~~~S3 E20: Sozin's Comet – Part 3 to S3 E21: Sozin's Comet – Part 4~~~
A Fire Nation dignitary held the traditional flame headpiece of the Fire Lord above Azula's head as she knelt, surrounded by other high-ranking officials in front of the empty palace courtyard on the eve of Sozin's comet. The sky was dark, streaked with angry foreboding red.
"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lor—"
Seeing a large flying animal coming directly toward them, the dignitary hesitated.
"What are you waiting for, do it!" Azula spat.
Appa, carrying Zuko and Katara, landed with a thump in front of the stairs leading up to Azula.
"Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today." Zuko leapt off Appa's back to land solidly on the ground. "I am."
Azula tittered. "You're hilarious."
Katara joined Zuko at his side, exactly where she promised she'd be. "And you're going down."
At a loss for what to do, the dignitary leaned forward to finish putting the crown on Azula's head.
"Wait," Azula said, in the tone that brooked no argument. She sneered at Zuko. "You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!" Her eyes widened, too far, and glittered with some kind of madness.
Zuko bared his teeth. "You're on."
Katara turned to Zuko in fear as the edges of Azula's mouth turned up in a wide, uneven grin.
"What are you doing?! She's playing you," Katara hissed. "She knows she can't take us both so she's trying to separate us."
"I know, but I can take her this time."
"But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula." Katara understood that Zuko had a lifetime of hurt to take up with Azula, but now was not the right time. They couldn't afford any mistakes just because Azula knew how to get under his skin.
"There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping." Zuko gently put a hand on Katara's cheek, "And this way, no one else has to get hurt. I can't bear to see you hurt, Katara. Let me to do this."
Katara narrowed her eyes, but she could see in Zuko's expression that he wasn't going to budge on this. Trying to swallow her dread, she nodded uncertainly. She trusted Zuko, and if he felt he had to do this then she wouldn't push it. But she would be ready.
"Ohhh, isn't this sweet," came Azula's mocking voice. "I see what's going on here. My gallant brother Zuzu wants to protect his filthy peasant bitch. Spirits, Zuzu, you are so predictable." She looked over Katara disparagingly. "You've got my pathetic brother wrapped around your finger, don't you? I knew all it would take was for some little whore to open her legs for him, and... well, it looks like I was right. But a peasant whore? Not even Fire Nation? That surprises even me. I thought you had standards, Zuzu."
Katara glared at Azula, willing herself not to let the words get to her. Of course Azula would say such things—it didn't make any of it true. Zuko still loved her even though she wasn't Fire Nation. That didn't matter to him.
But would it matter when he became Fire Lord? whispered a tiny voice in the back of her mind.
Zuko barked, "Shut up Azula. She doesn't have to listen to your vitriol. And neither do I, anymore. Agni Kai. Now."
O – O – O – O – O – O
Zuko and Azula stood at opposite ends of the courtyard under the scarlet sky, crouched, ready to begin their final Agni Kai. The courtyard was ringed by empty spectator stands; Zuko had tried to convince Katara to watch from one of them, but she refused, insisting on standing off to the side behind him. She intended on being ready to step in at the first sign of things going Azula's way.
I'm not going to lose Zuko today, she promised herself as the fire prince and princess began to rise.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother," Azula said, slouching off her cape and dropping it unceremoniously to the ground.
"No, you're not."
Azula began the Agni Kai, blasting a column of blue flame at Zuko even as he finished speaking. Zuko's red flames met hers, engulfing the entire courtyard in an inferno. The comet was lending tremendous power to their bending, fueling their fire like never before. Katara shrank further back, away from the blazing heat. She was at the ready with her waterbending, whether she needed it for defense or to show Azula exactly what a little peasant whore could do.
The royal siblings traded blows, neither getting the upper hand for a long time. Flames danced through the courtyard and spilled onto all of the surrounding buildings, seeming to set the whole Fire Nation capital on fire.
Finally, Zuko hurled a powerful blow that caught Azula off guard, knocking her across the pavement.
"No lightning today?" he taunted as she regained her footing. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"
Azula's unevenly chopped long hair dangled in a mess around her face as she rose. She was wavering slightly on her feet. "Oh. I'll show you lightning!"
She began to pull the energy from the air, building to the critical mass needed to release a devastating bolt of lightning. Zuko firmed his footing, getting ready to redirect it. He took a deep breath and tried to allow himself to feel loose and fluid, like a waterbender. Behind him, Katara waited with bated breath.
