Good times.

Day Two:

Zuko's Resolution

Zuko had never thought upon this particular matter until now. When Uncle Iroh had told him he needed to let go of the shame that was blocking him from bending the lightning, he so badly wanted to rid of the burden. Zuko realized that was an arrogant thing to do. Iroh said that Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. His desire was to let go of the shame he had, if he hadn't already. It wasn't the fact that when he did, he'd be able to bend lightning. That was just a side plus. It was shame he'd lived with his entire life with his banishment. All the times he wished he hadn't spoken out of turn. But as he progressed on through life, he realized that was finding reasons to be mad at himself. As he grew wiser, he understood that worrying about Ozai's respect for him was out of the question. His father was a wicked man, and he'd never love him, sadly. Uncle was his father now, and for this, he was glad. Uncle treated him as his own, and he'd never forget what Iroh had done for him.

"Uncle, remember what you said about the four elements and how they work together?" Zuko asked.

"Of course I do, Firelord Zuko," Iroh responded, sipping on his Jasmine tea.

"Please, call me Zuko," Zuko said, "Your basically my father. You will always be more respected than I am."

"Is that a request or command?" Uncle asked.

"I'd like to consider it a request, but you can call it a command." Zuko blandly.

"Okay, Zuko," Iroh replied smiling, "I remember what I said about the elements working in harmony."

"Do you think I have gotten rid of the shame that was holding me back?" Zuko asked curiously.

"Well, there's only one way that we can be sure," Iroh said with a concerned facial expression, "but you may not like it if you still have that resistance."

"I'm guessing I have to bend lightning?" Asked Zuko compliantly.

"Unfortunately, yes," Iroh said with a frown, "but you don't have to do it right now."

"I want to. I might as well get this over with as early as I can."

They went out into the market and then to the hills where population was scarce. Zuko tried his best to remember what Iroh had taught him. As he let the energy flow through him, he was just about to expel the lightning. He could feel it in his fingertip. To his surprise, he was confronted with a loud explosion. He went flying back into a tree. The pain was unbearable and he felt like he was facing his demise. He was certain that he'd had died, but Iroh had come to his aid.

"Zuko!" he shouted, "are you okay?"

"I-I-," Zuko muttered, but he couldn't talk.

Before he knew it, Zuko found himself drifting into a daze. He tried his best to keep his eyes open, but only to ascendancy. His heart was racing, and before he could comprehend anything that was happening, Zuko's heart had stopped beating. His eyes rolled back into his head.

"ZUKO?" Shouted Iroh, "Zuko! Can you hear me? I will not lose another son"

Iroh picked him up and ran back to the house, the tears were flooding down his face, and he had no intention of holding them back. For Lu Ten to be lost was enough, but to have his nephew be lost as well, given that Zuko was basically his son, Iroh would not be able to live anymore. The cruciation would be to much to comprehend. Iroh was contemplating strongly that if he lost Zuko, he'd leave this world as well. No father should have to bury his son, let alone two of them. Iroh truly felt his life crumbling be fore him.

Aang's arms were wrapped around Katara's back now, and their lips were practically touching. In the night, they had turned to face each other, unknowingly, and Katara was basically being hugged by Aang. The couple had dreams like they had never imagined. Though they couldn't exactly remember them, they knew that they had a huge excess of warmness in their heart from them. It may have been possible that the two even shared this dream.

Aang's grey eyes fluttered open. His bold, dark eyelashes skimmed her forehead and her eyes opened as well. When they both realized that they were basically making contact with their lips, they blushed severely red.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Katara said, "how'd you sleep?" Her blush had grown and she was now smiling. The two of them hadn't actually moved their faces from each other.

"I slept like the sleep spirit itself," he said with a grin and also a blush, "and somehow, my adoration for you has increased."

She kissed him on the lips tenderly. Just as she was going to kiss him more, Iroh busted into her room. His face was washed with white and tears were running down his face. She would ask him what was wrong, but Zuko being in his arms, his face white and his absolute stillness gave it away. Instantly, she burst into tears. Iroh laid the motionless Firelord on the floor and looked up at Katara and Aang before burying his face in his hands. Katara ran over to him and tried with everything she had. Hours had passed before she finally was too exhausted. She had tried so many times, all to no attainment.

"I've tried all I can." Her eyes were full of tears, but she had cried all of her tears.

"I understand," Uncle sighed, his sigh was like one he had never done.

Uncle had accepted that there was nothing more he could do. He felt the pain embrace him. Why didn't he stop Zuko from doing this? He knew that he shouldn't have blamed himself for the loss of his nephew, but how could he not? He was perfectly capable of preventing this, and now because of his mistakes, his life was now empty.

"Wait. I have an idea," chimed in Aang, "it sounds risky, and it only has a slim chance of working. But Zuko is about to die. I am willing to try."

"What is it?" Katara asked hurriedly.

"Remember back at the Northern Water tribe when Yue gave her life force to the Moon spirit?" Aang asked.

