Hello! Hello!
I know this chapter is coming earlier than expected, but before we get too excited I'm not promising regular updates as of right now. Work is still insanely crazy and the next update will probably not come until September 5th, 2022.
But this chapter was ready and I did a quick poll on my Instagram to see if you all would like me to post it early. And it was a unanimous decision of yes lol. So here it is! If you are not following me on my Instagram be sure to check it out, I post sneak peeks and answer questions there: JustAGirlWhoLikesToRead_
A reminder that if you write a review, you will get an exclusive FanFiction sneak peek of the next chapter! You must be signed in and have private messaging turned on to receive the sneak peek.
Someone asked me about the timeline so here it is for all of our chapters!
Timeline of Kisses of Fire and Ice:
Chapter 1 & 2: Middle of August 101 AG
Chapter 3: September 101 AG through July 102 AG
Chapter 4: August 102 AG, Anniversary Summit
Chapter 5: September 102 AG through October 102 AG
Chapter 6: October 102 AG through November 102 AG
Chapter 7 & 8: December 102 AG through July 103 AG
Chapter 9: August 103 AG, Second Anniversary Summit
Chapter 10: September 103 AG, Suki and Sokka's Wedding
Chapter 11 & 12: October 103 AG
Chapter 13: First week November 103 AG, Water Tribe Zutara Wedding
Chapter 14: November 103 AG to Winter Solstice December 103 AG, Fire Nation Zutara Wedding
Chapter 15: End of December 103 AG, Honeymoon
Chapter 16: January 104 AG to February 104 AG
Chapter 17: End of February 104 AG
Chapter 18: March 104 AG
I hope you all like the beginning of Part 2 :)
Chapter Eighteen
The Fire Lord was awakened suddenly in the middle of the night.
Someone was knocking vigorously on the royal couple's bedroom door. He was not in a good mood to have been woken. Zuko had only just fallen asleep an hour or so ago, spending most of the night pleasuring his wife until she screamed in ecstasy.
He untangled himself from his naked wife and stumbled out of bed, barely remembering to pull on his sleep pants in the process. The knocking continued as he dressed. The Fire Lord looked down at his wife, this better be an emergency he thought to himself.
His waterbender's tanned skin looked beautiful in the moonlight streaming in through their bedroom windows. Her hair was a mess of curls wildly across her pillow with her face turned where his chest should have been. Katara shivered at the lack of warmth from Zuko's body. He reverently brushed his wife's hair out of her face and made sure her body was fully covered before moving to answer the door.
Since their confession in Hing Wa a few weeks ago, the royal couple had been extremely affectionate with each other. The two were making up for the lost time.
The palace halls were filled with whispers about the royal couple. Many of the noblewomen could not believe the Fire Lord actually wanted his wife, let alone desired her. In contrast, the noblemen wondered if the tribeswoman knew things about the art of pleasure their wives and lovers did not. The royal couple was the prime topic of gossip throughout the Fire Nation court. Zuko had seen more than one article in the scrolls he sent to his sister about his relationship.
The servants were the only ones who knew the reason the couple was so affectionate with each other. The whispered declarations of love not lost on them.
"Malu, do you know what time it is?" Zuko hissed through his teeth as he looked at the Captain of the Royal Guard standing in the doorway. The Fire Lord barely registered Warden Poon standing behind the guard. The monarch was livid that he had been pulled from his sleeping wife.
"I'm sorry to wake you Fire Lord Zuko, but this couldn't wait until morning," the guard apologized his tone heavy. He was not looking forward to breaking the news to the monarch. Malu glanced back at the Warden of Caldera Prison to remind himself of the importance of the information.
"Zuko?" Katara called from their bed. She rubbed her eyes and sat up being sure to clutch the sheet to her chest. "It's cold, come back to bed."
The voices and her husband's absence having woken her. The warden and the guard exchanged a stunned look with each other. Both were surprised to hear how intimately the Fire Lady called for her husband.
"I'll be right there, Katara," her husband responded in a doting tone; a harsh contrast to how he had addressed the men in front of him. Taking a deep breath to steady the anger rising in him before turning back to the men in the doorway. "Now, whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until morning."
"It's about your father, My Lord," the warden interrupted before Zuko could close the door on them. Poon was sick to his stomach to deliver the news, though he knew it could not wait. This news required immediate attention.
"Just ignore Ozai's demands and the threats," the firebender brushed off the words. He was not in the mood to hear about his father's venomous empty threats. Katara had left the bed and donned her kimono the moment she heard the name leave Zuko's mouth. Her steps were quick and long to join her husband.
"My Lord, it's nothing like that," Malu corrected quickly with a shake of his head, he scratched the back of his neck. His nerves were high, he had been on edge since Poon had come to him in such distress. The Captain of the Royal Guard never would have woken his sovereign if the news was anything else.
"Malu, what's going on?" Katara asked her voice soothing as she looked between the two men. Her arm wrapping around her husband's waist as he draped his over her shoulders. She nestled into his side instantly, allowing his body heat to warm her. The waterbender had immediately felt the absence of her husband when he had left their bed.
"I'm so sorry to have disturbed you, Fire Lady Katara," the guard spoke his words soft and comforting, a sharp contrast to the beads of sweat across his brow. He gestured to the man next to him. "But Warden Poon came to me with some distressing news. I thought it best you and Fire Lord Zuko hear it immediately."
"It is very late, what happened?" Zuko's patience was thin. He wanted to climb back into bed with his wife, that sadly was now clothed.
"Fire Lord Zuko," Poon began his voice wavering as he looked at the scarred man. "During our routine checks, we found Ozai," the man paused to clear his throat. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm so sorry, Fire Lord, your father was found dead in his cell."
"What?" The Fire Lord's eyes widened. Katara gasped next to him, her grip tightening around him.
He had expected everything else, but that. He thought the warden would tell him Ozai wanted concubines. Or to see Azula, or to threaten Zuko. Perhaps even threaten his mother or wife. Even an escape attempt had crossed his mind. But the Fire Nation sovereign hadn't expected his father to be dead.
"He was fine at our after-dinner check, but in the span of time between the ten o'clock check and the midnight check he had been killed. This was left in his cell," the warden handed him a green scroll addressed to the Fire Lord. The guard and warden stared at the monarchs waiting for their dismissal.
The Fire Nation sovereign looked at the scroll, the gold detailing in the green replicated the ones sitting in his office. It was heavy in his hands, just like the ones he had seen before. These were no longer empty threats. He felt like he was going to be sick as he stared at the scroll. The Fire Lord was no closer to learning who the sender was than he was a month ago and now his father was dead.
