Hello all. Yes, I decided to add this chapter back into the story. If you're confused or you don't know what I'm talking about, scroll to the bottom and read the EDIT.

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Ch. 8 5-20-06

The Wind of Change

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A nineteen-year-old Zuko paced impatiently in his office, deep in distressing thought. The diplomats from the Earth Kingdom would be arriving presently to discuss new terms of their trade agreement.

It had been two years since Zuko and Avatar Aang had defeated Ozai, thereby crowning Zuko as the new Fire Lord. But the war did not end immediately. It took months for word to spread to every inch of the world that a new Fire Lord had taken the throne, and even longer for warriors on both sides to accept the word as true. But eventually, all fighting had ceased and the Great One Hundred Years War had come to an end.

Still, great mistrust and resentment harbored within the souls of all man hindered initial progress. The Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes were wary to trust Fire Lord Zuko's word of peace, and Zuko did not blame them. He had seen the horrors that his father's and grandfather's reign had brought to the other nations, and he knew that it would be difficult to overcome the dark shadows of deceit and treachery that haunted the past, and shed a new light of hope on the world. But with the undying devoted help of the Avatar, they had finally succeeded in proving the Fire Nation's newfound integrity and honor.

This brought a slight frown to Zuko's face, though. The Fire Nation had always had integrity and honor; it was just that its rulers hadn't. The citizens of the Fire Nation were no different from Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe citizens. They were people of great character: loyal, honest, hardworking, passionate, and devout. They didn't deserve to be marred by their association with evil monarchs.

Nevertheless, the other nations were still skeptical. It was only one year ago that the last trace of major international conflict disappeared. Leaders of the three nations joined together in a diplomatic meeting to sign the Treaty of Ba Sing Se, declaring peace once and for all and forming a trade alliance between the nations. Zuko had also promised to pay magnanimous reparations to reconstruct the economies of the cities and villages destroyed by the Fire Nation Armies.

Zuko had been generous, giving far more than needed to some of the poor towns. But this proved to be a smart move, earning him unexpected admiration among the citizens most affected by his actions. People were slowly but surely beginning to see that Fire Lord Zuko was true to his offering of peace, and they began to accept this new harmonious world with open arms.

Now, as the young Fire Lord waited in his office for the other delegates, he couldn't help the multitude of worries washing over him. The task of turning a backward nation around lived up to its expected difficulty level. Zuko had spent countless sleepless nights redistributing property claims, issuing taxes orders, and directing government officials in order to ensure that his country was running smoothly.

It was easy to see the exhaust that the past two years had placed on Zuko. One could see it in his matured facial features and the regal yet worn out way that he carried himself. Iroh had tried to get his nephew to tone it down a notch, but Zuko had become a workaholic, devoted to doing anything in his power to improve the state of his nation, and the world.

Shortly after Zuko took the throne, Aang left the Fire Nation to fulfill his duties as Avatar and serve as a moderator between the still hesitant nations. But he returned frequently for all of the peace talks and trade agreements that were the building blocks for the new world.

That, and he loved to visit his dear friend. Although Zuko was stubborn and hated to show his feelings, Aang knew that he was probably the best friend Zuko ever had. They had become like brothers on their journey, and Aang always looked forward to his next trip to the Fire Nation.

But just because Aang made a new friend didn't mean that he forgot his old ones.

At one point, 19 months after Zuko's coronation, and once the world was no longer in a volatile state, Aang set out to find the two people who meant more to him than anything in the world.

He traveled first to the Southern Water Tribe, learning that Sokka and Katara had returned to the place of their births shortly after the end of the war, only to find out that they had departed shortly afterward upon hearing that their Gran-Gran had passed away and that their father had not yet come home from the war, if he was still able to come home at all.

But some of the women were able to tell Aang that Sokka and Katara had mentioned that they would return to the Earth Kingdom. With no other information than that, Aang began his quest for his friends, and was eventually able to find them.

And as he predicted, but not as he hoped, they were very different.

