"How do I look?" Katara asked, emerging from behind the folding screen.
"You know, I've always wondered that myself," Toph replied, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.
"Oh. Right," Katara said sheepishly, turning to look in the mirror.
"But I'm sure you look nice," Toph said, coming to stand behind her, a smile on her face. The door opened, and Katara barely registered the sound as she dove back behind the folding screen.
"Katara, how's it going?" Sokka said, pausing as he spotted her head behind the screen.
"Sokka! Do you ever knock?" Katara hissed. She turned to Toph. "Couldn't you have given me a warning?"
"What?" Toph shrugged, "It's just Sokka."
"Well yeah...you could've told me that so I didn't throw myself back here."
"Why would you throw yourself back there anyway?" Sokka asked.
"It would be bad luck if Zuko saw me before the ceremony."
Sokka rolled his eyes.
"Seriously with all the superstitions? You know, it's already stormy out there. I guess we should just push it all back another week, don't you think, Katara?"
Toph snickered.
"Well sorry I'm cautious! It's just the last time I was about to get married-"
"No one needs a reminder of that, Katara," Sokka said plainly, "We all remember quite clearly. Sorry I teased you."
She stepped out slowly from behind the screen.
"Wow. You look beautiful," Sokka said, running his eyes over the silvery blue gown.
He squinted, then looked back at the mirror. A hand-crafted, blue and silver mask hung over the corner.
"Are you guys really going to wear those masks to the ceremony?" he asked.
"Yeah," Katara said, "It's between me and Zuko." She glanced out the window thoughtfully. "How is he doing? Did Aang stop by?"
"Yeah, Aang came by, that's why I left. Just a whole bunch of awkward," Sokka said, throwing himself down on the sofa. "But it is better that he's here. It wouldn't feel right without him."
"And Zuko?" Katara asked.
"Being weird. Trying to go out in the rain. No idea what that's about."
Katara smiled, shaking her head.
"Me neither," she lied.
"I don't get it," Ursa said, "what's the deal with the rain? I mean, it's probably good for me and Mom, but why would you like it?"
He smiled at her as she pressed the mask over her eyes.
"That is precisely the reason I like the rain, Ursa. Because it reminds me of you and your mother."
She frowned. "Okay, I guess. But that's like Mom saying she enjoys jumping into flames because it reminds her of you."
He laughed.
"It is a little different." Ursa was going to say more, but he spoke again. "Do you want me to continue, or do you want to go train?"
She shook her head. "Nope. More story. Sorry for interrupting."
The ceremony would be starting soon.
The hall was decorated with lanterns filled with flames both blue and red. They lined the walls, hung from the ceiling, and even the pathway to the altar. Fire lilies and bluebells were entwined together at the end of the aisle, where they would stand as they took their vows. Zuko, Aang, Sokka, and Iroh were already waiting there. Sokka was of course still complaining that he wouldn't be walking Katara down the aisle.
"I mean, I practically raised her!" he said, and Aang just shook his head.
"Sokka, you still have a father. If Katara wants her father to escort her, then shouldn't you respect that?"
"Well...I'm here, aren't I? I didn't boycott the wedding or anything. Even though.." he looked among the spectators, blushing before looking back to Aang, "she still invited Sukie."
Zuko didn't mind the bickering. It helped distract him from his heart, which seemed to be flooding the entire room with loud and heavy beating. Thunder sounded above them, and he froze, glaring angrily at his chest. Get it together, he ordered, this is no time no place for another "incident."
Then the guests stood. Toph was walking toward them, the best smile she could muster slapped across her face as she held her bouquet out in front of her. Sokka, who seemed anxious a moment ago upon locating Sukie, looked pleased as he watched Toph march across.
But Zuko's attention was on Katara behind her. A blue mask was strapped over her face; with silver markings etched over. He self-consciously touched his face; making sure his mask was on. Then he blushed at realizing what he was doing. He dropped his hands back to his sides.
Hakoda halted about five feet away, and Zuko stepped down to Katara. She kissed her father on the cheek before taking Zuko's arm. The sensation of her beside him was a great comfort; suddenly his heartbeat was just background music and Katara was the prominent melody. Her eyes met his, and though he couldn't see her lips, he was certain she was smiling at him.