"Zuko?" Katara questioned her husband as he looked at the scroll in his hands. When it was clear her husband wasn't going to say anything, the Fire Lady took over, "Malu, Warden Poon, we appreciate you bringing the news to us in such a timely manner. We will be sure to investigate this threat in the morning. Malu, please enact all security measures you believe necessary for the night and we will discuss a more permeant detail in the morning."
At the Fire Lady's words, the two men bowed at their clear dismissal leaving the royal couple in silence.
The waterbender guided her husband back into their room and sat him on the edge of their bed. Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko and just held him as he worked through his feelings. His body was stiff in her embrace but slowly relaxed into her as time went by.
The Fire Lord's eyes were wide and his breathing was shallow. His stomach churned, he could almost taste the bile rising in his throat. His palms were sweaty but he felt cold all over. The room began to spin and he pressed his forehead against his waterbender's shoulder.
"My father's dead," he whispered after about an hour of being wrapped in his lover's arms. His arms threaded around Katara's waist, burying his head in her supple chest. "I don't know how to feel."
"It's okay to be sad or not to be sad," she spoke gently into his ear, brushing the hair out of his face. "You had a complicated relationship with your father. Don't put any pressure on yourself to feel a certain way, just let yourself feel it. You don't owe anyone an explanation for your feelings."
The Fire Lord nodded before he pulled away from his wife and looked at the scroll in his hand. He took a deep breath, unraveling the scroll before looking at the contents.
Fire Lord,
It looks like my last threat was not taken seriously.
A hundred years of war has its consequences.
One royal family member gone, another to follow.
Who will it be next?
"It's begun," Zuko commented eerily as he read the contents of the scroll again. He passed the scroll to his wife to read. "Ozai's death was obviously not from natural causes, the question is who was able to get close enough to kill him. Poon and I, are the only ones with a key to his cell."
"Zuko," she whispered as she looked over the threat. Something felt oddly familiar with the phrasing and the handwriting, but she couldn't place it.
"I need to call a council meeting," he stood from the bed thinking about everything he needed to do. He began pacing as he spoke. "I need to tell my mother and write to Uncle. Contact Bumi and see if there has been any progress with the White Lotus investigation. Figure out the funeral. Meet with Malu and discuss security measures for all of us. Azula! What if they go after her?"
"Malu is going to bolster security for the rest of the night, Azula is protected by the White Lotus. Come to bed, Zuko. We can figure the rest out in the morning," Katara responded putting the scroll down and pulling her husband back into bed with her. "They won't try anything tonight. Come on, let's go back to bed."
The Fire Lord allowed himself to be pulled into bed. The waterbender laid down next to her husband, his head resting against her chest and his arms around her waist. His wife brushed his hair out of his face in a soothing manner as she held him.
"My father's dead," he repeated as he laid against his wife.
The shock was still evident and Zuko still didn't know how to feel. He thought he should cry over his dead father, that's what people did when their fathers passed. But his eyes were bone dry. He couldn't process the reality, it didn't make sense to the Fire Lord that Ozai was now dead. Zuko was unsure if he wanted to laugh or cry or scream. He felt numb.
"Shh," his waterbender shushed him. Her hands stroking his hair willing him to relax in her arms. "We will talk about it later, on the roof. Right now, just sleep."
The Fire Lord's body calmed slightly before he looked up into sapphire eyes, "I don't think, I'll be able to sleep. Will you sing me something?"
"What do you want me to sing?" She asked with a twitch of her lips as he snuggled deeper into her chest. The request from her husband reminded her of why she fell in love with him.
"Anything," he shrugged closing his eyes, his arms holding himself tightly to his wife.
"Two lovers, forbidden from one another. A war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart. Built a path to be together . . ." Katara sang softly, her voice lulling her husband to sleep.
"I haven't gotten anywhere with my search," Aang complained to his oldest friend as he paced around the room. The Avatar had been in Omashu for three weeks. He had decided to visit Bumi after helping Azula in the North Pole. He figured if someone could help him in the search to restore the Air Nomads, it would be someone who actually remembered airbenders.
"You will, Aang. But it's been over a hundred years, these people have only known hiding. It will take some time," his old friend comforted him. The old man went to speak more but was cut off by the Avatar's groan.
"My people are gone, my culture is nonexistent," the airbender lamented as he looked out the window at the city. "I want to be the proper leader for the airbenders and become a full monk. But to do that I need to embrace all the practices, including celibacy. I can't do that if I have to repopulate an entire nation!"
"Do you believe airbenders are out there? That even with everything that happened some survived the genocide?" The earthbender questioned his friend. He was testing the young monk's faith.
"Of course I do," the avatar grumbled frustrated with the line of questioning. His hands balled into fists at his side. "I've gone through every record. I have checked around every temple and the surrounding areas. I don't know where else to look anymore."
"Perhaps you are thinking too hard about it," Bumi cackled as he looked across at the airbender. "Stop looking where you think you should and start at the beginning!"
"The beginning? You mean of the genocide? Or of the search?" The monk looked confused at his friend, the mad king was making even less sense than normal. Momo jumped off of Aang and toward the bowl of fruit on the table in front of the two men.
"Yes," the King laughed loudly, the sound echoing off the walls. For the first time since the war ended, the earthbender thought his friend was almost ready to be the leader the airbenders deserved.
"Excuse me, King Bumi, this came for you from Fire Lord Zuko," a guard stated as he walked into the room. He passed the letter he was carrying to the King. "It was marked urgent."
The normally crazy king was extremely calm as he read the letter. The atmosphere became particularly ominous as he looked over the contents, two times then a third. The avatar looked at his friend when he felt the energy shift. Bumi rarely took things so seriously, he felt every bit of his age as he read the scroll.
"Bumi?" The airbender questioned quietly.
"Ozai is dead," Bumi responded as he looked up at Aang. The old king rubbed a hand over his face as he continued, "He was found dead in his cell two nights ago."
"How? He was in perfect health!"
"The Fire Lord suspects he was poisoned, a threat was left with the body," the king explained as he looked at his young friend, passing the letter to him. "And the White Lotus is no closer to finding who is sending the threats than we were since the first was sent."
"Do you think it's still someone from the Earth Kingdom?" Aang asked as he looked over what Zuko had written. The lemur hopped onto the monk's shoulder, eating a piece of fruit as he looked at the letter too. "Or do you think it's someone trying to lead us off the trail?"
"It's someone from the Earth Kingdom," Bumi sighed. The old man was frustrated he couldn't figure out which noble was threatening the Fire Lord and his family. "But I wouldn't be surprised if there was someone inside Caldera helping. There are too many pieces unaccounted."
