Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender purely begins to Mike and Bryan. This is just my vain attempt to live past the series finale.
Summary: Building a new world is never easy. Years after the end of the war, one night between Zuko and Katara leads to the reveal of hidden truths and disrupts their plans of the peaceful lives they thought they'd have. Even when everything spins wild, they will always find each other. They could fight the entire Fire Nation together, but what are they willing to sacrifice when the other is on the line?
Last Time…
Hakoda chuckled and put a hand on each of his children's shoulders. "Alright, that's enough now. Since Aang's here, I'm sure we'll get started shortly."
"Chief Hakoda! Sokka! I wasn't expecting to see you two here." Aang greeted genially once he reached the growing group.
"Avatar Aang. I hope you've been well. I've been hearing of a lot of progress at the Eastern Air Temple."
"I have been, Chief Hakoda, thank you. It is nice to have a bit of a break, but it is very rewarding to see how my people's customs are being shared and revived." Aang's joy was palpable and as was the usual case with the Airbender, it spilled over to everyone around him. He turned to Zuko and Katara. "I'm excited to select the council for the United Republic of Nations. I was able to talk with Avatar Roku in the weeks that have passed since Yu Dao and we've come to an agreement regarding its creation."
Katara smiled. "I'm so glad," she told him sincerely, recalling how distraught he was at disappointing his old friend with the creation of the fifth nation. "I really think that it's the first great step of many more to come."
A gong reverberated and the rumbling of conversation stopped as King Kuei entered the room, Bosco at his side. The duo climbed the dais leading to the throne and once King Kuei was seated, he announced, "Thank you all for coming to Ba Sing Se. I'm happy to share that we've had another successful quarterly summit with even more work accomplished to continue our ongoing journey for peace and harmony between all nations. We have many great things to share and hope that you feel excited to spread the news at home so all of our citizens can remain informed and trust in our work. Now, let's get started."
Zuko and Katara took their usual seats at the summit table in front of King Kuei's throne. The rest of the audience members sat along the benches placed around the throne room's perimeter, watching eagerly with curious expressions. Katara took another deep breath and Zuko discreetly grasped her leg beneath the table, squeezing encouragingly and removing his hand before Katara could even react. She nodded to herself in acknowledgement of his support, though she could feel Zuko's surreptitious gaze on her.
King Kuei began, "This summit has been groundbreaking and I am quite proud of the continuing progress that has been made to heal and continue moving forward. There are two topics of importance on the agenda today that I'd like the council to focus on in particular. The first being a new set of legislature spearheaded by Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe with the help of Fire Lord Zuko. The two have continued to demonstrate the possibilities that can come to fruition when we work together and I look forward to see what they have prepared. I'll leave it to them to showcase their proposal. Our council will decide on its ruling immediately afterwards."
Katara nodded in acknowledgement and stood from the table. She began circling the table, speaking to the summit members, King Kuei, and the crowd surrounding them. "Thank you all for coming today. Fire Lord Zuko and I have worked together to create a new bill of legislature... as King Kuei just mentioned." She took a deep breath and continued, "What I am about to present is quite different from any kind of laws passed throughout this summit, or any previous. It is to ensure the safe teaching and regulation of a rare sub-skill of Waterbending known as Bloodbending."
As Katara spoke, Sokka and Aang exchanged a look. "Did you know that your sister was planning this?" Aang asked, his brow furrowed and concern evident in his grey eyes.
Sokka shook his head, his eyebrows raised. "No, I thought that she was going to announce a much different proposal."
Aang pursed his lips. "I don't understand how Katara could think that this would be a good idea!" he hissed. "Bloodbending is extremely dangerous for the Waterbender performing it and for whoever is put under its control. She should've—"
Sokka cut in, "Watch yourself, Aang, that's my sister you're talking about there. And you know Katara. There's no way that she would decide to present this to the summit without plenty of failsafes and regulations in place to make sure that the ability couldn't be misused without dire consequences. Her and Zuko." Sokka glanced at his little sister and then back at Aang. "Have a little faith in her, Aang."
The Airbender turned his attention back to Katara, his brow furrowed worriedly.
As soon as Katara finished speaking, rumbles echoed throughout the throne room as many considered and speculated what Bloodbending would be. Katara knew that the crowd would get riled up once she announced what she was proposing. She turned to Zuko, who stood from his seat. No sooner than his robes stopped billowing had the rumbles quieted. Katara filed away the irritation and envy that rose at how quickly he commanded attention and respect from the largely male crowd compared to her.
