Chapter Text
It was the sound of a familiar voice that gradually pulled Zuko from the hazy dream-filled sleep he had fallen into. As he became more awake, his right hand automatically came up towards his neck, pulling at the cord until he felt the cold, bronze metal slip into his fingers. It was an action that he had done so often in the last few weeks that just touching the sun pendant instantly calmed him.
Zuko opened his eyes and was surprised for a moment to see the canopy of his bed in the royal palace, lit up by the glow of the late afternoon sun. Then his memory quickly caught up with him. Flashes of his encounters with the Sons of Sozin and then Azula and Ichiro hurtled through his mind's eye, and when the image of Katara collapsing to the ground resurfaced, he sat up in a rush. This immediately produced an ache from different areas on his body–his rib area and midsection being the ones that yelled the most. He felt a little queasy when he remembered seeing the blade sticking out from his stomach area. His hands quickly moved to the area, and he let out a sigh of relief when he felt relatively smooth skin underneath his fingers.
That's right…Katara did some healing on me before she did all that bloodbending and passed out. I remember she was awake when I carried her to her room so she could rest some more. Then Uncle forced me to do the same… Zuko hadn't wanted to lie down, but his uncle had stubbornly insisted that Zuko needed to rest, and had threatened to carry Zuko to the bed himself if he needed to. Thinking of his uncle made him think about what had woken up, which he thought had been Iroh's voice.
His suspicions were correct as a moment later his uncle came through the door that led to his private chambers. When Iroh saw him, a huge smile came over him. "Ah, Nephew, I am glad to see that you are finally awake."
That made Zuko frown. "What do you mean 'finally'? How long have I been asleep?"
Iroh came over and gently sat down at the end of Zuko's bed. That mischievous twinkle was back in his eyes. "Oh, maybe two or three hours. I made sure that you were not disturbed."
"What?!" Zuko nearly yelped. "I was out that long?" What have I missed? Is everyone okay? "Wait," he looked at his uncle anxiously, "Katara…is she okay?
Iroh smiled, instantly alleviating some of Zuko's fears. "Yes, Katara is fine. She is still in her room resting. I had also left instructions that she not be disturbed until after she had woken up."
Zuko held his breath. "And what about my mother…Ursa?"
"She is doing just fine as well." Iroh, no doubt seeing the look of immense relief on Zuko's face, gave him a moment before he continued. "Samira and your friends arrived here at the palace shortly after you had retired to your rooms. She went and saw Ursa right away. Thankfully she hadn't lost too much blood and Samira was able to heal her. She is resting in her rooms as well."
"And what about Toph and Masato? And the rest of the teams?"
Iroh chuckled. "Why don't you go and see for yourself? All of your friends have been asking about you and wanting to know if you were okay too."
Zuko nodded. "I will, in just a little bit." Just thinking about his friends sobered his thoughts, which Iroh noticed. "But what about the Sons of Sozin? Did they all get captured? Did any of them escape?"
"All of the teams have made it back to the palace too. All four of the entrances were well covered the whole time, and since all the underground tunnels were flooded, we know that none of the Sons of Sozin stayed underground. All of the Sons that tried to flee to the surface have been arrested and sent to the Prison Tower. From the reports I've gotten from across the city, it looks like we got them all."
Zuko felt as if another weight had finally been lifted off of him. "Katara and I were so afraid that one of our friends could have been hurt by the flood. I'm glad everyone made it out okay."
Iroh lifted a quizzical brow. "That was quite a feat you two pulled. I can't even begin to wonder how you accomplished such a thing. It looks like the water level at Lake Caldera is now resting a few feet lower than it was yesterday."
Zuko grimaced. "Well, we unfortunately didn't have much of a choice…I guess you could call it an act of desperation. I…I saw Setsuko get pinned by a rock in the bottom of the main chamber that was flooded. I think it's a pretty safe bet that he didn't make it."