"Momo, maybe it's time we go back to the Fire Nation," Aang mumbled to his pet. The airbender absently scratched the lemur's head. "It looks like we might be needed."
"I think you should stay," the King of Omashu commented suddenly looking at the young monk. Now that Aang was closing in on who he needed to be for the Air Nomads, the earthbender didn't want him to leave. "Perhaps you could help me and the White Louts investigate the noble families to see who is behind the threats."
"You are probably right," Aang nodded solemnly. Zuko and Katara would be busy with the arrangements of Ozai's funeral, the avatar didn't want to be in the way. "I doubt the assassin will make another move now, they will want to let the paranoia build before striking again. Plus, knowing Zuko, security will have been increased."
"I'll call a meeting immediately," Bumi agreed as he thought over how to handle the news. He wasn't exactly upset that Ozai had died, he thought the world was better off without the man. But he knew that the airbender had conflicted feelings about death.
"Guess my search for airbenders will have to wait," the avatar sighed. He watched the lemur eat the lychee nuts on the table in front of him.
Aang had been so ecstatic when he had seen the lemur at the Southern Air Temple at the beginning of his journey to becoming a fully realized Avatar. The entire temple had been demolished and Gyatso had been murdered. And Aang had felt incredibly responsible for all the death and destruction caused to his people. Momo had given him hope that the Air Nomads had not all been murdered in the attacks by the Fire Nation. But now he was struggling with keeping that hope.
"Maybe staying in Omashu will give you the answers you seek," a twinkle in the crazy king's eye. He had been around since the first strike, but Bumi needed Aang to have faith. The young avatar needed to release not only the anger and pain he had surrounding the devastation of his nation. But also the guilt before he would be able to rebuild. The moment that the old king saw the shift in his friend, he would give him the missing link to the airbender's search.
"Bumi, what do you know?"
"Go back to the beginning," Bumi repeated his words from earlier before he left the monk to meditate on his words.
"Ozai is dead," the words were spoken softly, by the Fire Lord. Yet they seemed to echo through the cool night air.
"Yes, he is," his wife agreed with the statement. Her hand's lightly combing through his hair in a soothing manner. The Fire Nation royal couple was currently on the roof over their bedroom, the moon their only source of light. Zuko's head in his wife's lap.
It had been almost a week since Ozai had been found in his cell, the couple had been extremely busy with organizing his funeral and alerting all the necessary people. In addition to the investigation that was taking place surrounding the untimely death of Ozai. This was the first time they had an opportunity to sneak away to the roof.
"I feel like I should be sad," Zuko admitted his voice steady and hollow. Gold eyes glazed over as he looked out at the city. The past week he had just been going through the motions of his life. "But at the same time, I feel like I should laugh because he can't hurt me anymore."
"How do you feel? Don't judge yourself, just speak it," his waterbender lightly probed the question. Her tone brought him back to the day he found Azula with Love Amongst the Dragons. Katara sounded exactly like he had imagined she would.
He let her words move over him for a moment. How did he feel? The Fire Lord closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Zuko focused on the feel of his wife's fingers combing through his hair, timing his breath to her movement. His mind going to his meditation practice. Asking the necessary questions with each breath he took.
How did he feel? Breathe in, breathe out.
Was he surprised at the news? A little, he hadn't expected it.
Another deep breath in followed by one out. Was he grieving? No, Zuko wasn't sad or grief-stricken that his father had died.
He breathed again, in and out. Was he happy? No, he wasn't happy. In and out, he breathed deeper. How did he feel?
"Angry."
Katara's body jerked as the word left his mouth, the soothing rhythm of her fingers was lost. His golden eyes snapped open to look at her, prepared to see judgment all he saw was surprise. Zuko watched her lick her lips before speaking, "Why are you angry?"
"Because he got to escape it all," the bitterness was evident in his voice. He sat up quickly before standing and began pacing the roof as he spoke. His emotions flooded out of him now that he had released the damn of indifference. "I thought for sure that Aang had to kill him for peace to reign, but I was wrong. Killing him was easy and gave him an escape. Ozai will never see the wrongdoings of his ways. When Aang brought him back, I decided that he should be tried for his actions."
"Zuko," she whispered as he continued his speech. Her sapphire eyes followed his movements. Katara's heart ached for her husband.
"So he could see what he did, see the pain and suffering he caused not only to the other nations but to his nation and his family. To me!" The Fire Lord ranted with silent frustrated tears running down his face, pointing at himself briefly. His arms and hands moved rapidly in time with his words as he continued, "And now, he escaped it all. He will never get to see what he did. He was able to die, while I have to clean up the mess of him and the last hundred years. How is that fair?"
The young Fire Lord dropped onto the roof in a pile at the last sentence, his eyes now filled with hot tears he could not shed earlier. Katara rushed to him before she wrapped her arms around him and held him as he cried. His face turned into her, pressing himself as close as he could to her soft body. Zuko basked in the comfort only the waterbender could give him.
"You don't know that Ozai would be able to see the wrongdoings of his past when put on trial for the crimes he committed," Katara's voice was soft as she consoled her husband. The waterbender held him tightly to her, fingertips running along the scar on his face pouring every ounce of love she had into the movement. "He might have and might not have. He was an evil and vile manipulative man, who left destruction in his wake."
"I will never have the opportunity to tell him how he destroyed my nation and family," the Fire Lord cried into the waterbender's arms. His sorrowful sounds cut through the night air harshly. Zuko's hands fisted into the fabric of his wife's clothing. "He fucking burned me at thirteen! And sent me on a mission that he believed to be unachievable. He wanted to kill me when I was born and now instead of getting justice, he gets to die. Escaping all of it. It's not fucking fair!"
The Fire Lady allowed her own tears to fall as she learned that Ozai wanted to kill her husband at birth. She knew that Ozai was despicable, but the more she learned about Zuko's past the more she realized how horrific his father was. He not only wanted the world to burn, but he also wanted to destroy his children as well. Neither Zuko nor Azula deserved the abuse that their father inflicted on them.
"In another life, you might have had the father you deserved," his wife whispered into his ear as she held her husband tightly. She hoped he could feel all of her love in her embrace. "And you might not be cleaning up a mess that was created by your forefathers. But in this one, I get the man not only worthy of the crown but the man strong enough to have gone through fire and survived to heal his people."
Zuko listened to the words she spoke softly to him. Just being in her arms helped soothe not only the anger but the pain buried deep within him. His life had been destroyed by his father, that was true. Yet because of that destruction, the Fire Lord ended the hundred-year war. He was leading his nation into an era of peace. And he was privileged enough to have the waterbender as his wife.