"I don't believe Master Katara was finished," he said coolly. He inclined his head at Katara as a signal to continue.
"It is an extremely difficult skill that requires an extraordinary amount of hard work and determination. For many years, I couldn't perform this skill unless it was the night of the full moon so that I could harness its power. It takes a lot out of the Waterbender performing it and can cause them harm if attempted improperly. I want to emphasize that not every Waterbender will be able to perform this skill and should not attempt it without proper training and guidance." Katara hesitated for a moment but continued, "Many of you are likely wondering why I am advocating for the teaching of such a dangerous skill. I believe that if properly taught and regulated, it can be extremely beneficial in helping save lives."
She turned to the crowd and asked, "How many of you have been on the ground during the last war? How many of you were helpless to save friends, comrades, loved ones?" She paused and waited to see several faces in the crowd shift in recognition. "Even a healer has limits. This isn't to say that Bloodbending can prevent loss absolutely, but in conjunction with healing, I believe that it can increase chances of survival."
"We're not at war!" an Earth Kingdom man yelled out. "Why do we still need this skill?" Several in the crowd nodded in agreement.
Katara smiled sadly. "There is still a lot to be done to accomplish long lasting peace and you all know as well as I do that there is still unrest that has to be settled. And while I am an optimist, I know that we are all human. History has taught us that there will always be a need for the Avatar. And there will always be a need to prepare. This is what this proposal is about— education and preparedness. With the hope that this knowledge should remain just that but with the reassurance that it is available to be shared and utilized for when it is needed." She turned and nodded at Zuko, who had been patiently waiting. "We agreed that we can talk until we're blue in the face but you wouldn't understand until you see it for yourselves. Fire Lord Zuko, if you don't mind."
Zuko unsheathed one of his broadswords and similarly to what he had done on their travels to Yu Dao, he held out his palm and cut deeply across his palm. His face remained impassive as he reflexively created a fist to staunch the bleeding. Several members of the crowd gasped.
"Obviously, this wound isn't life threatening," Zuko explained smoothly, "but we thought that this would demonstrate how Bloodbending can offer healers the chance to work before it's too late or otherwise keep the damage at bay. Imagine this is a wound to the chest, the head, or an otherwise fatal location."
Katara interjected, "The issue with an injury such as the one Fire Lord Zuko is describing is that our healing can't repair the body as fast as it is being damaged. With Bloodbending—" she walked over to Zuko and flexed a hand over his cut palm and everyone saw how the blood seized and pooled in his palm, no longer dripping through his fingers. "— we can buy some time."
Toriq and the other healers from the Northern Water Tribe sat up and leaned in to look closer at her technique as well as see her control over Zuko's blood.
With her other hand, she called water from her water skin at her back and gloved her hand in it, the signifying glow visible to everyone in the throne room. Katara then healed the cut, without a mark left on his skin, and cleaned away any blood. She released her hold on his blood and Zuko instinctively flexed his hand.
"Obviously, this is a small-scale demonstration, but hopefully, we've been able to illustrate the potential of teaching Bloodbending to our most talented healers." Her eyes turned towards Toriq and the two Northern Water Tribe women. "It follows much of the knowledge taught when we learned how to heal the body, it just uses a different catalyst than external water. Consider the healing water as our offense, doing the actual healing, while Bloodbending is a defensive tactic to prevent further harm or injury. By using both skills, we can better tend to the wounded and prevent losses or more permanent injury. It is especially helpful with internal injuries where we cannot rely on sight to help us."
Katara sighed and turned to the summit council and King Kuei. "Any questions?"
Tulok spoke, "While we appreciate Bloodbending's possibilities, how can we ensure fair and deserved teachings? In the wrong hands, this kind of technique would be disastrous. With the wrong intentions…"
"Bloodbending would be disastrous. You're correct, Councilman Tulok. Believe me, I struggled for many years regarding its usage, but at the end of the day, I think Fire Lord Zuko and I decided that the good that could come of sharing this skill far outweighs the possible risks. That's also why we took such care in writing the legislature for it."
"Fire Lord Zuko, as a Firebender, why is it that you think you should have had such a large hand in this bill?"
Zuko's jaw clenched. "Councilman Tulok, I may be a Firebender and do not understand Waterbending with the same breadth or level of intricacy as Master Katara, but I do know politics and strategy and I also want to ensure that this ability is used only for good and shared with those who deserve to learn it."
