybe then it could replace the hurt in her chest when she sees him lying so deathly still.
“Katara?” She’s jolted from her thoughts when Aang places his hand on her shoulder. He smiles, and gestures to the balcony across the room. “Do you want to get some air?”
She nods and takes his hand, letting him pull her up and towards the doors. Once outside, she breathes in the fresh air, and looks down upon a gorgeous garden. There’s a cherry blossom tree overlooking a small pond, and from this distance Katara can hear the distant quack of a turtleduck.
“We did it, Katara,” Aang says, coming to stand next to her. “Never in my life had I ever imagined defeating the Fire Lord and ending the Hundred Years’ war. It’s almost surreal. I can’t believe we did it.”
She smiles and rests her head against his shoulder. “We did. You were all so brave. I am so unbelievably proud of you, Aang.”
He smiles and leans into her warmth as they savor the beautiful day. Katara closes her eyes and relaxes. The heat feels wonderful on her sore muscles.
“What happens now?” Aang asks, and she opens her eyes.
“What do you mean?” she says, pulling away from him. He smiles, and gestures around them.
“What do we do now?” He says. “Sokka and Suki are going to Kyoshi to repair the island before going to the South Pole to help with the reparations. Toph says she’s going back to Gaoling to try and fix her relationship with her parents. But what about you? And, me?”
What about you and me?
Katara thinks about Ember Island, when the Ember Island Players put on that ridiculous play.
Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?
In where? What are you talking about?
On stage. When you said I was just like a brother to you and you didn't have feelings for me.
I didn't say that. An actor said that.
But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the invasion and I thought we were going to be together but we're not.
Aang, I don’t know. I'm just a little confused
Katara isn’t confused now. She stares at Aang, her handsome airbender boy, the boy in the iceberg, with dreams in his eyes and flight in his steps. She’s never felt more right in her life.
“Aang,” she says, standing tall and firm. “I need to be here. I can’t-my path doesn’t go with you. It can’t.”
It’s far simpler than what she means, but she doesn’t know how to voice the essay in her heart that she doesn’t love him, she can’t love him, and she’s not good for him. She doesn’t know how to say that her soul is tied to another, that she’s in love with the very beating heart of the fire nation. That to pull her away from Zuko’s side would be impossible, like two mixed colors of paint impossible to separate.
Aang studies her, his grey eyes glinting like steel in the sunlight. She meets his gaze evenly, heart in her throat. “Okay,” he whispers.
She blinks. “Wait, really?” she asks. She can’t quite believe that he’d take it so well- he’d always show his affection, his love for her, even though he’s only twelve years old. But the boy standing before her is the picture of calm, and she’s baffled.
He sighs. “Katara,” he begins, stepping forward and taking her hand. “I love you, really I do. But I’ve seen the way you look at Zuko, the way he looks at you. He took a lightning bolt to the chest Katara- he took death, for you. I may be the Avatar, but even I can tell that he loves you with everything he has, and I can’t compete with that.”
Katara’s eyes well with tears, but Aang pushes on. “I always hoped you would pick me in the end,” he says, his eyes saddening. “Ever since you broke me out of the iceberg, I knew my life would be linked with yours, forever, and I wanted to share everything with you. But these last few hours with you has shown me how much you love him. It’s different from the way you love me, I realize that now. I’ll always love you Katara, but I understand why you can’t come with me. And that’s okay.”
“Oh, Aang,” she whispers, and flings her arms around him. He smiles into her hair. “I don’t know what to say- you’re too good for this world, I-”
“It’s fine, Katara,” he says, pulling away from her. He brushes at his clothes and Katara blushes, pulling away from him and leaning against the balcony.
“What are you going to do now?” she asks quietly.
He sighs and looks to the sky. “After Zuko wakes, I think I’ll head back to the air temples. If Momo survived all those years, perhaps I could find some traces of the Air Acolytes, or find some other flying bison. The Fire Nation may have eradicated my people, but our culture and heritage still survives. I plan to help it flourish once more.”
