Okay… So here's the deal… I am not going to continue into the comics in detail, but I've had some requests about Crystal finding out she's pregnant… So I will post this epilogue for you all. I just ask that no one gets upset that I am not continuing into the comics, because I really have not delved into the comic world a ton. I only briefly skimmed "The Promise" and "The Search" comics, so the knowledge I have on events after the comet are very slim.
Anyway… This chapter takes place after the meeting with the Earth King about the Harmony Restoration Movement. Also, just FYI, Izumi is not the name of Crystal and Zuko's child either… I hope you all do enjoy this extra though. It isn't much, but I wanted to give a thank you to my readers for your amazing support and comments.
Happy New Year!
Faith
Epilogue: Happily Ever After
Three months had passed since the hundred year war was finally brought to an end. Things were going as good as one could hope after a century of violence and death. The Fire Nation was mending relations with the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom in waves. After I was crowned Fire Lady, Zuko and I took a few weeks to travel around and meet with different world leaders to repair relations. Aang went with us on this adventure, as did Katara, Toph, and Sokka.
Our first stop was the South Pole, and everyone was elated to see me again. My grandmother and new grandfather Pakku seemed to be doing wonderfully in their marriage, and my father was staying busy repairing our tribe. I was bewildered to find when we arrived that our home which was once tents and a small snow wall, was now an expanding city. There were icy buildings similar to the North Pole, a large ice wall surrounding the village, and a lot more villagers than I recalled. Some of our brothers and sisters from the Northern Water Tribe had relocated down south to help Master Pakku rebuild our home and tribe. It felt like I was stepping into a whole new world.
My people threw a huge party to celebrate my coronation and marriage to Zuko. They also begged me to sing for them at the large bonfire. While I still was not comfortable singing like I used to be, I did give in and sang one song for them to thank them for accepting me back so quickly. I had been worried that I had lost my people's favor after keeping my waterbending a secret from them. I had feared they would hate me for lying to them for so many years… but they didn't care one bit. I realized upon this discovery that my fears growing up had all been irrational.
My tribe also accepted Zuko as their own as well. The men quickly questioned him about his time at sea, and asked him about battles he had faced. Jaka, Areto, and Kona warmed up to him too, and Areto even shook his hand to congratulate him on our marriage. I was relieved they weren't clashing swords anymore.
After three days at the South Pole, we moved on and went through the Earth Kingdom for three weeks. We ran into Suki on our way to Ba Sing Se, visited Iroh at his tea shop, and had a meeting with Earth King Kuei to form the Harmony Restoration Movement. Once we finished in the Earth Kingdom, we found ourselves at the North Pole.
Chief Arnook- who I had feared would still despise me for attacking his men so long ago when the Fire Nation invaded- embraced me and welcomed Zuko and I with delight. Having Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara with us definitely helped the mood as well though. Chief Arnook was quick to form peace with the Fire Nation after meeting Zuko. He could see the Fire Nation had a wise leader at last, and Master Pakku had also spoken wonderful things about the new Fire Lord.
After another two days at the North Pole, we returned to the Fire Nation. Zuko and I were dropped off at Ember Island, where we planned to spend two days resting before returning back to the palace. Sokka, Toph, Katara, and Aang went to the South Pole with Appa after resting a few hours on the island and having a small swim at the beach.
Our time at Ember Island was definitely short lived, and Zuko and I returned back to our duties at the palace. It had been a long trip, but even after our journey we remained busy. There were meetings with Fire Nation government officials, governors from the Earth Kingdom about removing the colonies, and military officials about offering aid to remove the colonies.
We had also purged the palace of anyone who was still suspected to hold loyalty to Fire Lord Ozai and Azula. This mainly consisted of two old women named Li and Lo who were once mentors to Azula. They agreed to leave to go live in Ember Island for the remainder of their days. We were glad to hear. Zuko said he was never a fan of them. His exact words were, "Those women always creep me out. When we go to Ember Island again, let's try not to cross their paths."
As for Azula, she was kept locked up in the Fire Nation Capital Prison. Her accommodations from what I heard were much better than her father's. Zuko felt bad that his sister was a complete mess, and it made him feel a little better to know she was getting good food and had a nice cot in her cell. We also had the physician that Quan had told us about come weekly to check on her and give her sessions to improve her mental health. Unfortunately, I heard not much progress was being made.
