AN: Yes, the battle is over, Omashu's army is victorious. Review, please.
Encounter with Embers
URSA LOOKED WITHIN herself and drew upon the strength she had built over this past decade to do what had been done. She was still married to Ozai, and no legal papers had been signed to nullify their nuptial. So she was, therefore, the Fire Lady at this present time.
And in being the Fire Lady, she declared the one hundred year war to be over. She demanded that the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes be left to prosper and she ordered all of the Fire Nation soldiers and commanders to leave their soil.
She also arraigned a warrant for her daughter's arrest, should she be caught anywhere, and claimed the warrants for Iroh, Zuko, Aang, Mai, and Ty Lee to be taken down.
She began preparations for her husband's funeral, Iroh's funeral, and a funeral for all of the soldiers who had died in this battle. She also began plans for her son's wedding, her son's crowning, and a ceremony to honor the warriors who had helped her son: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Jet, Haru, Toph, and others.
No one ever said being Fire Lady was easy. And she knew there were many Fire Nation citizens that would protest to the sudden peace thrust upon them. There were many that wanted to simply take other nation's resources, instead of paying for them.
It would take many years to bring the world back to a state it had been in before. And she knew that Zuko would be the one to accomplish this.
ZUKO WOKE TO see Mai's tired, but lovely face gazing upon him. He was glad to see her, but something was itching at the back of his mind, something was just…well, wrong. Everything seemed so blurry to him. He glanced at the nearest window, and saw that it was dark. How many hours, or days, had he been sleeping?
"Oh, thank you spirits." She embraced him and sighed heavily in relief.
"Iroh's…he's…isn't he?" he asked hesitantly. He could feel the sick dread welling up within him, and how he wished it wasn't true. But he knew…
"Yes." Mai's voice cracked and she felt tears sting at her eyes.
Zuko felt his heart shatter and was unable to speak for a long time. All he could do was cry.
Mai wiped at his tears, and he wiped at her own. "Do you want to change the baby's name now?" she asked softly.
"I can't change Suoh's name to Iroh…" Zuko murmured, clenching the bed sheets in his fists. "It hurts too much, and we've honored him by choosing Suoh as a name to begin with."
"Suoh it is then." she said.
Zuko ran his fingers through her unbound hair. "So the baby is…?" he pressed a hand to her stomach.
Mai's hand covered his. "The healer said he's fine." Her amber eyes pierced through his own.
He kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her lithe form. "I'm so glad."
She managed a small laugh, and smoothed her hands over his back.
He pulled away slightly, taking her hands in his. His expression was serious, his eyes intense. "Mai, I'm not sure if this is the right time to ask…"
She watched him, studying him. "What?" she wasn't sure what he'd ask her.
"Will you be my wife?" he uttered it sincerely, kissing her hands gently.
Mai felt her heart tremble. "Of course I will."
He pulled her into a bear hug, pressing kisses all over her face.
She found herself giggling like a normal girl would. Funny, she felt so lighthearted all of a sudden. "Oh! Don't you want to know what happened after you passed out?" she inquired.
"Does it matter? I have you!" he nibbled on her nose.
She playfully slapped his chest, the uninjured side. "Silly!"
He became very serious. "Okay. Tell me. What happened?"
"Well…after you passed out…Azula escaped." Mai figured she'd get the worst information over with. She regretted not killing Azula when she had her in front of her, but Zuko's life had been more important. It still was.
Zuko clenched his fists and swore under his breath. His happy mood was swiftly tossed away.
"I know. Your mother put out a warrant for her arrest. Basically, Azula is responsible for all of her war crimes." Mai continued.
Zuko nodded. "And I'm guessing she took down ours?"
Mai nodded, stroking his scar thoughtfully. "Your parents never had a legal divorce. So your mother if the appointed Fire Lady at this time. She has legally ended the war and has withdrawn our troops from Earth Kingdom soil."
Zuko sighed in relief. "The war is over…" the idea itself was so heavenly. He blinked. "Is everyone else…?"
Mai smiled. "Everyone is fine. Katara healed you. We thought you were going to die…"
Zuko touched his chest gingerly, relieved to find it mostly healed. "Guess I'm not ready to yet." He joked.
Mai kissed him gently. "Of course not, you still have so much left to do." She answered.
"Like marry you." He kissed her back. Spirits, he couldn't keep his hands off of her. He vaguely wondered if she'd be in the mood to make love.
"Zuko…do you…" she chewed on her lip thoughtfully, unsure if she should bring such a topic up. "What do you want to do now?"
Zuko blinked and fiddled with the sheets. "What do you want?" he queried.
Mai shook her head. "It doesn't matter. As long as I'm your wife."
