Thank you everyone for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Can't believe this is the last chapter. You guys are amazing! Enjoy this chapter!

Not going to post individual thanks for each post this time but I enjoyed every single person's review. Thank you. I mean it. I love getting them and reading them over and over.

To Live Will Be an Awfully Big Adventure

(Sozin's Comet Part 4)

KATARA POV

Mikaila runs over to help Zuko. It's just me and Azula now. I've been wanting to kick her ass for a while and here's my chance. Free from her frozen prison, Azula wastes no time in launching her fire blasts. Then she begins to shoot lightning at me. I dodge and roll out of the way. I turn just as Azula lands on a roof nearby. She charges up her lightning.

"I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu if you don't mind," Azula shouts shooting more lightning at me.

I'm able to dodge and hide behind a column. Azula continues her onslaught of relentless fire blasts. She looked tired but the comet was giving her more than enough strength.

"Zuzu, you don't look so good!" Azula calls in a taunting manner.

She fires at me again, but I move to another column in time. Seeing water in a trough close by, I bend it onto the roof where Azula was. Only to see she's no longer there. Azula comes charging in on fire jets from behind me. I flee out of the way. Using water from a nearby channel, I freeze it to slide, like surfing, myself away faster.

Azula shoots another blast of fire and vaporizes it completely. She launches another large burst of fire, but I'm able to get away. I was tired of playing defense. I couldn't win like this. I needed some way to get the upper hand and play offense. Take her down.

As I get off the ice path, I trip on a grate. My eyes catch sight of water below. This could work. I grab some chains from the wall and wait for Azula to come into my trap.

"There you are, filthy peasant!" Azula enters shouting.

After Azula approaches me and stops, I use several water whips to force Azula to jump forward onto the grate. She's about to shoot lightning at me when I raise the water and freeze us both inside. Azula looks panicked. Taking a deep breath, I melt the water around me, allowing me to move and secure Azula's hands in the chain. I tie them to the grate.

Both of us are running out of air so I lower the water. After catching my breath, I tighten the chains to make sure Azula can't escape. She grunts and tires unsuccessfully to free herself. With Azula finally out of the way, I run over to Mikaila and Zuko.

ZUKO POV

The pain was only getting worse. Is this how Mikaila felt when Azula shot her all that time ago? Is this how she felt when I betrayed her? You've been hit in the chest with lightning and quickly are dying. Something tells me what I did to Mikaila hurt a lot more. She was able to get through it though. She survived, she lived. Eventually she forgave me. But would I survive this? Would I live to see another day?

I didn't doubt Mikaila's skills. Not one bit. She's talented. It's just that she fought Azula and know she must be tired. Low on energy. Would it be enough to heal me? But Mikaila also never gives up. That I know. Withering in pain, I could still see some of her battle. She's grown. Or maybe she was always capable of it deep inside herself.

I remember when we first met. Thinking she was nothing and wanting to toss her back into the sea. Never could I imagine how much she would change me. Never could I predict how much I would grow to love her. The only one for me. I watched as her pace slightly slowed and her breathing became heavier. She was tired and against Azula's strength from the comet, it might not be enough.

Then Katara stood and made her way towards them. I laid back down. Holding myself up was too hard. The pain is spreading and I can feel my face drip with sweat. That's when I hear soft running towards me. I instantly recognize who it is. She kneels.

"M-Mikaila?" I'm barely able to get out.

"I'm here. I'm right here," Mikaila says sadly.

I hear see the tears waiting to come out. My head is gently placed in her lap as she heals me. The feeling dulls the pain slightly. The pain was still so great. This may be the worst possible time to say these things, but I needed her to hear them. She deserved to hear them.

"M-Mikaila," I whisper.

"Shhh, try to save your energy," Mikaila orders softly.

Her voice is so warm and comforting that I almost listen to it. But I don't.

"I have to tell you just in case," I continue.

"Nothing is going to happen. I won't let you die," Mikaila sobs quietly.

Her throat seems tight as if to stop the tears, even though it's too late.

"I know you'll heal me, but I still want to tell you now," I reason carefully.

"What is it?" Mikaila asks.

"I'm so, so sorry for everything I did that hurt you," I apologize.

I almost cry but I know if I do I won't stop. There was more I had to say.

