I don't normally do this, but here's a song recommendation to read this to: "The War Ends" by Andreas Waldetoft, from the video game Hearts of Iron 4.
Seems appropriate for the theme.
Also, I would have got this out yesterday, but my internet decided to conk out halfway through writing it.
The Caldera, one day after Sozin's Comet
Katara watched as the Airship descended towards them, with Zuko leaning on her for support. As it got closer, she was able to make out figures on the gangways along the sides of the vessel, leaning on the guard rails and waving excitedly at her; Sokka, leaning heavily on Suki, and Toph next to them. Katara waved back with excitement only tempered by the burning question on her mind; where was Aang?
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the airship touched down and a ramp extended down towards them. Katara ran to meet her friends as they disembarked, and was swept up into a wordless hug by Sokka. The others all joined in after them. After about thirty seconds of this, Katara broke off, but Sokka appeared to already know what she was about to say.
"Someone had to fly the airship!"
At the same time, there was a shout of joy from behind them, and Katara turned around to see him. Aang stood at the end of the gangway, Momo on his shoulder, and a huge smile on his face.
Katara couldn't help herself. She broke off from the others and ran towards him. They met in the middle, and Katara picked him up bodily off the floor and spun him around with the force of their hug.
"We did it!" Aang muttered repeatedly, happily. "We did it, we did it..."
Had they paid attention to the others at that moment, they would have seen a knowing grin on their faces.
The Fire Nation Palace, one week after Sozin's Comet
The newly crowned Firelord Zuko swept into the hall, the eyes of all present on him. He was followed by Avatar Aang, Hakoda, representing the water tribes, and the Earth King. They had eventually found him in one of the Fire Nation colonies, trying to buy passage on a boat. The bear had been a bit of a giveaway.
The assembled delegates made their way to the front of the room, where a table had been set up. On this table was a document; the official armistice agreement that would end the fighting for good.
Zuko stepped forward.
"There is a long way to go!" He began. "The world has been left scarred and divided, and what we do here today will not change that! But the road to change, the road to lasting peace, starts with an end to hostilities. A peace with honour!"
He smiled.
"And that we can do today!"
With that, he leaned over the table and applied his signature to the paper. The Avatar followed him, and then Chief Hakoda and the Earth King.
Carefully, Aang picked up the document and held it up so that all present could see; the Hundred Years' War was now officially over.
The Southern Air Temple, one month after Sozin's Comet
It was a small gathering; Aang, Katara, and most of their friends had come back to the Southern Air Temple at the end of the war to pay their respects to one of its first casualties.
The Southern Air Temple stood just as vast and empty as it had the last time; an oppressive silence hung over the place, not helped by the duty that Aang and his friends now had to fulfil.
They stood silently in a row as the body of Monk Gyatso was brought out. Aang placed him onto a platform, and then with the help of Toph raised it several feet into the air; a traditional Air Nomad sky-burial.
Zuko was not present, busy running a nation and believing his being there would be disrespectful, but had arranged for the repatriation of the Fire Nation soldiers around Gyatso.
The rest were present, though, and all maintained a respectful silence as Aang looked up at his mentor. Katara put her arm around him comfortingly, and he glanced at her gratefully.
Finally, he looked back upwards. "Thank you," he whispered quietly. "For everything."
There was an answering swoosh of wind blowing through the trees, and he was sure that Gyatso had heard him.
The Northern Water Tribe, two weeks after Sozin's Comet
The North Pole was deathly still in the night, and illuminated only by the bright light of the full moon. The only movement was a man on the sea wall, holding a letter in one hand and a necklace in the other as he paced up and down. The letter contained news of the war's end.
Finally, the man stopped his pacing and looked up at the moon. He tightened his fist around the necklace and brought it closer to his chest. A tear fell from his face.
"It's over," he told her. "The war's over, Yue. It wasn't for nothing."
Chief Arnook kept staring at the moon long into the night.
The Fire Nation, one month after Sozin's Comet
On Ji sighed as she looked down at her homework. History was so boring, she found. She didn't particularly care about the date of the Battle of Omashu, and if she was honest all of the battles and wars began to blend into each other anyway. Her thoughts drifted away from history, back to the dance party in the cave, and not for the first time; she wished she could go back, or at the very least have another. Maybe Kuzon would come back. She decided she would like that.
Still, the one good part of that was the news that had swept through town recently; the Avatar and the new Firelord had deposed the old one and made peace; the war was finally over, everyone kept saying.
She was interrupted in her thoughts by the sound of a knock at the door.
Eh, probably just the postman, she thought, but then realised that postmen didn't knock. The door opened, and she heard her mother gasp, and then shout.
On Ji scrambled out of her chair and ran into the hallway, to be greeted by the sight of her mother embracing a man in Fire Nation armour in the doorway. At the sight of him, a wave of happiness rolled over her.
"Dad!" She shouted happily, running to give him a hug.
"On Ji!" He greeted her, equally happily, and swept her up in his arms. "Did you miss me?"
As tears of joy streamed down On Ji's face, she knew that she had.
The South Pole, four months after the peace
It was nine O'clock in the morning when the watchtower sounded the alarm that there were ships approaching. Instead of the panic that usually accompanied such pronouncements though, now there was excitement.
For there were no clouds of ash, no funnels belching steam, and no Fire Nation soldiers; these ships were the wooden sailing ships of the Southern Water Tribe. Men in blue crowded at the bows of the ships, waving towards the people of the village who made their way to the shoreline to get a good look at them. As the vessels ran themselves ashore, the men who had been off at war jumped down and ran to embrace the families they had not seen for years. Some of them had children who were now much older than they had been when their fathers departed, and some had children they had not even met at all; the camp was the scene of many happy reunions.
Hakoda walked through the middle of it, smiling happily. He watched as Bato swept his wife into a passionate hug, and as Tulimaq held his son in the air, pride evident on his face as the boy squealed.
He made his way across the camp, and saw his mother standing outside the flap of her tent. When she saw him, a wide grin and a look of love came into her eyes as he ran towards her.
"We came back," he told her happily, and then they were hugging, just one more happy reunion.
Ba Sing Se, three days after Sozin's comet
It had been three days since the liberation of Ba Sing Se and the bells had not stopped ringing since. There was a huge party engulfing the city, and King Bumi was right in the middle of it. He was laughing maniacally as he showed off his earthbending skills to crowds of adoring fans from all three rings. These crowds had also noticed Pakku, although he was a lot less keen about getting involved.
People kept sidling up to Pakku and trying to give him drinks, of alcohol or tea, and no matter how many times he said no they would not give in, wanting to express their thanks for freeing them. Many of these drinks were also accompanied by requests to see waterbending. Finally, Pakku relented, and with a flick of his wrist the contents of his cup rose up into the air and froze solid. His small audience immediately began asking him to freeze a fountain.
A small distance away, at the entrance to a newly reopened tea shop, two Fire Nationals watched the scene in front of them.
"Pakku looks like he's enjoying himself," Piandao observed, drily.
"Not as much as Bumi," Jeong Jeong replied, pointing to where Bumi was showing off by launching abandoned Fire Nation tanks into the air.
"Should we stop him?"
"He knows what he's doing."
"Tea?" A voice came from behind them. They turned to see Iroh emerge from the shop with a tray with three cups of steaming hot tea on it. They both took one gratefully, and nodded their thanks as Iroh took his place between them.
Iroh took his own cup and raised it in a mock toast.
"Gentlemen- to peace!"
Piandao and Jeong Jeong lifted their cups in response, and together the three Fire Nationals watched as Ba Sing Se celebrated its deliverance.