"Yeah," Katara replied before realizing what Aang was about to do, "wait, Aang no!"

"Katara, this is the only way Zuko can live," Aang responded holding back tears.

"If it means losing you, I can't let you," Katara said sobbing.

"Everything is going to be alright, I promise," Aang promised her.

Iroh was sobbing his eyes out. Nothing could ever justify how he felt as of now. His life had no meaning any more.

Aang set his hands on Zuko chest. He allowed nothing to distract him and focused only on Zuko returning back to life. A few minutes passed, and then he was in the Avatar state. A light was created that lit up almost the entire section of Ba Sing Se were they lived. As quickly as it started, it ended. After a few seconds, Zuko opened up his eyes and stood up. Katara ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"What happened?" Zuko asked dazed.

"You died," Katara said.

"What? How?" Zuko shouted.

"You attempted to bend lightening but you directed it through your heart, not your stomach. According to Iroh, that is." Katara said.

"Wow." Zuko said plainly.

"Ye- wait! Aang hasn't gotten up yet!" Katara shouted.

The two of them instantly ran to his side. Katara felt his chest. She burst into tears and laid her head on his body. His heart was not beating. His motionless body sat there, his face swallowed with sadness. Zuko, too, began to cry.

"He gave me his life, didn't he?" Zuko finally murmured.

"Yes," she just barely mumbled.

Her heart was damaged indefinitely. Just yesterday, she had the ability to express her love for him. She'd kill to take his place. But that was a selfish thought. She knew Aang wouldn't be able to live without her, but she felt the same for him. What she wouldn't give for him to touch his tender lips to hers. To tell her once again that he loved her more than she could imagine. She guessed that this was only fair in return for the Avatar's love.

"Can you lay him in my bed?" She asked suddenly.

"Sure," he responded.

"You should probably go see your uncle. He was destroyed without you." Katara said after he was done laying Aang down.

"Yeah," he glumly said walking out of the room, "I wish I could have stopped Aang from doing what he did. Sadly, I never even got to thank him."

Katara swore she saw tears dribble down his cheeks. She had never seen him cry since she had met him. She didn't realize it until now, but Zuko really grew to care about Aang and everyone else in the group. He thought of them as his family, without Uncle, that it. In fact, everyone in the group viewed one another like a family member, excluding those who were in love (Aang and Katara, Zuko and Mai, Sokka and Suki, ET Cetera.) Anything that needed to be resolved went through them. Together, they were each others' everything.

Zuko arrived to Iroh sitting on his bed, weeping, looking at a picture of Zuko, and singing.

Leaves from the vine,

falling so slow,

like fragile, tiny shells

drifting in the foam.

Little solider boy,

come marching home

Brave soldier boy,

comes marching home.

Iroh began weeping beyond his control once more, and to this, Zuko could take no more. He walked up to his uncle and put his hand on his shoulder. He felt now like he had so much he needed to do with his uncle. He had never expressed how much Iroh meant to him, and today, he planned on doing. It's a shame, he thought, that it took him death to realize this, though.

"I didn't know you were one for singing," Zuko said, holding back tears.

"Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed and pulled him into a long embrace.

"Uncle, I haven't ever put fourth the time or effort to tell you how much I love you," Zuko said, tears coming to his eyes, "but I am going to live the rest of my life showing the people I love how much I do care."

"I will surely live my remaining life loving you like I never have, my son," Iroh said, completely aware of the fact that he proclaimed Zuko as his own.

"Do you think we could travel somewhere?" Asked Zuko suddenly.

"Absolutely, Zuko. As long as I get to be there with you." Iroh responded.

"Wh-," Zuko tried to mutter, but the the realization of what had happened earlier hit him. Aang was no longer alive. It seemed as though he had forgotten because of Iroh's presence in his new found life.

"What's the matter, Zuko?" Asked a concerned Iroh.

"Uncle, it's Aang. He's...he's dead." Zuko finished, tears threatening to flood his eyes. He wasn't holding them back anymore. They flowed down his scarred face and rolled off this lips and onto the ground.

"Uncle, I don't know what to think anymore. I never wanted him to do what he did, but I never wanted to die. It's just so unfair," he shouted, "I never even got to tell him not to give me his life. And worst of all, I never got to tell him that I do actually love him."

"Zuko, he did what he did because he cared for you. It was his choice to do that, and he must have thought it through. Besides, he's the Avatar. I am sure he knew what he was doing," Uncle explained.

"I hope you're right, Uncle. I just feel like I never got across to him how sorry I was for what I did. I never made it known well enough."

The two of them pulled each other into a strong embrace.

Katara was laying by Aang, her head on his chest. She had been crying uncontrollably since Aang had sacrificed himself for Zuko. The thoughts that evaded her mind were crazy and she didn't even know why. She just felt like not living at all. Everything she had ever imagined had Aang included in it, but it was all now abruptly fading away. She wondered how all of this had managed to happen. Considering the war was just two days ago, and Aang was only 14. Before any of this all happened so suddenly, it felt like everything was just falling in place, but now, everything was shattering like broken glass to a state of which it could never be fixed. Katara had never been more heart broken. Her fears of relationships had finally gone away only to return with a new reason to back it up.

