2 months later
My life here in Ogata is pleasant and unadventurous. I sold the barge and the armor (minus the sword) and I have become an apprentice in a florist's shop, of all things. It's a quiet life, for the most part. Day in and day out, nothing changes. I like it best like that. Other than the occasional gossip about advancing fire nation armies, there is little here to do with the war. Sometimes, it completely disappears from my mind.
But something amazing happened to me a few weeks ago. I was walking back to the florist's shop, a bundle of irises in my arms, when suddenly all of their petals flew off. I looked up and I saw something that made my breath catch in my throat. It was an Airbender! An Air bending monk with a blue arrow on his head! In his hand, he held a staff and behind him were two Waterbenders. I gasped and tried to get a closer look, but when he threw another gust of wind, I was forced to step back, shielding my eyes. I heard a crash and opened my eyes just in time to see him and the two others disappear behind a building.
But I also saw something else that amazed me. As I lowered my hand from my eyes, I saw a familiar figure pass me by, running after the three. I extended my hand, trying to grab him, trying to tell him that I was here, but he ran right past me. I knew who it was. I don't think he ever saw me, but I saw him. He looked exactly the same as the last time I saw him. The same determination etched in his brows. The same expressive amber eyes. The warm feeling filled me from my head to my toes to the very tips of my fingers. I knew that he was succeeding. I could see it in him, like sensing an aura. I didn't chase after him-it wasn't my place. I simply watched him disappear behind the same building the others had not a moment before, and I let him go.
I haven't seen Zuko since then. But I have been seeing someone else since then. Every day now, I go to the local temple and I light a stick of incense. Needless to say, I believe in Gods and Goddesses now. They say that seeing is believing, right? Well I saw and I believe.
But there is something else that I think is true. I think that believing is seeing. The more I believe that Zuko will capture the avatar and return to the Fire Nation with glory, the more I can see it. I see him triumphantly walk into the throne room. I see his father get up and embrace him. I see his sister run to him, gripping him tightly. I see everything that I want for him. And the more I believe it, the clearer it becomes. I know that Zuko will succeed. I have foreseen it and now I am merely counting the days…
Alright! I actually finished one of my multi-chaptered fics! Yay!
Well, here's some things I just wanted to say to close up this fic: Tama is obviously a representation of myself in the story. The reason it took me so long to actually finish this was because...well frankly I was scared to. I didn't want to drift to far away from my original plot (as much as I wanted Tama and Zuko to fall madly in love with eachother...haha, I'm just playing), but I didn't know how to. But finally, I sat down and said "Cala, this needs to get done." Lol, so here it is all finished. Alot of what Tama says is exactly what I think and feel about Zuko. I'm not in love with him and I'm not secretly wishing for the day when we finally meet. But, within the story and within the fandom, I want Zuko to succeed. And not because I have a personal vendetta against Aang and not because I'm a brainless Fire Nation groupie, but because I believe that Zuko derseves it. He deserves all the happiness in the world and I know that he will come out on top, which ever way the story goes. He's lived through two years of this hell already and I'm sure that he will succeed. And to finish up, I hope all of you fellow Zuko fans take a moment to stop and think of exactly why you like Zuko so much. And I hope that it motivates you to want to write. Best of luck to everyone with all of their projects and we'll see exactly what happens to our beloved Prince on March 17!