"Then will you be my Fire Lady?" He questioned.
Mai smiled softly. "If that's what you want for us, our family…" just like her dream had been, all those months ago when they lived in Ba Sing Se together. Life had been simple, and they'd had Iroh to look after them. She felt a pang of remorse. Oh, Iroh…
"Suoh is meant to be a great Prince." Zuko answered.
Mai chuckled. "Just don't banish him, alright?"
Zuko grinned. "I won't." he hugged her again and pinned her beneath him.
Flames of desire licked at her, and Mai found herself quickly disrobing her fiancée. The burning need to taste his mouth, his skin was overwhelming. He returned her passions and then some, and made her delirious with pleasure.
HARU AND KATARA had both been healed from the arduous battle of the day, and chose to take a walk in the courtyard of the palace of the Fire Nation. The full moon hung low in the sky, and lit up the courtyard with its glow.
Katara felt its tug on her, felt its power course through her veins. The corners of her mouth quirked up.
"You seem happy." Haru commented. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her since the battle had ended. Her eyes, her smile, her tanned skin…they all seemed so glorious to him.
"I am. We've closed a long chapter in our lives today." She sighed wistfully.
Haru felt his heart quicken, was now the right time for him to ask her…? "And we're opening a new one." His heart drummed loudly in his breast, and his knees felt weak.
She smiled. "Yes, we have, haven't we?" the moonlight highlighted her features, and seemed almost as if she were a moon goddess…
He took her slender hands in his own, and led her to an ornate bench. "Come have a seat."
She didn't argue, and sat gracefully upon the ornate bench. He knelt before her, his hands resting on her lap, squeezing her hands in his own. She looked at him questioningly, unsure of what he was doing.
In Haru's culture, it was customary to get on one's knees when proposing. He wasn't exactly sure how Water Tribe men proposed, he only knew of the necklaces. "Katara, I know we haven't known one another for long, but I feel so much for you…I love you." He confessed.
She looked deep into his green eyes, her own blue ones dawning with realization. "I love you too, Haru."
He kissed her hands. "I want you to be by my side always, I want you to give me many children, I want to wake beside you every morning…will you be my wife, Katara? Please? Say yes, and I'll make you the happiest woman on this earth." He promised.
Katara felt her eyes sting with tears, and she threw herself into his arms. "Yes! Of course!" she pressed kisses over his handsome face, falling even more in love with his smile.
He smiled, and found himself in another one of Katara's soul searing kisses. "Wait, I have something for you." He reached into the pocket of his tunic, pulling out a small necklace.
He presented it to her, and she took it gingerly into her hands. "A betrothal necklace." She whispered, studying it. The band was thinner than the necklace her mother had given her, and it was a lighter blue silk. The stone was a pearly white, and the design looked to be a combination of the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom symbols. "It's beautiful Haru…" she breathed, turning to look at him, her eyes alight with love.
"You like it?" he tried to calm his nerves, since he'd never been the greatest at carving.
She nodded enthusiastically. "Help me put it on?"
He took it from her and helped her adorn her neck with it. He handed her the necklace her mother had given her many years ago. "Here's your mother's necklace."
Katara grinned broadly. "I'll give it to our daughter once she's old enough." She informed him, glad to carry on the tradition.
"And if we have no daughters?" he challenged.
"Then I'll give it to our son to give to his own fiancée." She retorted. She wrapped her arms about him, and pulled him down to the soft grass beneath him.
"Out here…?" he asked shyly.
Katara nodded, and proceeded to make Haru forget everything else around him.
"WELL, TWINKLE TOES, it's all over." Toph commented.
Aang sighed in relief. "Yeah. It is." He looked out on of the windows, his eyes catching the ripe moon in the sky.
"So, now what will you do?" Toph asked.
Aang shrugged. "Dunno, haven't really thought about it." he replied. He looked to his Earthbending teacher, noticing that she'd grown taller since they'd met. And her figure was becoming more pronounced. "You?"
Toph chuckled. "Maybe go back, see how my parents are doing."
Aang laughed. "Now that you've helped to save the world they'll take you seriously."
"Maybe they'll lock me away forever." Toph joked.
Aang grinned and Toph punched his arm playfully. He rubbed it and sighed contently.
"Well, I'll go with you, if you like." He offered.
"Well, maybe. Just, let's travel on foot this time." She suggested.
"And we gotta take Sokka and Katara too!" Aang exclaimed.
Soft noises rose from the courtyard and Toph snickered. "Katara's gonna be out of commission soon."
"What do you mean?" Aang asked, clueless.
Toph smiled. "Well, Haru is proposing to her, for one. And also, she's pregnant." Toph knew that people assumed she didn't know much because she was blind, but she could see it all over Haru and Katara.
