Chapter Summary: Suki's words gave Katara comfort that she likely wasn't alone with her feelings; however, she was determined more than ever now to try and rebuild the closeness she used to have with all of them during the war.
It wouldn't be the same because they wouldn't be flying across the world together, but she hoped that perhaps it'd be better.
The morning was quiet in the Southern Water Tribe, most slept until their bodies wouldn't allow them anymore rest in preparation for tomorrow's festivities. Katara wished she could be one of those who continued to sleep comfortably in their bed, but as the sun climbed higher over the horizon she was also grateful for the sudden peace.
Somehow her feet carried her to the iceberg Aang had once been trapped inside for a hundred years. The tribe had left it alone and let nature do her thing. And so the iceberg that had once been farther off their shores had begun to glide by, close enough to see the hole Katara had made with Sokka's club to break Aang free.
Life had apparently come full circle for Katara, because here she stood, back in the Southern Water Tribe with her family living a life without Aang, just like she had all those years ago. Of course, things had been different back then, her father had been gone and she had grown a little taller and filled in her curves, but the feeling in her gut was the same.
The determination to be more than what she currently was.
Now her desires extended beyond the need to learn waterbending. She wanted to shape the world, to bring balance back to the nations and start the path to letting hatred go.
"Katara!"
Sokka's voice interrupted her before she could analyze what she really and truly wanted further. Her brother looked annoyed and as he stopped to catch his breath, Katara raised an eyebrow at him.
"What are you doing all the way out here? Suki and Zuko are almost here!" he said.
Katara's eyes widened as she looked up to the sky. Sure enough, the sun had crept almost to midday while she had been lost in her thoughts. And much to Sokka's displeasure, Katara bent an ice sheet beneath them and propelled them toward the docks. "I hate you!" he shouted in her ear and she couldn't help but tip her head back and laugh as he clutched onto her.
The Peace Festivals and birthdays had always been an exciting time for Katara when she was with Aang. It meant she got to see their friends, got to catch up and ask how their lives were going.
This time her excitement was sprinkled with a little dread because of the questions she'd get when they realized Aang was notably not with her.
Still, as they came upon the docks and saw Zuko's massive ship pull into the harbor she bounced on her feet in anticipation. Sokka was much the same, unable to contain his own excitement at getting to see Suki as he rambled on about whatever popped into his head.
Katara ignored him mostly; it was always hard to decipher Sokka when he was like this.
What felt like hours later, the ship's ramp opened and their friends began to walk down to meet them at the bottom. The moment Suki stepped on the snow Katara raced forward and swept the older girl up into a hug.
Sokka's, "Hey!" was met with only laughter from both herself and Suki, who returned the hug just as enthusiastically.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see an amused smile on Zuko's face. No doubt from the pout that Sokka sported. The moment Katara let go of Suki, Sokka all but pounced on the poor girl and kissed her right there.
Katara swatted at her brother before she moved towards Zuko who was a safe distance away from Sokka who by the way got to see Suki more often than any of them.
"Should we break them apart?" Zuko asked with a flinch as Sokka started to call Suki pet names in between the kisses he planted all over her face.
"I doubt that'd be wise, Sokka would probably lose his mind if we tried," she said.
Zuko laughed and Katara smiled up at him. He had grown taller as well, all the boys had since the war ended, but Zuko was by far the tallest of them all. The first year he was Fire Lord his poor seamstress had such a headache keeping up with the towering boy turned man. Katara thought Zuko's height suited him, made him appear more regal and important.
"Sokka don't be rude, say hi to Zuko too," Suki gently reminded her brother after she had enough affection from her boyfriend.
Her brother turned to look at Zuko with a slightly dazed look on his face before he grumbled about how Zuko knows he's excited that he's come too, but Suki's expression silenced all the grumbling. Katara couldn't be prouder and couldn't help but laugh at her brother's future. It seemed he was glutton for women who put their foot down when he became too ridiculous. Between herself and Suki, Katara figured Sokka's life would always be interesting at least.
"Hey Zuko," Sokka said as he walked forward and pulled the taller man into a hug.