"You already apologized. I forgave you," Mikaila says.

She forgives me, but does she love me? Would she be with me if I asked?

"But we're not together. I'll fight every day for us," I say determinedly. "Till you can love me again, because Mikaila I… I love you, so much."

Mikaila cries harder.

"Zuko…" Mikaila says but unable to speak more.

I push back the pain just enough to smile. It felt so good to hear her say my name. I've missed it. Maybe I wasn't so crazy for believing she could love me again.

"I guess I've earned it back," I say.

One of her hands leaves my chest and grabs my hand. She gently squeezes it.

"You have earned it a million times back over," Mikaila states.

"I'm glad. I'm really, really glad…" I say feeling myself fading.

The light around me darkens and I realize I'm closing my eyes against my will. Even having them open is too much work. I feel Mikaila tremble. Her cries getting louder. It's like I'm falling into the darkness.

"ZUKO!"

That gets my attention. Her voice. So loud and so loving. Also filled with such pain and sorrow. I can't leave Mikaila. My promise to her. I promised we would all make it. That means I can't die. I had to fight the pain. I felt more pulse of healing charka in my body. My eyes open and the light nearly blinds me. Mikaila has her eyes closed in deep concentration. Her hands are steady against my chest, glowing brightly.

Slowly, the pain leaves and I feel like I can breathe again. The glowing fades from Mikaila's hands as she opens her eyes. She smiles brightly at me when she sees I'm awake. One more tear escapes her eyes, but this time I know it's happy. I smile back at her. With some help, I sit up. The two of us are a few centimeters apart. She leans in, wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me. After a second of shock, I close my eyes and kiss back. Using one hand to balance me while the other is around her waist.

She pulls back as we hear Katara approaching. She must have stopped my sister. She kneels down beside us.

"You're alright!" Katara states happily.

She pulls me into a hug. I groan in the slight pain from her squeezing. Katara pulls back almost immediately.

"Sorry," she apologizes sheepishly.

"No worries," I say.

After another moment of smiling and relief over the events, Mikaila slaps my shoulder. It only hurt a little but I still placed a hand over it.

"Ow! What was that for?" I ask confused.

"You jumped in front of the lightning! You idiot!" Mikaila says angrily and punches my other shoulder.

"Ow! Stop hitting me!" I say annoyed.

Katara smiles.

"Yeah, leaving the battle up to us to almost die. How selfish," Katara teases.

I frown. These two were impossible.

"Well next time maybe I'll let you get hit," I deadpan.

Katara and Mikaila gasp in shock.

"How rude," Katara says.

"And here I thought you were heroic and brave for saving me. How unchivalrous!" Mikaila complained.

WHAT?! Where girls always this impossible? They began to giggle. I rolled my eyes.

"Hilarious," I say slightly unamused.

They both stand and help me up. Most of my weight leans on Mikaila. We hear and watch Azula pant angrily and scream in madness. Fire comes out her nose and mouth in her uncontrollable cries. I can't help but feel a little sorry for her. She wasn't right. Even if she did horrible, evil things, she's my sister. I had to help her, right?

"So… what do we do?" Katara asks.

"You need rest Zuko. We all do. Then I can heal your injury more," Mikaila says.

"What about her?" I ask.

My gaze can't leave Azula.

"What do you want to do?" Mikaila asks.

Yes, what to do… it was impossible to come up with a permanent solution for her right now. But I couldn't leave her here. Some soldiers came rushing into the courtyard. The three of us tensed. The odds were against us. Outnumbered and too tired to fight again. The soldiers relaxed, however, and lowered their weapons. One stepped forward. The leader among them most likely.

"Prince Zuko, what would you have us do?" he asks.

We're able to relax and let out our breath. They'll listened to me. Had word come from the frontline? Was my father defeated? Were the others okay? Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to speak. I took a deep breath.

"I want a couple of you to go to the communication center. Send a letter to the frontlines. To the Avatar. Tell him Zuko, Mikaila, and Katara won. See if they are alright and what the status is," I ordered.

Two soliders nodded and ran off.

"The three of us need passage to the palace. Rest for a while," I continued.

"And the prin– and her?" the soldier asked gesturing to Azula.

"For now take her to the prison. I'll deal with her later. And be careful. She's more than likely planning to escape," I say.

