"Rebuilding the firenation and brining balance throughout the world is going to be a huge job for you Zuko." Iroh said and took a sip of his tea.
"I know uncle, and that's why I'm going to need all the help I can get." Zuko said walking with his uncle to the fire nation thrown.
They openede the curtain and saw the throne waiting for Zuko to sit in it. It was clean and neat and the room was empty. Iroh smiled at his nephew and took a step backwards.
"Your seat awaits you Fire Lord Zuko." Iroh said and bowed down to him.
Zuko smiled but lifted his uncle from the ground. Iroh surprisingly smiled and pat Zuko's back softly.
"I now appoint you my highest advisor and general Uncle." Zuko said and sat on the throne facing the other way of the door.
"I know you can do this Zuko. I have faith in you. You must do the job that a real Fire Lord must do." Iroh stated.
Zuko drank some of his tea and looked at his Uncle with smirk on his face. "In that case, send troops out to spread the word that the war is over. That's the first step that we need to take right now."
"Of course." Iroh said and pushed the curtain open so that way he could exit.
Zuko watched but then sat up from the throne and shouted Iroh's name out before he could completely walk out from the room. "Unlce!"
Iroh turned around and looked at Zuko with concern. He saw Zuko smiled again and nodded his head down, then up.
"Thank you, General Iroh." Zuko finally said.
He watched Iroh smile and exit the room. Mai soon entered in along with Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Katara.
"It's good to see you again Avatar Aang." Zuko said presenting Aang properly. "And everybody else."
"It's good to see you too Fire Lord Zuko." Aang said greeting Zuko the same way as well.
"It seems so weird how everyone is now, ok. It's so different." Sokka mentioned as he waved his crutch in the air.
"That's not the only thing that's going to change. There's a lot more than just calling Aang Avatar Aang and calling Zuko Fire lord Zuko" Katara said and grinned at Zuko.
Zuko smiled back graciously and walked over towards the group. "Listen guys, we have a lot on our hands, and were going to have to take it slow at a time. I'm pretty sure each of us has a lot to do in order to bring complete balance to the world."
"What do we have to do now? I thought our journey was over!" Sokka asked seemingly bored about the conversation.
"I'm sending troops out to spread the word around the world to let everyone know the war is over. I'm pretty sure you guys have to head back home and tell you families the same thing." Zuko added.
"It would be nice to go home, but then everybody will be separated again." Toph said missing her parents too much.
Aang glanced at Katara while she was focusing her attention all on Zuko. "Does this mean, this is the end?"
The room was empty after Aang had said his words and nobody said a word. Katara looked at Aang, worried about their future and took a step in front of everybody.
"No. Just because the war is over doesn't mean we all can't be friends anymore. We can always keep in contact with one another." Katara said trying to keep the group together.
Sokka limped in front of everyone and stood next to Katara and took her hand. "We're all going to have to go home and tell the big news. Then evacuate all of the soldiers that are still attacking and tell them the war is over. We also have to get everyone back to their families and take down the entire fire nation logos on all of the earthkingdoms capitals and when we're done with that, we rebuild walls back on Ba Sing Se."
"It sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure it can be done." Toph said. "And in the mean time if anyone of the firenation soldiers resist in leaving, then kick their butts just for fun of it."
"We'll be like a whole big group again. Raveling around the world and saving people just like how we always did it in the past."
"I'm not going." Aang said.
Katara's smile disappeared and she let go of Sokka's hand. "What are you talking about?"
"The next step to my Avatar journey is to finish mastering firebending. I have to remain here for four years at least." Aang said sadly while looking at the metal floor.
"You can't! I mean, why can't you just master firebending while you're with us?" Katara refused.
"Who's a master at firebending that's going to be with us? Zuko's going to have to stay here and I doubt there are any masters outside of the firenation capital besides Jeong Jeong but he's already busy with the Order of the White Lotus" Aang replied. "I know it's hard, and even harder for me but it has to be done and you guys need to do your parts of this job."
"We can always visit you right?" Toph asked while trying to make everything sound better.
"I knew this would happen." Zuko said calmly.
Sokka looked at Zuko. "What do you mean?"
"At some point in our lives, one of us or all of us would have to split up and go our separate ways and it would have a major affect on all of us." Zuko answered but walked closer to everybody. "But I'm sure all of us we be back together again. We'll just have to take some time to let that happen."
A guard came inside the room, not meaning to interrupt the conversation. "Fire Lord Zuko, do to the damage we've caused at the earthkingdom's land, it is our honor to take everybody that are now allies to us home. That is up to you Fire Lord Zuko."
"I'll gladly accept. When do the ships leave?" Zuko asked.
"In a half hour sir, but it is best if you get on board now." He answered back
"What's your fastest ship? I want to get home faster so we can see Gran-Gran." Sokka said excitedly and nudged Katara's arm.
"Take the ship that was made for Azula. It is now yours." Zuko said grateful.
"No way!" Sokka yelled and ran out the room to the ship.
"Lets go guys." Zuko said leading everybody outside.
Minutes later everybody made it outside of the palace, including Hakoda and the watertribe warriors. The gang found Sokka drooling over the size of the ship they were given and he quickly ran to the top.
"I'm taking control of the wheel!" He shouted loudly above everybody else.
