The story is coming to an end, as you will see here. Next chapter would legit be the climax. There won't be a big fight or anything. (Because I am very bad at writing action scenes and I have to write a lot of them for Subterfuge, I have no intentions of using my brain cells to come up with yet another one.) After the next chapter, I would be ending the story with an epilogue.

Someone asked me if Raava cut off Mayung from the Avatar's powers, how did Aang find him to talk to him. Well, I don't know if I had clarified it or not in the story, but this is my answer: Raava is the Avatar Spirit. She blocked Mayung and Aang from their bending abilities, and thereby the Avatar, but that did not mean that they were no longer the Avatar. They were still part of the cycle and could talk to the other Avatars if they wanted. In fact, this would be explained in the next chapter in greater detail.

As usual, read and review.

Chapter 38

Zuko paused in front of Azula's door, chewing on his bottom lip as he contemplated what to do. The last few interactions he had with her had resulted in a bitter fight. He was no longer the bitter, angry teenager who had gone in search of the Avatar. Today, he was at peace and he had control over his emotions. He had imbibed the life lessons that his Uncle had taught him and had attained the level of maturity and stability that Uncle always wanted for him. Yet, all of his peace, his stability, his wisdom, all seemed flee him the moment he came face to face with Azula. She brought out that angry self of his, the one he worked so hard to bury. She effortlessly peeled the layers, and revealed the person he longed to leave behind.

But if Katara was right, then he owed it to Azula, his little sister, what his father never gave him. Or even Azula, for that matter. Unconditional approval. He swallowed the dread that tasted metallic in his mouth and pushed the door open. Azula sat on a chair, with her legs dangling over an arm, reading a book. All at once, he was transported to their childhood. That was how she would sit, whenever she would sit on a chair, only for their mother to reprimand her. Apparently, some habits died hard.

Inadvertently, the name he used for her back then was the one that slipped from his mouth, "Baby bird?"

Azula gave a start, dropping the book. The color drained from her pale face as she slowly stood up. "Zuzu?" For the first time since they were children, the name did not sound like a taunt. More like a plea.

"I'm sorry," He said, feeling his throat close up painfully from the sob he was holding back. "I always complained that you weren't a good enough sister. But I was quite a dick of a brother myself, wasn't I?"

Azula blinked a couple of times before she shrugged and said, "Kind of runs in the family, doesn't it?"

Zuko snorted. The two siblings stood facing each other, both at a loss for things to say. Finally, he took a step closer and said, "What are you reading?"

"Tenzu's Lotus Philosophy," Azula said, settling down on the chair and pointing at the seat opposite hers.

"Heavy reading," he said, taking the chair she had pointed to. "Do you understand all of it?"

Azula opened her mouth and then closed it. Taking a deep breath, she said, "You know, if you had asked me this question about fifteen years ago, I would have said of course I do. I'm not an idiot. But I think now I can say, without feeling odd, that no, I don't. He rambles a lot."

"He does!" Zuko agreed, surprised to know how easy it was to talk to her. "I dozed off the first few times I tried reading it."

"Tch tch, very un-Fire-Lordy of you," she said, but without a trace of the malice he expected from her.

"Un-Fire-Lordy?" He said with a smirk.

"It's a word now. Deal with it."

He chuckled. "Yes, Princess."

Slowly, tentatively, he reached over and took her hand in his. When she didn't pull back, he asked, "How are you feeling, baby bird?"

To his surprise, she went down on her knees and looked up at him, "I don't know, Zuzu. On some days, like today, I am perfectly fine. But on some days, I am all over the place. And I'm scared."

"Scared?" he asked, coming to the ground next to her. "What are you scared of?"

"I see them," she said, slowly. "Our parents."

He ran his fingers through her hair and said, "They're gone. They can't hurt you anymore. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore."

"I know. But there is something I must show you."

He frowned as Azula pushed herself to her feet and walked over to a drawer. She pulled out a scroll, returned and handed it to him. Zuko unfurled the scroll and read through the contents, his brows tightening to a frown.

"What is this?"

"Just what you read," Azula said with a sigh as she sat down next t him. "Ozai loyalists keep sending me these missives, wanting me to take the throne. Usurp you or something. They had stopped for a while, but ever since you married Katara, they have started up again."