Iroh nodded grimly. "His second in command, Goro, was taken to the Prison Tower. Masato made sure to double the guards there since that is where the remaining Sons are."
For some reason that made Zuko smile. "Well, I guess Masato's not doing too bad if he's already bossing people around."
Iroh chuckled. "Yes, he has already been directing people around the palace and making sure all of our loyal soldiers are back in position in and around the entire palace. Your head of security has been keeping himself very busy already."
Iroh's words stirred something in Zuko, making him frown.
"What is it, Nephew?"
"I just…" Zuko had to look away, towards one of the large windows next to his bed while he gathered his thoughts. "It feels like for so long now I've just been trying to survive and stay alive. The last couple months that I've been the Fire Lord all I've been doing is trying to put out fires and stay one step ahead of the Sons of Sozin. Now that threat is over, I almost don't even know what to do. I never really paid attention to all the things it took to run a nation." Zuko couldn't keep the frustration out of his voice. "There's still so many things to do, it's completely overwhelming and honestly, there's still a large part of me that doesn't think I deserve this. I've made so many wrong choices and put so many people in danger. What if Ichiro was right? What if there is someone better at this than me?"
Much to Zuko's surprise, Iroh smiled. "It is only natural to doubt one's self, especially when you have to shoulder so much responsibility. But just the fact that you are asking such questions is a sign that you are trying to be the best version of yourself. Your struggles are not a sign of weakness, Zuko–rather, it shows you are on the right path, for it is only through our struggles that we learn and grow stronger. It is only out of the ashes that the Phoenix can rise again. I know that you are exactly where you need to be." Iroh leaned towards him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ruling an entire nation is a very challenging task, and not one that you will have to take on by yourself. I will stay here as long as you need me, Nephew, to advise you or help you in any way necessary."
Zuko rocked back in surprise. "What? Stay here? But what about the Jasmine Dragon? Uncle, I can't let you give up your dream just because of me!"
Iroh shook his head. "I am not giving up on anything. The Jasmine Dragon now has a lot of capable people to run it as long as I am gone. I will go back to it one day, but for now, I will be where I am needed most."
It seemed that Zuko and Iroh had been apart for so long now, that just the thought of Iroh being back in his life again made Zuko immediately choke up. Not caring that there were tears in his eyes, Zuko leaned forward and threw his arms around his uncle, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you," he whispered to Iroh.
Still embracing him, his Uncle tenderly replied, "I will always do whatever I can to help you Nephew. Remember that you are never alone."
"I know." Zuko finally released his Uncle. He then moved so he could get up out of bed. As he pulled his tunic on, he heard his Uncle ask behind him.
"Are you going to check on Katara?"
"I will in just a little bit. Where is my mother staying?"
"She is in her old room."
With another quick hug, Zuko said a quick goodbye and headed down a familiar twists of hallways that he had taken hundreds of times as a child. It almost felt unreal, knowing that his mother was once again here, waiting for him. When he knocked on her door, a very familiar, soft voice called from inside.
"Who is it?"
Zuko took a deep breath. "It's me…Zuko."
"Come in!"
Zuko slowly entered the small room, which was really just a welcoming room that led to the small suite that had always been his mother's. As his feet guided him through the familiar path to her bedroom, Zuko was overcome with memories. Countless times he had walked or even run through here. Sometimes it was excited footsteps to show his mother something–like another bearded toad he had found in the turtle duck pond, or a new origami figure that he had just mastered. Other times he had run towards it like a sanctuary, a place of refuge where he knew that he would always be loved and protected.
When he stepped into her bedroom, he saw her sitting at one of tables next to her bed, bent over writing a letter. Even though her hair was shorter and a different color, just the way she was posed was so striking a resemblance from his childhood memories that the force of him hit him like a bolt to the chest. She must have heard his sharp intake of breath, because she immediately dropped her pen and stood up to face him. Her entire face lit up in a beautiful smile. "Zuko!"