"If all I have gone through was to make me honorable enough to be your husband it was worth it. Every single moment was worth it," the firebender responded once his cries slowed. "I shouldn't be angry at a dead man."
The Fire Lord would always have complicated feelings about Ozai. He could hate his father for what he did to him. But Zuko could also be grateful to the man for providing the steps that led to his waterbender. And if that's all the good that came out of Ozai, it was enough for Zuko.
"No, you shouldn't," she replied quietly. Katara adjusted their position so Zuko's head was laying in her lap again, her fingers running through his hair. "But it's okay to feel however you do, Zuko. If right now you need to be angry, I understand."
"Thank you, for always being here," Zuko whispered as he let her soothe him.
"I'll always be here," she replied softly. The two fell into a comfortable silence while the firebender worked through his feelings. Katara broke the silence a few minutes later, "You know you should write to Azula about Ozai before she finds out from someone else again."
"I know, it's just hard to find the words. I've tried to write the letter a hundred times and I just can't," Zuko mumbled as he looked up at his wife. His stomach had been in knots each time he picked up the brush to write to his sister. "I'm afraid she will have another breakdown."
"Could you go in person to tell her?" Katara questioned as she brushed her fingers through his hair in a peaceful manner. "It might be better if you're there. You haven't seen her in a year and a half."
"Yagoda thinks I might trigger her, apparently she is struggling with her identity after Aang took her bending," he sighed as he looked at the blue eyes of his lover. His heart was heavy in his chest. "She hasn't had any other breakdowns since finding out about mother, but this might be the final straw."
"Do you want me to go?" The Fire Lady offered softly into the night breeze. She hadn't seen Azula since the Agni Kai. But the waterbender was a very gifted healer and more than capable of restraining the Fire Nation Princess if necessary. It was also her sister-in-law now and obviously something her husband struggled with, Katara would do anything to help him.
Zuko held his breath as he thought over the offer. He never had expected his wife to suggest going to the North Pole, though he should have it was in Katara's nature. He had hoped to find a way to ask his wife to look after his sister. Though every single time he went to ask the words fell short. He knew better than anyone the pain Azula had inflicted on Team Avatar, he couldn't ask his waterbender to heal her. Yet, she was still his sister.
"I would hate to ask that of you," he whispered his reply looking anywhere but at her. It was the truth without answering the question, he didn't count on his wife knowing him so well.
"She's my family now too. I'll leave tomorrow," Katara responded leaning down to kiss him quickly. "Now, if we don't get inside soon we'll be sleeping up here. I can't carry you like you can me."
Zuko chuckled at his wife's words before extricating himself from her embrace, standing then helping his waterbender to her feet. The couple made their way down the roof onto their bedroom balcony, slipping inside their room.
"The day I married you, in the South Pole, I had only hoped you would one day love me too," Zuko whispered once the two were tucked into bed. He cuddled his wife close to him. "Thank you for not only loving me but for loving my family, crazy sister and all."
"I'll do whatever I can to help Azula," the waterbender promised softly her eyes closing in fatigue. "Love you Zuko."
"Who is the prime suspect in Ozai's death?" He asked as he adjusted his cloak to keep his identity a secret. He was going to extract as much information as possible before he handed over the gold pieces.
"There isn't a prime one yet, but the Chan family is on the list," the firebender explained to the hooded man. His hands were itching for the money he was owed. "As are a few councilmen from Ozai's court."
"Anyone from the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribe?"
"There were some names from the Earth Kingdom court but they are low on the list," he answered. He didn't have a lot of time before he needed to be back. "Mostly a few bounty hunters from the Earth Kingdom."
"Hmm," the cloaked man hummed to himself. "And the security measures?"
"He's doubled his guard, for not only himself but his wife," the firebender sneered the last word. He was not a fan of the waterbender nor the Fire Lord. "Though he seems unconcerned for his sister in the North Pole."
"And the Dragon of the West?"
"He hasn't even been informed of his brother's death yet," the informant shrugged. He had put himself at a great risk trying to extract the information he had promised.
"I guess you've earned your price," he nodded in response. He dropped the gold pieces on the table. He watched the Fire Nation Royal Guard count each piece before quickly pocketing them then leaving the tavern. Half an hour later, the cloaked man stood from the table and exited the establishment from the back. He needed to be out of the city before morning.
The first tile for eliminating the Fire Lord had been laid.
"Malu is going with you," Zuko argued with his wife for the hundredth time. The couple was currently standing beneath the airship that would take the Fire Lady to the North Pole. The Captain of the Royal Guard standing off to the side listening to the couple fight.
The royal couple had been having the same argument since they woke early that morning. Both were being extremely stubborn and not really interested in listening to the other's perspective.
The Fire Lord wanted his wife to take not only her royal guard but Malu as well. Since the threat left with Ozai, Zuko was not risking anything when it came to his wife. Katara felt like she would be fine with just her guard and the soldiers required for the airship. She knew that her husband was concerned, but thought he was being ridiculous considering the threats were coming from the Earth Kingdom. She was also confident that if something did happen the Northern Tribe would protect her.
"I don't need him to come with me. I'm fine with Jee and the others," Katara retaliated her arms crossed as she looked at the firebender. If only he knew that all he had to do was kiss her breathless to get his way.
"You already refused Ty Lee and Mai, at least take Malu with you," Zuko grumbled to his wife. He was upset that she wasn't bringing her courtiers, though both were more than just that. The two women were extremely deadly and would be able to help protect the Fire Lady if necessary.
"You know why I said it wasn't a good idea for the two of them to come with me," the waterbender defended her decision as she gave her husband a look. "It would be extremely soon for Azula to see them and they also have their own trauma to work through regarding your sister. It wouldn't be fair to any of them to see each other so soon and especially considering the circumstances."
"I know," the Fire Lord conceded to his waterbender. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Because they aren't going with you, I would really appreciate it if you took Malu with you."
"Zuko, I'll be fine with Jee," she repeated herself again. Her stance wavered as his gold eyes looked over her. The fear and love reflected in his irises as he looked at her.
The Fire Lord could see her resolve melting away as he pressed himself closer. His hand came to brush his knuckles across her cheek, looking into her sapphire eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. The waterbender's body flush against his.
"Please, Katara," his eyes pleading with hers. He felt instantly when she agreed, her body relaxing in his arms. "I know you will be fine with Jee, but it would ease my worries if you would take Malu with you as well."
"Fine," Katara agreed with a mumble. She was quickly rewarded with a searing kiss from her husband.
"I'm going to miss you," he breathed against her mouth. This would be their first time apart since they were married. The couple had only confessed their feelings to each other a little over a month ago.