Tulok smiled amiably. "That you do, Lord Zuko. And if you recall, I vouch wholeheartedly for Master Katara's knowledge of the art of Waterbending as well as her judgment towards the selection and subsequent teaching of this skill. I am merely voicing the concerns of our audience."
Zuko relaxed slightly and inclined his head apologetically at the Water Tribe man.
"And we're just supposed to allow the Water Tribes to have access to this special power?" the Earth Kingdom governor, Da-Song, interjected.
"We allow Fire Nation royalty to harness and teach the skill of lightning generation exclusively, although it is a lethal skill and was previously used often, to fatal effects. Master Bei Fong has created a new sub-skill of Earthbending and her efforts to teach Metalbending are lauded and celebrated. What makes Bloodbending different?" Zuko countered hotly.
Katara shared a look with Zuko before answering, "Part of the bill states that those who learn this skill must be willing to travel to wherever they may be needed. This is not meant to be a bolstering of the Water Tribes' forces without benefit for the other nations as well. I do not intend for Bloodbending to become a status signifier. It will only be taught to those who have earned the right through talent and hard work."
Tulok and Inuk shared a look. "You mean to send our people away? That stipulation was not previously discussed."
"It is one of the conditions that Fire Lord Zuko and I settled upon. A Bloodbending student must be able to do their training away from home for at least one stretch of time. It'll also be considered a pillar of morality for when deciding whether a Waterbender can learn Bloodbending. We mean for this to be in the interest of all citizens of all nations and require this of anyone who wants to learn it. If a Waterbender doesn't want to leave their home, I completely understand. But without that, I see no reason to unnecessarily share knowledge that we've all agreed should be carefully monitored. We also don't mean to send all Bloodbenders away from the North or South Poles. Again, we'll be finetuning the process, but we are flexible to see how changes need to be made if implemented."
Zuko added, "Master Katara and I hoped that this would better integrate people of different nations to encourage more diversity and cultural exchange as well. I've learned much about Water Tribe culture due to my work with Master Katara as well as Councilman Sokka and Chief Hakoda and of the Air Nomads from Avatar Aang. I like to think that this allows me to be better well-rounded as the leader of the Fire Nation."
Da-Song considered them. "I'm still not convinced that this skill is necessary… could it really bolster a patient's odds of survival significantly?"
Katara pressed her lips. "Obviously, we haven't tested it with more severe injuries but—"
"Why don't we then?" Zuko retorted.
Whipping around to glare at him, Katara demanded, "Fire Lord Zuko, what do you—"
"He's right! Why should we believe that this is even necessary?" a voice from the crowd called.
"It's a waste of resources and time," another interjected.
Katara's face hardened. "Look, unless you've been on the battlefield yourself and seen your fellow comrades fall around you, you wouldn't understand. I know that Bloodbending is useful but I'm doing everyone the favor of acknowledging its possibility for danger because it's the right thing to do and asking instead of telling you that I'm moving forward with teaching it. If I were a man, would this be up for debate? Haven't I earned your respect after the last five years?"
The crowd grudgingly remained silent and Zuko could see how Katara's nostrils flared as she reined in her temper. Zuko spoke clearly as he faced the council. "If we could illustrate its usefulness right now for a severe injury, would you pass Master Katara's proposal? Would that be enough?"
A member of Zuko's inner council, General Jee, spoke up worriedly, "My Lord—"
Katara's glare faded immediately into a concerned frown. "Zuko—"
With a determined look, Zuko's golden eyes locked with Katara's blue ones before he stabbed his broadsword into his chest.
"Zuko!" Katara cried out. She ran to him and tried to catch him so he didn't hit the floor hard, but she crumpled under his weight. "Zuko, what in the world were you thinking?" she cried out.
Her hands moved quickly and deliberately. She was cradling Zuko's head in her lap after ensuring he wouldn't hit his head as he fell but was steadily moving him onto the ground so that he could lie flat. She felt people crowding around and without meaning to, she threw her hands up, bodies levitating back several feet, overwhelmed with the need to protect Zuko. With a steadying breath, she lowered everyone down lightly with her exhale and placed her hands back on Zuko's chest, on either side of where the blade still stuck. The crowd stood shell-shocked at both the Fire Lord's dramatic display as well as the Master Waterbender's first example of Bloodbending, reeling at the control she had exerted over them, many of them staring at down at their bodies in disbelief.