Iroh led the ceremony. He likely said something beautiful brimming with meaning and the importance of love, but Zuko didn't hear it. The first words his ears registered were from Katara.
"Zuko," she whispered, "vows."
His face heated, and he turned to his uncle to see a knowing smile on his face.
"Fire lord Zuko, please state your vows."
He nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. But Katara's hands were soft and soothing against his, and he turned to face her. He pulled his mask over his head to look at her fully.
"Katara, in times of darkness, I will give you light. When there is no warmth in this world, I will be your fire. You are the beat of my heart and the shine of my eyes. I wish to spend every moment at your side."
He held his breath, and slowly, Katara lifted her mask from her face.
"Zuko," she whispered, "My hands will heal your wounds. My heart will share your pain. My arms will shield you from the cold. With my life, I will love only you. Until I breathe no more."
He stared at her face; at the sapphire eyes and the round and full lips. She watched him, and they waited; keeping their eyes only on each other. They barely heard Iroh declare them as one before Zuko pressed his hands to the back of her neck and brought her lips to his; until the world melted away around them and that anxious voice in his head that always warned him against ever telling Katara how he felt melted away with it; forever.
"Is that the end of the story?" Ursa asked nervously, "What happened after the ceremony?"
"I thought we agreed on one story," Zuko said, smiling.
"Well...we did, but that wasn't the complete story. I mean, weddings always have an afterparty, don't they?"
"A reception?" he corrected.
"Yes! That. Let's talk about that."
"Well to be honest, not much happened there. Uncle Aang congratulated us, he didn't stay the whole time. Uncle Sokka spent most of the time with Aunt Toph. He danced with your mother a few times, but he was a little bitter about one of the guests, and wanted to show off."
"What about Grandpa Iroh?" Ursa asked.
"Grandpa Iroh made everyone tea, and basically kept everyone organized and entertained so your mother and I could just focus on each other."
"Okay...but after that? How did it end?"
"Ursa, you're going to have to ask a better question. We don't know the ending yet, do we?"
"We know a little more than Dad is telling you," Katara said, from the doorway. She was almost a foot shorter than Zuko, with hair woven into a long braid down her back. Her eyes had narrowed with age, though they were still that vivid blue, made almost violet by her purple dress.
Ursa flushed with surprise.
"Um...hi Mommy."
Katara sat next to them, tilting her head slightly.
"Ursa, you know the rest of the story so far. What happened after all that?" Katara asked.
Ursa looked thoughtfully at her father, waiting for a hint, but he just smiled. Katara took his hand.
"You had...Kya. Then Iroh...then me. But that was like a hundred million years after the wedding, wasn't it?"
"Of course not. It was two hundred million years," Katara corrected.
Ursa scowled.
"Okay, so it was like eight years or something, right?"
"Something like that," Zuko agreed.
"So does that mean the story is over?"
"No, it never ends," he said, "not ever."
"Then I don't have to go to training, right?"
Katara laughed, shaking her head. "Let's go." She stood up, offering her hand to her youngest daughter. She pulled her up, but Ursa immediately brushed her hand off and hurried out of the closet and down the hall.
Katara turned to Zuko, shaking her head with a smile.
"Someone's gotten too patient. Where's the hotheaded firebender I married?"
He grinned and put the mask on. "Back here," he replied.
He took her hand and stood, and she lifted the mask away.
"There he is," she breathed, pressing her lips to his.
The children groaned from outside of the closet, but Zuko didn't care. He wrapped his arms around Katara, reminded of how thankful he was that she was in his arms, and unafraid to show it to the world.
The storm had settled at last.
Thank you SO MUCH for reading! I have loved reading each and every one of your reviews!
This was my first fanfic; and it was because of how important Zutara is to me that I finally sat down and wrote it after three years of it bouncing around my head. I didn't expect to get any follows, or favorites, or reviews, and I am both overjoyed and unbelievably thankful that I did. Reading your reviews has brightened my days, especially during these less than good times.
I apologize for the gaps and breaks between postings. Sometimes it was easier to write than others, sometimes it was hard to find time, so thank you for sticking around regardless of the wait between.
I will be going back and editing so the story is nice and clean together, but this is the end of the tale.
Again, thank you all so much for reading this. It means more than you could know to have my writing read and commented on.
Take care of yourselves; I hope you're all hanging in there.
- Junie Dreams -