Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Avatar...wish I did though. --

Memories

After nearly living for 80 years, he felt the sense of death just around the corner. His wife of around 60 years sat faithfully to his side. Ah, yes, those seven decades with her had been the best years of his life. Even through all of the pressures of running a country, she had always been there to comfort him at night. He had lived a very interesting life. After the war had ended, back when he still had his youth, his uncle had taken his rightful role as Fire Lord, thus crowing him as his heir. Once his uncle died, he had taken the throne. That was over 35 years ago.

Now that he was nearing his death bed, all of those times he had spent cursing at the world seemed childish and immature. Again, he looked over at his spouse. Even though they had aged incredibly since their marriage, she still glowed. He reached out to touch her face for what could be the last time. "My dear wife," he whispered, struggling to speak. "Do you not remember the olden days? The times when we were still young, please say that you remember them."

A smile played up her wrinkled skin, which was still considerably darker than his own. "Yes, my love," she responded, still with the same gentle voice. "How could I forget? You were such a wild man to keep up with."

He found himself chuckling at the thought. "Yes," he admitted, "I was slightly hot headed, wasn't I?"

"Slightly?" he wife said teasingly. He smiled. After all of these years, she could still say the simplest things that could make him laugh.

"Do you remember when I proposed to you?" he asked her. She nodded, not ready to speak. "I had never been more nervous in my life. I remember being so frantic, and I was fearful that you wouldn't like my proposal gift."

"Yes," she sighed, lightly touching her neckline, "I remember." Her husband looked proudly at the pendant that hung from her neck to this day. It had taken him weeks to get the design right and even longer to get the courage to ask her. In the end though, the symbol of their two nations fused into one had been just the perfect gift.

"Oh and when we had our first child," he added. "I nearly fainted when you told me the news!"

She laughed that same laugh that he had adored when they were teenagers. "I think that you actually did faint when I told you that we were going to have a child." They both sighed, trying to remember the feeling. "And then the twins," she added. "What a surprise they were!"

"Yes, they were quite the surprise, weren't they?" He looked over to the corner of the room where his three children sat. The eldest, Akna, was just like her mother in every way. She had dark, rich skin and hair with icy blue eyes. It was Akna that had bore his first grandchild some twenty years ago. Asahi and Usara were the twins, and they had gotten his genes. They were pale skinned and golden eyed, just like him. He couldn't have been a happier man.

A sharp pain in his chest brought his pleasant thoughts to an abrupt stop. He coughed harshly, intensifying the pain. "My beloved, my time is becoming short, and I do not feel as if I can live for much longer." There were tears beginning to form in his wife's eyes. "Please, do not cry," he murmured. "I will always be with you, as you said to me so many years ago."

"Yes, yes I did, and I shall never forget." She didn't say anything after that. All she did was sit by her husband's side, watching the fire in his golden eyes flicker.

"Akna," he called weakly, "I want you to have this." With great struggle, he took the old crowning hair piece out of his hair. He began to hand it to his daughter. "Take this," he instructed. "You are plenty old enough to take this crown. It is time for you to lead our country. You are to be our next Fire Lord, or Lady rather."

Graciously, Akna pushed the crown away. "Father, I cannot," she told him hesitantly. "You know as well as I that I could not rule this country. Please, give it to my brother, your adoring son. He would be the perfect king for our nation." Her father looked at her, not fully understanding. "Trust me," she smiled, "Asahi would make a much better ruler than I ever could imagine. Besides, I will always be there to help my little brother, like you taught me when I was a child."

"Are you sure, Akna?" he asked. "You do not want this honor?"

"Yes, Father," she assured him. "I would not have it any other way."

Her smile made the elderly man melt. She was like her mother in so many ways it was nearly frightening. "If that is what you wish, Akna. Asahi, my loyal son, come here," he called. Asahi walked briskly, as he had so many decades ago, over to his father's bed. "Do you wish to take this crown, to rule this country, to follow in my footsteps? Choose wisely, but know that no matter what you choose, I will respect you decision." He waited for his son to respond.

