Everyone seemed to think the story was over, and that Kyuri died. Uh, no, the story's not over! I have a lot more planned to tie up!
Zuko moved through the halls of the Fire Palace. It was quiet. The invasion was over. And if the jubilant cries from the courtyard were anything to go by, the Avatar had won. He breathed a sigh of relief. That meant he wouldn't be burned as a traitor for defeating his sister.
Speaking of his sister, he was going to the infirmary now to send a nurse to her side. He may not like her, but she didn't deserve to just lie there in pain until someone found her, and hope that someone cared enough to help.
The infirmary was crammed to capacity, sometimes with two and three people sitting on a bed. Earth and Water sat on one side, Fire on the other. Fire Nation soldiers were clearly segregated, and eyed with distrust, but treated just the same. If relationships between countries were going to be rekindled, no better time to start than now.
The Fire Nation soldiers looked shocked that they were being treated. Or maybe who they were being treated by. The healing contingency consisted of very few actual infirmary workers. The Foggy Swamp natives were bustling around clad in bark and fronds, and in amongst them moved Dragora, still glimmering in their battle attire.
"Myeong," Zuko called out, seeing the orange-clad Dragora and calling out to her. Myeong paused, looking harried, and turned to him.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Someone's badly burned," he said. "I saw them coming through here."
"Where?" Myeong demanded immediately. Zuko gave directions and she grabbed another healer, the pair of them hefting a stretcher and bustling from the room.
Zuko's eye was caught by a clump of people around a bed in the back of the room, by far the largest gathering. There was Aang, looking worn and sad, Sokka beside him with a comforting hand on his and Toph's shoulders. A man stood behind him, probably his father. A red-haired girl who looked vaguely familiar stood beside Sokka, her arms wrapped around his waist. Katara was bent over the bed.
There was only one person missing. Katara blocked his view of the injured's face, but Zuko saw that loose black pants and his heart clenched. Looking to the side, he saw a suit of blue scales thrown over a nearby chair, the stomach soaked with blood.
"No," he murmured. A few nearby patients heard him and looked up at him questioningly.
Zuko got suspicious looks from those who knew who he was. For those who didn't, they looked surprised as he ran the length of the infirmary in a matter of seconds to stand beside the bed where Katara knelt.
Kyuri lay on the bed, pale like he'd never seen her. Her hair was unbelievably mussed. She was clad only in her pants and breast bindings and Zuko felt a wild urge to cover her up, to protect her modesty, before he saw Katara's glowing hands over Kyuri's stomach, crusted with drying blood. The Waterbender was pale and drenched in cold sweat, obviously working her hardest.
"What happened?" Zuko croaked, sitting numbly on the side of her bed. He stared at her face, silent and peaceful, as if carved from marble.
"We found her out in the courtyard. She got the guy that did it. It was like she ripped a hole in him," Sokka said, recalling it and then shaking the image away.
"An icicle," Katara bit out through gritted teeth. "An icicle through his chest. It's what she did when her parents died."
"I still can't believe she's alive," their father said, shaking his head.
"Is she going to make it?" Zuko whispered to Katara. All enmity between the two groups was gone as they huddled around Kyuri's sickbed.
"Of course she is!" boomed a voice. Zuko looked up to see Chay standing there with her hand on her hips. The old woman looked tired and was spattered with gore, whether from the battlefield or healing was unclear.
"You think after all she did we're going to let her die?" the old woman demanded. "I still owe her for that dagger in my shoulder! Move over girl," she said, shoving Katara aside and taking her spot in the chair by Kyuri. Katara huddled against Aang. Chay's hands flicked out, seemingly pulling water from thin air. She placed her hands over Kyuri' stomach. They glowed brighter than Katara's had, blazing with light.
"If you make her worse, I'm going to kill you," Zuko warned her. "I owe you for that sword in her shoulder."
"I'm shaking with fear, princey, really," Chay said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"I like her," Toph said with a weak laugh.