… … …

Katara granted Aang's wish and tried to understand. But there exists a great difference between 'trying to understand' and actually 'understanding.' Everyday, she woke up asking herself if she made the right decision to not chase after Aang and try to bring him back to her.

She spent her days in worry and her nights in tears, until one day – a few months after Aang's departure – she caught wind of a rumor that the Avatar had joined forces with the banished Fire Prince, and together, they had defeated the cruel Fire Lord Ozai and Fire Lord Zuko had stepped up to the throne.

At first Katara thought that that was just what it was: a rumor. Yet soon enough, word began to spread and the rumors were confirmed as truths. Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang had brought an end to the horrible One Hundred Years War.

Katara was elated with this news, but also saddened. She now knew that her best friend was safe and well. For months she endured constant worry about what had happened to Aang and whether he was even still alive. The thought of his safety brought to Katara great relief.

Furthermore, the decree that the War was henceforth over meant an end to the unnecessary destruction, and end to the innocent deaths, and end to the broken families and broken hearts. Even though the wounds would always be present, at least now they could begin to heal.

No more homes or farms would be burnt to the ground, leaving only charred remains of precious family heirlooms.

No more young boys not a day older than 17 would be kidnapped from their families and sent to fight in an unwinnable and unlivable battle against an enemy who wanted to be fighting no more that they did.

No more daughters would walk down the aisle without her father to give her away. No more mothers would mourn for the loss of a son who had not yet had the chance to fall in love, marry, and begin a family of his own.

It would occur no more.

However, that didn't mean that Katara didn't also feel a pang of sadness in her heart when she heard the legend of the great Avatar Aang. As the proverb goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Katara knew that Aang had finally matured and stepped forth to his full responsibilities as Avatar. He would have little time for silly Water Tribe peasant girls such as herself, that is, if he even remembered her.

But in her heart, Katara felt that Aang would always remember her, as she would always remember him, and that one day, when the time was right, they would meet again.

It was with this thought and the knowledge of Aang's present that Katara was finally able to move on and start a new life.

… … …

Katara had arrived with Sokka in the small Earth Kingdom village of Hylan when they were out of food and out of finances. Little did she know that she would come to call that village her home for the next two years.

With nothing to eat and no money for supplies or sustenance, Katara found herself working as a waitress in a small inn and tavern and Sokka serving as a handyman doing odd-jobs around the inn. This employment offered them room and board, as well as a small weekly salary.

Two months after these conditions, Katara had grown accustomed to situation and comfortable with her lifestyle. The people of Hylan were very kind, and Katara had made many friends.

Sokka had grown, too, but not accustomed to the situation. He shot up several inches in height so that he reached six feet. And much of the work that he had done for his employer involved lifting, digging, shoveling, and carrying. He lost his scrawny boyish build and developed large powerful muscles that consequently drove the girls wild.

But Sokka was not comfortable with his lifestyle, and Katara could see it. The bevy of girls who ogled Sokka and tried to capture his heart were only flashed a warm award-winning smile then ignored as he went on with his business. Even though Katara was happy in Hylan, she knew that Sokka was not. She knew that even though a parade of girls followed his every movement, his heart yearned to leave this place and go find the one girl who it truly belonged to.

It took weeks of convincing, but finally Katara was able to prove to Sokka that she had a safe and happy life in Hylan and that she was able to stay there on her own. She told him how she had found happiness while he still had not, and she also gave a slight intimation as to where he might be able to find that happiness to fill the void in his heart.

So it was with a few tears and a tight hug that Katara watched her brother disappear against the pink horizon atop a mammoth, flighted Appa as he headed toward the small crescent-shaped island of Kyoshi.

… … …

Shortly after Sokka had left Hylan, a new man came into Katara's life. Shiro was the son of a merchant, learning to take over the family business, and a very gifted Earthbender. The first time they had met, Katara could feel the butterflies fluttering in a frenzied dance in her stomach.