Zuko laughed again, something Katara swore up and down that she'd never get used to because seriously it was Zuko, but as the years dragged on and he settled into his role as Fire Lord there seemed to be a sense of calm about him. Katara figured it was because he finally realized who he was meant to be and that he had built himself a family who loved and cared about him for who he was.
"Nice to see you too, Sokka," Zuko said in return.
"Alright, I'm going to show Suki to her room, behave kids!" Sokka said as he pulled away from Zuko, grabbed Suki's hand and promptly marched off.
Katara shook her head as she turned to look at Zuko again. For a moment, she wasn't sure what to say. It had been so long since she had truly seen him or carried on a conversation that wasn't interrupted by Fire Lord duties or someone else in their group of friends. Honestly, Katara wondered if she and Zuko had spent any quality alone time together since he told her who killed her mother and she dragged him off with her.
Zuko appeared to feel the same as a slightly awkward silence fell over the pair of them. The guards that came along with Zuko didn't seem to take any notice though as they continued to bring his things off the ship.
"I see Sokka and your father have uh," Zuko cleared his throat, "been busy expanding the city," he finished.
Katara suppressed a flinch. It shouldn't be like this she realized. Zuko had saved her life for La's sake, had jumped in front of a lightning bolt his crazy sister had pointed at her fully prepared to die if it meant she lived. That should mean something and it should have meant that she kept closer ties with Zuko than she had.
And just like that, another reason hit her in the face of why her life with Aang had made her so unhappy. She loved her family, and she loved being involved in their lives the best she could. But her travels had made that impossible.
Which meant her relationships outside of Aang suffered.
So, with a deep breath, Katara pushed down the swell of frustration and disappointment as she widened her smile. "Yeah, they have. I can show you around if you want? We even have a bending school now. Which I think was long overdue," she said.
Zuko smiled slightly as he shook his head, "I'm surprised you didn't demand that be one of the first things they built," he replied.
Frankly, Katara had wondered that herself but had left the whole waterbending instruction in the hands of Pakku when she flew off with Aang so she always felt like her input didn't belong. Which in hindsight is a little ridiculous, but there was nothing that could change how things played out now. All she could do was be grateful for the school that was built and the life she had established here.
"I guess I was too busy at the time," she admitted as she began to walk towards the city. Zuko fell into step beside her, no doubt having to slow his pace to do so.
There was a short silence before Zuko said, "Yeah that's true. We all ran around barely able to keep up with everything back then, huh?"
Her smiled softened at his words. She knew Zuko had been the busiest of them all after the war ended. He had a whole country to repair and piece back together. His people had been torn between thinking his family had no right to run the country anymore and utterly supporting him because he helped the Avatar. From the few letters he wrote to her and Aang that first year, it seemed like he barely got any sleep.
"It was a pretty crazy that first year after," she agreed.
The market was the first place Katara took Zuko to, but before they could get too far one of Zuko's guards carried a scroll with what appeared to be Iroh's seal. She knew Zuko's uncle stayed back in the Fire Nation to help run things smoothly while he was out of the country, which meant his letter could only mean it was Fire Nation business that only Zuko could attend to.
Zuko looked at her apologetically as he took the scroll, "I'm sorry I need to read this. Uncle wouldn't interrupt my trip if it weren't -"
"Important. I know. You're a busy man after all," Katara teased. "I'll see you at dinner, go and make the world better," she waved him off.
"Thank you," he said.
The gratitude was impossible to miss in his voice. Which made Katara wonder what the people closest to him in the Fire Nation said to him when things like this happened. Had Mai been annoyed to the point Zuko felt guilty for being Fire Lord and actually carrying out his duties? Did that lead to arguments between them? Was that the reason Zuko showed up here without her? It was hard to miss the fact that Zuko had stepped off that ship with only Suki and his guards.
She knew he noticed Aang wasn't here, which could only mean they weren't together anymore, but he was generous to keep his questions to himself.