Azula flourished, making Zuko guess when she would unleash the lightning. At the final instant, her gaze darted to Katara and her mouth curled into a cruel smile. White-hot lightning sprang from her fingertips, on a direct path for the waterbender.
As the lightning flashed toward Katara, she felt stuck in place, unable to move, unable to bend; it closed the distance with merciless speed.
"No!" Zuko screamed.
He felt as though everything was happening in slow motion from the instant the lightning left Azula's fingers. All he knew that he had to protect Katara, his beautiful, brave, brilliant waterbender, at all costs. She mattered more than anything else in the world. He would do anything for her. Die for her.
With uncanny speed, he ran and leapt in front of the lightning as it streaked from Azula toward Katara, desperate to put his body between her and the blast.
Katara watched in horror as he jumped in front of her and caught the bolt squarely in his chest, taking all of the lightning into his body and blocking her completely. His arms moved as he tried, still, to redirect it while flying through the air, but it was impossible. The energy rushed through him and he crashed to the ground in a boneless heap.
Katara's heart palpitated wildly and her mouth went dry. Bile rose in her throat even as it closed up. No, no, no, no, no. Her mind was stuck in a loop of shock and terror.
Lightning sparked over Zuko's body for a split second, then shot into the sky in a dazzling flash of light. He curled into the fetal position, his body twitching fitfully.
"Zuko!" Katara tried to run to him but Azula cut her off with another lightning blast, laughing uncontrollably.
Katara fled the lightning, then dashed out of the way of Azula's furious onslaught of blue fire, using her waterbending to deflect wherever she could.
In excruciating pain and barely able to form coherent thought, Zuko groaned. He tried to push himself off the ground but collapsed again from the effort.
I have to protect Katara. He held fast to the thought. Forcing his head up, he reached out his hand and willed fire to spring from his palm, to no avail. He crumpled, his whole body shaking and spasming.
Katara bit back a cry and attempted to sprint toward Zuko again, but she was forced to dodge out of the way as her path was engulfed by blue flames.
From the rooftop of one of the spectator stands, Azula jeered and gathered more lightning, "I'd really rather our family physician look after Zuzu, if you don't mind."
This time when the bolt came, Katara was ready. She diffused it with waterbending, then took cover behind some columns from Azula's continuing eruptions of blue fire. It was all she could do to avoid Azula's attacks, supercharged by the comet as they were.
If she was going to win this, she needed to be clever. And she had to win this, to have any chance of saving Zuko.
"Zuzu, you don't look so good," Azula mocked with smug satisfaction. "And you, whore. You think you're good enough for Fire Nation royalty? How dare you. Even my traitor brother—or, I should say, my soon-to-be dead traitor brother—is made of better stuff than you could ever hope to be. You're not even fit to lick the mud from his boots. What did you think was going to happen, when your little coup was over? Did you have some sad little fantasy that he was going to keep you around? Is that what he told you?" The fire princess laughed hysterically, sounding like her sanity was teetering on a razor-thin edge. "A peasant and a waterbender? The Fire Nation would neveraccept you as the next Fire Lady."
"Fuck you, Azula!" Katara screamed, bending water from the nearby fountain and smashing the place where Azula was standing on the roof. By the time the water reached it, however, Azula was gone.
Seconds later, she appeared behind Katara, using her fire jets to propel herself in pursuit.
Katara evaded her, forming ice and skating along it just out of Azula's reach. When Azula released another burst of fire, Katara dove behind more columns. She landed right on top of a grate, running in a straight line along in the ground—with water flowing below it.
Azula prowled around the structure looking for Katara. Trying to goad her out of hiding, she continued her taunts, "Sorry to break it to you—well, not really, actually—but if your plan had worked, Zuzu would have tossed you aside like the insignificant trash you are. Not that any of that matters, now that he's dead."
Katara felt a stab of pain through her chest, remembering exactly how she felt when Zuko had betrayed her in Ba Sing Se. How did Azula have such an uncanny ability to know exactly what to say to hurt people the most?
She took a calming breath. She couldn't let Azula get to her; she wouldn't play Azula's game. Her eye caught a chain looped loosely through a nearby door handle. Katara got an idea.
She snatched the chain and hid it behind her back just as Azula appeared.
"There you are, filthy peasant."
Standing on the other side of the grate from Azula, Katara narrowed her eyes in challenge. All she had to do was lure Azula over the grate.
Azula glared at her. Katara shot tendrils of water at Azula, forcing her to roll forward. Azula jumped to her feet and shot her hand out to strike Katara with lightning point-blank, when Katara raised the water from the grate to completely surround both of them.