Ozai on the other hand was rotting away like he deserved, and I held absolutely no sympathy for him.
As more weeks passed, Fire Nation citizens from the colonies in the Earth Kingdom were slowly starting to return home. While there were some colonies that were taking issue with the Harmony Restoration Movement that Aang and Zuko were working hard to set in motion, a lot of the Fire Nation citizens from the newest colonies were excited to come back to the place of their birth. Rebuilding the world would definitely take time, but we were all determined to do what we could to help our friend, Avatar Aang, restore peace and balance.
While Zuko and Aang continued to try to deal with the colonies, I was focused on learning all I could about the Fire Nation. Lady Sun provided me with books, and I also had some private tutors. Zuko kept telling me to stop stressing over it all and just relax. He even sent me to the South Pole for a week when he was headed to the Earth Kingdom for a few days out of punishment for my stress. Going to my old home for a few days had helped, especially since Gran-Gran put me right to work with chores, but as soon as I got back to the palace I was a mess again.
"Crystal… If you don't sit down in five seconds then I'm going to intercept you," Zuko said near me as I paced back and forth beside the water. He had come looking for me after seeing off our guests. I had dismissed myself right after the meeting, wanting to be alone. When he finally found where I had run off to, I was on my tenth pace by the pond covering my face in disbelief. "Please relax."
"I bowed wrong this morning! Bowed wrong, Zuko! I can't relax!"
I came to a stop and covered my face, standing by the pond in the palace garden. Turtle-ducks floated in front of me and made their little squawking noises. The palace garden was my favorite place in the whole palace. I'd managed to sneak Zan in a few times, and he and I loved taking a nap under the large oak tree. A lot of my days were spent by the pond or under my tree, reading or feeding the Turtle-ducks. Today, the garden was an area I found to hide after completely embarrassing my husband. "General Cho and the others laughed!"
Zuko sighed. "The room laughed because it was cute. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone loves you. You don't need to worry about getting everything right. You're doing amazing for only being a Fire Lady for three months."
He didn't calm me. It wasn't his fault that he failed in soothing my concerns though… my emotions had just been a hurricane these last few days. "Aang learns firebending in a month, but I can't learn how to properly greet a Fire Nation general in three! I should know how to bow by now!"
I started to pace again, but Zuko moved in my path and brought me into a hug to stop me. He pressed his mouth against my forehead, holding me firm so I would stop. "Crystal… Calm down." I stopped moving without a choice and pressed my cheek against him trying to calm my racing heart. He hugged me closer. "This doesn't just have to do with the bow… I think you need to go talk to Quan. I'm worried about you. You almost passed out the other day… Even Jiho's started to notice you're not yourself. He said you didn't eat the moonpeach pastry he sent you yesterday. And I know you got sick again this morning..."
I grimaced. I knew what he was referring to. The last three mornings I had been waking up and running to the washroom. I wasn't eating breakfast, but thankfully my stomach would settle later in the day so I wasn't starving. However, moonpeaches which had once been my favorite food were making me nauseous, and I felt awful for having to give the pastry away.
I was pretty certain I knew what was wrong, but I really didn't want to freak Zuko out quite yet. And I knew if Quan confirmed my assumption and found out, news would spread throughout the palace and Zuko would definitely be as stressed as I was. Lady Sun was also starting to suspect. I didn't need rumors spreading...
"I'm okay… Just adjusting. The food is different than what I'm used to, so my stomach just isn't handling some things great."
Zuko seemed to want to argue. I pulled away enough to stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek. He was surprised by my affection, but stopped me as I went to pull away. "Fine… I'll drop it for now… I just worry about you. If you start to feel worse, promise me you'll go see Quan."
I nodded and gave a small smile. "Promise."
He sighed and moved his head down to kiss me. As our lips connected, his worries faded which brought me relief.
The last thing anyone needed to worry about right now was me possibly being pregnant.
We kissed for a moment, and I moved my arms behind his neck to lock us together. He always tasted like mint tea. He had a cup every morning.
A throat cleared. We pulled apart, and looked at the intruder with surprise. I was glad to see it was just Lady Sun at the entrance to the garden. "Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Crystal… I apologize for interrupting. Your friends have arrived though."
I was surprised. "What? Friends? They're here a week early… The meeting isn't for another eight days..."