Unfortunately, though, Katara didn't have much to do until the festival started tomorrow so she ended up wandering through the palace in hopes to find someone she could spend time with until dinner. It didn't take too long before she came across an equally bored looking Suki doing the same thing as herself. Katara's hands rested on her hips as she raised an eyebrow. "Did my brother ditch you already?" she called down to the other end of the hallway.
Suki didn't appear to startle but then again the older woman was trained extensively not to. "Nah, he just got pulled into some meeting with your father and the waterbenders. So I figured I'd give myself a proper tour, not a Sokka tour," she said with amusement.
Katara walked towards Suki and linked their arms together. "Well, allow me," she said with an amused tone as she led her future sister through the modest halls.
The palace the waterbenders built when they first arrived all those years ago was nothing in comparison to their sister Tribe or to the palace Zuko lived in. Frankly, if she remembered correctly, her father hadn't even wanted a palace to begin with. They had lived without one for decades, there had been no need for one now. But Pakku and others reminded her father that if he wanted to expand the Tribe's reach that there needed to be a central place where he and future Chiefs could reside, hold meetings and events for his people. The compromise had been a palace that was half the size of Zuko's but no less extravagant once one walked through the halls.
Katara thought it was beautiful, the perfect representation of their people and their life here. One of the main halls depicted their Tribe's history throughout the hundred year war and while some may take it as a permanent snide at the Fire Nation, she saw it as a representation of their resilience.
Her favorite place, however, was the grand hall located near the meeting rooms her father and Sokka used to plan the city and barter trade deals with the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.
The columns were made of pure ice and Katara pointed out to Suki how only the most skilled benders from the North were able to carve out waterbending moves on one side of the hall and then warrior stances and moves on the other side.
It didn't take Katara long to figure out who had suggested the equal blend of benders and non-benders. Sokka who had once been the first to voice his frustration at her abilities had grown to appreciate them and other benders alike over his travels with Aang. It was a living testament to their growth as individuals and as a people.
Eventually, they made their way into the largest oasis in the whole Tribe that was tucked behind the Great Hall and sat on one of the many benches that circled the warm, spiritual water at the center.
For a while, they were content to sit there in silence as both girls had a lot of their mind, but eventually, Suki broke it. "So what's bothering you?" she asked quietly.
Katara flinched slightly at Suki's words, "That obvious?" she asked.
Suki shook her head and leaned back on her hands. "No, I just know you well enough to see when something is bugging you more than normal. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want," she said. "I just thought you'd be a little more...settled after leaving Aang."
The sigh that escaped her lips was unexpected, but Katara leaned back on her hands as well and looked towards the water in front of her. "I am settled in a lot of ways," she admitted. "But I've realized that my relationships with everyone aren't in the best of places and it's because I was with Aang for so long after the war. I just hate it, we all used to be so close and now I have no idea what's going on in your lives," she said.
There was a silence that settled over them as Suki waited for Katara to continue. "With Zuko today, it was so off and awkward and it shouldn't be like that Suki. He saved my life, almost died to keep Azula's lightning from hitting me and I couldn't think of what to really say to him. And when Toph shows up tomorrow I feel like it'll be the same because I haven't actually talked to her since her birthday after the last Peace Festival."
It was unspoken that when Aang showed up Katara would be at even more of a loss at what to do or say, but that was another discussion for another time and really there was nothing Suki could say to help her through that.
"We grew up," Suki began. "And when you grow up, well, unfortunately, you sometimes find a distance between you and your family that was never there before. But Katara," she continued. Katara glanced up at Suki when she heard her name, tears shining in her eyes. "We will always be a family. You don't go through a war together and let a little distance ruin that bond. And I think you'll be surprised that everyone is probably thinking things along the same line as you.
It's not your total responsibility to keep the closeness in your friendships, it's a two-way street and Zuko could have written to you more just as you could have. I'm sure he's equally frustrated at how awkward it is right now, but you guys will figure out your footing again and be back to the old Zuko and Katara who fought Azula side by side."
Suki's words loosened the knot in her chest and Katara gave a shaky laugh. That fight with Azula had been the hardest thing she'd ever done and the bond she felt with Zuko had been so overwhelming and real. "When did you get so wise?" she asked with a smile.