Katara froze the water, immobilizing her foe. Unfreezing only herself, she swam around and wrapped the chain around Azula's wrists, then pulled it through the grate, securing it.
Even while frozen, unbridled fury crossed Azula's features when she realized what was happening.
Katara released the water around them and tightened the chains, to be sure Azula couldn't escape.
Then, without a second glance at the fire princess, she raced to Zuko where he lay face down on the ground, still twitching from the aftershocks of the lightning.
Katara's hands shook as she flipped him over. She gently put a hand under the back of his head as she turned him, cushioning it against the pavement. He groaned in pain, then lay still with his eyes closed. He had a large starburst mark on his chest where the lightning had hit him—the mirror of the one on Aang's back.
"No, no no. Zuko. Don't do this," her voice cracked as she pleaded brokenly. "Don't do this to me. Please don't do this to me."
Zuko didn't move. She knew had to get herself under control if she was going to be able to help him. She took a ragged breath and willed her hands to stop shaking, clenching them until her fingernails bit into her palms.
Holding her tears at bay through sheer determination, Katara bent water from her waterskin and settled it over the wound, willing it with all her heart to heal him. She wished she still had spirit water from the North Pole—she wasn't sure she could do this without it.
Please don't let him be dead. It can't end like this. I love him, I love him, oh spirits, this can't be happening. Nothing matters but his life, please spirits, please let me heal him. Let him live. I don't care what happens next just let him live.
Don't do this to me Zuko, please don't do this. You can't do this. You have to wake up. You have to be okay. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you….
She concentrated and poured all of her energy and love into the healing, envisioning it moving through his body and repairing all the damage of the lightning. She was certain her own heart would stop, as she waited to see if her healing would be enough.
"i love you i love you i love you i love you," she murmured as she worked, not realizing she was saying anything out loud.
Zuko lay, unmoving, for a long time. Too long. Katara's hands started to shake again and she leaned forward, pressing herself against him and clutching him with increasing terror.
After what felt like an eternity, Zuko opened his eyes. He smiled at her with a look of such love that she could almost feel it tangibly envelop her.
"Thank you, Katara," he whispered.
Relief flooded through her. Her tears finally permitted to fall, Katara heaved a hitching sob and broke into a wide joyful smile.
"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." She leaned over and kissed him tenderly, never more thankful for anything than the fact that she still could. "But never do that to me again."
Zuko reached with an unsteady hand to wipe away her tears. "I thought I was going to lose you." His smile was replaced by a pained expression that cut straight into Katara's soul.
"Never," she promised, her voice barely audible.
Then Zuko pulled her back down against him, tangling his fingers in her hair and holding her tight, like she might disappear if he let go even for a moment. She curled into him, tracing his skin with her fingertips just to feel his closeness and remind herself that he was still alive—they both were.
O – O – O – O – O – O
The day of Zuko's coronation was full of hope and joy. Delegations from the Fire, Earth, and Water nations were all in attendance to witness the ceremony, packing the courtyard to the brim. Katara stood with Sokka in the audience, reunited with their father and the other Water Tribe warriors.
As Zuko gave his speech, Katara was struck by how compelling of a public speaker he was. She had never seen him speak to a large group before, but he was a complete natural, speaking with easy confidence and strong conviction. It struck her, as he spoke, that he was now the leader of the most powerful nation in the world.
Looking at Zuko and Aang standing together on the dais, Katara felt a fierce pride and adoration for them both. They had all been through so much in the past year, but they had come through it all with honor and friendship.
As the diverse crowd broke into wild applause when Zuko received his crown, he was struck by astonishment. Never in his life had he thought that this was what lay in his future. He felt a renewed determination to do his best in his new role. The whole world was counting on him.
O – O – O – O – O – O
~~~A few weeks later~~~
Katara strolled alongside Zuko through the palace, enjoying a rare moment of solitude together. Zuko had been extremely busy since accepting his crown, trying to set things right and undo the legacy of his father's cruelty. Of course, it would be a long time before everything could truly be reformed, but Zuko was eager to get started as quickly as possible.
Zuko wore his new customary outfit, the full Fire Lord regalia, along with his hair tied up in a topknot with the fire crown set in it. Katara thought the look suited him, and she found it incredibly attractive, too. As for her, she'd traded her Fire Nation outfit for Water Tribe garb today. While she had grown to like the Fire Nation attire, she didn't want to forget her heritage, either.
