Chapter Text
‘Katara, wake up you have a visitor’ Ahnah her aunt, shook her by the shoulders.
‘This early? Ay Yue who is it?’ She yawned and stretched, and folded her cot. She splashed cold water on her face and swished her mouth. She dressed quickly and got out of her igloo expecting someone just outside but didn't find any. She then saw a commotion of people hurrying to the docks.
She walked to the docks to find a gathering of the tribes looking out at a ship on the bay. A fire nation ship. Past trauma made her cautious. Then she remembered that the war is over. Surprisingly, they’ve changed their flag colors to red and gold instead of red and black, same with the soldiers uniforms of red and yellow just as she had suggested to Uncle Iroh, or rather the current Fire Lord emeritus training the Crown Prince for a few years to ease the succession. As she moves her way to the front, a man in a thick fur lined fire nation regalia was ordering the others, his back turned on her.
She recognized the fire pin on his head.
‘Zuko?’
The man turned around.
‘Zuko!’
‘Katara!’
They ran to each other with beaming smiles. The velocity of their bodies colliding was so intense that she had to jump on him and he had to lift her up in a hug almost making him fall back which he didn’t mind. Both just overjoyed seeing each other again after a long time until they got conscious of curious stares. He put Katara down and she awkwardly fixed her outfit.
Thats weird. Zuko thought because something in him felt not quite the same the way he held Toph the last time he saw her, or when he would carry Toph on his back during their Ember Island days.
‘You look great! Well this is a surprise, what brings you here to my humble home?’ Katara curiously asks smiling.
‘Visiting a friend. How have you been?’
‘Pretty good considering…’ she pointed to some structures ‘We’re all busy overseeing some constructions going on. A lot of Northerners came to help, some have stayed as well. How long will you be here for?’
‘A week..’ he shrugged looking around, then at her, ‘maybe two?’
‘Are you with uncle?’ Katara looked over his shoulder when she sensed a lumbering walk behind her. Oh Papa, Zuko’s here…’
‘Of course my boy!’ Hakoda embraced Zuko so hard and lifted him up which alarmed Zuko’s guards. Zuko motioned to his guards to stand down, then an old lady approached him.
‘Y-you met my gran gran Kanna…’
As soon as he remembers, he knelt and bowed to her. The memory of how he was imposing and disrespectful the last time. His men did the same as soon as they saw their fire prince kneeling.
Kanna cupped his face and gave him a pat to stand up. She was speaking in their language smiling, touching Zuko all over, squeezing his bicep and hitting his chest. Katara was so embarrassed.
Zuko smiles and asks, ‘What did she say?
Hakoda laughed and Katara was beside herself blushing. ‘Oh nothing it’s just she’s.. hey how are things back at the Fire Nation. It’s been what, three months since I left?’
Katara tries to change the subject as she pulls Zuko away. Zuko arches one of his brows looking at Katara while still holding Kanna’s hand. He gave Gran gran’s hand a squeeze and a pat before letting her go.
‘Papa, why dont you show Zuko the construction site’. She pointed to the structure to distract him. Hakoda smiled and shrugged.
‘Oh yes Chief Hakoda, part of my visit was to see how the constructions are coming along so I can update my uncle.’
‘Its all well my boy. Sokka comes once in awhile to check, he incorporates some earth kingdom wisdom he learned or invented to make the structures sturdier. We had to put our stamp in it otherwise the Northerners would take over and make our place look like theirs and we’d lose our identity. We’ll show you around later but in the meantime, why dont you and your crew rest? We’re currently building a site where foreign delegates can stay to make our place, shall I say ‘more habitable’ for those who are not used to the cold. I think we’d call it the Court of Ministers.’
Hakoda showed him an edifice where Zuko would stay but it’s still being built.
‘Its still 60% under construction. I know its not much…’
‘It will do Chief Hakoda. I’ll gather some of my staff to stay there. Some will remain on the ship. I’ll probably remain on the ship too and make sure my men dont get too comfortable’
Hakoda chuckled knowing what his men do on idle nights. ‘I understand all too well about idle men, son.’
Hakoda asks Katara to show Zuko the village later that day as he delegates tasks to tribesmen and women to prepare a banquet in honor of their guests.