"When I fell in love with a silly boy from the Southern Water Tribe," Suki said with her own smile.
Katara shook her head in amusement but understood the underlying meaning to Suki's words. Their relationship hadn't been an easy one, Katara would read her brother's words as he opened up to her about his frustration that Suki was so far away from him for most of the year. He'd never make Suki feel bad for staying in Kyoshi after the war because she was the Kyoshi Warrior's leader and she had her own responsibilities. But Katara knew her brother hoped Suki would step down soon and live with him in the city he was building every day.
The Tribe needed Sokka, their father inched towards retirement with each passing year, and it wouldn't be too much longer before Hakoda passed the reigns onto his son.
As she gazed at Suki, she could see that her future sister realized this as well. It was hard to leave home though, Katara knew that well. And sometimes love wasn't always enough of a reason to leave. The betrothal necklace around Suki's neck, however, made Katara hopeful that Suki would some day soon find herself living among the streets that were so proudly rebuilt.
Suki's words gave Katara comfort that she likely wasn't alone with her feelings, however, she was determined more than ever now to try and rebuild the closeness she used to have with all of them during the war.
It wouldn't be the same because they wouldn't be flying across the world together, but she hoped that perhaps it'd be better.
As dinner approached Katara figured it'd be easier for Zuko if she waited for him. Just because her Tribe's palace was smaller than his didn't mean he couldn't get lost within the halls. Plus, she figured if she was going to start rebuilding her relationships she would start with Zuko.
"Oh, Katara, hey," he said in surprise as he exited his room.
For a moment Katara worried she was doing too much too soon, but as his confused expression cleared there was a small smile on his lips that let her know she was a welcomed sight.
Then again, she was sure anything was a welcome site after whatever Fire Nation business he had to attend to earlier. So, she smiled back and gestured for Zuko to begin walking down the hall. "Hey. I figured I would help you get to the dining room and save you the trouble from having to remember the way," she said.
Zuko sighed in appreciation as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Yeah I was fully prepared to spend an extra ten minutes trying to find the right hall. I know it has the depiction of a seal hunt on the wall, but that's about it," he replied.
Katara laughed and shook her head, "Well you're already doing better than most," she said. After a moment she asked, "Everything alright?"
The sigh that left Zuko now was full of stress and Katara immediately felt bad for asking, she was sure he didn't want to talk about what he just spent hours shut in his room going over. Especially since this was technically supposed to be a mini vacation.
Before he could open his mouth to reply, Katara threw her hands up. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. You just seemed stressed, but that kind of comes with the territory huh?" she asked with a small smile.
Zuko returned it with one of his own as he let his shoulders slump slightly into a more relaxed mood around her. "Thanks. Actually, I'd love to pick your brain about it later, but right now I just want to eat as much as Sokka does," he said.
When Katara looked up at him, he wasn't smiling widely, but she could see the glint in his eyes that told her he would be alright. After all, it wasn't his first year being Fire Lord and even though five years seemed like such a short time, in reality, Katara knew it felt so much longer to all of them. They hadn't been like some of the others who helped them win the war, like Haru, who went back to his life without any worldly responsibilities on his shoulders.
As they entered the dining hall, Suki and Sokka had already seated themselves, which was a surprise to no one. Only emergencies would keep her brother from being the first to stuff his face full of food when meal times rolled around.
Zuko shook his head in his own amusement as they seated themselves across from the other two.
"So I hear you've been holed up in your room since you practically got here Zuko," Sokka said as he piled food onto his plate.
Zuko met Sokka's word with a raised eyebrow, "And?"
There was a moment of silence as Sokka stared Zuko down before throwing a hand over his heart, "I'm wounded that you wouldn't want to see all that hard work I've put into this city!"
"Pretty sure it's been dad and the waterbenders who did the work," Katara deadpanned.
Suki hid her giggled behind a hand as Zuko continued to stare at Sokka with an incredulous expression on his face. "You do remember that I'm going to be here for a week right?" he asked slowly.