"What?!" Aang felt his heart burst as he shrieked. "How do you know?!"
Toph grinned knowingly. "I can hear its heartbeat. It's faint, but it's there."
"The baby's?" Aang's brain was ceasing to function. Thus, he was asking stupid questions.
"Yeah, its so feint, I'd say it's only three weeks along."
Aang felt weak and leaned on Toph for support.
"You okay, Twinkle Toes?"
"Yeah, just fine." Aang proceeded to faint.
THE FOLLOWING DAY was an eventful one. Zuko sought out his mother, hoping to speak to her before they got caught up with all of the craziness that was going to ensue.
"Zuko." She was in her sunroom that she'd had before she left. She was opening windows and airing out the dusty room. Nobody had entered it since Zuko's banishment. He recalled coming into the room, sitting in it, finding peace in his mother's presence.
"Mother." He sat on the carved bench beside her, unconsciously resting his head on her shoulder.
"Are you ready for today?" she inquired softly, raising a hand to stroke his hair.
He sighed from her gentle touch, feeling so incredibly glad to be reunited with her. "I've wanted this so badly for the last three years." He answered honestly.
"I know. This was your destiny. Your birthright." She smiled sweetly; looking upon her son's scarred face.
"Am I good enough?" he found himself asking her.
"Yes, you're going to be a wonderful Fire Lord. You'll make your mistakes, but no one's perfect." She comforted her son, pulling him into a hug. "I'm so proud of you."
"You don't know what it means to hear you say that…what it means to have you by my side." Zuko murmured, returning the embrace.
"I do, son. I do." She kissed his forehead.
He smiled, then sobered. "I don't know if I can burn Uncle Iroh at the pyre." He admitted.
Ursa sighed sadly. "I'll be by your side to do it. It's my duty, considering he gave his life for me…" she bit her lip, trying her best to hide the guilt.
"Mother, he did it more for me than you." Zuko confessed. He looked downward, clenching his fists. "He figured I needed more time with you, and that he'd lived enough of his own life."
Ursa smiled feebly. "Well, now he can be with Lu Ten."
"I'm sure he missed him." Zuko commented lamely. But it wasn't enough. He wanted Iroh here, with him, now.
"It's not going to be easy. But, over time, you'll come to understand it all better. The same for me." Ursa assured him.
"Mom…" he murmured her voice, almost questioningly.
"Yes dear?" it was her automatic, motherly reply. She'd almost forgotten she'd possessed such an ability.
"It's not going to easy these next few years, is it?" it was more of a statement than a question. "There will be many Fire Nation citizens who will detest the peace and having to pay for resources…they won't want a traitor for a Fire Lord. Azula's slinked off to spirits know where. I don't even want to think about what she's going to try…" he'd already realized all of these problems.
"No, honey, it won't be easy. But you have me, Mai, and all of the other wonderful friends you've made to help you get through." Ursa smiled, happy for all her son had built in these past few months.
"Well, that's a good thing, now isn't it?"
"Yes, Zuko, it is."
They held hands and sat in silence, enjoying one another's company. Somehow, they knew that together, everything would be alright.
THE FUNERAL RITES for both Ozai and Iroh were performed that afternoon.
Zuko couldn't help but be relieved at his father's death. But another part of him grieved for the father he'd never truly had in Ozai. He was glad Aang had done the deed instead of himself, because he knew he hadn't the strength to do it himself.
Not much was said for Ozai, expect that he was loved by his wife, son, and daughter. The subject of his life was avoided.
Iroh's funeral rites were tearful ones. Everyone who had known him had mourned his death. Ursa was unable to stop crying during her small speech about the man who was her brother and had saved her life.
Zuko even shed tears as he spoke about the man who had been a father to him. He placed a cup of ginseng tea, Iroh's favorite, on his pyre. There were so many words that he had to say about Iroh, and he took his time saying them.
Mai rose to say a few kind words about the man who had also been a father to her.
Zuko concluded things by lighting the pyres, wishing Iroh a safe journey to join his wife and son.
Once Ozai and Iroh had returned to the earth completely, the ceremony crowning Zuko as the new Fire Lord commenced.
Mai couldn't help but cry, because this had been all that Zuko had dreamed off for the past three long years.
The others looked on proudly, for they knew Zuko had truly earned this title and truly deserved it. And they knew he'd make an excellent Fire Lord.
Zuko boldly proclaimed his intentions of spreading peace throughout the three remaining nations. He announced his impending nuptials to Mai, which would commence the following week, and he informed everyone of his unborn child.
All in all, the day had been both saddening and joyful, remorseful and hopeful. Zuko decided that it was only the beginnings of the rest of his life.