Zuko sighed. "That was my doing. I sent a letter to your sister yesterday using a messenger hawk and told her that you've been acting weird."
I looked at him with horror. "What exactly did you tell her?!"
He was surprised by my reaction. "Nothing much… Just that you've been super stressed, and also sick… I asked her to come check on you since you refuse to see Quan."
I groaned. I covered my face again in disbelief. Katara… she was no fool… she probably had the exact same thought I did.
"Your reaction is not helping my concerns," Zuko muttered.
I met his gaze and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry." I sighed. "Come on. Let's go greet them."
A few minutes later we were in the plaza square. Appa groaned in greeting when we arrived, and Momo chirped with delight landing on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko patted the flying-lemur, and then Momo jumped to my shoulder, licking my cheek.
Katara and Sokka hugged me once Momo returned to Appa, glad to see me after a few weeks of being apart. Sokka looked me over with concern, and I shook him off telling him I was perfectly healthy. "That's not what Zuko's letter said," my brother argued.
"Zuko's a concerned husband," I argued. "He is being paranoid."
"Crys! I am not paranoid!" Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Will you please just talk to Katara! See if she can do a healing session or something!"
I sighed. "Okay… If it will calm you down."
Katara met my gaze. She held knowing. I dropped my eyes from her wishing she wasn't so perceptive.
"I'm glad you're on two feet though," Suki said. "Zuko made it sound like you were on death's door."
Suki had come with the group, especially since the meeting next week had to do with a colony she was familiar with. After she spoke, she walked over to me and gave me a hug. Aang then embraced me next, glad to see I was okay. Toph hugged me also, but when she pulled away I saw her smirk.
"Well it's about time," she muttered under her breath. "And you all said I was crazy." She walked over to Zuko to give him a hug, and I watched her with confusion. Then she stepped over to Katara and whispered something to her. Katara nodded, her eyes glancing over at me. I tried to not think about their interaction, but I honestly was curious what Toph had whispered.
Zuko spoke to my sister once greetings were over. "Thanks for coming, Katara. Your sister is being stubborn."
Sokka crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. "My twin sister Crystal... stubborn? What's new with that?"
I scowled at him. He smirked at me. Suki laughed.
Katara stayed serious. "I'll see if I can knock some sense into her, Zuko. Let me handle it." She stepped over, grabbing my arm. "Let's go chat, Crys. Suki? Toph?"
Toph nodded. "Yeah. I'm coming."
Suki smiled. "I'll stay with the guys. Make sure none of them freak out too much and try to spy on your conversation."
Katara nodded and started to pull me towards the steps. Toph followed behind. As we got into the palace, I argued, "You all are being ridiculous. I am totally fine."
Toph snickered. "You are a horrible liar, Princess."
Eventually we arrived at my and Zuko's quarters. Toph and Katara stepped into my room, and Katara shut the door. "So… Crys… Toph just said something super interesting to me." She walked over to where I took a seat on the edge of my bed. "She said she feels a small heartbeat coming from you… that is not yours…"
I sighed. "So… the crazy earthbender has confirmed it."
Toph smirked. She elbowed Katara. "Should I tell Fire Lord Zuko he's going to be a daddy?"
Katara and I were horrified. We both shouted in unison, "NO!"
Toph held her hands up. "I was kidding. Sheesh!"
Katara came over and sat beside me. "When I read the letter, I assumed…" She smiled. "You're pregnant, Crystal. This is so exciting." She grabbed my hand. "We should still go to the physician just to make sure everything is okay though. And call for a midwife from the capital city... It would ease my concerns as well."
I shook my head. "No… We're not getting a midwife yet. That's the last thing I need. If Zuko hears that I've requested for one then he'll definitely know."
Katara was amazed. "Crys! You won't be able to hide this forever!"
I groaned and fell back on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I know… but he has so much on his mind right now. I don't need him to worry about me on top of it all."
"So what? You're going to hide it from him? You do realize eventually he's going to find out. You don't eat a ton, Crystal. He'll know you're not just gaining weight after a few months."
Toph laughed. "I don't know. We could pretend she's stress eating."
I rolled my eyes. "I'll tell him… I just don't think doing it before the meeting is a great idea… I don't want him stressed over that…"
"So instead he'll just stress that you're dying? That makes sense, Crys."
