CHAPTER RATING: T (Language, Violence)

A/N:

Published on: 01/18/2019

Epilogue, Part II: A Final Sunset

…Many Years Later…

The ocean breeze blows into her home, wind chimes hanging from the balcony's garden sing as they clash. The warm salty air fills Azula's lungs; she looks out to the high towers of Republic City, now engulfed in the black smoke of industry. The sounds of horns, crashes, and sirens erupt from the city, rolling across Yue Bay, and echoing through her home on Air Temple Island.

But that isn't all she hears. Amidst the chaos of the industrialized Republic City, the calm sounds of the crashing shore merge with the voices of dozens of Air Acolytes training just below where she lays her head.

Her home was also home to many others eager and willing to learn the ways of the Air Nomads; the ancient customs and traditions taught by her sons.

...

The morning sun breaks through her window, urging her to wake. In her sluggish state of mind, she shambles to the bathroom, washes her face and looks at herself in the mirror.

Even Azula herself can see how tired she is; her skin dragged down by time, her hair was now more grey than black, and her eyes, that once shined with a bright amber were beginning to dim with age.

But what hurt her the most was not the image of herself that was becoming weaker each day. What hurt her the most was when she would turn in her sleep; before she would turn and he would be there; there to comfort her, there to support her, there to love her.

But now, he was gone.

She turned in bed one day to tell him good morning, to wake him up, to see another sunrise. And yet, on this one day, he didn't respond.

His expression told her that he was as happy as ever, she had given him a good life, and she had given him love and devotion, the love and devotion that they both desired, but when she tried to bring him to consciousness, he didn't respond.

Taken from her too early, when she had met him too late. At the age of sixty-six, the universe had decided that her Avatar would be moving on without her. Every known healer and herbalist from the Fire Nation to the United Republic of Nations had come to the same conclusion: the stress on his body from being stuck so long in an iceberg had made his life shorter than it should have been.

For a long time, the world had lost all color to her, like the flames that kept her going were now embers, barely able to keep away the darkness that crept at her thoughts and her heart, embers that were no longer going to keep her warm in this world that she had always found to be so cold.

Two years ago, she lost him, and his absence still cuts at her every day.

…

The White Lotus had set out to find his reincarnation immediately when the news had struck. Through their grief, Azula was able to make amends with her worst enemies.

Toph Beifong, the little blind earthbender that had provided them shelter once was now the only Metalbending master in the entire world. Her students that Azula met long ago did not fare well in their training. But Toph herself, had risen to become the Chief of Police for the burgeoning Republic City. The last conversation they had, Toph had laughed at Azula's 'failed plan' to take over the world; but Azula was able to stop the mocking guffaws of the earthbender when she would take hold of the Avatar's arm; before Toph would then take hold of Sokka's arm. The last she heard, they were expecting a baby girl.

Firelord Zuko took her old friend, Mai as his wife. To Azula, they were meant for each other, and that compatibility only increased as they aged, Zuko's pragmatic kindness contrasted perfectly against Mai's pessimistic indifference. The Fire Nation would be in his good, merciful hands as long as his wife's opinion on national stairs was 'I don't really care,' and knowing Mai, that would always be her opinion. Zuko had even commissioned a monument to be built in Yue Bay next to her home, a giant statue of Aang, leading the way into a new future.

Her father, Ozai, lived out the rest of his days in confined comfort, provided with the luxuries of his last life, he was a loving and caring grandfather to her children as they grew. Ilah, was of course, his favorite among the three, and Azula is glad that at least three people in the world will see him as she had when she was young. As a loving, caring person, faults and all. When he passed, they entombed his body within the Royal Family Catacombs, where he would rest with his father, Azulon, and his grandfather, Sozin.

Her children grew, had children of their own, and Azula tried her best to raise them better than she felt she was raised; she had hoped that she was a better mother to her children than she had when she was a child.

Azula was even able to reconnect through her grief with her worst enemy. When news of the Avatar's passing became commonplace, the first thing Azula did was apologize to Katara. To her surprise, she was not met with pain, anger, or jealousy.

Instead, Katara stepped forward and hugged Azula. In their shared pain, they found solace, even if Aang had chosen Azula, he was still able to remain friends with the first girl he saw when he made it out of the iceberg. Katara herself had moved back to her home village and found love with a young man returning home after years at war.

...

The sun was setting now. Azula walks to the open-air balcony where she saw Bumi racing his father seemingly so long ago.

The lights of Republic City begin to burn, lightning running through the streets to stay the darkness of night.

But that isn't the thing that catches her attention.

What she focuses on is the massive statue of her Avatar that stands within the bay. She takes in another deep breath of the warm salty air.

And in the waves that crash against the shore, she can hear his voice, his laughter. The boyish charm that brought her warmth like a fire is painted in her memory, and tears at her heart.

The monument that sits in Yue Bay reminds her so much of the boy she became enraptured with; of the man she fell in love with.

The sun sets on another day, the monument towers over her, the moon reflects into Yue Bay, lighting his face before her.

Tears fill her eyes, then stream down her cheeks as she whispers her thoughts into the lonely night.

"I miss you."

A/N:

Yes, I ship those pairings.