"Toriq!" Katara called.
Stunned, the male healer stumbled forward and joined Katara in the circle she created for herself and Zuko.
"Zuko?" she asked quietly, her voice thin. "Zuko, can you hear me?"
His face even paler than usual, Zuko's eyes found hers and while they were tight with what Katara could only imagine was excruciating pain, she found nothing but absolute trust in them.
"Don't say anything," she instructed him. "Please stay still." Katara could feel the sting in her eyes and took a shaky breath to stave off the tears. "You stubborn, impatient, stupid man," she hissed under her breath.
"Katara, what do you need me to do?" Toriq asked calmly. He had already gloved his hands in water and they were glowing.
"He likely cut into an artery and the blade is the only thing keeping him from bleeding out. As soon as I pull it out, I'm going to Bloodbend to constrict his blood flow and keep that from happening. I'll need you to focus on repairing the damage. It will feel strange as I'll be keeping the blood in stasis, but remember, you're using the water as a catalyst to encourage chi to the injury and you don't actually need Zuko's blood to be flowing. Be quick with it, though, it won't be good for his blood to be held that long. Take a deep breath and focus."
Toriq absorbed Katara's instructions, muttering under his breath, "Right… don't kill the Fire Lord. No pressure."
"Zuko, this will be painful. You might feel like you're going to pass out, but I want you to hold on as long as you can. If you can't... just make sure that you let me know, okay? J-just keep looking at me."
She looked to Toriq. "Tell me when you're ready."
Toriq held his hands over Zuko's chest, ready for when Katara would pull the blade out. He watched as Katara and the Fire Lord exchanged an intense look, their eyes passionately locked. Zuko grunted through grit teeth, clenched his jaw, and gave the smallest of nods before Katara turned to Toriq, waiting.
He nodded, "I'm ready, Katara."
With a yell, Katara pulled the broadsword out with one hand while her other hand quickly flexed over Zuko's body, which jerked once as she took control his blood, stalling the near-instant rush of blood to his wound. Throwing the blade to the side, Katara used both hands to keep Zuko's blood and his body still as Toriq began the healing process. Katara was able to extend her awareness and assess the damage— Zuko had nicked an artery and likely would've bled out soon. She frowned and grit her teeth as she continued her Bloodbending, keeping close tabs on Toriq's healing at the same time.
He had improved immensely since the last time she had seen him and he was working quickly but carefully. As the wound was serious, Katara knew that she would be holding control over Zuko's body much longer than she ever had during their training sessions. She looked down to see his eyes trained on hers, the gold bright against the grayish pallor of his skin.
"You just had to go and make a scene," she joked weakly. "Once you're back to full health, I'm going to kick your ass. Once your uncle finds out about this, he's going to take a turn after me. Damn it, Zuko, you're never doing anything this stupid again. Even if your intentions were in the right place."
Knowing that he had to conserve his energy and to not add strain to Katara's efforts, Zuko blinked at her in recognition. He knew by the slight softening in her eyes and the set of her mouth, that she understood his apology. But he did it for her and because he knew that she was right and deserved to be proven right. And he knew that he would never be in danger if Katara was around.
"Oh Zuko, you have too much faith in me," she whispered knowingly.
If he could've, Zuko would've smiled.
The entire throne room witnessed in tense silence, watching the two Waterbenders hold the life of the Fire Lord in their hands. Katara began to feel the stress the Bloodbending was having on her body. She had never held it this long. Pain bloomed in her head and her arms were stiff from not moving. Sweat beaded on her and Toriq's faces as they continued to Waterbend. She took a deep breath and scanned through the rest of his body. It couldn't be good that his blood was stagnant for this long. His other organs would be in danger of failing.
"Toriq, I'm going to have to circulate his blood for him. I'll do my best to avoid flooding the injury so you can still work, but if I don't, Zuko's dead anyway."
Toriq's forehead was dotted with sweat as he concentrated. "I've healed the deepest parts of the wound. The area should be able to handle a small amount of controlled blood flow."
"Are you sure? I can call one of the other healers over to help."
"No," Toriq shook his head. "It'll disrupt me. I can finish this, Katara."
Katara nodded and slowly began to release her hold on Zuko's body, allowing his blood to move carefully. She directed its path, careful to bottleneck the current heading towards his chest. As she did so, Zuko's skin pinked up lightly and he groaned lowly but clamped down on the sound as much as he could.