Kyuri groaned and shifted on the bed, her face scrunching in pain. Katara moved to rush to her side but Aang held her back, shaking his head at her questioning eyes and nodding to Zuko.
Zuko bent over her intently as soon as he heard her groan. Kyuri's eyes fluttered open. She immediately groaned and shut them again.
"Oh, not you again."
"I don't love you either, fledgling," Chay pointed out.
"I'm not… a fledgling," Kyuri grit out. "Quit poking there! It hurts!"
"Its imagine so. You had a sword stuck in your gut. It's supposed to hurt."
"Tch," Kyuri scoffed, before looking around. Her eyes flicked up to him and Zuko smiled softly at her. "Hey, you. You made it through."
"You almost didn't," Zuko said sternly, but he couldn't contain his relief. He'd thought the worst when he saw her friends clustered around her bed. Another smile broke across his face. "I told you that you weren't going to die today."
"Didn't stop her from trying," Chay huffed as she moved away from the wound on Kyuri's stomach. It was closed up, only a thin line of lighter skin to show where a sword once ran her through.
"So," Katara said softly from the foot of her bed. "I guess you'll be spending a lot of time in the Fire Nation now."
"Don't you dare try and guilt trip her. You're the ones who-" Zuko began furiously. Kyuri laid a hand on his arm.
"Down, boy," she ordered. Zuko shot her a light glare, which she ignored, turning to the people clustered at the foot of her bed.
"Hakoda, Suki," she greeted. They nodded to her. "Aang, how'd it go with the Fire Lord?"
"You saved the day when you sent Claw to me," Aang said with a tired approximation of his usual wide beam. "I wouldn't have found him otherwise."
"Is he dead?" Zuko said monotonously, not really sure what answer he wanted.
"No," Aang said, shaking his head. "Claw told me about something else I could do. I took his bending away?"
"You can do that?" Sokka demanded.
"Apparently," Aang shrugged.
"So the war's over," Katara said, sounding as if she couldn't quite grasp it. "Except… What about Azula? She could still have supporters."
"Not a problem," Zuko said grimly as Myeong entered in a flurry of activity, shouting for assistance. Chay moved off to help, finished with Kyuri's healing.
"Is that…?" Sokka said, squinting. His eyes went wide. "It's Azula. Look at her leg," he said in horror, looking at the blackened, charred limb. He turned to look at Zuko, shell-shocked. "You did that?"
"I didn't have a choice," Zuko said, keeping his face carefully blank. He felt ill at the thought of what he'd done. Most likely, Azula would lose the leg. His suspicions were confirmed as one Dragora reached for a bone saw. "She just wouldn't stop, no matter what I did. She's so strong," he said, shaking his head. A warm hand slid into his and he looked down to see Kyuri's sympathetic face.
"You wouldn't have gone that far if there was any other way," she said soothingly. She turned to look at the others, specifically at Sokka. "Well?" she demanded. "Am I forgiven for falling for, as you so eloquently put it, the son of the enemy?"
Sokka winced and raised a hand to the back of his head sheepishly. "Look Kyuri… I was pretty hasty, and you know Aang was just trying to keep the peace. We tried to find you afterwards, when we'd all calmed down, but… You were just gone, and we had to prep for the invasion, so…"
"I asked a yes or no question Sokka," Kyuri said tartly.
"Yeah," Sokka nodded with a weak grin. Katara squeaked in delight and threw herself at Kyuri in a hug, something she'd obviously been itching to do. Kyuri yelped in pain as Katara connected, then wrapped her arms around her friend tightly, ignoring the twinges in her stomach and arm.
"I'm so glad you came back," Katara whispered in her ear.
"What, and leave Sokka to lead you? It's a miracle you're not wandering in the Earth kingdom somewhere."
Needless to say, there was a celebration to commemorate the end of the war. All over the world, people were frolicking and laughing and feasting and playing games. They were relieved that their sons and fathers would be returning from battle.