Everyone stared at him for a moment, and then went back to their conversations before the big move. A fire nation general walked to the deck of the ship and looked at everybody.
"All aboard!" He shouted and watched Sokka run into the control room.
"We have a lot of work to do." Aang said to Zuko.
Zuko smiled and walked over to the group for one last time. "You guys take care you hear?"
"Group hug!" Toph shouted and everybody smiled and ran to give Zuko a hug.
They soon let go and Suki boarded the ship with Toph.
"So, I'm thinking you have a crush on Sokka." Suki said jokingly.
"Are you kidding me? What makes you think that?" Toph said denying it but blushing at the same time.
Katara watched and saw her father walking her way. He smiled at Aang and put his arm around her gently.
"I'm very proud of you, both of you. Do you by any chance know where Sokka is?" He asked.
"He's already on the ship dad. He thinks he's taking orders." Katara said chuckling
"You must be joking right?" Hakoda asked serious about the question but there was no response and Hakoda knew she was serious.
"Sokka! No!" He yelled as he ran to the ship and stop Sokka.
Zuko looked over and saw Mai saying goodbye to Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi warriors. He didn't have a better excuse to leave and Aang and Zuko alone so he started to walk towards Mai. "I think Mai needs me over there. You two can talk about stuff."
Aang watched him walk away and just knew it was him and Katara for a few more seconds.
"Hey there." Aang said courteously.
Katara blushed and looked to her side. "Hi Aang."
After a few seconds of silence, Aang couldn't help but start talking. "Everything's going by so fast. It seemed like yesterday we had jsut met and now we're about to separate except we wont have each other anymore."
The wind blew Katara's hair softly to the side and she fixed her left hair loop. Her hair was the same as it was during the war but her dressing was different. She took a soft sigh and took a step loser to Aang. "I know, but as hard as it seems, it's going to have to be this way, no matter how hard it seems."
"We'll see each other soon right? I mean four years isn't that long." Aang said after there was a couple seconds of silence.
Katara smiled and giggled after his sarcasm. He eyes became watery and he knew she was upset over them separating.
"I'll miss you so much Aang. You don know how proud I am of you." She said and gave a hug.
She wrapped her arms strongly around his body, making it hard for him to breathe but he didn't mind trying to loosen it up a bit. He too wrapped his arms around her warm body and he felt safe and warm.
"I'll miss you too Katara." He added. "I'll miss you so much."
"Katara!" Sokka yelled as he was fighting Hakoda to let go of him. "Lets go so we can get out of here!"
"Yea!" Toph added. "I'm tired of being in the fire nation as much as I am right now! No offense Zuko!"
Katara looked back at Aang and smiled. He watched as both tears from her eyes drooped to her lower cheek and he too began to cry.
"Goodbye Aang." She said and walked slowly away from him.
Aang stood there and watched the love of his life walk away from him, knowing that he will never see her again for another four years at most. He started to walk away towards Zuko until he heard his name being called out again. He turned around and saw Katara running towards him and fell into his arms, kissing him. Shocked, he put his arms around her waist and she threw her arms over his body, not letting go.
"Aaaww." Suki said and looked over at Sokka who was still struggling with his father.
"I'm not giving up until I get the wheel!" He yelled at Suki and continued to wrestle Hakoda.
Aang and Katara finally released and put their foreheads together, touching one another.
"I just had to do that." She said blushing even deeper.
Aang was speechless but enjoyed the moment and wished he had even more. "I love you Katara."
"I love you too Aang, so much." She said and let go of his body.
His hands separated from her waist and she lifted her arm in the air. His hand was slid from her arm to the end of her hand. They had a second to where they were touching once more and she pulled away, walking backwards to the ship but still facing Aang.
"Goodbye." She whispered one last time and turned around to the ship.
Aang watched and saw Katara finally make it to the deck and she too stared at him. Zuko waved goodbye to everyone as the ships set sail and started to move. Aang walked closer as the ship parted land and into the water. He finally stopped walking as soon as there was water from the sea in front of him and stared at Katara into her blue eyes. Katara held onto the railing and gave Aang one last smile. He smiled back and stood at the same spot until he could not see the ships anymore.
Zuko looked out the window during the evening with Mai sitting down on his couch.
"So where is Azula being held at now?" Mai asked.
"I told them to put her at a metical health care where she will be watch around the clock." Zuko responded but not wanting got talk about his younger sister.
"Well nothing now should get in our way on stopping us from having fun." She said and smiled at him, forgetting about the subject.
He smiled back at her and sat right next to her on the couch lying right next to each other. She gave him a grape and dropped it in his mouth while it was opened and he smiled while he chewed. As they were enjoying their evening, the two heard a knock on the door.
"What is it now?" He asked angrily as he stood up from his couch.
He opened the door and saw two fire nation soldiers in front of him. They both greeted him presently.
"Fire Lord Zuko." One of them said. "We have some news for you."
"What is it?" He asked.
"We have whereabouts on your mother." The other solider said.
Mai stood up from the couch and walked towards Zuko. She put her arm around his and looked at the soldiers in the eyes.
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked stunned by the news.
"We think we may know where she is" The soldier said.
The sentence left Zuko astounded and speechless and Mai staring in his golden eyes. Zuko closed his mouth and cleared his throat.
"Then I guess we have work to do." He said.