In the next moment they had already closed the distance between them and embraced in a tender hug. Zuko could hardly believe that this was happening…that this was real. His mom had been gone for so long that this moment felt incredibly surreal.
Ursa pulled back and then moved her hand so she could gently cup the side of his face. She didn't say anything for several moments, and instead just lovingly studied his features. Finally, she whispered. "For so long I dreamed of this moment. I dreamed of the day that I could see you again and tell you just how much I love you."
"I dreamed of the same thing too," Zuko softly replied. "I still can't believe that you're alive, and that you're here. I was so afraid that something had happened to you…that you were dead."
A flash of pain crossed her features. "I'm so sorry that you had to wait so long. I can't even imagine how much hurt it must have caused you. If there was any way I could have come back sooner, I would have done it."
Zuko swallowed a painful lump in his throat. "Ozai told me about why he banished you–that you did it to save me. You knew Ozai was going to punish you, but you still did it."
"Of course I did," she answered fiercely, "and if I had to make the same choice over again I would, without hesitation. I would do anything to protect my children. I love you both so much. There is no price too high to pay if it means keeping you both safe. I only wish I could have returned sooner, but Ozai made it certain that I couldn't–or wouldn't–come back."
"So where were you that whole time? How did you learn to fight like that?"
She laughed as she gently grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the table. After they both took a seat she began to talk and told him her whole story from the time she had been banished, all the way up to her arriving back at the Fire Nation capital again.
Zuko could feel his apprehension returning. "So…what are you going to do now? Do you have to go back to the Earth Kingdom right away?"
Ursa looked surprised. "The only plans I have now is to stay right here. I may return to the Earth Kingdom here and there, but that time of my life is over." She smiled. "I want to be here for you, Zuko, and help you however I can" His mother uttered a short laugh. "I could even run an eyes-and-eyes network here in the Fire Nation if you like. I already have one young candidate that would be a great addition to my team."
"I'm sure Liem would love that," Zuko wryly remarked. He then straightened. "I have to admit, I could use your help. There's a lot more to being the Fire Lord than I thought. I don't really know all the administrative and bureaucratic responsibilities yet, and it would be great to have someone guide me through it."
"Don't worry, Zuko. Between myself, Iroh, and Kenshin, we will make sure you'll learn whatever you need."
"How do you know about Kenshin–? Ah, never mind." But then, given what her job had been for the last several years, Zuko wasn't really surprised. He shook his head. "And you sure that you're alright?" He asked her, "Iroh said that Samira healed you, but I wanted to make sure."
"Yes, I am fine, Zuko. There is no need to worry about me." She then quirked an eyebrow at him. "You also got quite an injury fighting Ichiro. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am, mostly thanks to Katara."
A secretive smile stole onto his mother's lips. "She is quite a remarkable young woman. I don't think I've seen someone so young display such incredible waterbending and healing. I am very thankful that she was there with you."
He smiled. "Me too."
"You really love her, don't you?"
His smile widened. "Yes, I do, very much.
Her brightly colored eyes shimmered with an incredible warmth. "I'm so happy for you, Zuko. To know genuine love is an incredible thing. Just in the short time I was with the two of you I can see how much you care for each other."
"We do care a lot about each other," Zuko hesitated, "but I also don't know what the future holds for us. I don't want Katara to leave, but this isn't her home–it's on the opposite side of the world." His heart gave a little twist. "How can I ask her to leave her home, her family–everything she's ever known–to come live with me? I can't ask something so selfish…but just the thought of being without her…hurts."
"Well, have you asked her what she thinks about all this?"
Her answer surprised him. "Well, no, but–"
"-then what are you waiting for?" She asked with something close to a smirk.
Zuko was so caught off guard that he didn't know what to say. His mother then waved her hands at him, shooing him off. "Well, go then. I know you want to check on her anyways." She smiled, "That seems like a good time to ask as any."
His mind was in a whirl as he stood up, trying to collect himself. Ursa stood up and walked over to him. "There's just one more thing before you go."
"What's that?"