He looks at her. “What about you?”
She looks back into the room to where Zuko lay. “What I do best,” she whispered.
~0~
Zuko wakes a few days later, when she’s asleep. Of course he would choose such a time to wake up when she’s incapacitated. That nerve.
The palace has witnessed many changes in the few days before he wakes. Hakoda and the other Water Tribe warriors from both the North and South Arrive, the Earth Kingdom delegates not far behind. Azula and Ozai were transferred to the prison outside the castle with orders to place them in the most secure cells. Ozai’s bending may have been taken away, but he was still dangerous.
Sokka, Suki and Toph journeyed down to Caldera city to help with repairs from Zuko and Azula’s Agni Kai. Katara spent every waking moment with Zuko, setting herself up in his room. Everyday, his breathing got slightly stronger, slightly better, and she prayed every night to Tui, La, and Agni, that he came back to her.
She’s dreaming of the sun, warm on her face and caressing her like a lover. She smiles into the golden light, and nuzzles the heat. The warmth strokes her face, and she sighs. There’s a slight chuckle, and then a raspy voice whispers her name. Another stroke on her cheek has her blinking, and the warm golden sunlight dwindles down to two eyes, smiling down on her.
“Katara,” he breathes, his hand warm on her cheek.
Katara blinks, then sits up and throws her arms around Zuko, pulling him close. He starts, but gently wraps his arms around her and pulls her into a hug. She buries her nose in his hair and takes a deep shaky breath, tears already rolling down her cheeks.
“Spirits, Zuko,” she cries. “I was so worried!”
He smiles into her shoulder and she pulls away, staring at his face. He looks tired and strained, but the light burns bright in his face as he smiles at her. “You saved me, Katara. All thanks to you, I survived,” he says slowly, pulling himself into a sitting position.
“That’s what we do, right,” she says, wiping the tears away. “We save each other.”
His eyes soften. She smiles, and leans into him, and for once, everything falls into place.
~0~
Zuko heals slowly. Katara is with him everyday, at his side during the peace summits, taking lunch by the turtleduck pond, healing him late into the night after everyone has gone to bed. They watch the moon chase the sun from the sky and the stars dance across the horizon. He tells her about his mother, Ursa, and she tells him about Kya. She thinks they would have gotten along well with each other. In the throne room, he is proud and regal, and she sends a prayer to the spirits to relay to Ursa, wherever she is, that her son is the brightest flame on this earth, and that she should be proud. A part of Katara knows that Ursa already is.
The Fire Sages set Zuko’s coronation to be in three days’ time. She argues the short period but Zuko agrees. The nation needs a ruler, and the people need to see that Zuko is ready to take the throne and lead the country into a new era of peace and love. Later, when they’re alone at night, he whispers Besides, I know you’ll be here to help me heal, and she is content.
The city becomes busy and packed as the entire nation tries to fit itself into Caldera City. Every day Katara sees the streamers and the decorations appear in the halls of the palace. Zuko sends for the royal seamstress, and Katara has her design a dress that appeals to both the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation. Sokka complains the entire time during his fitting, but then he sees Suki’s dress and resigns himself to being stabbed with pins for her. Toph is surprisingly docile during her fitting, only snarking once or twice about how she couldn’t care less how it looked, it’s not like I’m going to see it.
And then it arrives, Zuko’s coronation.
~0~
He stares at the robe for a moment, lips pursed. He struggles with this conflict, the red robe laying there, so daunting, before him. He straightens his shoulders, and reaches forward, snatching up his vile enemy. He is the Fire Lord. He is Zuko, master firebender and teacher to the Avatar. A little article of clothing cannot impede him from achieving his-
“Ouch!”
Apparently it can, and he drops the robe as an arch of pain courses through his body. He clenches a hand to the scar on his chest. He closes his eyes and forces himself to breathe through the pain. It travels through him like a burning wave, starting at his core and extending through to his extremities. Steam gushes from his nose as a particularly harsh wave courses through him. Katara’s face briefly flashes before his closed eyes, and his body relaxes for a moment as he imagines her clear water gaze soothing him. After a moment, the pain fades, and he slowly straightens. His eyes open, and he glares at the offending robe lying before him, pretending to look innocent in all of it’s inanimate glory. This should not be this hard , Zuko thinks. He can’t let this robe get the best of him. He can’t.