"Akna," Asahi said to his sister, "I am honored that you would give up your spot at the throne for me, and for that, I cannot repay you." Asahi turned to his father and bowed. "Father, it would be my honor to follow in your footsteps as Fire Lord."

She began to tear up again, seeing her children like this. How many years had it actually been since she was teaching the how to walk, and then how to fight? It was true when her father had said that they grow up too fast.

"My loyal son, Asahi, do you accept this crown and all of its responsibilities?" Asahi kneeled beside the bed; his head down respectively and nodded. "Do you choose to accept that you shall never abuse your power?" Asahi nodded. "Most importantly, my son," the old Fire Lord paused, and his son looked up. "Do you promise to carry your head high and to always remember who you are?"

"Yes, Father, I do sincerely promise," Asahi whispered respectively.

His father smiled proudly. "Then I bestow upon you, my son, the crown that I have worn for many a decade." He neatly placed the crown on his son's head. His wife carefully pushed the pin through the hole at the base of the crown that would hold it in place on Asahi's head. "You are my proud son, Asahi, and I am proud to have you as my heir." Asahi stood, bowing with respect for his father. "You are now the new Fire Lord, my son, Fire Lord Asahi, son of Katara and Fire Lord Zuko."

Yet again, his coughing spasms began, sending chills down his children's backs. "Come, my siblings," Usara called from her quiet spot. "Let us leave Mother and Father in peace." The three left the room, each one bowing to their dying father as the exited.

"So, Fire Lord Asahi?" Katara said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "To believe that my children were to grow up as royalty," her voice traveled off.

"That's what you get for marrying an over zealous prince," Zuko chuckled. He coughed again, this time more painful than ever.

Katara began to feel the tears well up in the corners of her eyes. She stood up and gently kissed her husband's forehead. "I didn't marry an over zealous prince," she said in a hushed voice. "I married my friend and my one true love."

He knew that he didn't have much more time left, as the pain in his chest was telling him. "I love more than anything else in the world, and I'll be waiting for you in the after life." He placed his hand on top of hers and gently squeezed― his strength diminishing. "I'll always be with you, just keep that in your heart."

Katara wiped a tear from her eyes. "That's what I told you before you left for the Fire Nation, the year before you asked me to marry you." She felt his grip on her hand begin to loosen, and she looked into his dying golden eyes, which still shown of strength and arrogance.

"I love you, Katara," he said weakly, his hand now slipping out of hers. For a moment, there was no sound. She knew he was gone, but Katara could feel his presence. She always had been able to feel him, even when he wasn't by her side.

"I love you, too, Zuko," she finally cried quietly. She kissed his cold lips one last time before turning to leave the room. Just before she exited, she took one last look at him. Even now, she could see him radiating with pride. This was the way he would have wanted it. Just the two of them alone as the other finally slipped away. Another tear flowed down her cheek as she took her pen into her hand. Katara dipped the end of the pen into a bottle of ink and began to write down all of her memories. Her memories of home in the South Pole, the ones of the fist year traveling with Aang, the ones of defeating Ozai, but mostly, she wrote down the memories that she and Zuko had shared together time and time again.

Awww! It's a sad one! D -wipes tears- This one is for Shadowsole, who was the one who asked me to write this one. She asked me to write a short about Zuko or Katara on his or her death bed or wedding night. I kind of added my own little twist to it, like when the kids came in, but other than that, the base of it was from her idea.

Okay! I'm really on a role! Three stories in one night...yeah, I'm posting this at 12:15 in the morning, but hey, I started it about an hour ago. I'm really looking forward to seeing any other suggestions thrown at me. Come on, I'll write just about what ever you'd want and add my own little touch to it.

As usual, read, review, relive, repeat. Sazzy