Five soliders go over to her. Azula sees them coming and protests against them. She starts to shoot fire out of her mouth at them. Mikaila bends her hands and earth lifts from the ground and wraps around Azula's mouth. Azula glares at us. Two soliders untie the chains from the grate, but make sure their secure about her hands. They escort her away.

"As for the rest of you, see what repairs need to be done in the capital. Keep the citizens calm. Report back to me when you're done," I state.

Most of the soliders leave. Two stay and help us to the palace. Once at the palace, I requested the servants to set up a room for Mikaila and Katara. Katara decided to stay in her room while Mikaila helped me to my room. Even though I was beginning to heal, my body still felt very week. She helped me sit up in bed.

"There. You should get some rest. I'll come back and heal you some more," Mikaila smiles.

I can't help but smile back. I hold her hand and tug her it so she's sitting next to me in bed. She giggles and complies.

"I can't believe it," I say still surprised. "I never thought I'd be back here. I knew we'd win the war someday but being here still feels so weird."

Mikaila looks around my room.

"It is weird being here," Mikaila says softly.

Maybe I triggered some painful memories. After all, she was tortured in a room in one of these halls. When she turns to face me, I'm surprised to see a small smile on her face.

"I mean, I never thought I'd meet the Fire Lord," Mikaila clarifies.

I sigh heavily.

"I'm not Fire Lord yet, and maybe I shouldn't be," I say.

"What do you mean?" Mikaila asks. "Of course you should!"

"I'm just not sure I'm ready for all the responsibility. Taking care of an entire nation. On top of that, I have a hundred years' worth of war to clean up. It'll be my job to reunite the nations and bring peace back to the world," I explain.

Mikaila smiles and shakes her head.

"You're such an idiot," Mikaila lightly laughs.

I frown. I don't know how this was funny. I was serious!

"Thanks, that's so encouraging," I deadpan.

"Look Zuko, you're going to be a great leader. If you think you have to be perfect then forget it, because you won't be. You'll make mistakes. But you have this," Mikaila says placing a hand on my heart. "You're brave, smart, kind, and have so many other great qualities. And you're not alone. You have people who you can count on."

I look into her eyes and smile brightly. She flicks my forehead.

"So stop being an idiot. Now isn't the time to be worrying. We should be resting and then celebrating," Mikaila says.

"How do you always know what to say?" I ask.

"Easy. I just say the opposite of what you would say," Mikaila teases.

I shove her shoulders playfully. She laughs.

"I don't know how I put up with you. You're so irritating," I tease back.

Mikaila smiles then leans her head on my shoulder.

"You really should get some rest," Mikaila says.

"You too," I say.

"In a second. I don't want to leave yet," Mikaila states.

I put my arm around her as she leans more on my shoulder. We sit there and talk for a while. Eventually, Mikaila falls asleep. Shortly after, I fall asleep too. My dreams consisted of me becoming Fire Lord and messing everything up. Then Mikaila came and everything seemed to work itself out. It was like Mikaila was my light, the key to my success.

Would it be wrong of me to ask her to stay? Ask her before she decides what to do? Maybe that wouldn't be fair. But at least it gave her the option. Let her know she was more than welcome to stay here with me. I could find some way for her to be a part of all of this. And then there was the matter of discussing us. I told her I loved her. Maybe she wanted to say it back, or maybe she never intended to. I had to know either way.

When I woke up, Mikaila wasn't beside me. I sat up in bed confused. When did she leave? How long was I out for? Mikaila probably went back to her room, and it couldn't have been too long. There was a knock on the door. I cleared my throat.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Mikaila," came the reply.

"Oh. Please come in," I say surprised she had knocked.

Mikaila comes in carrying a tray. She shuts the door behind her before approaching my bedside. She sits on the bed.

"Sorry, I was hungry. I brought you some food too," Mikaila says.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"Just a few hours. You haven't missed anything," Mikaila says.

There came another knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I call.

"Passing a message from the Avatar. We received word moments ago by hawk," the solider announces.

"Enter," I instruct.

The soldier enters the room and makes his way to the same side of the bed. He bows and he holds out the message.

"Thank you," I say.

The soldier bows before exiting. I hand the scroll to Mikaila so I can eat. Mikaila skims the letter and smiles.