A voice behind him knocks him out of his trance. “You need some help with that?”
He looks up in surprise and turns to see Mai leaning against the doorway. She smiles, albeit a bit hesitant, and moves towards him.
Zuko smiles. “Mai! You're ok.” He opens his arms out for a hug and she glides in, thin arms coming up around his torso as she rests her head briefly against his shoulder. “They let you out of prison?”
Mai smiles and releases Zuko, walking around him to pick up the offending robe that caused so much strife. She turns to him and lifts up the empty sleeve, gesturing in his direction. Zuko blinks, then smiles sheepishly and slips his arm through.
Mai lifts the robe up and over Zuko’s shoulders. “My uncle pulled some strings,” she says, arms coming around him to fasten his robe. “It also doesn’t hurt that the Fire Lord is your ex-boyfriend and the Fire Princess was your ex-best friend.” She walks in front of Zuko and places a hand on his chest.
Zuko blinks. “So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?”
Mai’s shoulders sag. “I never hated you, Zuko.” She backs away from him and sits down on a nearby chair, suddenly looking years older. “Let’s face it, we both made mistakes. Azula manipulated both of us against each other, when we should have been allies. I’m sorry I chose your sister over you.”
Zuko grimaces, but forces himself to move forward and kneel before her. “I’m sorry too,” he says, resting a hand on hers. He takes in this moment of silence to look at their joined hands. Hers are long and thin, the nails polished and manicured to dull points. His are in stark contrast- tanned and calloused after years of living in the open, covered in scars that only time could heal. They don’t look right with hers. They look out of place.
“I was so caught up in my hatred and anger that I didn’t see you as a friend for the longest time,” Zuko confesses, meeting twin amber eyes like a reflection of his own. “I treated you like an enemy, rather than a friend, and I left you at the Boiling Rock even after you helped me. I shouldn’t have left you in that prison. I’m sorry, Mai. You deserve better.”
She smiles, and the two of them stand. “It’s alright, Zuko. People change. You and I are not the same people we were before, and I see that now.”
They stand in silence for a moment. Then, “Where will you go now?” Zuko asks.
Mai shrugs, and turns around, heading back for the doorway. “After your coronation, I’m taking the next tram back to Omashu,” she says. “Now that this war is over, there are a lot of treaties to write up, pardons to give, and war criminals to punish. This job won’t do itself.”
Zuko sighs. “This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” he asks, and she laughs.
“Nope,” she replies. She stops in the doorway, and for a moment, he sees the once lighthearted girl that he’d fallen for, so long ago. “But that’s fine, we can work on this together. I have faith in the new Fire Lord.”
He clasps his hands in front of him in his most formal bow, bending low at the waist. “I won’t let you down, Lady Mai.”
She inclines her head. “I know you won’t. Good luck, Fire Lord Zuko.” And with that, she is gone, leaving him alone with an empty room and an empty heart.
He’s not alone with his thoughts for long though. After a couple minutes, he hears a soft knock on the doorframe and he turns. There she is, long brown hair coming loose around her bare shoulders, and he takes a moment to revel in the fact that Katara is here, that she’s not hurt, and she’s beautiful-
“Hi,” she says, coming forward. She’s wearing a beautiful blue robe that hangs off her shoulders, her mother’s betrothal necklace standing out on her throat. The dress is decorated in traditional Water Tribe patterns of blue, with white fur decorating the neckline and sleeves, but Zuko can’t help but notice the Fire Nation design, with sharp points and cutouts on the sides. Her hair is also styled in a mixture of both customs, with her traditional hair loops framing her face, and yet there is a fire nation top knot at the top of her head. Zuko has a sudden vision of a Fire Lady crown adorning her head, and nearly stumbles from the intensity of his want.
