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The coronation celebrations were still in full swing when Katara stepped outside for a moment of quiet.
The late summer air was warm, thick with the redolent scent of fire lilies.
In the palace courtyard, Katara sat near the edge of the turtle duck pond.
The full moon resembled a shiny pearl and cast a brilliant glow on the surface of the tranquil water.
“Katara?”
She turned and saw Aang standing there in his formal saffron robes and hand-carved wooden necklace that proudly displayed the three swirls of his people.
A smile bloomed across her face, and she extended her arm to him.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, sitting cross-legged next to her.
“Just taking a little break. They definitely know how to party here, huh?”
“Yeah. I think someone snuck some cactus juice in and Sokka got his hands on it.”
Katara rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Oh, great.”
A few moments of peaceful silence stretched between them. The feeling of being able to relax, of not having to always be on the run, was still foreign to them. It would take some time to get used to that.
“The world is so different now,” she said, gazing up at the stars that glittered against the velvet sky. “You can feel it, can’t you?”
“I know,” he agreed. “So many people - generations of families - have grown up surrounded by nothing but war. I know it won’t be easy, but now when they wake up in the morning, they can finally start to heal.”
Katara looked at him, her eyes soft with adoration. “And it’s all thanks to you. You saved the world, Aang. Just like I knew you would.”
Aang shook his head.
“It wasn’t me alone. I couldn’t have done it without you, Katara. You believed in me from the very beginning and never stopped, no matter what happened. We did it together — all of us.”
Katara sniffed and wiped her eyes. Her heart was full, nearly set to burst with all that she felt towards the extraordinary person who had changed her life: pride, gratitude, affection, love.
Resting her head on his shoulder, Katara’s hand found his. Their fingers intertwined and Aang gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She smiled to herself.
As they forged a path into a new era, neither knew what challenges lay in store for them. Yet, it hardly mattered. As long as they had each other, they would be able to overcome anything that the world could throw their way.