"Sokka, Suki, and Toph were able to stop the troops. Everyone is okay except Sokka seems to have broken his leg. Aang managed to stop your father and they're bringing him back as a prisoner. They should be here soon," Mikaila states.

I was shocked. Took my father as prisoner? He was too powerful to be simply put in prison. Was this really the best course of action? I know Aang was against killing him, and now that I think about it, I'm glad he isn't dead. Even if he is the worst and I hate him. He's still my father. But still. What are we going to do about this?

"What's wrong?" Mikaila asks noticing my strange change in mood.

"It's just about my father. Taking him prisoner. I wonder if it's enough," I admit.

"We'll figure it out. For now, let's not worry about it. We're going to be reunited soon. We should get ready for their arrival," Mikaila says.

"I guess you're right. I should shower," I agree.

"Me too. I'll meet you here when I'm done. I'll heal you then," Mikaila says.

I nod.

Mikaila stands and leaves the room. I manage to get to the shower without much pain. Turning on the water, I feel the warm water against my skin. I feel the dirt and sweat fall from my body. It felt so good to wash my hair and have it smelling good again. Spending enough time in the shower, I towel myself dry and put on another simple outfit to wear. Considering my last outfit was ruined.

Which brought my mind to Azula. What to do about her. Obviously I couldn't let her go. She has to pay for her crimes. Locking her up also didn't seem like the best option. She needed help. Something wasn't right with her. It was like she went crazy or something. Had a mental breakdown. Would it be safe to assign her to a place that could help her get better? If that was possible.

Mikaila knocked on the door. And I could tell it was her by her soft knock. I opened the door and smiled to see I was right. She was wearing the same clothes but she looked cleaner.

"Hey," Mikaila says.

"Hey," I reply back.

We smile at each other like a couple of idiots. Then she clears her throat and we're brought back to reality. I grab her soft hand firmly in my hand.

"I want to show you something," I say.

Mikaila smiles. I lead her down the hall and outside to the garden. The one my mother and I used to enjoy together. Mikaila smiles brightly. She looks around and takes it all in.

"Is this the garden you told me about?" Mikaila asks. "The one you and your mother would come to."

I was glad she remember, but I wasn't surprised that she would. It was just like Mikaila to remember something so important and deep.

"Yes, we used to spend hours out here together," I say.

"I can see why. It's so beautiful and serene," Mikaila says.

I lead Mikaila to the pond and both of us take a seat.

"This is where you would feed the turtle-ducks," Mikaila says.

I nod. I smile before turning to a servant who walked by.

"Excuse me," I say getting her attention.

She bows.

"Could you please bring me half a loaf of bread? I forgot to bring one out," I state.

"It would be my honor your highness," she says.

She disappears out of the garden heading into the kitchen. Thankfully, when the soldiers went out to scout, they returned all the servants to the palace. Who were all relieved to know they weren't banished anymore. Mikaila turns her body to face me.

"Why don't I heal you while we wait?" Mikaila suggests.

I nod. Taking off my shirt, I set it aside on the grass. Mikaila takes some water out of her pouch and her hands begin to glow. She places them over my wound and I can feel the soothing sensations already. After a few minutes, she pulls her hands back and takes some wrap out of her pocket. She begins to wrap around me.

"That should help as well. After a few more sessions you should feel completely good again. I may be able to reduce the scar as well since I've begun healing it early on," Mikaila says.

"Thank you. I appreciate it," I say.

"Please, it's the least I could do. You saved my life," Mikaila states modestly.

"I promised you nothing would happen to you. I'll protect you from anything," I state.

Mikaila smiles. She leans in and hugs me. Though it's tight, it doesn't hurt me. I huge her back and squeeze her tightly. Not willing to let her go yet. Footsteps approach and I hear a small gasp. We look over to see the servant nervously looking around. We let go.

"S-Sorry, your highness. Please forgive my intrusion," the servant bows.

"It's alright," I say.

The servant girl walks over and hands us the loaf of bread.

"Need anything else?" she asks.

"That will be all. Thank you," I say.

She bows and leaves the gardens quickly. I rip the bread in half and hand it to Mikaila. She smiles and we begin to toss pieces into the pond. Turtle-ducks eagerly swallow up the bread. We talked and laughed for what seemed like forever. Once the bread was all gone, we heard footsteps running towards us. Katara entered the garden.