Those in the government knew that it wasn't that simple. One hundred years of war had left some countries rich, other countries destitute, and alliances and treaties ripped to shreds. Oh, they put on a good show, but political wheels were already spinning as people tried to dig themselves a spot in the favor of the Fire Lord, or to bring him down.
Zuko stood at the head of the stairs, waiting to be announced. Below him, people who had fought in the invasion mingled and laughing with Fire Nation officials. Some of it was true, some was fake. Many people were bandaged, but for tonight it didn't matter, because everybody was in their best, and they all looked wonderful, suffused with a happy glow.
"Presenting Fire Lord Zuko!" the herald cried. "And Avatar Aang!"
Everyone clapped and hollered as the two descended the stairs into the crowd. Officials tried to move in on Zuko and Aang. Zuko brushed past them. He had lots to do looming on the horizon, but for tonight he was determined to enjoy himself. And the first order of business was…
"You look beautiful."
Kyuri turned away from the group of Dragora and Waterbenders she had been talking to and smiled at him.
"You don't look too bad yourself, Fire Lord Zuko," she teased lightly.
Zuko looked her up and down appreciatively. "I think I like this better than your gathering robes."
"Quite frankly, your outfit makes me scared to hug you," Kyuri admitted, prodding the ornate shoulder piece. Zuko chuckled.
Kyuri really did look beautiful, in a long silk robe in the usual shade, bound at the waist with a strip of white cloth decorated with clumps of delicate blue flowers that was echoed in the neckline. The sleeves were wide, moving gracefully with her. Over that was a robe that dragged the ground behind her, made of the same blue silk and edged in the white floral fabric. On her feet were delicate blue slippers.
Zuko glanced towards the dance floor. "Do you want to-"
"Zuko?"
Zuko winced slightly and turned. "Oh, er, hi Mai. Have you met Kyuri?"
"We've met before," Kyuri said coldly.
"Yeah. You dumped me in a river."
"You attacked my friends," Kyuri retorted.
Zuko winced again, caught between the two women. Mai's arm twined around his and he was hit with a horrible thought. Mai didn't know that he and Kyuri were together. She thought they were still…
Oh no, he thought as Kyuri's eyes flashed.
"What are you doing?" she asked calmly.
"I'm taking my boyfriend for a dance," Mai said equally calmly.
"No, actually, you're not," Kyuri said with a slight smirk. "You're about to take my boyfriend for a dance."
Mai inhaled sharply and looked up at him. "Zuko?"
"It's true," Zuko admitted, uncoiling from Mai and wrapping his arm around Kyuri's waist.
"You might want to try that guy over there," Kyuri said, nodding to Longshot, who stood silently among a group of Freedom Fighters.
Mai's face iced over. "Maybe I will," she said, and turned, stomping determinedly over to Longshot.
"Well that was awkward," Zuko huffed.
"I really don't like her," Kyuri said absently. "But I think I like Ty Lee even less."
Zuko glanced at her. "Somehow, that makes perfect sense."
"Well, shall we?" Kyuri said, gesturing to the dance floor.
They recovered their good mood on the dance floor, gliding among the couples, before they left and went to get something to drink. The two of them settled at a table and were instantly inundated with Fire Nation officials.
"Lord Shen, Minister of Defense," one man said, rudely shoving his hand in Kyuri's face. She simply raised an eyebrow before taking the hand and shaking it.
"Kyuri of the Southern Water Tribe," she responded.
"Fire Lord, I believe your lady Mai is looking for you," Shen said with the air of a teasing elder. "You wouldn't want her to think you're avoiding her."
He was fishing, and it was clear. He wanted to know why Zuko had spent all his time with this girl instead of Mai.
"Mai's not my lady anymore," Zuko said calmly, though his eyes showed clear irritation. "I'm seeing Kyuri now."
"Is that so?" Shen asked, raising his eyebrows and glancing at Kyuri in distaste. "My lord…," he began delicately. "Are you sure that's… wise? In these troubled times, the Fire Nation must present a sense of solidarity, and how are we to do that if you're consorting with foreigners?"