"I'll miss you too," she mumbled against his lips as she tried to press herself closer to him. Hoping that if she kissed him long enough he would be able to magically come with her. A throat clearing pulled the couple away from each other.
"Write to me when you arrive," Zuko requested though it sounded more like a command. "And don't forget to give Azula the scrolls from me, I also packed some of the candies she likes."
"I promise and I won't forget," the Fire Lady smiled at her husband. "Please be safe, don't do anything stupid Zuko."
"I never do anything stupid," he smirked down at his wife, tapping her nose in retaliation earning himself a giggle from his waterbender. "Now go, before I change my mind about you leaving."
An order to Malu to board the ship, two soft quick kisses, and countless whispered declarations of love later — Katara was boarding the airship. Before she was fully from the Fire Lord's view she turned back to him.
"Don't think I didn't notice you trying to seduce me to change my mind, Fire Lord," she called back to her husband. She didn't wait to see her husband's reaction, just continued to board the airship in silence. Zuko's jaw dropped as he watched his wife's backside walk onto the ship. Ever aware of the way she swayed her hips just slightly for his benefit. The waterbender was a minx, he thought, she was perfect for him.
Katara boarded the airship with a small giggle to herself, leaving her gobsmacked husband in her wake. She couldn't resist calling him out in front of everyone. The Fire Lady made her way to the chambers she would be staying in for the duration of her trip. She was unsurprised to see Ty Min, her handmaid, already inside unpacking the things the monarch would need for her trip.
"Is there anything you need, Katara?" Ty Min asked the Fire Lady as she settled into the airship. "Admiral Jee estimates we will arrive in the North Pole by nightfall tomorrow."
"I'm alright for now, thank you, Ty Min," the Fire Lady dismissed her lady-in-waiting. The waterbender looked at the scrolls in her hands, laying out the correspondence from Yagoda. Azula had done some terrible things, but Katara believed she could create a new life with the proper healing and guidance.
"Hi Azula," Katara greeted her sister-in-law, joining her on the floor of her bedroom. The Princess did not react to the woman. Only offering a quick look to the tribeswoman before she moved the pai sho tile as she played the game on the ground of her room.
The waterbender had arrived late last night, much later than originally planned. Katara had barely been shown to her room in the Northern Palace before collapsing onto the bed from exhaustion. She had spent all morning with Yagoda, asking any and every question she could to understand the Fire Nation Princess's mental state.
The Fire Lady was pleased to hear that Azula had been doing much better since Aang took her bending. The first major improvement was that she no longer felt out of control or at risk for hallucinating again. Azula spoke more to Yagoda and would interact when asked a direct question. She had begun making a few requests for different things throughout the past few weeks. The Princess even opened up a little about the abuse that had transpired with Ozai and his court, though she still did not speak about her mother. All were good signs to the two healers.
Finally, Katara returned with Yagoda to see her new sister. She desperately hoped she would be able to help her family.
"I brought you something from Zuko," the waterbender continued unfazed by the lack of verbal response. She placed a box in front of the young woman filled with gossip scrolls, candies, and a letter from her brother. "He was so sad he couldn't come with me, but the council had meetings he couldn't reschedule."
Azula caught sight of the familiar red and gold insignia showcasing the Fire Lord's emblem on a scroll. She didn't wait for Katara to confirm there was a letter from Zuko, her hand coming out to quickly snatch the scroll. The Princess unraveled the letter from her brother. Azula's eyes quickly scanned over the words written, once, twice, then finally a third time.
Dear Zula,
I don't know how to write these words, I'm still in shock myself but you should hear this news from me.
Last week, father died. He was found in his cell with a threat attached to him. It seems like even though the war is over some people think the only way for justice is to kill off our entire family.
I'm so sorry, Zula. I wish I could be there to tell you in person, but unfortunately, I can't leave Caldera. I sent Katara though, she's going to stay as long as you want her to. She knows everything that happened and can answer all your questions. She also is your sister too.
He's gone, Azula. He can't hurt us anymore.
Zuzu
She looked at Katara and swallowed, her eyes showing the first rays of hope she had in a long time.
"He's dead?" The Fire Nation Princess questioned, her voice cracking. Her tone was heavy with emotion, but it was unclear how the girl felt about learning her father had died.
"I'm so sorry, Azula," the Fire Lady replied softly. She held her hand out, with her palm up and open. She knew better than to touch her sister-in-law voluntarily but wanted to still offer the physical contact for support. "He's gone. Zuko and I both checked to verify what the physician determined. I came immediately to tell you, but he insisted on writing to you."
"He's not coming back," she whispered reading the words again. Silent tears began to fall from her golden eyes. Unlike her brother, Azula knew exactly how she felt.
The Fire Nation Princess let the tears fall freely. Tears that she was finally allowed to shed for the first time in her life. She shed tears for the loss of her childhood. She cried for the abuse she had faced from her father. Azula wept for the lost relationship with her brother. She sobbed for the pressure and expectations she did not deserve to have placed on her. But most of all she cried for her mental illness and how Ozai was responsible for where she was today.
Katara moved closer as the girl shook with sobs, tentatively wrapping her arms around Azula's shoulders. The waterbender smiled softly as the princess turned and leaned into her for support. She held Azula for almost an hour, whispering all the comforting words she could to her sister-in-law.
"I am very sorry for your loss, Azula," Katara sympathized as the girl went to pull out of her embrace. Eventually, the girl's sobs lessened and the healer was expecting to be met with anger or at least much more grief. Azula's response was anything but that.
The Fire Nation Princess's tears gave way to a sense of freedom, she threw her head back and laughed. A laugh that was pure delight, nothing like her manic laughter during the Agni Kai years ago. Azula's hands went up to rub her face in a way that was very much like her older brother. She brushed the tears from her eyes with a beaming smile on her face, Azula felt almost giddy. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so much joy and happiness.
"He's gone and I'm finally free," she laughed loudly. For the first time since before she began firebending, Azula felt light. With Ozai dead there was no more abuse to be inflicted on her. No expectations on her to be better than Zuko anymore. There was no pressure to be the perfect princess. And now that Zuko was married, no opportunity for her to be Fire Lord.
Now that Ozai was dead, the only thing Azula needed to be was herself.
"Iroh? Are you alright?" Jun called to her fiancé when she found him in their home. The bounty hunter was surprised to not see him in the tea shop when she was out running errands earlier. She was even more shocked to see that he had an open bottle of fire whisky next to him.
The Dragon of the West looked up to see his young lover walk into their home a few streets down from the tea shop. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there. Iroh didn't even remember pouring himself the drink that sat next to the letter from his nephew.