Don't lose you temper. Don't lose your temper. Zuko closed his eyes and counted to ten before saying, "What have you replied to them?"

"I haven't," she said. "I usually burn them. But… I think you should see it."

Zuko nodded, repeatedly telling himself to give her a chance. A part of him wanted to scream at her for keeping something like this from him, but his inner voice, which surprisingly sounded like a weird mixture of Uncle and Katara, told him that this was Azula's olive branch. He recognized that if he lost his temper on her this time, he would burn the last bridge between them. If he wanted to have any kind of relationship with his sister, he needed to tread carefully at this moment.

"What do you want to do, Azula?"

"About this?" she asked pointing at the letter. At Zuko's nod, she said, "I don't want the throne, Zuko. Last time…. I lost everything that mattered to me. I… It scares me. I'm not… fit for it, regardless of what Ozai thought."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that."

"I know," Azula said flopping down on the ground and leaning her head on the chair. "You aren't the only one who has grown, Zuzu. Ozai's poison broke my mind and took away something that defined me."

"What?" he asked, folding up the scroll and pocketing it. Even though Azula said that she did not want the throne, Zuko could not bring himself to fully believe it. For a significant part of his life, Azula always lies, was a thing he told himself over and over again. He could not just start believing her now. He needed to look deeper into this. If Azula noticed his action, she did not show it. In response to his question, she lit a flame on her palm.

"Not blue," he whispered, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"Hasn't been blue in a while," she said slowly. "All I want, is my fire to be blue. That's all."

Zuko nodded, "We will get that back. Come with me to fire bending practices."

"Really? You want that?"

"Indeed," Zuko licked his lips and tentatively asked the one question he wanted to ask. "How… How are you handling the whole Jion thing?"

Azula shrugged, "I don't know. I'm okay today, but I may not be okay tomorrow. I'm bouncing all over the place."

This was a better answer than he had expected or hoped in the first place. He smiled and said, "Come on, let's have dinner. I'm hungry."

To his surprise, Azula stood up. "Let's go."

Katara found that her fingers trembled as she tied the knot of her shoulder pad.

"You look nervous," Zuko commented as he fastened the strap of his armbands. "Nervous about going back to your home?"

"They want me dead," Katara replied, unable to keep the irritation off her voice. "So yes, I am bloody nervous. That's why I told you to keep the children here."

Zuko walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "If you want, you stay here."

Katara shook her head, "No. I mean, yes, staying here is easier and less confrontational. But doesn't that also imply that we did something wrong? I have to go there. Just to prove that we did nothing wrong. We are blameless and I want to prove that. I'm not hiding."

"I know you won't," he said and leaned to place a quick kiss on her forehead. "If it makes you feel any better, the Imperial Fire Benders are coming with us."

"I know."

"And what are you thinking about meeting the Avatar? Still okay with it?"

"I have been thinking about it and I understand that Korra is not Aang. I'm not going to hold her responsible for what Aang did. She's just a year old. It's not fair that I hold a grudge against a baby. Not fair."

He nodded and draped an arm around her. "Remember, I'm there with you."

Katara smiled and lay her head on his chest. "I love you."

He pulled her in closer and said, "I love you, too."

The repurposed warplane landed in the South Pole four days later. Even though Katara had spent a good chunk of her life in the poles, the cold air that welcomed them made her cringe. She subbed her palms together as she got off the warplane, flanked by four Imperial Fire Benders. Zuko, who had stepped out first as was the protocol. Katara came to stand next to her husband, yearning to curl into him. As a Fire Bender he was warmer than average, and the cold did not bother him much.

"Katara!" Hakoda said, rushing to meet her. As he came closer though, he seemed to remember the norm and bowed to Zuko, who returned the bow. He then turned to his daughter and gave her a quick bow before engulfing her in a bear hug.

As they parted, Katara spotted Timuk, the Northern Water Bender who was now the chief of Southern Water Tribe. The man's blue eyes were fixed on Katara with an unmasked loathing as he bowed. "Fire Lord Zuko, how kind of you to grace us with your presence."