Three young men had come into the tavern and seated themselves at a table near the entrance. Katara had recognized one of the men as the brother of a girl she knew. The other two men she did not know.

"What can I get you, gentlemen?" And as he raised his hazel green eyes to meet her silky blue ones, they were both lost. From that day on, Shiro came to the tavern every single day, and everyday, he sat at the same table, and everyday, he would get to know Katara better and better.

Soon enough, he knew everything about her and she knew everything about him. He knew the way she smelled like a fresh mountain stream; the way the corners of her lips turned up into a smile when one of her friends would comment on her unique bending abilities; the way she would brush the escaped locks of hair out of her eyes. Her eyes.

She knew the way he cracked his knuckles in frustration when his father demanded too much from him; the way the beads of sweat would drop from his brow when he trained tirelessly to bend the earth; the way his hands felt as his larger fingers interlocked with her more delicate ones.

The two became an inseparable pair. The town knew them as Shiro and Katara, not just Shiro, or just Katara. They were in love and they didn't care if anyone else knew it or not.

When Katara's shift of work would end, she would step out into the village square to see what games the children were playing. If asked, she would demonstrate a brief but beautiful waterbending trick. Then she would quickly make her way toward Shiro's shop to surprise him.

It never was a surprise, though, because she came every day, and he never doubted that she would come.

Sometimes, Shiro would be busy with business and Katara would wait quietly, admiring the goods in the shop, or admiring the calm way Shiro handled the especially difficult customers.

And some other times, Katara would enter the shop only for Shiro to be no where in sight. But then all of a sudden she would feel two strong hands on her waist pulling her backwards until her body melded into his and an enormous bouquet of wildflowers would appear under her nose.

Katara and Shiro would then spend the rest of the evening together, simply enjoying each other's company.

… … …

One day, about a year and a half after she had been in Hylan, Katara was taking orders in the tavern when she heard a familiar but different voice from behind her.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where I could find a girl named Katara?"

Katara's ears pricked up and she turned around to see a young teenaged boy with blue arrow tattoos speaking with one of her coworkers.

"Aang?" she asked breathlessly with incredulity apparent in her voice and face.

He turned and looked at her, a huge grin plastering itself over his face from ear to ear, but there was also a tired look of relief in his eyes.

A moment later, Katara found herself in his arms. His arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning her in a circle. They were both laughing, but both had tears in their eyes.

He returned her feet to the floor and she pulled back to an arm's length and looked at him. He looked completely different. In the almost two years since she had seen him last, Aang had grown up. He was tall; maybe a few inches shy of six feet, but it looked as if he was still growing.

His wiry, childish muscles were gone and replaced with still developing but obviously strong muscles that proved he was quickly becoming a man.

His face had become longer and his features more defined. His jaw had squared out and Katara could see his Adam's apple in his throat.

But his eyes were the same. The big gray orbs were the same as they had been so long ago, still filled with hope and goodness.

"Aang, how did you … where is … what happened?" Katara stuttered but finally managed.

When he spoke again, she was surprised at how much deeper his voice had become, "Let's go for a walk, I'll tell you everything."

Many hours later, as they returned after both sharing everything that had happened since that fateful day so long ago, a man approached the pair and Katara left Aang to stand beside the man. She introduced him as her boyfriend and Aang as an old friend. To Aang, the lack of he word 'boy' in his introduction was very apparent.

Aang stayed in Hylan for a few days. He caught up on everything with Katara, but it was clear to him that she didn't need him as badly as he needed her. He was right. She, too, had changed and grown up. She was a young woman now, and she was in love with a young man.

Aang saw how happy Katara was in Hylan and didn't want to intervene with her new life. She had moved on and put the past behind her, so Aang decided that he need to so the same.

As he left Hylan to find Sokka and Appa, then return to his duties as Avatar, he told Katara that he loved her and that he was happy for her, and she understood. She loved Aang, too, and in the same way that he loved her. Katara knew that once upon a time, Aang had had a crush on her, but everything was different now. They both knew that there was no chance for romantic love between them, only an undying love of friends, of family.