He had been surprised to receive such a formal correspondence from the Fire Lord. The old general was unprepared to see the Fire Nation messenger enter the tea shop early this afternoon, he almost missed the urgency in the delivery. Iroh had tucked the scroll away in his robes until he was able to leave the shop in the capable hands of his staff.
He looked down at the scroll again as Jun joined him at the table. Her hand moved to rest against his on top of the table. His eyes scanned the shortest letter he had ever received from Zuko for what seemed the hundredth time.
Dear Uncle,
I regret to write you this letter. Last night, Ozai was found dead in his cell.
There was a message left with him, whoever is behind the threats is no longer threatening. Their actions have begun, I fear they might come for you next or possibly Azula. I have already sent word to my friends, as well as Bumi.
Katara and I are arranging for a small funeral for Ozai in a few days, just us and my mother.
I'm sorry Uncle,
Zuko
"My brother was killed," the old general spoke bringing his eyes to Jun's. "Ozai was vicious but he was still my brother. I'm afraid he will not have the best judgment from the spirits in death. If only I had been a better sibling to him, maybe he would have turned out better."
"Iroh," Jun sighed in sympathy as she saw the regret and pain in his eyes. "His actions were his own and he will have to face the consequences, but it's not your fault."
"This could break Azula," Iroh whispered as he let his lover comfort him. "I'm afraid of what she might do, it's only been a year since she stopped hallucinating."
Jun knew very little about the Fire Nation Princess, having never met her and only hearing stories from Iroh. She knew that Azula had a breakdown at the end of the war and she was currently in the North Pole healing, but that was about it. No one dared explain the cause of the breakdown or the abuse she had suffered. Though the bounty hunter knew enough that for someone as young as Azula to have a breakdown, she had to have suffered greatly.
"I'm sure Zuko knows that," Jun comforted her fiancé. Her hand threaded through his and she squeezed it tightly. "And if not, Katara will be there to help guide him. That girl is good for him and keeps him grounded."
"She is perfect for him," the Dragon of the West agreed with a bittersweet grin. He sat quietly for a minute, before turning to the woman next to him. "Will you come with me someplace?"
"You know I will," she nodded looking confused as to what he wanted to do. She watched as he moved around their home grabbing a few things before they left the house.
The couple walked quietly hand in hand through Ba Sing Se, the news of Ozai's death heavy on both of them. Jun's curiosity grew as they exited the city and the inner wall, they never went out this way unless they were traveling. Iroh led her through the fields until he reached the hill, the couple easily climbing it. He stopped them once they reached the tree, the rocks marking the spot.
Iroh pulled out a picture of Lu Ten then one of Ozai and himself when they were younger, setting the incense down in front lighting it. The aroma filled the area around them. Jun sat on the ground next to him, looking at the pictures as Iroh said a Fire Nation prayer for first his brother then his son.
"My son, Lu Ten, his ashes were spread in this spot," the firebender explained as he noticed his fiancé looking around the area. "I had laid siege to Ba Sing Se for six hundred days, but after his death, I retreated. The war did not make sense anymore after the loss of Lu Ten. I might not be there for my brother's funeral but I wanted a place to honor his life."
"You are a good man," the bounty hunter whispered placing a kiss on his cheek. She was unsurprised to see Iroh honoring his brother's life. He saw the good in everyone, including Ozai.
The couple sat there watching the sunset as the incense burned.
"Do you hate me?" The question was asked hesitantly with no malicious intent, yet the words cut through the silence of the room harshly.
"What?" The waterbender turned to her sister-in-law looking confused. She had been in the North Pole for a week. During that time, Azula had made tremendous progress. She was now starting conversations on her own, sleeping better, and feeling much lighter than ever before. The news of Ozai's death had helped heal a large part of the Fire Nation Princess.
"Do you hate me?" Azula repeated the question looking directly at Katara. Gold eyes bored into blue ones.
"I don't hate you. What would make you think that?" Katara shook her head as she moved the pai sho tile. The two women were in Azula's room at Yagoda's, sitting on the floor and playing the game.
"I did horrible things to you and your friends," the girl shrugged as she made her own move. Her eyes looking anywhere than at the waterbender. "And don't even get me started on what I did to Zuzu. So I guess, I just assumed you always hated me. I wouldn't blame you if you did."
"Azula, I don't hate you," Katara replied with a small sad smile. She had been surprised at how easy the Fire Nation Princess was to talk to now that she wasn't attacking her.
"Why?" The princess asked, the question was not accusatory just curious. She cocked her head to the side as she looked at the waterbender.
The Fire Lady sighed thoughtfully as she tried to figure out the best way to explain her emotions.
"When I was eight, my mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid so when Zuko stormed our village all those years ago, I hated him. My entire being despised your brother," the tribeswoman began softly. Her sapphire eyes were faraway. "I felt like he was the one who took my mother away from me. Which was silly in hindsight, he was only ten years old when it happened."
"That doesn't explain why you don't hate me," Azula commented as she looked at her sister-in-law. Katara rolled her eyes at the interruption.
"When he joined us at the Western Air Temple, after the invasion, he helped me find my mother's killer," Katara continued as she fiddled with a tile. A small smile graced her face as she thought of her husband. "And I realized while I didn't forgive the man who took her, I couldn't blame him for following orders. Just like I couldn't blame Zuko for what he did to us and everything you did. You thought what you were doing was right and I was the one in the wrong."
"Oh," the princess responded looking at the board in front of her. Neither one of the women had made a move since Katara started speaking.
"That day, the Agni Kai," the tribeswoman clarified. Her blue eyes rested on the drooping form of the Fire Nation Princess. "I saw someone who held pain the same way I had. You reminded me of myself when I went after Yon Rha, I had felt out of control with the pain. And that pain I channeled into rage and hatred, mostly directed at your brother. That's why I don't hate you."
"I'm glad you don't hate me," Azula whispered after a moment. She looked down at the board between them. "It would be horrible if I couldn't get along with my brother's wife."
"Do you hate me?" Katara flipped the question on her.
"No," she shook her head, somber gold eyes met blue briefly. Azula turned to look out the window as she tried to express her thoughts, "I never hated you or Zuko. I just felt like I had to be better than him. My fa—he made me feel that the only way I could be worthy of anything was to be better than my older brother. So I made sure I was nothing less than perfect."
"You are both different people," the Fire Lady stated watching several emotions cross the princess's face.
"I know that now," she nodded solemnly. Azula had never spoken to anyone about what had happened with Ozai. Zuko had been physically abused by their father, but she had been emotionally abused and manipulated. "But it was the only way to stop it."