"I'm not consorting with anyone," Zuko said tightly. "I'm dating her. I think it's important to make it clear to other countries that we're on good terms with their citizens."
"If that's the only reason, surely a nice, noble girl from the Earth Kingdom would be easy to find," Shen said boldly.
"No that's not the only reason," Zuko snapped. "I happen to love her."
"Perhaps I should re-introduce myself," Kyuri said softly, drawing all eyes to her. The officials who had been lingering, watching interestedly, looked to her in surprise. Shen turned up his nose at her.
"And what possible merit could that have? I've already been made aware of who you are, Kyuri of the Southern Water Tribe." His tone made it very clear what he thought of her home.
"That's not all I am," Kyuri said as a few Dragora drifted over to her, curious about the knot of Fire Nation nobles around her. Kyuri thrust her hand up to Shen's face as he had done to her. "Kyuri of the Southern Water Tribe," she said politely. "Waterbending master, healer, weapons master, Flight Commander of the 11th Dragora Wing, Hunter-ranked Dragora to Sangilak, the Living Glacier, who was once known as Hao, bonded to Fire Lady Yoshio."
Shen's eyes grew wider with each title, and they were practically bulging when Kyuri gave the name of Zuko's great-grandmother. He'd clearly had no idea he was insulting a Dragora. He glanced up and saw the amused faces of Myeong and Chay behind her.
"Sister, is there a problem?" Myeong asked threateningly.
"Oh no, not at all," Kyuri said with a small smirk. "Lord Shen was simply introducing himself."
"Good," Chay smiled. "It would be a shame if he caused any trouble. After all, you're the one who convinced us to go to war."
Shen's eyebrows seemed to defy gravity as they worked up his forehead and into his hairline. He quickly made gave his goodbyes and vanished into the crowd.
"Good girl!" said a familiar voice.
"Uncle!" Zuko cried, shooting upright and embracing the old man tightly. "You're here!"
"Of course," Iroh smiled. "Did you think I'd leave you all alone here? Although, you seem to have good company. Kyuri, nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you too, Iroh," Kyuri smiled.
The night was filled with joyful frivolity for their group. Kyuri, Katara, and even Suki and Toph were passed between then Aang, Sokka, Haru, and Zuko throughout the night as they danced their hearts out and laughed. Kyuri had slid easily into her place in the group and made it clear that Zuko was to be welcomed. By the end of the night, Aang and Zuko were chatting amiably, and the latter had even cracked a few smiles at Sokka's antics.
Zuko moaned and slammed his head onto his desk. "There can't be this many papers for me to read. There just… can't be."
"It's not all so bad," Kyuri said soothingly, moving behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. She'd taken to helping with his paperwork, reading what needed to be read and summarizing it for him and filling out what information she could. Katara and Sokka had gone back to the Southern Pole, taking Suki with them to meet their grandparents. Toph was making amends with her family. Aang was off on a peace conference in the Earth Kingdom. Kyuri was the only one left in the Fire Nation.
Zuko sat up and gestured to a piece of paper.
"Really? A scribe and a blacksmith were caught plotting my death!" he exclaimed. "It's not even just the nobles I have to worry about supporting my dad, it's the workers! I can't go anywhere without a guard! I just wish I could go out with you like be used to Ba Sing Se," he recalled. "I feel so… trapped."
"A scribe and a blacksmith, huh?" Kyuri wondered, the hints of a plan tickling her consciousness. She began to slowly kneed his shoulders and Zuko groaned happily.
"I have to replace them now," he mused. "I have no idea how to go about starting up an interview process. How do I know if we can trust someone?"
"I think I have an idea," Kyuri said, thoughtfully.
"What is it?" Zuko asked curiously, spinning around in his chair to grab her hips and pull her into his lap. He began planting soft kisses on her throat and jaw.
"If you keep that up I'll forget my plan," Kyuri said, eyes fluttering in delight.
