When Mai was murdered by an assassin just a mere seven months after the war's end, Zuko didn't feel remorse, pain, or anything remotely close to it. He hadn't loved Mai, yet he stayed with her anyway. She was his backup plan, after all. Seeing as the waterbender he loved was travelling the world with the man she swore she had to be with. Aang thought he appreciated what Katara was. He thought he appreciated her beauty, charm, grace, and compassion. And Katara had similar feelings. Katara didn't appreciate his intelligence or wisdom, or humor. She wanted Zuko, and he her, but they were both painfully unaware of the love that lay between them.
But wasn't it the same with him and Mai? He did not appreciate what he was given either. And he could tell, despite how much she told him otherwise in their many fights, that she longed for something far more adventurous than the life of the Fire Lord's significant other.
But when she was murdered by an assassin, who clearly wanted to intimidate the young Fire Lord by ending the life of the woman everyone thought he truly felt love for, he felt like an asshole. He didn't miss her. He didn't wish she was still with him; whether it is a romantic or platonic relationship they would share were that the case. She died being in a relationship where neither participant was happy with one another. And even though he didn't love her, he still cared about her as if she was the non-psychopathic sister he wished he had.
He'd spend the next year and a half internally kicking himself for not breaking it off. It would've made both of them happy.
But then Katara entered his life again.
Sure they'd shared countless letters with one another, but they never really saw each other when it wasn't strictly business. They had no time to enjoy one another's company when they did see each other, so that made goodbyes that much more painful to endure for the two long-distance companions.
When she came to the palace, Katara told Zuko of her ending the relationship she had with the young airbender, and proceeded to request that she act as an ambassador for the Water Tribes; both Southern and Northern. She'd traveled to both on plenty of occasions, and knew enough about their needs and what things were like in both tribes so she could safely speak about them and what they wanted to do without making any errors. So when Zuko made sure her request was not denied, and she became a member of his council, she was of great help for both the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes.
One long year passed before Zuko and his love finally stepped out of the boundaries of a platonic relationship, and they were wed shortly after. Zuko was finally able to tell her how much he loved her on a daily basis, and show her it was true with everything he did for her. Katara became the Fire Lord's Fire Lady a few months later, and they took back the Fire Nation, and over time, regained a portion of its honor and dignity.
Their daughter, Kya was born a short year after Katara's coronation. Kya, who had mocha skin and amber-colored eyes with black hair to match, looked just like her mother; so beautiful, so graceful, and everything her parents could want and more. When she was just three years old, Katara and Zuko witnessed something amazing, which left them with the safe assumption that she was a waterbender like her mother.
Their son, Ren, was born a few months later. He, on the other hand, was a firebender like his father. He even looked like him; save for his cerulean eyes.
But tragedy struck just a mere four months after Ren's sixth birthday. Katara fell ill, so ill, in fact, that she could barely get out of bed to relieve herself. Other than that, she was bedridden. Over the course of the proceeding few months, the now older, wiser Fire Lord had healers and doctors come in from all over the world, but all said there was nothing they could do.
Katara, the love of Zuko's life, was going to die.
"Zuko, my love," Katara says to him. "I know I am going to die soon. But you have to make a few promises for me, okay? But first, have Ren and Kya leave the room. I don't want them to hear this."
A few tears glide across her hollowed cheeks as Zuko ushers their children out of the room. Zuko returns to his love's bedside and gets on his knees beside her.
"You must promise me you are going to stay strong for little Kya and Ren. At the ages of six and nine I can already tell that they are going to be amazing people someday, and that they will make as big a difference in this world as you, me, and the rest of our friends have," she says. "I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else other than the children we have brought into this world. Take care of them, Zuko. And give Kya this," she removes her betrothal necklace and hands it to Zuko, "when she turns sixteen. And give her this," she reaches into the nightstand drawer and pulls out her mother's necklace before handing it to him, "when she turns fourteen."
Zuko just stares at the necklaces in his palms; the one he made for her and gave her is still warm from the fever she's had for the past weeks and from being on her skin so long. Her mother's necklace is still as beautiful as it was all those years ago when he first used it to track her, her brother, and the Avatar down and try to capture them.
"I'll save you from the pirates," he murmurs.
She smiles weakly at the quote from years ago. "Bring in Kya and Ren."
Zuko puts the necklaces in his pocket and does as he's told; his wife's smile getting bigger as their children enter the room.
"Kya," Katara begins. "I love you so much, my little waterbender. You are so beautiful and perfect. Keep practicing what I've taught you. Zuko will give you a new waterbending instructor soon. Take care of your father and brother, sweetheart. Because you're all they have left now."
Kya begins to cry. "I love you, Mama. Don't leave me!"
Ren follows suit. "Mommy, please!"
"Hush, now, my loves. It's alright. I promise," Katara coos to her children. "Ren, I love you so much, too, my handsome, young son," her son's lips form into a small smile at the term of endearment, "Keep practicing your firebending, little one. You'll get the hang of that darn fire kick soon. I promise."
Katara lets out a contented sigh and slowly smiles. "I see my mother and Gran-Gran. I also see Jet."
Zuko's jaw twitches a little at the mention of her former boyfriend, and Katara chuckles quietly.
"It is my time," she says. "But I am not afraid. My mother, the one you were named after, Kya, is waiting for me, along my Gran and Master Pakku. I am not in pain. I am simply at peace knowing that my children, my own flesh and blood, are going to be alright and are here with me, and the love of my life is here with me now as well. We will meet again, my loves. Someday. I promise you all will be in my hearts forever, even now that I am fading out of this world and into the next. I love you."
The last word is barely audible, and Katara's eyes close slowly, too slowly for Zuko and his now motherless children to bear. Suddenly, the door bursts open.
"We came as fast as we could," Sokka says.
Behind him are Suki, her and Sokka's eight year-old waterbending daughter, Yue, Aang, Toph, and their seven year-old, airbending son, Bumi.
"She's gone," Zuko murmurs.
"What?" Suki asks. "Did you just say she's gone?"
"She's gone," he repeats.
"No. This can't be happening. Katara will wake up any minute, right? Right?!" Sokka asks in a frantic burst of anguish and anxiety.
"No, Uncle Sokka," Kya says. "Mama's gone."
Kya rushes over to her uncle as they both collapse onto their knees in a fit of tears. The rest of the room starts crying as well. Zuko included.
"How could this happen?" Suki, who was like a sister to Katara, wails. "She can't be gone. She was only twenty-seven!"
Even Toph lets a few tears shed for her fallen friend, who for so long during their travels in the war had been the motherly figure she, Sokka, Aang (who was now her husband), and the rest of their friends and allies needed.
Katara was truly the strongest person any of them had ever known. And in the years after Katara's death and burial, they still found no other person who could carry such weight on her shoulders and still keep a smile on her face, and the faces of those around her.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this little two-shot. Feel free to leave a review. Or not. It's completely up to you. I won't cry if you don't… maybe. Because I cried enough writing this.
-Symphonic Madness