"Hey, there's somewhere I want to show you. Now that we finally have some time," Zuko said, taking her hand and pulling her through the grand hall and toward one of the stately oak doors leading outside.
Soon they were outside in the royal palace gardens, weaving through the manicured shrubbery and flowers.
"It's one of my favorite places," he said as a large pond came into view.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Katara breathed.
Excited, he tugged her toward the big tree at the edge of the water, which hung forward and created a pleasant feeling of shelter and privacy.
"I used to feed the turtle-ducks here with my mother. It's so peaceful. I still come here, when I want to think or be alone."
As if summoned by his mention, a turtle-duck mama and her chicks swam toward them, quacking inquisitively in pursuit of crumbs.
Katara crouched by the water and held her hand out to them. The mama swam forward and inspected her fingers, clucking in indignation when she found no offer of food.
Katara laughed. "They are so cute."
Zuko watched her with a soft, dreamy expression. "You should come feed them with me tomorrow morning. It's a small thing, but it's something I always thought I'd like to do, with you."
"I'd like that."
"We could even make a habit of it, if you want." Zuko took her hands in his. "This is a place where we can just be. No one will bother us when we're here."
"A habit of it... for however long I'm here, I guess?" Katara felt her heart squeeze and she dropped her eyes, pretending to look at the turtle-ducks again.
Concern creased Zuko's brow. "Are you planning on leaving? I mean, I'm sure you miss the Water Tribe and I know they could use you there to help rebuild. But… well, I kind of thought you'd stay. Or, I hoped you would. We can visit the Water Tribe whenever you want. And Sokka and your father can stay at the palace as long as they want, too."
Katara pulled her hands away. He released her reluctantly, wondering what was wrong.
"You know I'll stay as long as I can. I love you. That's not going to change. But eventually—maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even a year from now, but eventually—I think I'll have to leave, won't I? When you need a—" She couldn't say it. She took a shaky breath. "I mean, seriously, what will I be, Zuko? Or should I say, Fire Lord Zuko? Will I be the Royal Concubine? Or 'that Water Tribe girl who hangs around the Fire Lord too much'? Your… mistress?"
"What? You wouldn't be any of those things," he said in confusion.
Katara's heart sank into the ground. "Right. Well, at least when I have to go back home, I'll have a place and a purpose."
Zuko frowned. "Katara. You didn't believe anything Azula said to you, did you?"
"What? No." She fidgeted and refused to meet his eye. "Not really…"
He took her shoulders and forced her to hold his gaze. "Azula always lies."
"Does she?" Katara said, a little too sharply.
"Yes. Katara…" Suddenly Zuko dropped to his knees at her feet. "You wouldn't be any of those things because you'd be my Fire Lady. I thought you knew… Katara, there could never be any other possible option for me. I told you I wanted to shout from the mountaintops that I love you, and I meant it. You are mine. And I'm yours. I can't picture my life without you. I, uh, I didn't have time to make a betrothal necklace for you. Yet. I was going to surprise you with it. I mean, once I made it. If you want one. …If you'll have me."
Zuko looked up at her, his eyes shining with hope and a small nervous smile across his lips. The fathomless depth of his love was written all over his face.
For a second, Katara couldn't believe what she heard. Was it actually possible for there to be a waterbending Fire Lady? Then a rush of excitement coursed through her, starting in her heart and radiating out to every nerve. Zuko was asking her to be hisFire Lady. To marry him! She felt an exuberant jolt of lightheadedness. Happy tears filled her eyes.
Beaming and at a total loss for words, she flung herself onto him, catching him completely off guard and toppling him over into the dirt next to the pond.
"Zuko!" she exclaimed.
Grinning he said, "So, your answer is…?"
"Yes! Of course yes, you impossible firebender!"
She kissed him with pure delight.
Zuko laughed joyfully, and then Katara found herself being flipped over in one smooth motion, the Fire Lord now on top of her, and there was nowhere else she'd rather be. He rained kisses onto her face and she wound her arms around his neck, hugging him with all her might and crying with happiness.
Together, they would set the example and build a new world based on harmony and unity between the different nations.
…
Ignored and forgotten, the turtle-ducks swam away in search of someone else to feed them.
A.N: Omg I can't believe it's over! So bittersweet to post the final chapter. However, I will be posting that epilogue eventually (although WHEN will have to be a surprise, since I don't know!).
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone how has been reading, favoriting, and reviewing! This story just kind of poured out of me like it needed to be written. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this last chapter, or what you thought of the story as a whole! What was your favorite part?