"Sorry," Zuko apologized, pulling back. "It's just that we're always around other people. I don't get to just hold you or talk to you anymore. We're only alone when we're buried in paperwork."
"Well you'll be happy to know my plan may fix that for a bit," Kyuri said. Zuko perked up.
"Really?" he asked interestedly.
"Uh huh," Kyuri nodded. "King Kuei's been asking for you to come and talk to him, right?"
"Right," Zuko said slowly.
"I think it's time you went to Ba Sing Se," Kyuri said. Zuko's mouth opened to protest and Kyuri pecked him on the cheek, shutting him up. "Now listen. I know a few people there that we can trust to fill some positions around here. Besides, Aang's there, and he likes us, so King Kuei won't try to push much on any talks. Plus, he'll probably be scared of you. And while we're there, we can take a few days and just walk around town. You may have forgotten but I'm good at sneaking around the city."
"Oh, I haven't forgotten, Kida," Zuko said slyly. "That doesn't sound so bad."
"That's why I suggested it." Kyuri smirked at him. "Now you think about that later, and where were we?" She leaned forwards and started nipping at Zuko's neck he groaned as she sucked at the spot where his neck met his shoulder. Kyuri smiled against his throat and kissed her way up his jaw to his mouth. Tongues twined familiarly and Kyuri sighed happily. Zuko's hand slid under her shirt and up her back. Kyuri trembled at the feeling and shifted into a more comfortable position, ending up with her knees on either side of his hips, straddling him.
Zuko was red-faced under her and Kyuri was blushing vividly as well when their mouths finally left each other. He took a deep breath and said, "Agni you're sexy."
Kyuri smirked and bit her lip. "You're not bad yourself, love," she said affectionately.
"Love?" Zuko asked, raising an eye at the pet name.
"Do you mind?" Kyuri asked, cocking her head.
"No," Zuko said, shaking his head. "It's better than sweetie or something ridiculous like that. But what do I call you?" he asked slyly. "How about pumpkin? Sweetie? Honey? Baby?" he tried teasingly, Kyuri's scowl getting more and more pronounced. Se punched his shoulder lightly.
"You're horrible," Kyuri snored, shaking her head. "Do I look like a pumpkin to you?"
"No, you look like the woman I love," Zuko said with a small smile. Kyuri blushed slightly and pecked his lips.
"You can be so sweet sometimes," she said, standing up and getting off of him.
"Thanks baby," Zuko smirked.
"And then you go and do that," Kyuri sighed. "How about you just call me Kyuri?"
"He could always call you sweetie pie."
"Shut up!"
"Cutie? Doll face! That's perfect!"
"Sangilak I will skin you and turn you into a pair of shoes!"
"I guess that works," Zuko smiled. "Now come on," he said, standing her up and pulling her towards the door.
"What?" Kyuri asked curiously as he tugged her down the hall, the six guards that followed him everywhere scrambling to take up positions around them.
"I can't take any more paperwork," Zuko said, shaking his head. "So we're going to the gardens."
"Okay," Kyuri chuckled as he pulled her down by a pond filled with turtle ducks and wrapped his arms around her. The guards moved off slightly to give the young monarch some privacy with his girlfriend.
"My mother used to bring me out here to feed the turtle ducks," Zuko recalled somewhat sadly.
"That's sweet," Kyuri smiled. "I was never very close with my mother. I was always a daddy's girl."
"Why doesn't that surprise me," Zuko chuckled. "Did he make that figurine you always carry?"
"Yes," Kyuri nodded, pulling it from her clothes and holding it up. "It's made of a polar bear's bones."
"I wish I could carve like that," Zuko said thoughtfully.
"Every guy in the Water Tribes can carve," Kyuri recalled. "It's important. When they want a girl to marry them, they give her a carved necklace as a proposal. Then they carve toys for their children. Some even sell theirs or trade them for things."
"Do you think I could get Sokka to teach me to carve?" Zuko chuckled.
"I don't know, he might enjoy getting to boss you around," Kyuri chuckled.