Sokka huffed and crossed his arms, meat in one hand, and Katara nearly lost it because it was like they were teenagers all over again. "I expected more from one of my best friends," he said.
Zuko visibly softened at the words despite the eye roll he gave Sokka, "Excuse me for being, you know, the leader of a whole country," he replied.
"Sokka's just upset you haven't found his little tribute to you and all of us yet," Suki supplied after she had enough of Sokka beating around the bush. "It's really quite beautiful," she began before Sokka slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Don't ruin the surprise Suki!" he whined.
There was a moment of silence the settled over the four of them, only to be interrupted by the piece of meat that had been in Sokka's hand fell to the floor. The devastation that came over Sokka's face at the sound was the final straw before Katara burst into laughter. Leave it to her brother to turn Zuko's first dinner back in the Southern Water Tribe into a less than regal affair than she was sure Zuko was accustomed to back in the Fire Nation.
"You know, sometimes I swear Sokka forgets you're the Fire Lord," she whispered to Zuko after her laughter died down and she watched Suki and Sokka bicker.
After his own amused chuckling had ended, he nodded, "I think I'll always just be Zuko to him," he replied.
"Well," she said, "at least that means you can relax. Though I seriously can't wait until Sokka is Chief and he has to go to the Fire Nation for the first time as more than just a war hero. I hope you give him a hard time."
Zuko's eyes settled back on Sokka as he shook his head, "That would be quite a sight, but knowing Sokka he'll surprise us all."
What hadn't been a surprise to them after dinner ended was Sokka dragging Zuko off to show him around the palace and the newer parts of the city. It was the middle of summer which mean the sun was out for well over twelve hours a day. In the back of her mind, Katara wondered if Zuko enjoyed that since he pulled his strength from it.
Suki went off to practice and spar with some of Sokka's warriors he was training. For what Katara didn't know, there hadn't been any major issues in the world since Ozai was defeated, but then again a hundred years ago she was sure no one saw what Sozin did coming.
There was an evening class that Katara usual taught and since her friends were occupied she decided to head towards the school.
"Master Katara!" they shouted and bowed as she strolled into the main room.
She bowed in return. Some of these students weren't much younger than herself, the oldest one was almost sixteen years old and looked so much like her brother Katara nearly caught herself calling the boy Sokka on a few occasions.
"Today we will be sparring against each other. Each winner will move onto the next round until there is only one student left," as she spoke she couldn't help but smirk. "The student who makes it through until the last round will get to go up against me."
A few of the students looked a little nervous at that idea, it was no secret especially here in her Tribe, that she was the Avatar's waterbending master and went up against the Fire Lord's crazy sister. They also knew she wasn't one to go easy on her students who were on the cusp of becoming masters themselves. Most of them, however, looked rather excited at the idea.
Katara tried her best to pair up her students with someone who would challenge them but wouldn't be an easy win or defeat. She knew there was nothing to be learned if one constantly won or constantly lost. Ego and frustration never led to successful masters.
As each pair stepped forward and began to spar, Katara felt a sense of pride swell within her heart. These kids would be the future of their home and one day she would look back and barely remember a time where benders didn't exist outside herself. Despite how much she wanted to walk around the room and give small bits of advice to her students, she kept quiet. She would not be with them forever and if they ever had to use their bending to fight for their life then they needed to learn in this safe environment that they could think on their feet.
As the first hour wound down and Katara watched as the final pair's spar came to an end with Sokka's look alike coming out as the victor. There was no smile on her face as she shed her parka and stepped into the middle of the room.
The boy in front of her nervously shifted his eyes about the room, but when Katara dropped into a stance it was like night and day as his expression cleared and he mirrored her.
As silence fell over the room, Katara's student made the first move. Spears of ice rose into the air and he propelled them towards her at a speed that would surely have injured her if she had been a novice student. Inwardly Katara was proud, but she quickly fell into a defensive move she had seen Zuko do multiple times and fought ice with ice. The sound of the ice spears colliding rang about the room and Katara moved her hands in fluid motions to suspend the smaller pieces in the air for a split second before melting them into a water whip.