His mother took something out of one of her pouches and pressed it quickly in his hand. When he uncurled his fingers, he was shocked. It was the crown of the Fire Lady.
Shocked, he looked back up at his mother. "But, why are you giving this to me?"
Her lilting laugh was music to his ears. "Because I am not the Fire Lady any longer." She gave him a knowing look, "You are the Fire Lord now Zuko, and someday–perhaps very soon–that will need to be worn by that someone special who you've chosen to spend the rest of your life with. Until that time, it will be yours."
Zuko took a deep breath. "Thank you, Mom."
Her eyes smiled at him. "Any time, Son. Now, go on."
Zuko was already smiling before he had left her room.
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Katara felt something very warm by her side, and it was that feeling that finally brought her out of her slumber. When she opened her eyes, she was pleasantly surprised to see Zuko sitting on her bed right next to her.
The corners of his lips turned up in a gentle smile. "Hey there."
She was already smiling. "Hey yourself."
He reached towards her, his hand slowly caressing her cheek as he gazed deep into her eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better now. You?"
"The same. You did a pretty good job patching me up."
She smirked as she sat up. "It's a good thing, seeing as how you're always getting holes stuck in you. Can you just try to go for a whole week without needing some healing?"
He chuckled. "I promise. I'll try to go a whole week without getting an injury. After all, I already promised not to go on any other adventures for a while."
"Well, I'll make sure to hold you to both of those promises."
For some reason, this wiped the smile off of Zuko's face. He suddenly seemed troubled. "Zuko," she asked, "what is it?"
Zuko looked away. "I guess I've started thinking about the future–about our future–and not knowing what's going to happen to us scares me."
"What do you mean?" Katara asked, confused. When he didn't answer right away, she reached up and gently cupped his chin in her hand and turned him towards her again. "Zuko, I'm not going anywhere."
Katara could see the storms that swirled in the depths of his eyes. "Katara, I don't want you to leave. I know now what it feels like to live without you, and I don't want to go through that again. But I also know that this isn't your home. Your home and your people are in the Southern Water Tribe, and I can't–I won't–keep you from it." Tears began to gather in the corner of his eyes. "I don't want you to have to choose between me and your home."
His words surprised her, and the full meaning behind what it implied left her speechless for several moments. There had always been some small part of her that had gone down these paths, and wondered about her future. Katara had always envisioned it as two futures–one where she had followed her duty and gone back to her home to her people, and one where she had followed her heart, which always led back to Zuko. She knew now, however, that there was a third option.
Smiling, Katara closed the distance until she gently laid her forehead against his. She didn't say anything for several moments, instead cherishing the touch of his skin against hers, and the warmth of his breath on her cheeks. Katara gave his lips a quick kiss before pulling back enough so she could look him in the eyes. "I used to think the same thing…that someday I would have to choose between being here or going home, but I've since come to realize that I don't have to make that choice. It doesn't have to be either you or going back to my people. I can choose both. I do want to go back to my Southern Water Tribe and spend time with my family and help my people. But I also want to be with you because I love you, and I will never let that go. I won't lose you again, especially when I just got you back. I think I've known for a long time now that this is my home–here in the Fire Nation with you. I know it won't be easy, and there's going to be stretches of time when I'll be gone, but I'm willing to make it work." She let out a gentle laugh. "Like it or not, You're Highness, you're stuck with me, and there's nothing you can say or do to change that."
She could see hope burning in his eyes again, but yet he suddenly seemed very nervous. His behavior became even more curious as he grabbed something from inside his tunic. But Zuko had it clutched so tightly in his hands that Katara couldn't see what it was. When he glanced down at the mysterious item, he seemed to turn even more pale.
She was becoming a little alarmed. "Zuko, are you okay?"
At her voice, she saw him take a deep breath, and then look back up at her. As he held her gaze, he became more sure of himself. "I am now, because you're right. I want you to go back to your home and to be with your people. I know how much they mean to you, and I never want to take that away from you." His gaze instantly became very fierce. "I know we're young, but I also know that I love you utterly and completely, and that I could go an entire lifetime and never find this–what we have–with someone else ever again."
