For Zutara Week 2016. Reincarnation.
Rated T for one curse word and suggestive themes. Better safe then sorry!
Disclaimer: I do not own the show or the characters.
Katara thought that age had been kind to them. She thought back more than eighty-five years ago when she stood in a crystal cavern and gently touched the face of her then enemy. Now she sat next to him at Korra and Asami's wedding. Seeing those two beautiful young people brought up old, deeply buried memories. It is not to say Katara did not love Aang and that Zuko did not love Izumi's mother but eight-five years ago there was something between her and the Prince of the Fire Nation. Thinking of old memories reminded her of what she told Korra during her ailment and self-confinement in the South Pole "Don't wonder 'what if' Jump for it with your arms out and your heart open".
Katara startled. The old Fire Lord was pulling her up, saying something to her.
"You'll have to speak up. My ears are old like the rest of me."
The once Fire Lord smiled softly. "It was such a beautiful ceremony, that I am very eager to see the reception."
"Yes, I as well. Pema and the children did a fantastic job on Air Temple Island."
Katara and Zuko remained near each other for the reminder of night. Korra and Asami had danced with both of them. The newly married couple kept on repeating how grateful they were to Katara, how much they owed her. Zuko looked curious each time but he never asked. Katara's children and grandchildren stopped by to speak to them of course. The wonderful thing about old age was that people came to you if they wanted to speak.
Zuko and Katara spoke of many things, delicately dancing around the topic of them. At their age, it was more habit than anything else. The long lingering looks stopped years ago as did the small idles touches.
Hours passed since the early afternoon wedding ceremony and people were beginning to filter out. The young were being carried by parents and grandparents. Katara and Zuko were part of that parting crowd. They started to stand up and gather their things when Shiori, Katara's last student, came up to them.
"Sifu Katara! Allow me to escort you to your room."
Katara smiled, "I haven't been your Sifu in years. I have Lord Zuko here to walk me."
The brunette gave them a long pointed look, "are you sure Lady Katara?"
"Yes my little warrior. Go. Enjoy the party."
The young girl stared at the former Fire Lord another second, nodded at her former Sifu then left to rejoin the party.
"That girl has never liked me." Zuko commented.
Katara stared into his amber eyes. "Come, let's walk through the garden before we go to the dormitory. I'll tell you a story I once told Shiori and Korra."
The pair walked in silence to the gardens. Once she found a bench overlooking the water, Katara grabbed Zuko's hand and started to tell him the tale of the first Moon and Sun spirits.
Long ago when the world was a child, spirits were allowed to leave their posts and walk the world. This was before there was an avatar and right before humans were born. The Sun and Moon were among the first spirits to roam. They often came across each other for a few hours every day. Sun loved to watch Moon pull and push the oceans. Moon liked to watch Sun lift the sunshine up. They watched each other for centuries, learning everything about the other. They admired each other and their abilities. Moon and Sun fell in love.
We don't know the names of the original Sun and Moon spirits. We call the moon Yue now for she is the current Moon spirit but she was not the first. Nor was the Koi fish that gave her life. This does not mean that the original Sun and Moon spirits are dead. They each live inside a human of their choice.
The reason Sun and Moon blessed other spirits with their original positions is because they wanted to love each other like humans do. At the end of Sun and Moon's first human lives they decided they did not want to live without the other. They used their great power to bind their lives together. They will always be alive at the same time as each other. It is said that the Moon always lives in a Waterbender and the Sun in a Firebender. These benders are the best of their generation. They are always meant for great things. When the spirits inhabit a human they do not truly recognize their other half until they have been united as one. In every life their human hosts search for their balance. But they don't always find each other.
Towards the end of the Hundred Year War, the great Sun and Moon went into new humans. Their new hosts hated each other with a passion at first. But hate is just the other side of love. Soon they loved each other with a great passion. Even so the pair was never united in their love. They grew apart physically but their true other half was always on their mind. The Moon and Sun thought they found each other but were never sure.
Katara turned to Zuko, put her hand on his scarred side like she did eighty-five years ago, and stared into his amber eyes.
"I'll find you"
"The train E uptown will be arriving in 1 minute."
"Shit" I ran.
"Wait! Hold the door!" I tried to make eye contact with someone to guilt them into holding the subway door. My eyes connected with amber eyes. 'Perfect.' I thought.
Amber Eyes held the closing door with one hand and pulled me with his other. He held me close and smiled.
"I found you."
I'm happy with how this turned out. What do you think? You'll learn more about why Korra is so grateful and why Zuko isn't Shiori's favorite person in tomorrow's fic called "Jump With Your Heart Open". It's a prequel of sorts to this fic.