"Here you guys are! The others are here!" Katara announced excitedly.

The three of us raced to where the airships were the airship was landing. The gang and soldiers who survived exited the airship. We exchanged hugs while the soldiers were working. Then, my father was brought out. He looked weak as the men dragged him along. It was silent as we watched him leave.

"So…" I dragged out.

"I took away his bending," Aang states.

"You can do that?" Mikaila asks.

"Since when?" Katara asks.

Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki exchanged glances.

"I just learned it. I'll tell you all about it later," Aang says.

"So guys… we just defeated the Fire Lord! And the stupid Fire Nation! WAHOOO!" Sokka cheered.

We stared at Sokka as he looked at all the soldiers around him.

"I mean… yay us…" Sokka cheered quieter.

"What do we do now that all the fun, exciting fighting is over?" Toph asks crossing her arms.

"Yeah, what is the next step? I don't think we planned this far ahead," Suki points out.

We all stood there thinking. I know what we should do.

"I'm going to be crowned Fire Lord. And I think all the nations should be here. It could be the first step towards peace and unity," I suggested.

Everyone nodded and smiled in agreement.

"We'll send hawks to representatives from the other nations… including the swamp people. Have the ceremony in a few days," Katara says.

"More work?" Sokka complained. "I need some rest. Let's go lie down somewhere and for once not have anything to worry about."

"You do realize we have to get the war stopped everywhere and rebuild all the nations that were destroyed," Mikaila says.

"You're such a killjoy!" Sokka groaned.

We all laughed as we left to go back to the palace.

A few days went by. People from the other nations gathered to be here for my coronation into Fire Lord. Most people were already gathered in the courtyard. Even with all of Mikaila's healing sessions, I was still a little sore. The wraps were a little constricting too. So overall, when I was getting ready for the ceremony, it was hard to put on my robe.

"You need some help with that?" a voice asks.

I turn to see Mai at the door. I was surprised to see her here.

"Mai, you're okay. They let you out of prison?" I say.

She comes over and helps me with my robe.

"My uncle pulled some strings. And it doesn't when the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend," Mai says.

Slowly, I pull out of her reach.

"Mai, I'm glad you're okay, but I meant what I said. I love Mikaila. That's not going to change. I'll only see you as a friend," I state.

Mai nods.

"I see. Still, to be friends with the Fire Lord," Mai says.

I pull her into a hug. Out of the corner of my eye I see movement. Looking up, I see Mikaila has entered the room with a shocked expression. I pull away from Mai.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mikaila says.

"Uh, it's okay…" I say awkwardly.

"I was just leaving," Mai says.

With grace pouring out her, Mai exits the room. Having a better look at Mikaila, I see her clothes. They aren't fancy by any means but they were a little nicer than the training clothes she wore. I smile.

"You look nice," I compliment.

"Thank you. You look great yourself," Mikaila responds.

Silence.

"Look, back there…we were just…" I begin.

"Zuko, it's okay, really," Mikaila says. "I came to wish you good luck before the ceremony. I should get back out there. They'll be expecting you soon."

"You should be up there with me. Announcing the duel benders," I say.

Mikaila tenses.

"Oh I don't know. I'm not even sure what my family wants. They all might not want to come out to the world completely," Mikaila says.

"But you'll stay here, right?" I ask.

A guard arrives before she can answer.

"Prince Zuko, they're ready for you," he says bowing and leaves.

"I'll see you out there," Mikaila says taking her exit.

I walk down the halls of the palace. Aang, in his new robes and necklace, sits mediating. He opens his eyes as I approach.

"I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down. And now…" I say.

"And now we're friends," Aang answers.

"Yeah, we are friends," I agree.

He truly is a good friend of mine. Despite our unusual way of getting here.

"I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now," Aang says.

I place a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"And it's gonna be even more different. We'll rebuild it together," I say.

We hug before going outside on the balcony. Aang hangs back as I walk forward, the nations all sitting in specified sections. A gong is struck. The crowd cheers and honestly that takes me by surprise. I raise my hand to silence them.

"Please. The real hero is the Avatar," I gesture.