With the item still clutched tightly in his hand, he slowly reached out and turned Katara's hand palm up, laying it softly there in her grasp. She gasped when she saw the elegant crown that she had seen just earlier in the day. Both alarmed and excited, she instantly looked up and caught Zuko's gaze. "Wait…is this the Fire Lady's crown?"
The smile that curved his lips made her heart flutter. "It is." He gently cupped his hands around hers. Staring deep into his gold and amber fleck eyes, it was hard for her to remember to breathe. "Katara, I want you to go back to the Southern Water Tribe and be with your people, and to help them rebuild. I want you to take all the time you need, and if that means you're there for months or years on end, then so be it. But I wanted to give you something that you could keep with you to remember me. And whenever you're ready, I want you to know that you have a place here, by my side. You're the only one that I want to be my Fire Lady, because I love you, Katara, and only you."
Katara could already feel the tears coming to her eyes, but she was also smiling, giddy with all the emotions that were swirling through her. She was tightly gripping the small, elegant crown now. "Thank you for understanding, because it is important for me to go back to my tribe, but yes…I will come back to the Fire Nation…and one day I will be your Fire Lady."
The smile that overcame Zuko was so brimming with happiness and love, just the sight of it took her breath away. Then Zuko was moving, and before she knew it he had wrapped her in his embrace and his lips had found hers. The intensity of his kiss immediately chased away all other thoughts until there was only him, and the feeling of his lips pressed against hers. Her desire for him was so strong that in the next moment she was kissing him back just as desperately, hungry for more. She felt as if she was melting into him, and the warmth that fully surrounded her was delicious. She never wanted this to end, but finally at some point they parted, gasping for breath.
She gently rubbed her nose against his. "I love you, Zuko."
He gave her another, quick kiss. "And I love you, Katara." He then planted a quick peck on her forehead. "As much as I want to just stay here…we should probably go out and see the others. I was told they were kind of worried about us."
She gasped. "Toph and Masato–are they okay? Did everyone make it out of the tunnels okay?"
Zuko stood up. "They did. Let's go check on them."
Without further delay, the two of them headed out of Katara's rooms and started to head towards Zuko's office, figuring to start their search there. Soon enough they were at the main hall leading towards their destination, where they saw a large group of people gathered. When Katara recognized her friends, she immediately started running.
"Katara!" Suki was the first to spot her, and in just a few steps they were already hugging. "Oh Katara, I'm so glad you're okay!" Suki said as she squeezed her tightly.
"I'm so happy too, I was so worried about you!" As soon as Katara released Suki, she was then surrounded by Sokka, Aang, Toph and was being hugged on every side. A second later, Katara felt a familiar heat beside her, and then realized that suddenly she was in the middle of a very big, very chaotic and giggly group hug.
Eventually, they all untangled themselves and it seemed that everyone was talking at once.
"Katara, you're in one piece!-"
"-had hoped you didn't get squashed by all those badgermole sized rocks–"
"-heard you faced off against Sparky's sister. Did you get to kick her ass?"
Katara laughed. "I know, I was worried about you guys too, but I'm glad to see you're all okay." She smirked. "And yes, I did fight Azula and show her a thing or two."
Toph grinned. "Way to go, Sugar Queen!"
"Thanks," Katara replied with satisfaction, "I even surprised Zuko with some of the stuff that Suki has been teaching me."
Zuko frowned. "Yeah, though it was kind of convenient that youforgot to tell me that before we started our hand-to-hand combat practice fights." He directed a pointed look at Suki. "You didn't have to teach her all of your sneaky moves, you know."
Sokka was grinning from ear to ear as stretched his arm out and around Suki's shoulders. "Don't hate on my girl because she's got the skills."
That made them all laugh. Suki didn't seem the least bit bothered by it though. "We girls gotta stick together, isn't that right?"