Sitting back up, I pressed my hand to my stomach. The more I started to accept it, the more I was starting to understand there was a precious child forming inside me. Zuko and I were going to have a daughter or son. I smiled.
"Just tell Zuko for now that I caught a small cold and Quan's given me medicine. Then next week, I'll tell him right after the meeting."
Katara let out a heavy breath. "Okay… for now…" She took my hand in hers. "But we should still go see Quan. I want him to at least make sure you're healthy. He might have something to help with the morning sickness too."
I nodded. "Okay… we'll go to him. But this information does not leave the four of us. I don't need the servants or guards spreading rumors."
Toph tapped her chin. "It is interesting Zuko doesn't know the signs of pregnancy. Morning sickness… fatigue… moodiness… I mean, even I know those are signs and I'm thirteen."
I did cough a laugh at this. "Yeah. But I guess there's nothing about childbirth in Prince class."
Katara giggled. "No. I'm thinking not."
A few minutes later we arrived at Quan's work area on the east wing of the palace. He was surprised to see me, but also relieved. "Fire Lady Crystal. I'm glad you finally came. Fire Lord Zuko made it sound like you caught the plague."
I huffed. "Clearly he's telling that to everyone. I would love to see the letter he wrote to Katara."
Katara smiled. "Actually, I brought it. It's inside my bag. I'll have to let you read it later."
"So, from what I hear from Fire Lord Zuko," Quan began, shutting the door behind us and bringing me over to sit on his medical table, "You have been puking your guts out every morning and have been on the brink of collapse, correct?"
I groaned. "He over-exaggerates so much."
Quan laughed. "He loves you. It's to be expected."
I let out another heavy breath. "I know…" meeting my friend's gaze, I said, "Listen Quan… nothing in this room today can leave this room."
Quan smiled. "Of course." He grabbed my wrist to check my pulse. "However, hiding you're pregnant can only work for so long."
His words surprised me. "How—"
He smirked. "You think Zuko is the only one concerned about your health. Lady Sun came this morning. She told me about your morning sickness these last few days. Our chef friend Jiho also freaked out when you didn't eat the other day. Plus, I hear you have been crying a lot and anxious."
I grimaced. "Yeah… Toph felt a heartbeat… I'm pregnant…"
He smiled widely. "First, congrats. Second, if that is true then you are most likely at about eight weeks of your pregnancy. I want you to come here at least once a week just so I can make sure you're okay. The baby's health is important, but so is the mother's."
Toph smirked. "So… eight weeks in, huh? I remember you and Zuko stopped at Ember Island for a few days eight weeks ago… must've been some romance."
I blushed. "Toph!"
She laughed. Katara covered her mouth to hide her own laugh.
After Quan examined me, and told me I was indeed healthy and pregnant, he gave me some medicine to help with my sickness. "No more alcohol either. I know you're being served wine at these meetings. The baby will be fine with what you have drank already, but from this point you're sober."
I grimaced. "No worries. I don't like the taste anyway. I only drink the wine out of formality."
"Guess you give your glass to Sokka from now on," Toph joked. "Did you ever get him his mushroom?"
I groaned. "He brings that mushroom up again one more time and I'll make him go live in the wilds with all the mushrooms."
Quan laughed. "Your brother is quite the character. When I mended him on the day of the comet, he tried to get me to tell him if Zuko had any embarrassing birthmarks or allergies that he could use against him in the future."
"Yeah… sounds like Sokka," I said. I got up from the table. "Thanks, Quan. If anyone asks—"
He nodded. "My lips are sealed."
"Thanks. I'll tell him next week. I just need time."
He placed a kind hand on my shoulder. "I understand. But I am truly happy for you both. I cannot wait for the birth of this child. A child of both a firebender and waterbender will be a sign of hope for this world. The future ruler of our nation will no longer be defined by one nation but two."
I smiled. "So, when my child becomes ruler one day should we change the Fire Nation to the Steam Nation instead? Fire and water make steam."
Quan laughed. "That's a thought for the future indeed."
A few moments later, after leaving Quan, we found ourselves in the smaller dining room where tea was usually served. Sitting on a cushion at the low table, a male servant named Ying brought us some tea that Jiho had just brewed. The male servant bowed upon arriving, to which I cringed at the gesture. I hated being bowed at, especially since I was terrible at the act.