Hours had passed and Katara had fallen into a deep sleep. She had gone into a point where she was dreaming of Aang. The two of them were having the blasts they'd used to have together, and it made her feel somewhat happier. But it wasn't enough to return her to the way she was. Aang was the only one that made her feel like she was loved by someone. Aang was everything she had dreamed for.

-Dreaming-

"Hahaha! You can't catch me!" Aang was shouting a tease at Katara who was chasing him in the water. They were at a location between two mountains where Appa was to be bathed.

"You just wait and see!" She called back, swooping him out of his stance with a water fist.

"You got me!" He shouted as she drew him closer to her with a rather soothing substance surrounding him. When he was finally let go out of her grasp, he went flying forward, entering an unexpected hug between the both of them. At this, they both blushed and continued their game.

"You're it," she stated, teasingly.

"This shouldn't be too much of a challenge," Aang remarked with a goofy, teasing smirk on his face.

"Haha, right." She said blandly with a grin erupting from her face.

Aang sat down and closed his eyes and began counting. Katara faced a task of finding a good place to hide. She found what she thought would be a challenge to Aang, and so it was. For a couple of minutes, that is.

"60! Here I come!" He yelled signifying that he was on his way.

For about the five minutes that Aang wasn't there to find her, her body shook with exhilaration, knowing that someone was out to get her. It isn't like she had never felt that feeling, even on a more drastic scale, but it just felt right. Every inch of her wanted to jump out of her hiding spot and give herself away because she felt like she was going to be found rather easily, but she somehow managed to resist the urge and pursue her action of hiding.

"BOO!" Aang shouted and jumped over the rock gracefully as he was about to tag a screaming Katara. By luck, she managed to outrun him and continue into raving a so-called scream and heading back to the river area. She could hear the footsteps following after her and she also heard her clumsy self panting like a dog as she tried her best to evade the too quick airbender. Every step she took in front of herself drew her more and more breathless. She was finally nearing the very edge of the mountains edge and abruptly turned directions, sending a surprised Aang over the cliff side, which wasn't to steep, but was enough to make anyone scream. He went hurdling down into the lake and when he hit, he sent a very large wave up into the air. Following after, Katara jumped into the water shouting

"WATER B-O-O-OMB!

Katara landed in the lake sending a tsunami of water everywhere, drenching Sokka in water. Her shot a glare of pouting and continued what he was doing. A saddened Aang was now out of the water by being sent to a flying 'doom'. Katara walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek, sending him into a blush.

"I think I've won," she said teasingly with a smirk.

"This battle has only just begun!" He playfully shouted, chasing her once again.

She was now heading towards some trees that were providing them a hiding spot from any predators. This time, however, she found that Aang had managed to gracefully fly, upside down, above her. She guessed he was also teasing, considering that as he was basically flipping above her, he returned a kiss on the cheek. She tripped when she felt this, and her blush had grown to about the size of her cheeks. But seemingly as soon as she fell, she was back up and was running as fast as she could to hide behind some trees. When she was finally away from the airbender, she thought, she sat down on the trunk of the shady tree. She was gasping for her breath back vigorously. When she was nearing a state of control again, she began to stand up. When she was finally up and about, she turned and was confronted by a particularly goofy smile. This time, however, she did not run. She simply scooped him up in a hug that Aang thought would crush him.

"You win," she said calmly with her head on his shoulder.

"Not until I have touched you," he remarked with yet another one of his inviting, playful smile that she loved so much.

"Then I guess I have to wait until you decide to touch me," she replied. Her cheeks has quickly formed a rosy redness when she realized how silly what she had just said had sounded. She figured if for every time she had blushed, even by Aang alone, she got a copper piece, she'd be rich enough to buy a house.

Aang was still holding her in a tight embrace when he looked her dead in the eye.

"I think you've done enough waiting, Katara," He said funnily.

"I think I have, in fact, done enough waiting," she replied with a giggle. She was expecting him to kiss her on the lips, but instead, she got a simple kiss on the forehead.

"I do believe I've won, Katara," he said teasingly, "now, let me show you how the Water bomb is done."

Aang scooped Katara up into his arms. She had never noticed how easily the young airbender was capable of doing things strength-wise. He hadn't even shown the slightest resistance when he lifted herself, who was a couple of inches taller than he. He was now using his airbending to boost his speed. A matter of seconds had passed before she found herself and Aang nearing that very recognizable edge. Aang threw himself in an at least 20 foot jump before sending the two down.

"WATER B-O-O-O-OMB!" The two screamed before hurdling into the lake. The wave was almost enough to flood the majority of the area they were in.

Katara was woken up by a blindingly bright light. Aang's arrows and eyes were glowing brighter than she had ever seen. She had taken her head off his chest and tears had begun running down her face.

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