She steps forward and steadies him. “Easy now, Zuko,” she says, laughing. “We wouldn’t want the Fire Lord to miss his own coronation now, do we?”
He smiles sheepishly and rests a hand on her bare shoulder. “Thank you, Katara,” he says, trying to put as much meaning behind the words as he can. “For everything.”
She blinks. “Don’t be silly, Zuko,” she says after a moment. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
Zuko’s mouth feels very dry, and he doesn’t know how to voice the words that no, that is not what friends are for, and we are not friends Katara, don’t you see that I lo-
“Anyway,” Katara continues on, and Zuko blinks, forcing himself to pay attention to what she’s saying, rather than daydreaming about pushing her against the wall and seeing if her lips are as plush as they look. “I know you haven’t fully healed since the fight, and I wanted to come see if you needed any healing before the ceremony.”
She reaches down and pulls out her water flask from the folds in her skirts. She raises a questioning brow at him and he smiles, undoing the knot in his robe and exposing his chest. Her eyes rake critically over his chest, and he watches as she summons water from the flask. It winds sinuously over her hands like the Unagi, before coming to coat her skin in a glowing blue disc. “This might sting,” she warns, and he nods. She frowns, but places her hand on his burn.
He winces at the sudden sting, but the glow of her healing gets to work, and slowing the pain subsides to a dull ache. He focuses on this moment between them, the glow of her hand on his skin, the rich brown of her skin, the warmth of her clear blue eyes. He raises a hand and covers hers on his chest, causing her to lose focus. The water from her hand drops to the floor, splashing the two of them, but Zuko doesn’t care. He looks at their entwined fingers on his chest. They are two of the same, both calloused and scarred, and he thinks that they belong together. Perfectly.
“Zuko,” Katara breathes, and he looks up to meet her wide gaze.
“Katara,” he whispers, and her name feels so right against his lips. She has the ocean tucked away in her hair, and the rain swirls under her skin.
She licks her lips and lowers her gaze. “We didn’t get to speak much after the whole ordeal, with your recovery and Ozai’s defeat,” she begins. “With all the chaos, and reuniting with everyone else, I never got to ask. But, why did you do it?”
She’s referring to the fight. When he threw himself in front of Azula’s lightning to save Katara.
“I had to, Katara,” he says, and she looks back into his gaze. “I couldn’t let her hurt you.”
Her eyes flash, sharpening to icicles. “I could handle it, Zuko!” she snaps. “Sweet La, between you and Sokka-”
“Katara,” Zuko says gently, tightening his hold on his hand. He tries to put as much weight in his words as he can, to convey to her just how much she means to him. “ I couldn’t let her hurt you.”
She pauses, her eyes widening. “I-” she begins, then turns her head. She seems to understand the implication behind Zuko’s words, and he can see her shoulders shudder. “You would have done it for anyone.”
He sighs, and reaches forward with her other hand, turning her head to meet his gaze. “Maybe,” he whispers. “Probably. But I did it for you.”
Her eyes widen, and her mouth opens. Zuko sighs and leans in as her eyes close, hands clenching his-
“My lord!” a voice says, and Zuko and Katara jump back. Zuko sighs and forces himself to not breathe flames as several Fire Sages burst into his quarters. Katara blushes and refuses to meet his gaze as they come over.
“My lord, it’s almost time,” one says.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” complains another.
Zuko looks over to Katara and meets her gaze, cheeks red. She smiles awkwardly, and mouths, see you later, before turning tail and fleeing, leaving Zuko to his terrible fate. He sighs again and turns, facing his Fire Sages.
~O~
He meets Aang. “ I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down, and now...” He trails off and looks back on this past year. His life has been a whirlwind of emotion and change. You were lucky to be born , he remembers his father saying to him. He thinks about Aang, and Toph, and Suki and Sokka, and Katara. Yes, he thinks , I am so lucky to have been born into such a beautiful world.
"Destiny is a funny thing. you never know how things are going to work out."