Aang walks forward to stand next to me. The crowd cheers again. I wait a few moments before speaking.

"Today this war is finally over! I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path and begin a new era of love and peace," I state.

I kneel down, prepared to get crowned by the Fire Sage. He walks forward with the headpiece. He puts the Fire Lord headpiece on my head.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" he shouts.

Everyone cheers as I rise. I walk forward and gesture Aang to step forward with me. As my eyes scan the crowd. I see Mikaila clapping and cheering. She waves at me when I catch her eye. I smile.

MIKAILA POV

I was so proud of Zuko. He's come a long way since we first met. I've been honored to be on this journey with him. To be part of something real. To not be hidden in the shadows afraid of missing out on the world. Zuko gave me all of that. He gave me things I've never experienced before.

He gave me struggle; I had to fight for once in my life. He gave me adventure; I traveled across the world. He gave me happiness; for once I had a good friend. He gave me laughter; stories and memories I'll always remember. He also gave me pain; he broke me in ways I never thought were possible. He gave me the chance to forgive; he cares and rescued me from my pain. He gave me… love; he gave it to me in Ba Sing Se, and he gives it to me now.

Did that mean I still loved him? Yes. The answer came so quickly when I thought about it. I love him. There was no doubt. But… I didn't know if I should say anything. Being with all these people, I knew I had to go home soon. I miss them. It hurts me that I would have to leave. Would I be able to come back?

The ceremony came to a close. People began to talk with each other. Zuko called over the important leaders of the nations and suggested they go home and come up with a list of everything they needed now the war was over. They would meet in a month or so to discuss the next steps to recovery. Everyone agreed.

Later that day, Zuko disappeared. He went off somewhere on his own. Our gang hung out in the courtyard. We were casually talking when Zuko arrived back.

"Where did you disappear to?" Sokka asks.

"You were gone for some time," Suki adds.

He sits down with us.

"I went to see my father. I asked where my mother is," Zuko answers.

"And?" Katara asks.

"He wouldn't tell me," Zuko says sighing.

"We'll find your mother," Aang promises.

"Yeah, I mean we did just win a war. Finding your mom should be a piece of cake," I say trying to lift his spirits.

Zuko smiles slightly.

"Thank you," Zuko says.

"Now isn't the time to be sad! Like Mikaila said, we just won a war! We should be celebrating!" Toph says.

"How?" Suki asks.

"Oh! Oh!" Sokka exclaims excitedly and raises his hand. "We could split into two teams and fight. OR we could play hide-in-seek."

We were all quiet.

"Both sound lame," Aang speaks up.

"I know what we can do," Katara says.

"Please, anything is better than what Sokka can think of," Toph says.

"Hey!" Sokka complains.

"We should go on one last adventure together. Fly Appa to Ba Sing Se and go see your uncle," Katara says.

"That sounds like a good idea," Zuko says.

"That would be fun!" I agree.

So, that's why the next morning the seven of us were heading to Ba Sing Se with Appa and Momo of course. We spent the night sleeping in tents or underneath the stars if it was warm enough. We reached Ba Sing Se and immediately stopped by Iroh's tea shop. He was excited to see us.

He told us how his tea shop was in perfect condition. He would open the shop in a couple days after restocking. That night, everyone agreed to dress up a little. Even if we weren't going anywhere. We hang in the apartment above the tea shop. I take Aang aside.

"Aang, I was wondering if after we're done visiting here, you could take me as close to home as possible. I can take boats if I need to," I say.

"I'll take you the whole way! I'm excited to visit," Aang responds.

"How will the others get back to the Fire Nation?" I ask.

"I'm sure they can take a boat. They'll understand," Aang says.

"Thanks," I say.

We join the others. Zuko is making tea, Iroh is playing the tsungi horn, Sokka is painting, and everyone else is talking. Zuko serves us the tea.

"Zuko, stop moving! I'm trying to capture the moment. I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together," Sokka says.

"That's very thoughtful of you Sokka," Katara says looking at his painting and looks annoyed. "Wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?"

"Those are your hair loopies!" Sokka explains.

We all go over to look at his unrealistic painting. I could see Katara's reason for her annoyance.

"At least you don't look like a boar-q-pine! My hair is not that spiky!" Zuko complains.

"I look like I have shark teeth," I say.