And just like that, they fell almost in a dance and Katara grew more and more impressed with the student before her. He forced her to get creative and rely upon an equal mixture of waterbending moves and borrowed moves from fire and earthbending.
Finally, after nearly a half hour, Katara managed to sink her student into the icy floor in a way she knew Toph would be proud of. With his hands trapped firmly to his sides, he was unable to bend himself out. As his head bowed in defeat, Katara saw the smirk on his face.
The clapping surprised her and she turned only to be faced with Sokka and Zuko. It was Zuko who spoke first, "I'm so glad you didn't know how to do even half of that when we were enemies," he said with barely contained amusement in his tone.
Sokka laughed loudly at the words, "Buddy, she still beat you without her new fancy magic moves."
Zuko shot Sokka a glare before he rolled his eyes, "Yes, but I probably wouldn't be standing here if she had. As it was I was always pretty banged up after."
Katara put her hands on her hips and simply rose an eyebrow in response to both of them. Before she could reply, however, her student coughed behind her. "Um, Master Katara can you bend me out of the floor please?"
"Oh! I'm sorry," she said as she quickly turned back around and in one fluid motion freed him. "You did very well today Daku, I dare say that Master Pakku and myself will be calling you master soon."
The boy beamed and as Katara dismissed the class he excitedly ran out to no doubt tell his parents. Many students loitered near the entrance, afraid to approach the Fire Lord and some of the older girls blushed and giggled in groups when they walked by him to leave.
Katara had to refrain from rolling her eyes at her students, she wasn't blind to how attractive Zuko was, but honestly, if they knew how much of a dork he was they probably wouldn't blush as hard.
"If you want to incorporate more firebending moves I'd be happy to spar with you before I leave Katara," Zuko said as she pulled her parka back over her head. "I wouldn't mind seeing what waterbending moves I can adapt to my bending as well."
Katara had to bite her lip slightly to keep herself from grinning like a mad woman. She felt like her fourteen-year-old self sometimes and she wondered if her excitement at learning new bending moves would ever go away. "I'd really love that," she replied.
"Ugh, okay enough of your bending talk. Let's go Zuko I gotta show you that surprise Suki almost ruined," her brother said as he grabbed onto Zuko's arm and dragged him out of the school.
A couple hours later, Katara let her feet guide her back towards the oasis she had sat with Suki in earlier. The school had been cleaned and restored to its previous pristine condition and frankly, all Katara wanted to do was lie down beside the warmer water and look up at the moon and stars.
Her anxiety over Aang's arrival in the morning gnawed at her stomach and she just wanted to hide and get it all over with. She wasn't sure how Aang would feel or act towards her tomorrow. Of course, Katara knew he wouldn't make a big fuss about things if he was still hurting over the end of their relationship, at least not during the Peace Festival. Still, she couldn't help but worry.
When she entered the oasis she was surprised to see another figure sitting near the water. As she drew closer, Katara said, "You know, the last time the two of us were in an oasis it didn't end well."
Zuko snorted and rubbed the back of his neck. "If the sun hadn't come out you definitely would have beaten me," he admitted.
It was still a little strange for Katara to listen to Zuko talk about the time before he joined them to defeat his father. The time they had been enemies was so short in comparison to how long they have been friends. And as Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, Katara got the impression that he didn't like to remember those days. She couldn't blame him, his pursuit to capture Aang was a different Zuko who had been so lost and so desperate for a family who would love him.
As she sat next to him, she bumped his shoulder with her own. "You're probably right," she teased in hope to draw out that smiling Zuko from earlier in the day.
When his mouth stayed in a grim line, Katara frowned. "You do know you're completely forgiven right?" she asked. "None of us hold those days against you."
Zuko nodded, "I know, but sometimes I feel like I shouldn't have been forgiven. Even after all this time."
Sometimes Katara forgot how deeply Zuko felt everything. It amazed her to watch him form bonds with all of them so quickly and so fiercely. Even though he had only traveled with them those last few weeks before Sozin's comet, Katara watched as Zuko made sure he did everything in his power to keep his father from hurting them. Now she realized he had done that not only because he loved and cared for them, but also because he didn't feel like he had earned their forgiveness.
