Author's Note: What's this? Another chapter? Well, an epilogue anyway. Just because I randomly felt like it and wanted an excuse to tell you guys that I'm going to use the general gist of this story to create my own novel, though much longer and more detailed and even darker than this. If you would like to keep up with my progress on that, plus all of my other real-world original writing adventures, visit, bookmark and/or follow my blog, the link to which refuses to appear here no matter how much I disguise it, but it's on my profile page if you care to look.
Enjoy!
Epilogue
The war finally ended seven years later. Zuko and Katara had dated the whole time and had been engaged for three years. "I don't want to get married here," she'd told him. "I don't want to stay here."
They didn't stay in Ba Sing Se. When her father returned for the war – this time for good – the decision was made to move the family back to the south coast. Gran-Gran made the choice to stay behind and live with Iroh, whom had befriended her and offered to let her stay in Zuko's old room in the upstairs apartment of The Jasmine Dragon. "We'll visit every chance we get," Zuko promised his Uncle.
They set up their own house, close by to where her father was staying, and also close to where Sokka and Suki had moved in. Their house overlooked the crystal waters of the ocean and the soothing hum of the water, the waves, the shifting tides, was always audible from the house. Zuko stood with her on the beach that afternoon. The clouds hung thick in the sky, and he understood completely why she could appreciate sunlight so easily. What was left of the pain that had been caused by the war seemed to wash away from them as they looked over the sea, towards their future, towards freedom from fear and the oppression of the city that had kept them safe.
He touched her shoulder gently as they stood on the beach. Katara turned to look at him. They needed know words to tell each other how happy they were going to be from then on, or how good life would become. He smiled at the relief in her eyes; relief that she was finally home. The house was theirs and the place they were standing with the sand beneath their feet was a place that no one else was allowed to touch, except for the ocean's salty water and the wind and the rain.
Katara turned back to the ocean and leaned into him, letting his warmth surround her despite the chilling wind of the south.