Aang clasps Zuko’s hand. “And now we're friends,” he says, and Zuko feels so lucky to have this boy as his friend.
“Yeah...we are friends,” he whispers.
Aang stands and smiles at Zuko. “I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now.”
Zuko places a hand on Aang, feeling surer than he’d ever been before. “And it's gonna be even more different, when we build it together,” He says confidently. Together.
He nods once to Aang before stepping past him, parting the curtains in the doorway. Beyond, he’s greeted by sunlight and cheers, and he stares out at the vast crowds of people gathered below the coronation platform. He spies swamp benders, earth benders, Water Tribe warriors and Fire Nation citizens. He revels in the sight of so many nations, so many peoples, coming together as one, all in the heart of a nation that caused so much strife. This was a new age- his new age- and he was determined to never let these people down.
He looks to his right and finds Katara and Sokka standing to the side. Sokka’s hair is freshly shaved and pulled back into a wolf tail. He stands tall and proud, having been healed by Katara’s hands. He wears traditional Water Tribe warrior armor, his boomerang and black sword (having been recovered) slung over his back. He smiles and nods towards Zuko.
Katara is a lady of the moon, in all her radiance. Her eyes shine with happiness. Zuko spies the pendant dangling in the hollow of his throat, and sends a prayer to Kya. I am irrevocably in love with the ocean, he thinks. Your daughter is a spirit of water and light, and you should be so incredibly proud of her.
He’s jolted out of his thoughts by the Fire Sages approaching him. He blinks, and the one on the end sounds a gong three times. Zuko takes that as his cue and walks to the center of the platform so all can see him. People from all nations cheer, and Zuko raises a hand to quiet the crowd. “Please, the real hero is the Avatar!” He shouts, and moves to the side to let Aang step forward. The crowd continues to cheer, and Zuko closes his eyes.
Because understanding the struggle between your two great-grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself. Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. It is in your nature, your legacy. But there is a bright side. What happened generations ago can be resolved now, by *you*. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family, and the Fire Nation. Born in you along with all the strife is the power to restore balance to the world.
He is Zuko, son of Ozai and Ursa, great-grandson to Firelord Sozin and Avatar Roku. He looks out over the vast sea of Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Foggy Swamp. This is what his destiny has led him to. A united people, living under one umbrella of love and peace, not cruelty and darkness. This is his legacy.
He opens his eyes. “Today, this war is finally over,” he shouts as the crowd cheers. “I promised my Uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace.”
He looks over to Katara, and she looks at him, eyes brimming with something -something he can’t quite name. She smiles and nods, eyes flickering over to the right. He smiles at her before following her gaze, eyes landing on the head Fire Sage holding the crown to him expectantly. Zuko bows, and kneels down before the world, the Fire Nation, his family. He takes a deep breath as the Fire Sage approaches him.He hears, “All hail Fire Lord Zuko!”, and the crown is placed in his topknot, the weight of it terrifying and familiar all at once.
Zuko lifts his head up as the Fire Sage dismisses himself, keeping his head bowed. He stands up and walks towards the end of the platform, and turns, gesturing to Aang, Katara, and Sokka to join him. Together, the three of them stand at the edge of the platform and present themselves to the world. Zuko hears the cheers of the people below, but all that he cares about is the way Katara’s hand creeps into his, keeping him grounded as they enter a new world.
~0~
Several months later finds Zuko and the gang in Ba Sing Se, enjoying the new reopening of the Jasmine Dragon. It’s the last day of another peace summit, and Zuko is quite pleased with the new trade agreements with Kuei and Bumi (although he’s not quite sure what his country can do with several hundred pounds of rock candy-but oh well, he’ll deal with it). Katara and Sokka have secured strong hunting agreements with the Earth Kingdom in Southern waters, and Toph was, well- Toph. It’s not like she needed much. She spent most of the time with her feet on the table (which left most of the Earth Kingdom dignitaries in a frenzy), and tormenting the staff with her less than hygienic ways.