The healer went to question her sister-in-law but thought better of it. This was the most forthcoming the Fire Nation Princess had been in her entire life, let alone since her breakdown. Katara was not going to push Azula past what she could handle. If and when she was ready, the waterbender would be there to listen. Today was not that day.
"I understand that," Katara replied instead.
"How did your mother die?" Azula asked after a few moments of silence. The pai sho game completely forgotten.
"There was a raid," the waterbender shrugged noncommittally. It was still painful to talk about the death of her mother.
"But most raids only took prisoners," the Princess stated looking directly at the woman in confusion. The tribeswoman realized Azula was entirely too smart to just be a petty and frivolous noblewoman in the Fire Nation court. The Fire Lady made a note to herself that when Azula was ready to come home, Zuko and she needed to find a place for his sister to have a purpose.
"I'm not sure why the raid happened," Katara began softly, willing her voice not to crack as she told the story. "We hadn't had one in years, I think it had been around fifty years since the last one. And then one day they came. They said they were looking for the last waterbender and that there was one more still in the South Pole. My mother lied to protect me, claiming to be the last one. He killed her immediately."
"I'm sorry about your mother," her sister-in-law said after a few minutes. While Azula's relationship with her mother was complicated, she still understood the loss Katara was feeling.
"Thank you, Azula," she gave a gentle smile to the Princess. "You know, when Zuko took me to find Yon Rha, it was the best form of closure I could have had. I hope you get that one day."
"That must have been a freeing moment," Azula replied thoughtfully. Her mind ran with the possibilities of what she would have said to her own abuser.
"It was, I remember looking at him and just I don't know." Katara's sapphire eyes were miles away in a Fire Nation village as she remembered Yon Rha. "The pain just slipped away."
"Did you kill him?" This was an important question for the Fire Nation Princess. She expected the waterbender to say yes, it's what Azula would have done. But for some reason, she felt the need to ask.
"No."
"Why not?" Her sister-in-law asked in confusion. Her brows pulled together as she looked at the woman in front of her.
Katara's hand fell to her necklace, though she now wore Zuko's betrothal the habit still stuck when she thought of her mother. "War is complicated. And for the first time, I saw not an enemy but another human being."
"Is it hard being the monarch for a nation who caused you so much pain?"
The question caught the waterbender off guard. "I've never really thought about it like that. Things changed after we started traveling through the Fire Nation during the war."
"What do you mean?" Azula asked softly. She was fascinated by her brother's wife, there were so many questions she wanted to ask the waterbender.
"When we first started mingling with the people, we saw how oppressed they were," Katara explained. She mindlessly played with her engagement ring. "And then in Jang Hui, I saw the devastation that the war was causing to its own nation."
"The factory, you destroyed it?" The Princess came to the conclusion much faster than her brother had. She remembered the meetings and the reports coming in about the factory destroying the village. Her father didn't care about the environmental concerns, only industrialization. And then the report came in before the day of black sun that the factory had been destroyed.
"Aang and I did," the tribeswoman nodded thinking back. She missed traveling the world. "But before that, I masqueraded as the Painted Lady and healed the sick. Stole from the factory and gave it to the villagers. I realized that the Fire Nation didn't have it any easier than the rest of the world."
"You helped the Fire Nation during the war?" Azula looked at her funny. She could not imagine the Avatar and his friends helping Fire Nation citizens, but apparently, she was wrong. "But why? I mean what possessed you to do it."
"Yes, I never turn my back on people who need me," the waterbender shrugged not realizing how much Azula's respect for her grew at that moment.
The Fire Nation Princess had learned a lot about her brother's wife in the past week, but in the last hour, she had discovered how incredible the Fire Lady was as a leader. Katara was good for Zuko, she thought to herself as she looked over the woman. The waterbender would be sure to not let her husband become cold and heartless like their father.
Azula had been thinking about the next step in her healing process, something Yagoda had been encouraging since her bending had been taken. But it wasn't until speaking with Katara just now that had the Princess ready. Ozai's hold on her was finally gone and a sister-in-law who actually cared about her had Azula ready to return home.
"Katara, would you help me write a letter to Zuzu?" She asked the question hesitantly, afraid the Fire Lady would refuse the request. Azula was rewarded with a fast response from the healer.
"Of course," the waterbender grinned at the girl.
The Fire Nation Princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly, "And one to my mother?"
The King of Omashu found the Avatar meditating on the balcony of his guest-chamber, the lemur perched on his shoulder. Bumi was going to leave the monk in peace, the two had gotten into a disagreement earlier. The two friends fighting over the fact that Aang blamed himself for the genocide and just for being alive. The earthbender didn't see it that way, he saw what the adolescent man could not. If Aang had not left the temple, he would have been killed with the other airbenders.
Bumi knew that the last airbender was experiencing extreme survivor's guilt now that the war was over. He had planned to let his friend work through his emotions in his own time. Aang needed to let go of his guilt before he could be the true leader to the Air Nomads. Though earlier that day the old king had awoken feeling every bit of his age. Bumi wasn't sure how much longer he would be around, there was no longer the luxury of time. The last airbender needed the missing piece if he was to restore the Air Nation.
"You don't need to go," Aang spoke up as his friend turned to leave. The avatar had gotten a lot of practice using Toph's method to see, he wasn't as good as the Blind Bandit but he was able to use it daily.
"I didn't want to interrupt you," Bumi stated as he looked at Aang's back.
"You aren't," the young monk responded, never moving from his position. "But I think I owe you an apology. You were right and I shouldn't have yelled."
"I know this must be difficult for you, Aang," the earthbender mumbled as he sat down on the balcony with his friend. "But you are not the one responsible for the genocide of the Air Nomads, nor are you responsible for the war."
"If only everyone else believed that as well," the avatar whispered quietly. He shut his eyes tightly hoping to stop the image in his mind but failing. "It might not be my fault, but it is my duty to restore them. And I don't want to sacrifice my ideals to do it, though I will if I have to."
"What do you want to do now?" Bumi inquired as he watched the young monk. He could see the transformation in Aang, perhaps he was ready to be the spiritual leader to the airbenders.
"Now, I continue my search," he stated confidently standing to look at his friend. His shoulders pulled back and he stood in his power of not only the Avatar but the Air Nomads too. "You said to go back to the beginning. The temples were all attacked on the same day, so I start there. To the day the comet came over a hundred years ago, it would have traveled southeast to northwest. The first to feel the effects would have been the Southern Temple, that is the beginning."
"Very good, Aang," Bumi grinned at him. The old king stood and made his way toward the hall. "But I think there is something you should know before you travel there. Come with me."