"You don't have to be formal when Zuko's not around, Ying. We talked about this," I said.
The twenty some year old servant raised his head and then placed the tea down. "I know…" he said. "But I'm still going to." He gave Katara, Toph, and I our cups, bowed again, and then departed.
"Life of royalty," Toph muttered. "Must be nice."
I smirked. "Weren't you like a princess on days you weren't fighting in an arena?"
She shrugged. "More like a prisoner. My parents thought I was helpless." She sipped her tea, but I could see she was conflicted at the thought of her parents.
"Have you gone to see them yet?"
She shook her head. "No… I'm not ready. I guess after not actually seeing my mom in Ba Sing Se and getting captured by Master Yu and Xin Fu, I decided my parents would only ever see me as someone who needs to be controlled. I like my freedom… although, one good thing came out of my parents' plot to capture me. I did learn about metalbending."
I nodded. "That ended up being pretty useful."
Katara agreed. She lowered her cup, turning her attention back to me. She was sitting across from me so I had no choice but to meet her gaze. "So… You are going to tell him after the meeting, right?"
I sighed. "Don't think I'll be able to hide it like you said… I'll tell him right after the meeting… I just don't want him to be distracted." I cringed as I thought about the months to come. "This is like the worst time to have a kid." I stared down at my steaming cup of tea. "We're so busy trying to get this colony thing worked out and now Zuko's going to have a pregnant wife on top of it all."
Katara argued. "Actually… I think this is a wonderful time. Can you imagine how the world will feel about this? The Water Nation and Fire Nation are already mending relationships due to your marriage to Zuko, but just think how much better it will be with your child! A Fire Nation prince or princess who is also part Water Tribe! This is perfect!"
Toph agreed. "The Fire Nation royal bloodline will now become a mixture of little waterbender and firebender twerps."
I sighed. "We don't even know if they'll be benders, Toph… but I guess so…"
Toph smirked. "So… According to Quan, I was only like a month off from my prediction three months ago."
I shoved her since she was beside me, and she laughed. Katara laughed also.
The next few days went by with some better than others. Zuko was still very concerned about me, but the medicine Quan had given me helped my morning sickness so thankfully he calmed down about me possibly dying. However, my stress was still a mess as I pictured every scenario in my head of how Zuko would react when I told him the news.
When the day came for the meeting with Governor Mu, I was even more anxious that morning. Thankfully, Zuko was too busy greeting our guest to notice. When the meeting rolled around at dinner, and the Governor began to discuss with Zuko possible places for resettlement for his people, I only became more nervous. I picked at my dinner, wondering just how I was going to bring up the news in the next few hours to come.
Was this something you just blurted out?
Wine was placed on the table in front of me. I grimaced and slid it over to Sokka. He looked at me with question. I didn't comment and instead whispered to Servant Lian to bring me some water instead. She nodded and headed off to do so. Thankfully, Zuko was listening closely to the governor and didn't notice the exchange. However, Suki did and she looked at me with wide eyes. I shook my head and put a finger to my lip. Don't say anything!
She smiled at me with thrill, knowing exactly what only Katara and Toph knew. Sokka was looking at me puzzled still, and then his eyes widened too as he finally realized as well. He went to speak, but I kicked him under the table to shut him up. He gasped. The room went silent and everyone looked at him with surprise.
"Sokka… You have a comment?" Zuko looked at my brother with confusion.
Sokka quickly shook his head. "No. Sorry. Bit my tongue. Continue!" The governor nodded and spoke on to Zuko, who looked at my brother with disbelief. However, he finally turned his attention back to the meeting.
Sokka whispered in my ear, "Does he know?"
I shook my head and whispered back, "No… and you better not say anything or I'll freeze you to a pole."
He nodded. Then he whispered again, "You should tell him."
I sighed. "I am… Tonight… just keep quiet…"
The rest of the meeting was a blur. I finally gave up eating. I really wasn't hungry. Eventually Governor Mu took his leave and retired to his guest room for the night. When he was gone, Aang begged Zuko to come to the plaza and practice some firebending moves with him. Zuko was about to follow, but I intercepted.
"Actually, Aang… I need to talk to Zuko… sorry, but can that wait?" I grabbed my husband's hand as he had started to follow the Avatar. They both were surprised.
Aang nodded. "Sure."