"And why did you paint me fire bending?" Suki asks.

"I thought it looked more exciting that way," Sokka says.

Momo jumps on the table and chitters.

"Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?" Sokka asks irritated now.

I see Aang leave to go outside on the balcony.

"Hey, my belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down," Iroh says.

"Well I think you all look perfect!" Toph jokes.

We all laugh. Katara looks around and I know who she's looking for. I bump her shoulder and nod in the direction of outside. She bites her lower lip.

"What do I do?" Katara asks me.

"Go out there. You'll know," I say.

I give her a gentle shove and she walks outside. I decide to give them privacy and not watch. The rest of us remain inside in casual conversation. Sharing more on our battles and some memories of the past journey.

Sometime later, Aang and Katara walked back inside. They were holding hands. Everyone rushed them with a thousand questions. I giggled at the sight of seeing Sokka gush and cry. With everyone distracted, Zuko took my hands and we ran down the stairs. We continued our run till we were at the wall we once snuck through. We caught our breath.

"It seems so long ago. Since we lived here," Zuko says.

"Yeah. It was good… for as long as it lasted," I say. "But I don't think you were ever truly happy here."

"For a moment. I was. And if I had to live here again I would. As long as I had you," Zuko says sweetly.

I can't hide the blush that appears on my face. Then I look down.

"Aang is taking me back home," I state looking back up into Zuko's eyes.

He looks surprised and also sadden. Maybe there was a better way of telling him this.

"I'm sorry. I have to go back," I apologize.

"Will you come back?" Zuko asks.

His voice sounds like it's slightly cracking.

"I don't know," I reply honestly. "And until I do I don't think I should say anything. Tell you that… that I…"

Zuko nods cutting me off.

"I see. I hope you come back soon because… I want to say it again," Zuko says.

Those words break my wall. I cry and cling onto Zuko. He holds me tightly as I cry into his shoulder. Even with my tears, I can tell he's silently crying. He squeezes me a little tighter.

The days go by quickly. The gang was set up to take a ship out to the Fire Nation. We rode partly with them before Aang and I took off on Appa. It took all of my strength to keep it together and not join them back home. Most of our journey was quiet. My thoughts consumed me. I was anxious about the turn of events that would happen. Soon the island came into sight. We landed on the beach. We were met by everyone's terrified face until they recognized me.

"Mikaila!" my mother greets and runs to me.

She enveloped me in a huge hug. My father joined in as well. Most of the people couldn't keep their eyes off Appa and Aang. They were weary. I separated from their hug.

"Guys, this Aang, the Avatar. Aang, this is the duel benders," I introduced.

"The Avatar? The air bender who disappeared?" my mother asks.

Aang smiled brightly.

"That's me!" Aang says.

He demonstrates by creating a ball of air and riding on it. The crowd gasps and cheers. After his little fun, everyone heads up to the village. I sit down with my parents while Aang shows off some more.

"We were so worried about you," my mother says.

She looked ready to cry.

"After you left, we wanted to follow you but the storm was so bad. Once it lifted, we went to Kyoshi Island. There was no news of you," my father continues.

"We thought the worst," my mother adds with a deep sigh.

"That is until on another trip to Kyoshi Island, word had spread that a duel bender still existed, you. We worried," my father says.

"We tried to keep up to date with information on your whereabouts, but we couldn't be sure what was true. We knew one day you'd come back," my mother says.

"I promise to tell you all of it. Right now though, I want you guys to know that the war is over. The Fire Nation is no longer a threat," I say.

They look surprised and then happy.

"I brought Aang because he wanted to meet us, to show the air benders his ways and the way of his people. And I missed you," I say.

They pull me in for another hug.

"We missed you too," my father says.

It was so good being back home.

ONE MONTH LATER

ZUKO POV

It's been one month since Aang and Mikaila left for her home. Aang came back a week later without Mikaila. He said she wanted to stay longer. And wasn't sure when she would come back. If at all. That scared me. What if she never came back? My servants and guards were making preparations for our airship. The meeting with all the leaders would take place in Ba Sing Se. Originally it was going to be here, I thought Fire Nation wouldn't do well if I was gone for so long, but the Earth Kingdom insisted. Who was I to argue?