The avatar looked at his friend in confusion as he followed him in silence. Aang knew better than to question Bumi. The two walked in comfortable silence until they came to the old king's private office. The office was very unassuming as you walked in, Bumi did not feel the need to keep it cluttered with anything that was unnecessary.
A rumble pulled Aang's attention to the wall behind Bumi's desk. He saw his friend bending open what looked to be a hidden compartment. The old king taking out the three scrolls he had kept hidden for just under a hundred years, before turning back to his friend.
"I never knew if I would be alive to see this day," the earthbender mumbled as he looked at the aging scrolls.
"See what day?"
"The day the Air Nomads come out of hiding," Bumi responded holding out the scrolls to Aang.
The Avatar's eyes jerked up to meet Bumi's, tears were filling in both men's eyes as they looked at one another. The young monk's chest was tight with each breath he took, there was a lump in his throat. With shaky hands, Aang accepted the scrolls that were being offered to him. His heart beat wildly, feeling like it would leap out of his chest at any moment.
Aang slowly unraveled the first scroll, then the second and third quickly following. One contained a record of those who had escaped the genocide, another a map of what looked to be a maze. And lastly a riddled, obviously written by Bumi, one that only Aang would have the ability to decipher. The answer leading to the Air Nomads.
"The Southern Air Temple," Aang whispered after he read the riddle twice. The answer came quickly to him. "You hid them underground? But how?"
"After you ran, Gyatso sent a group looking for you," the old king began the explanation as he took a seat. "There were a total of almost a hundred nomads looking for you after you ran. All hailing from different temples. Eight were sent here to Omashu from the Southern Temple, it was the last place they thought to look. Gyatso thought you would not stay so close to home. They were here the day the comet came and after those who had managed to escape sought refuge here in Omashu."
"How many were able to escape?" The Avatar interrupted. "Total and from each of the temples."
"Every single bender looking for you had escaped, ninety-two," he thought to himself trying to recall the numbers from so long ago. His mind was lost to the month following the genocide. "Seventeen from the Northern Temple, twenty-three from the Eastern, twenty-eight from the Western, and fifty-one from the Southern thanks to Gyatso. He sacrificed himself to allow the others to escape."
"So he did kill them," the monk mumbled softly.
"Two-hundred-eleven people escaped," the earthbender continued. He knew he could not offer the comfort Aang needed knowing his mentor had killed when necessary. "I don't know if you remember my father, but he was a Grand Lotus. He was appalled by what the Fire Nation was doing and took action to protect the airbenders. He hid them in the Caves of Two Lovers for almost ten years and in that time we had a few more who had been able to find their way to us. The White Lotus was instrumental those ten years, their primary job was identifying Air Nomads and smuggling them to Omashu. Unfortunately, not all were able to make it to us. Azulon was ruthless following in his father's footsteps."
"How many were able to be saved?"
"Just over three hundred, enough to be able to help repopulate their nation. As of today, there are over a thousand in hiding," Bumi explained as he thought back to the report he had seen. It was a difficult task being one of a few people who knew about those in hiding. "I had just turned eighteen when my father knew we could no longer keep hiding them in the caves. It took four years, but I was tasked to migrate them back to the Southern Temple in an underground city on the other side of the mountain. It took two years for me to build the city, only trusted earthbenders were allowed from the White Louts. And another two years to smuggle them to their new home."
"And how are they now?"
"They lack a spiritual leader," the king sighed softly. He wished the hidden Air Nomad City was thriving more than it was, but they needed a teacher and a leader for that. "They are benders and keep the practices but they are unable to have a spiritual leader as they are tasked with repopulating. They need you Aang."
"You hid them for a hundred years at your own risk," the monk shook his head. His palms were sweaty, he felt overwhelmed. "The man who essentially was my father took the life of countless Fire Nation soldiers so the Air Nomads could survive."
"I did what was right," the man chuckled, but it lacked the exuberance it normally had. "I would do it again if I had to. I'm just glad I get to see the day they come out of hiding, most of the airbenders don't know a life outside the city that was built. Your job now is to go to them, lead them out of the underground and announce to the world the Air Nomads have returned."
"Fire Lord Zuko," Souta greeted the Fire Nation sovereign. He was the second in command of the Royal Guard and had been tasked with Malu's responsibilities until his return from the Northern Water Tribe. "I have a letter for you from Fire Lady Katara."
"Thank you Souta," Zuko responded as he beckoned the man into the office, quickly taking the letter from the man. He was able to see the Fire Lady's seal on the scroll and was excited to read the letter. His wife had been away for a few weeks now, and he missed her terribly. He was intrigued at the contents considering his surprise when he had read her previous letter. The last letter from his wife had described in detail how much she missed him and their bedroom activities. He was hoping for a smilier scroll today as he unraveled it.
The firebender almost dropped the scroll as his mind absorbed the handwriting in front of him. He had expected to see his wife's handwriting but instead, he saw lettering he had not seen in years.
Dear Zuzu,
For the first time in my life, I feel free.
I know I should be sad that he died, but honestly, I feel happy. Almost giddy. I wonder if this is how Ty Lee always feels. I'm glad he's gone. I don't understand why the Avatar didn't kill him in the first place.
Katara is nice and smart, but more than that. She's a strong bender, stronger than you. I watched her the other day giving a class to some of the older warriors, one of them said something completely sexist and she took him out within a second. I like her. Did you know the Northern Tribe only in the past few years taught women how to waterbend? It is ridiculous if you ask me.
Yagoda thinks I might be able to come home soon, especially after last week. Katara has been helping with my healing. She took me to the spirit oasis and did some healing there. She fought with Arnook to allow me in, I didn't hear everything she said but she got us in. When the Avatar took my bending it really helped, it took away the anger and mania in my head. But since that day in the spirit oasis, my mind feels clear and uncluttered, finally.
I feel lost without my bending. I'm glad it's gone right now, but I was trained to be a warrior and I don't feel like one anymore. Katara told me to tell you that, she thinks you might have a solution to that problem. Apparently, contrary to popular belief, you come up with good ideas.
The last gossip scroll you sent me mentioned an explosion of a factory that was in the Chan family. Was it the same Chan from Ember Island? Did you know he kissed me on the terrace and then left me out there? Stupid boy. He could have risen his family's status but he just didn't like that I was a strong bender.
Be nice to Katara, she's entirely too good for you,
Zula
The Fire Lord finished the letter, the last lines blurring as tears rolled down his face. His heart felt full. Azula was going to be okay.
What did we think? Are we mad that Ozai is gone? How about that Azula storyline? So excited to dive deep into that plot :) Also, are we surprised the Bumi was hiding Airbenders?
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Next update September 5th, 2022