"Chief Timuk, the Fire Lady and I are thrilled to be here to honor the new Avatar."

Upon Zuko's subtle reminder, Timuk gave Katara a sort, stiff bow before saying, "This way, please Fire Lord. Some dignitaries are already there."

The two of them shared a quick look and made to follow the man. As they made their way to the big communal hall, Suki joined them. She gave a quick bow to them and hooked her arm through Katara's. "How are you guys?"

"Okayish," Katara replied, realizing that it truly encompassed how she felt.

"Sokka is in the igloo," Suki said. "He is still a tad nervous to meet you."

Katara shook her head, "I guess there's a first time for everything?"

Suki chuckled. "I guess. Toph isn't coming, is she?"

"No," Zuko answered. "She hates the poles and she has ignored her school for far too long."

"That she has," Suki agreed.

They kept up a light chatter on the way to the igloo. Upon entering the igloo, however, Katara felt as though the temperature had dropped dramatically. Ignoring the hostile looks she was getting, Katara turned to Mizu. The Imperial Fire Bender handed her the ornamental robe that was their offering to the new Avatar. As one, Katara and Zuko walked to the crib that housed Korra, got down on their knees and laid the offering at the foot of the crib. As Katara lowered her head in a bow, a scoff reached her ears. Ignoring the sneer, she finished the ritual and stood up, intending to back away.

"Would you look at that?" Hahn's unpleasant voice set her teeth on edge. "The adulteress and her Lover Lord are here to pay tribute to the reincarnated Avatar."

"Chief Hahn," Zuko said, his eyes blazing. "That's the Fire Lady you're talking about."

"Yes, she's the Fire Lady, because you brought up some archaic law to save her," Hahn spat. "You took her away, fine. But I didn't think you would be so shameless as to show up like this at the welcoming ceremony of the new Avatar."

"Chief Hahn," King Kuei, who was also in the igloo, said, "This is neither the time nor the place to say something so inappropriate."

"You don't know, do you, King Kuei? Lady Katara and Fire Lord Zuko had an affair behind Avatar Aang's back."

"That is not true and even you know it, Hahn," Sokka yelled. "You drummed up some charges to satisfy your own ego which simply couldn't handle the fact that Katara is the best Water Bender of this generation."

"Of course, you would think that. You're her brother," Timuk said, crossing his arms. "But these two have betrayed Avatar Aang's love and trust. They should not be allowed to be here."

"Chief Timuk," Zuko said in his most dangerous voice. "Are you insinuating the Fire Lord and Fire Lady are unwelcome in the Fire Lady's own home?"

Realizing his slip up, Timuk flinched. In the silence, King Anga of Omashu spoke up, "This has to be the singularly most repulsive display of impropriety I have seen by any leader since I have taken the throne. Disgusting. Is the Water Tribe looking to start a war with Fire Nation?"

"Indeed," Kuei added. "It definitely appears to be the case. This insult of not just the Fire Lady but the Fire Lord too is abhorrent. Should Fire Lord Zuko decide to attack the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom would support it."

At that proclamation, Timuk paled. Hahn, however, in a characteristic display of idiocy, plowed on, "That's all the Fire Nation can do, isn't it? Fight and steal. They fought for a hundred years and now, when Avatar Aang is no longer around to keep them in check and Avatar Korra is too young to handle these warmongering people."

"Hahn, stop," Timuk, who was evidently reading the room better than his counterpart, said, "Please."

Hahn shook his head, "No. Avatar Aang was a personal friend. Besides, the Avatar's insult is everyone's insult. In the Avatar's Aang's absence, I intend to avenge his honor, even if that costs my life, but I cannot let this whore walk out of here alive."

In an instant, Katara, Zuko, the Imperial Fire Benders, Anga, Sokka and Suki had taken up a fighting stance. The air in the room crackled as the Water Tribe, left with no choice, had to take up their own defensive stance. Silence sat heavy in the room as the two sides stared at each other.

"Enough!" A voice boomed across the igloo and suddenly, all around the igloo, it was green.

My hands are not green. Zuko's words from Ember Island suddenly began to make sense to Katara. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest as she slowly turned. There, next to Korra's crib and bathed in the strange green glow, was Aang.