… … …

Every moment of Katara's free time that was not spent with Shiro was spent in the healer's hut at the far side of town.

Yomodo was an extremely talented healer and very old. She and her husband had moved to the Earth Kingdom from the North Pole after the birth of their second child many years ago. Both she and her husband possessing powerful healing abilities, they had wanted to do good in the world. It was still the time of the Great War, and there were many Earth Kingdom warriors in desperate need of medical attention. They had found a few Earth Kingdom citizens willing and eager to learn to heal – although without powers – and they opened up a much-needed healing ward to treat any and all who came for help.

Katara went to Yomodo's healing hut almost everyday. She wanted to learn more, to improve her abilities, and push them to their full potential. Although the war was over, there was still by far no dearth of people who needed healing. In the beginning, battered soldiers flocked to the hut, and Katara gained much experience in her first few months. But as the months passed, people still trickled into town on a weekly basis to be healed by the greatest healers within a hundred miles.

As time rolled by, Katara began to spend less and less time with Shiro as her craving for knowledge grew and his responsibilities in his family trade increased. They saw less of each other and began to drift apart.

Finally, after nearly two years of courtship in a seemingly perfect world, the relationship came crashing down on them.

Katara was seventeen and Shiro was eighteen when Shiro received word from his eldest brother, requesting that he come to the eastern part of the kingdom, where business was more lucrative than Shiro could ever imagine.

The pressure from his family and the tempting opportunities for a secure future prevented Shiro from turning down the offer.

But that didn't mean that Katara couldn't turn down the offer.

When Shiro told Katara that he was going away, and that he wanted her to come with him, Katara was torn. She loved Shiro and loved the fact that he wanted to be with her. But she also wanted her own life. She wanted to choose her own path, not follow his. Katara wasn't ready to leave behind one of the most insightful and enriching experiences of her life. Each day, she learned something new from Yomodo, and each day she helped to save a life. Katara was not ready to give that up.

So when the day came that Shiro packed his belongings and said his last farewells, he looked deep into Katara's oceans of eyes and spoke the last few words that he could muster to convince her to join him. Again, she refused.

Shiro nodded his head in understanding, told her to be safe and find happiness, and kissed her a gentle goodbye kiss. As he turned to walk away, Katara felt the plump, wet tears stream down her cheeks. She tried to stay strong. She knew she was stronger than this. She shouldn't be crying over a man.

But Shiro wasn't just a man to Katara. He was her first love. She had given herself to him completely, body and soul. They had spent two years wrapped tightly in each other's embrace. And so, ironically enough, she had felt naked without Shiro's powerful arms around her.

… … …

Katara's hand was glowing an ethereal aqua as a thin layer of the transparent liquid swirled around it in a form-fitting sheet. She placed her gloved hand over the bloody four-inch long gash on the older man's forehead and closed her eyes. Katara concentrated with all her might and willed the wound to heal. She could feel her energies draining, pulling like a taught string from the center of her core, down her arm and through her fingertips into the unnatural opening at the crown of the man's head.

She felt the tissue begin to pull together beneath her hand and tighten as new skin formed and the cut closed. As Katara exhaled and removed her hand, she opened her eyes to see a fresh scar on the man's head where the bloody gouge used to be.

"Thank you, Miss Katara, the pain is already subsiding. I don't know how much longer I would have been able to last if it weren't for you."

"Oh, don't thank me, sir, thank your friend, here. If he hadn't brought you here immediately after the accident, I don't know how well I would have been able to heal your wound. His quick actions deserve the credit, not my simple healing abilities." Katara smiled at the two men and turned away.

After walking a few steps, and different voice met her ears as another pair of footsteps fell into place next to her own, "You are far too humble, my dear. You know as well as I do that your healing abilities are far from simple. You have improved immensely within these past few months. I know that when you first started learning from me, you would not have been able to heal a wound as serious as that as fully as you did. That was impressive."