I dropped my gaze. "Zuko… Can we take a walk for a little bit?"
He looked at me with concern, but then he nodded. "Of course…" He squeezed my hand. "I'll spar with you in the morning, Aang."
Aang nodded. He looked at me with his own worry though. "You okay, Crystal?"
I smiled at my friend. "Yeah… Sorry, Aang. I just really need to tell Zuko something tonight. We'll see you in the morning at breakfast."
Katara walked over at this point, understanding my intention. "Come on, Aang. Crystal told me about the catacombs. Let's go check them out." She grabbed his hand and dragged him off. Suki, Sokka, and Toph followed. Toph gave me a thumbs up as she went, while Sokka mouthed 'good luck,' and Suki smiled widely at me. Zuko saw their gestures and watched them go with confusion.
He finally voiced his question once they were gone. "Why is everyone acting weird tonight?"
"Come on," I said. I led him out of the throne room and we walked in the opposite direction of our friends. As we walked, I held his hand tighter. "The meeting went well," I commented. I tried to start with casual conversation.
Zuko was still confused, but he nodded. "Yeah. I think this movement will work okay with the newer colonies. It's the ones that have been in the Earth Kingdom longer that I'm concerned about. A lot of the people who currently live in the first colonies that were made at the start of the war were born in the Earth Kingdom. I'm concerned that encouraging them to come back to the Fire Nation may be a little more difficult."
I nodded. "We all knew repairing the world after a hundred years of fighting wasn't going to be easy… We'll figure it out though."
Zuko nodded. We were reaching the palace garden entrance where I wanted to go. We walked out into the grass and headed towards the pond. The sun was setting and the sky was a pretty golden glow.
"So… what did you need to talk to me about?" Zuko asked. "Is everything okay?"
I blushed. "It will be..." I moved him over to the stone bench and we sat down. I leaned against him, and I let our hands rest on my knee. I moved my free hand to overlap ours. "I… have to tell you something. Why I've been acting weird these last few days…"
He waited for me to speak. I knew he wasn't sure where I was going with this. Zuko probably didn't know much about pregnancy. I was certain it was not part of his lessons as a prince. Sokka knew about it because he was a teenage boy who had been surrounded by mainly women for most of his life.
I took in a heavy breath. "So… I finally went to see Quan last week like you wanted me to. Katara and Toph went with me," I said softly. "We figured out why I've been so sick and stressed…"
Zuko went stiff beside me. He brushed a hand on my cheek as if he were checking me for a fever. "Are you okay?"
His absolute concern and uncertainty was kind of cute. If I wasn't trying to be so serious right now, I would've probably laughed at Zuko's complete obliviousness.
"I mean… Okay isn't the best word. Nervous… scared… elated… I'm a mix of things," I said softly. I looked at our hands as I spoke. He dropped his other hand from my cheek, even more confused. "I'm super nervous about how you'll react mostly… You have so much on your mind right now. But I know I can't hide it from you for long, so I just want to get it out in the open."
He was silent. He was waiting for me to explain further. I could tell he was anxious though by the way his hand tightened around my own.
"I had my suspicions," I said softly. "I was so stressed over such silly things. And then there was the sickness in the morning… Almost passing out two weeks ago… Strange dreams…" I sighed. "I guess I was hoping I was just being paranoid. I didn't want to add anything on your plate. But, there's no use avoiding it now." I looked up at Zuko. He met my gaze. From the moonlight, I felt my heart calm as I finally found peace. "Zuko… I'm pregnant."
There was silence for a moment as my words sunk into his brain. As he tried to comprehend what I had just said, I waited for him to respond. His mouth was open as he tried to find the words to say. I could see he was in total shock by my reveal. I suddenly felt self-conscious and dropped my gaze.
Maybe this was a mistake…? maybe I should've waited a little longer…? A few more days…? Was this too soon?
I let go of Zuko's hand and covered my face. "I'm sorry… I… I thought this was a good time to tell you, but maybe I should've waited a few more days."
He finally spoke a second after I stopped. "I'm… going to be a father? We're going to be parents?"
His question caused my heart to pound quickly. I looked over at him to see he was staring at the pond in front of us with bewilderment. We had discussed in the time after our marriage about having children, but it was something we both weren't expecting right away. Toph's jokes about me being pregnant before and after the comet were always brushed aside because we weren't really thinking of becoming parents so soon. We had other things to worry about...