The whole gang was coming. For that I was grateful. I needed them by my side. Much of the Fire Nation had been cleaned up from the battle between Azula and me. Now it was time to clean up the rest of the world. Something told me it wouldn't go as smoothly.

Most days when I could, I spent trying to get my father to tell me where my mother was. He was always quiet or talked nonsense to provoke me. I decided the matter would have to be on hold for now. The fate of the world was more urgent.

After a few days in prison, Azula was moved to an asylum on another island close by. Hopefully, she would get the help she needed there. I hadn't visited her yet. It wouldn't turn out well in her current state. Being Fire Lord brought me numerous upon numerous responsibilities. Yet, none of them could distract me enough. Mikaila occupied my thoughts constantly.

I began to think she'd never come home. Could I blame her? No. I couldn't blame her for anything. I could only give her love. So I could wait. Forever if I had to.

A guard knocked on my door. I knew it wasn't the gang because they never knocked, and the servants were gentler in their knocking.

"Enter," I order.

He enters.

"Fire Lord, you have guests," he announces.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"I'm only the messenger. I'm told they're all out in the courtyard though," the guard bows and leaves.

I rise from my desk with a sigh and make my way to the courtyard. I wasn't in the mood to host guests. Though it could be villagers who came with complaints. I didn't deal with those people directly though. When I entered the courtyard, I was surprised to see a rather large group of people. Who were they? The gang stood to the side smiling widely. My heart stopped. I just knew. She was here.

MIKAILA POV

As much fun as the island was. I managed to convince everyone, with much debate, to meet the new Fire Lord Zuko. They were extremely hesitant but eventually agreed. We sailed to the Fire Nation. I managed to convince the guards to keep us a surprise from Zuko. Since some knew our relationship, they agreed. Seeing Zuko's surprised face as he entered was priceless.

His eyes searched the crowd and I knew he was looking for me. I made my way through and tackled him into a hug. No words were exchanged but a lot of emotions were passed. I pulled back.

"I came back," I say.

"I see, I'm so happy," Zuko says.

I introduce him to my parents, everyone wants to meet the Fire Lord. Once everything has died down, Zuko offers rooms for us. Some people want to camp in the courtyard, not wanting to be awkward in such a lovely palace. What weirdos. Then it's just the four of us talking, Zuko, my parents, and me.

"It's so great to meet you and to have Mikaila back. Unfortunately I leave for the meeting between leaders in a couple days," Zuko says.

"We'll be fine here until we know for sure what to do. We may want to go back to one of our villages if it's still intact or back to our island," my father says.

"Why don't you go father? You're the leader of the duel benders. You should be part of the meeting," I state.

"I can't leave my people. Why don't you go," my father suggests.

"Me?" I ask surprised.

"That's a good idea. Not all of the leaders could leave their homes. Some send representatives in their place," Zuko says.

"I'll go," I accept.

I couldn't believe I would represent all of the duel benders. It was exciting but also terrifying. That I could mess it all up. Once the sun began to set, Zuko and I snuck away to the garden and sat in front of the pond. My arms were wrapped around his arm and my head leaned on his shoulder. We stayed in silence for a while.

"I love you," Zuko speaks up.

I lift my head and look up at him.

"I couldn't keep it in any longer. I had to tell you, I love you," Zuko says again.

I smile and kiss his lips softly. Before Zuko can fully return it I pull back.

"I love you too," I say.

We both lean in again and kiss gently. My heart raced and I finally felt that incredible feeling again. The feeling only our kiss could give me.

It felt like our journey was finally at an end, but that wasn't true. It wasn't just beginning either. We were somewhere in between. The long road to recovery lay in front of us, none of us knowing where it leads. For now, we enjoy the moments as we go.

I was born into a good life. It was safe and well hidden from the enemy. I could have stayed there being protected in the shadows. But I left home to find a great life, one with meaning and adventure. I didn't expect to travel the journey I did. In the end though… I found a life worth living.

The End. Can't believe it's over! IMPORTANT NOTE: I plan on writing a sequel. It will be a little bit based off comics but not a lot. So if you haven't read those you can still read my sequel. It will be called 'Endings, Beginnings, and in Between'. I'll post here when it's up. Expect it by August 2. Maybe sooner. Thank you sooooo much for reading my story. I've enjoyed this so much. Please Review!