"I'm sorry," Katara said. She glanced at his face quickly to see him give her that soft stare again and her heart ached knowing how much pain he was in because once again, he nearly killed himself for her. She concentrated on regulating his blood flow to his vital organs, warily allowing blood into his chest as Toriq worked, careful not to overwhelm the healer.
"It's okay, Katara, I've healed the worst of it," Toriq assured her.
Katara reluctantly increased the flow through Zuko's chest, her arms moving in a disjointed circuit above Zuko's body. She could feel the stares of the entire room on them. She glanced up quickly and saw how Sokka had a grim look on his face. As soon as their eyes met, he nodded at her encouragingly. His voice cut through the tense silence confidently, "You can do this, Katara."
With another breath, Katara focused again on carefully directing the blood through Zuko's body, her arms circling above his body methodically and more smoothly than before.
Finally, Toriq sank back and fell away tiredly, his arms feeling like lead. "It's done," he gasped.
Katara dropped her constriction on Zuko's blood and allowed it flow freely once more, encouraging it a bit to resume its usual paths. Though she trusted Toriq, she couldn't help but make a cursory scan over Zuko with her own healing, making sure no other damage remained. Satisfied, she made one last effort to encourage revitalizing chi towards his chest to further speed up the healing process before she dropped her hands to press one to Zuko's scarred cheek affectionately, grateful for the color and warmth returning to his skin.
Zuko grimaced and let out a pained grunt as sensation completely returned to him. "Let's hope that wasn't in vain," he said lamely, though his voice was hoarse.
Katara shook her head, but continued to stare at him with a tender gaze. "You stubborn man," she said again. She skimmed her hand over his chest and nodded to herself. "It shouldn't tear open if you take a seat."
With a wry smirk, Zuko borrowed one of Aang's words and retorted, "Monkeyfeathers. I was really hoping for another scar."
"You've earned enough scars due to me," she retorted dryly. "Alright, we'll do this slowly." She wrapped an arm around the broad expanse of his back as much as she could.
"Katara, let me help." Sokka had rushed to enter their circle as soon as it was evident that Zuko was okay. He crouched down by Zuko's head to gingerly help him sit up. Once Zuko had caught his breath, he slung his arms around each of the Water Tribe siblings and allowed them to guide him to his seat at the table. Katara quickly siphoned clean water into a teacup for Zuko and brought it to his lips, crouching next to him.
Tulok stepped forward and helped his son up, clapping him on the back with a proud smile. He turned to the crowd. "What say you to Master Katara's proposal now? That was some of the most impressive bending I've seen in my lifetime. It kept Fire Lord Zuko from certain death. And as you can see, it is not the omniscient power we feared but requires collaboration and compassion."
Sokka raised an eyebrow at the Northern Water Tribe man, speaking out of the corner of his mouth to Katara and Zuko, "You'd almost think it's his proposal with the way he's talking about it."
Katara rolled her eyes. "His son saved the Fire Lord. Of course he's going to gloat about it. Tulok's been on board with the plan. He just wanted to play devil's advocate."
She turned to Zuko, gently brushed stray strands of dark hair out of his face, and stroked the back of her slender fingers against his face as he continued to catch his breath. Zuko instinctively grasped her fingers in his and squeezed reassuringly. Then, she caught herself and froze, locking eyes with him, his lips also parted in shock. Together, they turned to Sokka who watched them with his cerulean eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked between the two, his thought process making itself evident in his expression. Katara's face set in a scowl and she purposefully placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder as her jaw set, waiting for her brother to say something.
"I think we're fine, Sokka, you can go back to where Dad is," she said coolly.
Sokka looked as though he might argue with her, but King Kuei stood and immediately captured the room's attention. Sokka pursed his lips but leaned in towards Katara and whispered, "You and I need to have a talk after this meeting." He cast a look in Zuko's direction before turning to sit next to Hakoda and Aang.
"Does the council require another moment or are we ready to vote?" King Kuei's voice cut through the throne room.
Tearing their eyes away from Sokka, Zuko and Katara faced the Earth King and nodded, along with the other members of the council.
"Those in favor, say 'aye'."
Katara blinked at the resounding Aye that chorused around the table and she gasped in disbelief.