"Of course it is!" Toph exclaimed. She then lightly elbowed Aang next to her. "Besides, we're usually the ones that end up saving the boys' butts anyways."
There were several, immediate protests voiced by each boy by this last statement. Much to Katara's surprise, she then saw Toph lean in and kiss Aang, effectively cutting off whatever else he was trying to argue. While the sight surprised Katara, it also made her happy. She had a good feeling about Toph and Aang. They both seemed to balance each other pretty well.
"What the heck–!" Sokka shouted at Toph, "Are you telling me that Little Miss Intolerant and now suddenly okay with PDA?!"
Toph ended her kiss with Aang and turned to Sokka, crossing her arms in a kind of intimidating manner. In an attempt to forestall the approaching storm, Aang put a hand on Toph's arm. His voice was gentle. "I think everyone's allowed to change their mind, Sokka. The most important thing is that we each, in our own way, have found our path towards happiness."
Toph rolled her eyes. "Upbeat to the absolute end. That's my Twinkle Toes."
Right then, another younger voice floated towards them. "Well, I'm glad you're all taking things so lightly, especially considering the suicide missions you dove right into."
When Katara saw who it was, she broke out into a smile. "Liem!"
Zuko was grinning as well. "Liem, you're okay!"
The small boy huffed. "Yeah, no thanks to your crazy uncle. That man made me face off with both Ichiro and Azula, all in one day! If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was trying to put a hit out on me."
Katara then saw Iroh and another group of people approach them. Zuko's uncle smiled. "I think our friend might be overestimating the danger he was in just a bit."
Zuko cocked an eyebrow at the young boy, "Who, Liem? Never."
"What?" Liem protested. "I'll have you know that not only did I risk my neck facing off with Yoshiro and his General Psycho-Ness, but I also had to dodge fireballs while riding on the back of a flying deathtrap with a bunch of crazies who think they can fly!"
Zuko rolled his eyes as Katara went and gave Liem a quick hug. "Well, we do appreciate everything you've done Liem. And your hard work will be rewarded." On a whim, she leaned down and planted a quick kiss on the young boy's cheek, which immediately made him turn red from hair to chin. Katara laughed. "Well, it's good to know that some things haven't changed."
Zuko sniggered and her friends laughed at seeing Liem's reaction. He then threw a dirty look at Zuko. "You better watch it, Your Highness. I've already gotten a couple of kisses now. At this rate, I think your girlfriend will start liking me more than you."
That immediately wiped the smirk off of Zuko's face. His expression darkened. "That's not funny Liem–"
"Oh, lighten up, Sparky," Toph chimed in. She slid up to Liem and without warning, gave him a nice punch in the arm. "Scrawny here is just mouthing off."
"Ow!" Liem growled. "Hey, I already got one injury on that arm, don't give me another!"
Toph snorted. "It wasn't even that hard of a punch. You need to toughen up, Short Stuff."
"Who are you calling short?!" Liem protested, "You're the same height as me!"
"Easy there. You're going to have to calm it down if you want to go gambling with me later."
"Toph," Zuko growled, "You two are not going to go gambling…not if I have any say about it."
Katara folded her arms. "They won't unless they want a komodo rhino's worth of trouble heading right for them."
A deep voice then came up behind Liem, "If that boy has any sense then he'll make sure to stay out of trouble."
Liem sighed without even turning around. "Yes, Masato."
"I'm glad to see you back, Masato," Katara heard Zuko tell the large man.
"Same for you, Your Highness." He then gave a very sincere look to both her and Zuko. "Thank you both again for coming to rescue me and Toph. I have to admit, I've never had people in my life before that actually cared about me. It's good to know that I have friends."
"Same here," Liem agreed, "I have to admit…you guys are pretty awesome."
More movement drew Katara's attention, and she turned to see her dad coming towards her. "Dad!" Katara ran up to her father. It felt good to hug him again.