He makes his way over to Iroh, who is playing the sungi horn to Appa. He hands his uncle a cup of tea and smiles. Iroh looks at him, and says nothing, but Zuko can feel his uncle’s love wash over him in a gentle wave. Appa groans, and Zuko reaches into his robe and pulls out a mango, tossing it to the bison. The mango doesn’t stand a chance.
Toph is next, in all of her barefoot glory. She accepts the tea handed to her with a grin, stretching her feet out and resting them on the table, much to Momo’s chagrin. He takes one sniff before he chitters in disgust, taking flight to land next to Aang. The airbender laughs and summons a ball of air to float before the lemur.
Zuko makes his way over to Sokka, who is surrounded by Katara and Suki. He’s busy painting something, and as Zuko gets closer, Sokka looks up and glares at him. “Zuko, stop moving!” the water tribe boy shouts, making Zuko start in surprise. Sokka looks slightly satisfied, and goes back to his painting. “ I'm trying to capture the moment. I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together.
Katara laughs, and Zuko feels something tugging on his heart. Maybe he was wrong- maybe she is the moon and he is the ocean, always being tugged towards her. There’s something so simplistically beautiful about her- she is a juxtaposition, a warrior and a healer, and she carries within her something so good. It makes Zuko want to collect the stars from the sky for her.
“That's very thoughtful of you Sokka,” she says, and leans over her brother to take a closer look. She looks down, and immediately her face drops, and she frowns, and Zuko is now worried (because if she’s frowning there’s no telling what a mess Sokka just made)
“Wait! Why did you give me Momo's ears?”
“Those are your hair loopies.”
Zuko strides forward. He hears Suki exclaim, “Why am I firebending,” and then he’s on the painting, and it-
“My hair's not that spiky!”
It falls into chaos moments later. Everyone is clamoring at Sokka, even Momo gets involved, and Zuko has to step away. He drops his tray on the table and slips through the front door, abandoning Sokka to his fate. Poor guy was doomed from the start.
He makes his way to the overlook above the stream in front of the teashop and breathes in the fresh air. He looks to the sky. I hope you’re proud of me, Mom , he thinks, Wherever you are.
The sky's the exact same blue of Katara’s eyes.
He hears footsteps and turns. There she is. The waterbender with fire in her veins and the ocean in her heart. She makes her way over to him and stands by his side. “Hi,” she says. “I was hoping to catch you.”
She’s wearing a green Earth Kingdom dress, and her hair is down and loose around her face. She looks happy and relaxed, and Zuko thinks he’d go to the end of the world to keep that smile on her face if that’s what it took.
“I’m planning on staying in the Fire Nation,” she says. He blinks at her. “There’s so much I want to do- so much I need to do,” she explains. “The South Pole will be fine, now that Dad’s back, and Sokka’s got plans to return in a few months. They don’t need me there. I have to be where I’m needed.”
“I need you!” he blurts out, then goes red in the face. She blushes, and he coughs, trying desperately to come up with some save, some good comeback he can say to make him sound less awkward, more formal, more-
“I need you too,” she whispers back, and he freezes. He looks at her, and there is something in her gaze, something warm, and calming and-
Oh.
He blinks. “I-uh,” he begins, then clears his throat. “Katara, I think I love you.”
She smiles, and he can see the tears brimming in her eyes. “I think?” she asks, laughing. She steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck, and without consciously realizing it, his arms settle around her waist. He grins and leans in, pressing his nose to her hair and breathing in the smell of her rain.
“Mhm, maybe,” he whispers, and he turns and looks into her eyes. “Just maybe.”
She leans in, meeting him halfway, and slots her lips against his. The kiss is pure and sweet, and filled with so many promises of more, of life and love, and what the future holds. He pulls her close, and when she breaks the kiss, he rests his forehead against hers. She’s panting, but her hands are tight and sure around his neck.
“I love you, Zuko,” she whispers. “Whatever the future holds, we face it together.”
Together, huh. He likes the sound of that.
He nods, and presses his lips against her hair. “That sounds like a plan.”