King Kuei looked at her from above his glasses and nodded. "Very well. Congratulations, Master Katara, your bill has been passed. We'll, of course, look over your written legislature to finetune the details, but the Bloodbending initiative is yours to helm. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that you are very much respected and, as we've just seen, the respect is more than deserved. I want to apologize on behalf of those who may make it seem otherwise. Your work and opinion is valued and valid here."
Not trusting herself to speak, Katara bowed to King Kuei and to the rest of the council before taking her seat at the council. She shared a shy smile with Zuko, who responded with a slight inclination of his head.
"You're still in trouble," she murmured.
Zuko smirked weakly. "If your brother doesn't kill me first."
Katara rolled her eyes and shot back, "Sokka won't kill you. You two are best friends."
"You're his little sister. You don't get it, Katara," Zuko insisted.
"You don't get it. I may be his little sister, but I helped raise him. If he loves me, he won't hurt you. Because if he hurts you, then he hurts me. That's all there is to it."
His gold eyes widening, Zuko whipped his head to turn to her with a raised eyebrow but Katara kept quiet, a secretive smile tugging her lips.
"Next, the council and I would like to share the largest development that has come out of this quarter's summit. But I think it would be best announced by Avatar Aang, if he would like to do the honors." King Kuei announced.
The monk stood from his seat to address the council as well as the general audience in the throne room. "Thank you, King Kuei. Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Master Katara on her Blodbending proposal." Aang paused to smile at his two friends thinly. "And for saving Fire Lord Zuko's life," he added happily.
"Now, you may know of our initial plans regarding the Fire Nation colonies in the western Earth Kingdom, known as the Harmony Restoration Movement. But after visiting these colonies and talking to its citizens, many of whom have spent their entire lives here at this point, as well as seeing how many of the families are multicultural and blended, we decided that we couldn't go through with the movement."
Rumbles grew within the crowd but Aang continued, "This does not mean that the Fire Nation colonies will remain. But these communities will not be ceded to Earth Kingdom control, either. Representatives from each of the four nations took it upon themselves to go to Yu Dao, the colony with the largest dissent against the Harmony Restoration Movement. This included Fire Lord Zuko, Master Katara, Master Toph Bei Fong, war hero Haru acting in King Kuei's stead, and myself. We traveled to and stayed in Yu Dao to speak with the colonists and learn their side of the matter and saw for ourselves how the movement would tear apart their families. We decided that after a century of war, we couldn't break apart more families. That's not what we set out to accomplish."
He turned his grey eyes to Zuko, who cautiously rose to his feet, Katara's watchful gaze on him. "I called away my men and decided that it would also do no good to send the colonists to a land that they have never seen and never known. Instead, we've created is a fifth nation. The United Republic of Nations."
The rumbles re-emerged and Zuko held up a hand to silence the crowd.
"As this is a fifth country comprised of all nations, we all agreed that it would be best for a council with representatives from all five nations serve to lead it. A government as diverse as its people. It is not a permanent council and seats will change on a regular basis to ensure balance and prevent possible corruption. Avatar Aang will, of course, represent the Air Nomads and growing Air Acolyte community. Morishita, mayor of Yu Dao, will be the first councilman representing the United Republic of Nations. This means that there are open positions for a representative for the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and Water Tribes. That is why many of you have been invited to Ba Sing Se and this is what we'll be finalizing today."
Zuko continued, his voice hoarse but nevertheless commanding the room. "This is not a role to be taken lightly. You will have to relocate to Yu Dao for as long as you are on the council. This is not a system of colonies where governors can loftily keep tabs from afar— we expect you to be on the ground, witnessing how life is firsthand. The way the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation communities have integrated is amazing to behold firsthand. Yu Dao is a thriving city and Master Bei Fong has founded her school near the city for a reason. It's quickly growing to be a world leader in technology due to the swift advancement of metalworking because of the Earthbenders and Firebenders working together, which will only be enhanced by the Metalbending academy once Master Bei Fong completes training with her first class of students. Again, these are not colonies. They're the cities of a new nation. They have the same rights as you and me. And this young nation deserves leaders who will bring it to greatness."
Katara watched Zuko speak with a proud smile on her face, admiring how eloquently and passionately he spoke. When he sat down again, he quirked an eyebrow at her but Katara merely shook her head, her lips still curved. "Very nicely done, Fire Lord," she commented. She fought to hide her laugh when Zuko's cheeks pinked tellingly from her praise.
Aang surveyed the room, his grey eyes serious. "Are there any questions?" When no one spoke up, he asked, "Do we have any interested parties?"