Her father smiled. "I am very proud of both you and your brother Katara." He then frowned. "Though, I don't approve of the fact that you both just decided to run off to the Fire Nation and dive into a fight without even telling me."
Katara winced. "Yeah, I'm sorry Dad. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Okay, but you, your brother, and I still need to have a long talk about what happened."
"You're right, Dad," Sokka chimed in. He then looked around the group. "Well, I guess we're going to have a lot of time to talk at the peace conference. That is where we're heading next right?"
"I think that's a good idea," Zuko chimed in. "Now that the Sons aren't a threat–and this time it's legit–I think we should get back the conference in Ba Sing Se."
A particularly loud and distinct laugh caught Katara's attention, and she saw Bumi put his arms around Piandao and Pakku. "But before we do that–it's time to party!"
Toph hooted. "Now you're talkin' my lingo!"
Iroh smiled. "I think some celebration and relaxation is exactly what we need!"
Everyone immediately began chiming in, talking about what all they should do or bring for the celebration. By the sounds of it, there was going to be tons of food and no shortage of entertainment–Katara wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Aang and Sokka actually did manage to find some kind of juggling bears, even in the middle of the Fire Nation Capital.
"Hey Zuko! Hey Katara!"
Both Zuko and Katara turned to see Ty Lee come practically skipping up towards them, followed closely by Mai…and Azula.
Katara still had mixed feelings about the whole group, but she had already decided that she was going to give them a chance, just like she had Zuko. "Are you guys going to stick around for the celebration?" she asked them.
Mai frowned. "Thanks, but I think we're going to head out and get an early start heading back to the Earth Kingdom." She cast a quick glance at Azula before looking back at her and Zuko, but Zuko had caught it too.
"Azula, are you going to go with them?" Zuko asked quietly.
She caught Zuko's gaze. "I am." She then looked away. "I'm not really ready for all of…this, and how different everything is going to be now. I've been the dutiful princess for so long that I don't know how to be anything else. Mai and Ty Lee suggested that I should travel with them, and just try to be myself–to just try to be 'Azula for a while'. I think it's worth a shot in any case."
Surprisingly, Zuko smiled. "I think that's a good idea. I know it helped me a lot. I hope it helps. Just know that anytime you want to come back here, Azula, you can."
For just a moment, gold eyes met gold eyes. "Thanks…Zuko." With a nod, she turned away and began to walk away, towards the front of the palace.
Zuko looked at both Ty Lee and Mai. "Thank you both again for all of your help. Stay safe out there…and look out for her, okay?"
Ty Lee smiled. "We will, Zuko."
Mai then caught Katara's gaze and nodded towards Zuko. "Take good care of him. He tends to get in way over his head pretty much all the time."
Katara couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I noticed that, and I will, I promise."
Both girls then turned and quickly walked to catch up with Azula. Soon, all three were out of sight.
Turning back to their family and friends, Katara couldn't help but feel extremely grateful that they had come out on the other side. There was going to be a lot to do, but it didn't worry her, because she knew she wouldn't be alone. Her thoughts then drifted back to the precious item she had tucked away in her pouch. She couldn't help but pull out the fire shaped crown and smile down at its elegant figure.
She felt a pair of arms surround her, and she looked up, only to see a beautiful pair of golden eyes staring back down at her. Katara felt as if she could stare into their depths forever.
He dipped his head until his forehead brushed hers, and planted a sweet kiss on her nose. "Are you having second thoughts yet?"
Katara grinned. "No chance. You're not getting cold feet on me are you?"
Instead of answering, he leaned down and gave her a very, thorough kiss. "Not a chance," he said, a touch breathless.
"Good, because I'm looking forward to the day when I get to officially order you around."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "But you already do that."
Katara playfully smacked his shoulder. "I do not. You just wait–" Any further protest of hers was cut off as Zuko scooped her up in his arms and unabashedly kissed her. It was then when it hit her…why she knew without a doubt that she was on the right path.
In his arms, she was home.
THE END
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