"Yeah," I spoke again. "Quan says I'm about nine weeks in...So it's still the early stages…" I sighed and dropped my gaze again. "I… I know this isn't the best time… I'll do my best to handle everything and Katara has offered to come stay at the palace too when I get further along. I don't want you to worry about it on top of-"
"Crystal," Zuko cut me off. "Don't you dare finish that sentence." His words surprised me, but I snapped my mouth shut. I saw him stand and a moment later he took my hands pulling me up from the bench. Once I was to my feet, he leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "There's no way I'm letting you have this child without me."
My eyes started to water as my heart filled with relief.
"I'm a little frustrated you kept this a secret for so long, but I'll forgive you on one condition," he said. He was still speaking close to my ear.
I asked softly, "What's that?"
"You stop those stupid Fire Nation lessons and focus on your health," he said. "If I even hear one more word about you learning how to bow then I'll drag you to every boring meeting I have to go to from this point forward as punishment, just so I can keep an eye on you and our child."
My cheeks burned. "So… you really aren't upset about this news?"
He suddenly turned me and scooped me up into his arms. I gasped and wrapped my arms around his neck to stabilize me as his one arm was under my knees and his other was behind my back. He moved his face forward and his lips brushed mine as he whispered, "I'm upset you would think that I would be upset. But on the other hand, I'm the happiest and luckiest man in the world. My beautiful wife is pregnant and I'm going to be a father."
Tears slid down my cheeks. "You'll be an amazing father, Zuko…"
He smiled, pressing his forehead against my own. "And our child will have the most amazing mother." We fell quiet for a moment, my heart pounding as we listened to the sound of one another's breaths.
I spoke again, softly saying, "I love you, Zuko. So much."
He moved so his lips brushed my own. "I love you more than you know, Crystal. I will cherish you and our child forever."
He broke the distance between us, pressing his lips against my own. As our breaths mixed, our hearts were full.
Six Years Later…
"Kara! Lu Ten!"
I stood at the entry to the palace garden, watching as my five year old daughter and four year old son chased one another in the green grass. They stopped when they heard me call their name. My daughter was only an inch taller than her brother. She had black hair like her father, but deep azure eyes like me. She had discovered she could waterbend recently, and I was starting to give her small lessons. My son had my brown hair which he had up in a topknot, but his eyes were gold like his father. I knew soon he would probably be sprouting flames.
"Come on you two. It's getting late. Your father's expecting us at supper." I held my hands out to the both of them.
They giggled and ran over, taking my hands. As they skipped on both sides of me, Kara asked, "Mommy! When is Uncle Aang and Aunt Katara coming?! I want to show them my water ball trick!"
I smiled. "They should be here in five days. Patience, sweetie."
Lu Ten pouted. "I want to waterbend too!"
I squeezed his hand. "You never know, Lu. You might be a firebender and a waterbender."
Kara argued. "He can't have two elements! That's cheating!"
Lu Ten stuck his tongue out at her, while Kara copied him. I smiled at their interaction. They always reminded me of Sokka and I when we were growing up.
Eventually we reached the dining hall. Zuko sat at the table with the spread already before him. Kara ran over to Zuko, and he quickly stood from his chair to lift her up and hug her. He kissed her on the cheek and sat her back down. Lu Ten took his turn, and Zuko lifted him, also kissing him on the cheek.
Once they were done embracing their father, I helped our children up in their seats, and then took my spot beside Zuko. Zuko kissed me on the cheek, and then smiled at his daughter and son.
He asked as a servant brought us some water, "So what did my little ones do today?"
Kara grinned and bounced in her seat. She answered, "Daddy! I learned how to form a ball of water finally!"
Zuko beamed with delight. "I'll have to definitely see that before you go to bed, sweetie."
Lu Ten spoke up. "I poked Kara's bubble with a stick and the water went everywhere!"
Kara huffed. "And that was my best one!"
I smiled. "You'll make many more, love." I then laughed. "You know, Uncle Sokka did something similar to Aunt Katara when we were younger. Your Aunt was trying to catch a fish in a ball of water and Sokka hit it with his spear. He got soaked."
Zuko coughed a laugh. "I would've loved to see that."
"It was actually the day before I met you," I said, sipping my water.