"Those days made you who you are Zuko. And I quite frankly like who you've become. I'm not always proud of how I acted when you joined our group and offered to teach Aang firebending," she admitted. "I saw how conflicted you were in Ba Sing Se, it shouldn't have been so hard for me to believe that you'd pick the family you wanted so desperately to love you. Do you think you ever would have joined us if you didn't go back home and realize how messed up everything was?"
Zuko stayed silent for several minutes before he finally sighed. "No, I don't think I would have," he admitted.
Katara couldn't help but smile and squeeze his hand gently, "And because of that, you've been an amazing Fire Lord. You're more than deserving of our forgiveness and loyalty," she said as she let go of his hand.
They lapsed into another comfortable silence. After a while though, Katara glanced over at Zuko to make sure he wasn't stewing in his past actions. Even though he didn't sport a frown on his face, she could see in his eyes that he wished he could rewrite that part of his life. "Sokka showed you the mural didn't he?" she asked.
"Yeah, he did. And when I looked at my face up on that wall I could only see my father. Even now that man knows how to shake my foundation," he said.
In an attempt to lighten the mood slightly, she shrugged and said, "Our parents will always have some kind of sway over us, but at least you're doing something positive. Just remember that you're related to Aang too."
Zuko laughed at her words. "I never should have told any of you that. Aang brings it up every time I see him," he said. There was a pause as he clearly debated his next words. Finally, he asked, "I take it you and Aang broke up?"
Katara's first instinct was to tell Zuko she didn't want to talk about it. Especially not when her stomach still churned with anxiety and some guilt. But then she remembered what she told herself she would do in this very room and so she turned to face Zuko fully. "Yeah, we did. I wasn't happy anymore and it seemed neither was he. I couldn't be what he needed me to be," she said.
He nodded as she spoke. "I understand that very well," he admitted.
This time it was she who hesitated on the words that desperately wanted to escape her lips. "You and Mai?" she asked. There was no need to elaborate further, he knew what she meant and she already knew the answer but wanted to hear it from him.
"Yeah," he sighed. "She loved me, but she hated that I was Fire Lord. I couldn't be just Zuko for her. I can never be just Zuko to whoever I marry. So, one day we just knew our relationship couldn't go on anymore. It was fine when we were younger, but now my ministers are asking when I'll settle down and have heirs."
Katara flinched at the last word. It was crazy to her that his country was so concerned about him having children and that he really had no choice but to have them, regardless if he wanted to. Sokka was to be Chief one day, but it wasn't because he was necessarily their father's son. Chiefs weren't decided based on birth, but rather through the merit one proved themselves as a leader. Sokka just so happened to help defeat Ozai while also being Hakoda's son. If their father wasn't Chief, the Tribe still would have expected Sokka to take over.
"For what it's worth, I think it's possible to find someone who will love you as just Zuko but also loves you as Fire Lord Zuko," she said after a few minutes of silence. "You're still Zuko either way and you're doing so much good for the world."
As Katara tipped her head back to look up at the stars, she could feel Zuko staring at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shake his head. "I really hope I can," he muttered as he mirrored her.
They all deserved to be happy after what they went through in the war. Zuko nor herself should have to settle because Aang and Mai had been two people who loved them during the war and right after. Everyone was bound to grow and change and it just so happened the pair of them grew in a way that couldn't allow their relationships to go on.
At least Katara knew she wasn't alone. Someone understood her perspective and as she glanced at Zuko she was really, really glad it was him.
End Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know there isn't a lot going on right now, but I really just wanted to show the relationships between everyone after spending most of the last five years apart from each other.
I also like to think Zuko's "I'm never happy" attitude faded over the years as he settled into his role as Fire Lord and realized he had a family who loved and cared about him (aka The Gaang). Though, the poor boy is still awkward underneath it all and certainly has his moody moments haha. The Peace Festival is the next chapter which means Aang and Toph arrive! :)
Chapter 3 will be posted tomorrow and then we'll be all caught up on both sites. Until next time. 3