"I have learned from the best," Katara said as she gave a small smile to Yomodo.

"And now you are of the best."

Katara blushed but said nothing.

"Katara, I've been watching you closely as of late, and I've realized that ever since Shiro left, you've put your heart and soul into healing and healing alone. You've applied yourself and increased your concentration tenfold. But this extra effort and improvement in skill doesn't mean that I can't see the hurt in your eyes. I know this past month has been hard for you, but you are still young and you need to experience life."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Katara, my dear, I've received word from the Fire Nation capital. Needless to say, not many waterbenders live there and they are lacking in numbers for strong healers. They have heard of our post here and requested assistance from some of our healers. I think you should be the healer to go."

Katara's eyes widened slightly and her mouth dropped open a bit, "I … I don't know…"

"Everyday, I can see the pain that still living in this place causes you. And not only because of the memories with Shiro, but because you weren't meant to live a quiet life in a small village. You need adventure and excitement, Katara. You need change, something new."

Katara couldn't disagree with anything Yomodo said. Yomodo was right, both about Shiro and the need for adventure. But she was still nervous about leaving the place she called her home and the people she called her family.

"But Yomodo. I can't do this by myself! I've always had your guidance. I'm not ready to do this on my own."

"My dear, you are more than capable of this. I have nothing left to teach you, another month here and you will be the one teaching me. In the Fire Nation, you will have a team of non-bending healers and medical professionals, as well as a few waterbending healers to assist you in your work. The Fire Nation needs you. The capital is a big city with many people, and many people who need healing. You will gain more experience there than you could ever gain here. Katara, this is a great opportunity for you and I don't want you to let it pass you by."

Katara drew in a long breath from her nose and blew out the breath slowly from her lips. She looked around the medium sized room, with patients of all ages and injuries in the beds. When her eyes landed back on Yomodo, she stared into her eyes for four seconds before nodding.

"I'll go."


Wow, that was my longest chapter, yet! Ok, so there were a lot of different tenses in this chapter, I hope it wasn't too confusing. I just had to accommodate for the different passages of time.

Sorry, Zuko and Katara didn't meet up in this chapter, but now it's inevitable. Zuko is Fire Lord living in the Fire Nation capital and Katara is a healer going to live and work in the Fire Nation capital. Sounds like a recipe for a reunion and romance!

Quote of the Week:

"Watertribe…" (long drawn out whispery voice) Sokka, The Blind Bandit, Avatar

"Foolish snot-colored human." Control Freak, Episode 257-494, Teen Titans

FanVid of the Week:

I'm kinda out of my fanvid stage now, so here's a link to my putfile homepage with about

40 videos: http :// www . putfile . com/ raevin/ media

Stories You Should Be Reading:

Teen Titans - Love Potion by Amber Myst is a smart, steamy and funny Robin and Raven story. Anything Amber Myst does is so tasty, I just have to eat it up.

Avatar - Til Death Do Us Part by Vicki So is a hilarious Zutara spoof of weddings and everything surrounding them. I die from laughter after every drabble. You'll even find a reference to Titans in it if you look hard enough.

Edit:

Eh, heh heh… Calc has proven to take up much more of my time than anticipated so I am making a rather difficult decision. I am going to change up this story a bit and complete it here. What would have been chapter nine will be the beginning of the second 'book' of the story, which I will post once I have time to write more. I felt like I was letting everyone down, considering that I haven't updated in three months, and still don't know when I will be able to again.

I guess what I am trying to say is that this story is on an INDEFINITE HIATUS. When real life becomes less demanding, I will continue.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me and to all of the readers who I feel that I have let down. You can't imagine how much you all mean to me.

RaeVin

Edit Deux:

Wow. I was stupid. I just went back and checked out my story and realized that there was absolutely zero closure so I put this chapter back in. Still, I will continue with the sequel when I have time. I mean, a new story for their new lives, right? They will both be starting fresh and so will we. So, perfect. PM me with concerns if you must.

Thanks again.

RaeVin