Kara grinned. "Daddy! Can you tell us the story about how you and mommy met again when we go to bed?"
Zuko crossed his arms amused. "You should know that story by heart now. Don't you want to hear something else?"
She shook her head. "No! It's my favorite!"
Lu Ten beamed and bounced on his chair. "Me too!"
Zuko and I met one another's gaze. I smiled and he smiled back. "Okay," I said, looking back at them. "But you have to eat your snowpeas."
Kara groaned, while Lu Ten pouted. They both nodded though, and started to eat the food on their plate.
Zuko took my hand in his. His touch was something I had missed. He had been in the Earth Kingdom having a meeting with King Kuei, and had just gotten back only a few hours before.
"Did you stop to see your mom on the way back?"
He nodded. "Yeah. She and Noren want to take a trip to Ember Island to see the Ember Island Players. They were hoping that Kiyi could stay here for a few days. I sent a note to Katara and Aang, so they'll be stopping by to grab her on their way here."
I nodded. "That's great. Your mom could definitely use a nice vacation." I looked over at the two kids who were munching on their food. "You hear that? Aunt Kiyi's coming in a few days."
Kara was excited to hear this. "Yay! Aunt Kiyi is so much fun!"
Lu Ten nodded. "She can help us with our Turtle-Duck house!"
Zuko was confused. "Your what?"
I answered so only he'd hear. "They felt bad the Turtle-Ducks don't have a shelter from the rain, so they are building a house for them out of wood. I'm going to have Aang use earthbending when he gets here to make something a little more stable."
Zuko nodded. "That's a good idea. We don't need splintered turtle-ducks."
Kara huffed. "Mommy and daddy. No whispering! No secrets!"
I sighed. "Secrets are different from adult conversations, Kara. Eat your food."
Kara went back to eating.
Zuko spoke louder though, to appease our eldest child. "I also stopped to see Uncle while I was in Ba Sing Se. We should all take a trip there next month. He was being dramatic and told me he wants to see Kara and Lu Ten again before he dies. He also misses his Pai Sho opponent."
I nodded in agreement. "Definitely! This time I'm confident I'll beat him!"
Zuko laughed. "No, sweetie… you can't beat anyone at that game. Kara and Lu Ten could probably defeat you too."
I argued. "I beat you!"
He smirked. "I let you win."
I opened my mouth to fuss at him, but he cut me off by putting a moonpeach slice in my mouth. Kara and Lu Ten giggled. Zuko smiled widely. I chewed and swallowed.
"For that I'm stealing your other moonpeach slice." I went to snatch it from his plate, but he grabbed it and popped it in his mouth before I could. He ate it quickly. I pouted.
"If you eat too many moonpeaches you'll turn into one," he said. "Eat your snowpeas."
I sighed. I looked over at Kara and Lu Ten. "Why is your dad so mean to me?"
Kara giggled. "I think he has a crush on you."
Lu Ten argued. "No. It's because mommy's stubborn. That's what Uncle Sokka says."
My mouth opened in shock. Zuko had gone to drink some of his water, but upon Lu Ten's comment he choked as he tried not to laugh.
Later that night, we sat in Kara's room on her bed. Lu Ten rested in my lap as I sat against the wall, while Zuko sat on the other side of Kara. Kara leaned against him as he started to speak while he brushed a hand through her hair. "You sure this is really the story you want to hear tonight?"
Kara nodded. "It's my favorite story!"
Lu Ten yawned and I pulled him closer to me. I had a feeling he would not be making it far into this tale. I kissed him on the head, and then turned my attention to the storyteller.
Zuko sighed. "Okay…" He glanced over at me, and then began. "Once upon a time, there was a spoiled prince named Zuko who was sent on a long mission by his evil father Ozai to hunt down an Avatar that hadn't been seen for a hundred years. He finally found the airbender named Aang among a small group of villagers at the Southern Water Tribe. When the hard-headed prince arrived to capture the Avatar, a beautiful Water Tribe girl named Crystal tried to save the boy, revealing that she was a waterbender. She knocked the prince off his feet with snow, and was quickly taken prisoner… the prince had no clue what he was getting himself into…"
As Zuko told our story, I shut my eyes and pictured it all. That time of our life had been quite a journey, filled with ups and downs…
But despite the challenges and uncertainties, fate finally became our friend, and we lived happily ever after.