For a long moment, there was complete silence in the large throne room and immediately, the council was disheartened at how ill received the news was. A beat passed and then the room rumbled as voices rose in a clamor to petition for a seat on the council.
Katara let out a relieved laugh and shared a look with Zuko and Aang, who both looked pleased with themselves. Katara closed her eyes and exhaled, releasing the tension she felt now that her two main projects from her tenure as Southern Water Tribe Ambassador were approved.
Zuko and Aang bowed to each other before Aang crouched down by Zuko's seat, the two men eagerly discussing next steps. Katara looked from them to the rest of the council and to the various delegates in the audience that were impatient to plead their case and lobby for a position on the United Republic Council. She frowned and considered how her role with the United Republic was effectively done. She thought back to the children in Yu Dao, her train of thought gaining speed.
As she continued to scan the crowd, she felt her resolve strengthen. Katara suddenly got to her feet and called out, "I would like to be considered as the first Water Tribe representative for the inaugural United Republic Council."
Sokka and Hakoda shared a glance. They had assumed that once her time acting as the interim Southern Water Tribe representative was up, she'd want to return to the Southern Water Tribe and remain there. They could hear the murmurs in the crowd and in response, Sokka quickly got to his feet to vouch for his sister.
"I second Master Katara's decision to represent the Water Tribes for the United Republic Council," he said assuredly.
"What do you think you're doing?" Zuko hissed next to Katara.
Katara set her jaw and continued to stare down the summit council, ignoring Zuko for the moment. She knew that he wasn't expecting this decision from her. And to be honest, she didn't expect it herself. But after being a part of the summit council as Sokka's temporary replacement and seeing how helpful she could be, she knew that she had found a purpose tied to her own identity and wanted to see this endeavor through to the end.
Evenly, Katara addressed the room. "I will never turn my back on people who need my help. Since I was fourteen years old, I have focused all of my energy and time towards helping create a world of peace and balance so that no one would ever experience the hurt and pain that so many of us have had to suffer because of the war. And I would like to think that everything I've done during the war and have done since its end illustrates my dedication. I had to fight for the chance to learn combat Waterbending as a woman and ended up being Master Pakku's fastest-learning student. I trained the Avatar. I brought him back to life and protected him after Princess Azula took Ba Sing Se. I then helped Fire Lord Zuko reclaim his throne and defeat Princess Azula. My request is not me going above my station. I have earned the privilege to be considered. I ask that you do not consider me a woman who doesn't know her place in this world. Recognize that I am a woman who has helped shape it."
King Kuei considered her and pat Bosco's head thoughtfully, smiling softly. He raised his eyebrows at the summit council and asked, "Well? What say you?"
Tulok and Inuk of the Northern Water Tribe stood and bowed to Katara, the younger grinning at her toothily. "The Northern Water Tribe supports Master Katara of the South to represent the Water Tribes in its entirety as the first Water Tribe representative of the United Republic Council. As she has so eloquently stated, this daughter of the tribes has done nothing but bring honor to it. We would be proud to have her represent us."
Kuei glanced at the Earth Kingdom governors who sat on the council. They nodded at him and he stood and announced, "The Earth Kingdom also supports Master Katara's nomination to the United Republic Council. She and the rest of the Avatar's group saved my life years ago when Ba Sing Se fell and I've seen firsthand what she can accomplish. I look forward to seeing what else can be done with her help."
Aang smiled at Katara widely. "Master Katara is the only reason I'm standing here today. Any gratitude I receive should always be directed towards her. I can't imagine anyone else that would be a better founding member of the United Republic Council. She has the support of the Avatar and Air Acolytes."
The Fire Nation generals turned to Zuko and each one inclined his head in approval. Zuko stood slowly, gripping onto the back of his chair tightly as he was still feeling weak, and addressed the council, "I've made my opinion of Master Katara clear to this council in the past few weeks. And Master Katara has already spoken eloquently enough on her own behalf. But I'll make it even clearer to the delegates and audience members that have come from all over the world. Master Katara is a woman who uses passion, empathy, a strong sense of self, and an innate sense of right and wrong to guide her way. She inspires hope in those who have already given up. To miss out on the chance to have her intellect, perspective, and heart on the inaugural council is foolish. The Fire Nation wholeheartedly supports her and anticipates the success that will come."
"In that case, I'd like to announce Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe as the Water Tribe representative of the first United Republic Council."