"That's two times you owe me for now," Zuko teased as they packed their things.
"I don't know what you could possibly be talking about," Katara replied, shouldering him playfully.
"I've saved your life twice, and you've forgotten overnight?" He was pretending to be offended, but the grin on his face gave him away.
"It's not like Aang was going to attack me when he was finished with you," she reminded him.
"Still, I think you owe me. I fought a deranged princess and the Avatar for you," he pressed.
"In case you'd forgotten, I was the one who beat Azula. And I patched you up after both encounters," Katara responded smugly, poking his chest for emphasis.
"Fine," he sighed with fake reluctance. "Touché."
"And thanks for that," he added, sweeping her off her feet bridal style and planting a long, dizzying kiss on her lips.
"Oh," Katara replied disconcertedly, still in his arms. "Well, you know, you're... um... welcome..."
It was Zuko's turn to look smug. Then he laughed. He was in a great mood today.
"Would you two lovebirds hurry it up? We've gotta get a move on!" Sokka's voice echoed through the Fire Nation palace's many rooms.
"It's our wedding Sokka, they're not going to start without us!" Katara called back. To Zuko, she added, "I think we have time for one more of those amazing kisses..."
The Fire Lord was pleased that they'd gotten the chance to be married properly. Things were working out much better this time around.
--
Aang examined his new robes. They were in the traditional Air Nomad style- but stark white. It was a Fire Nation custom that white was worn to both funerals and weddings. White was a symbol of hope and new life. And just as death was just the beginning of what came afterwards, marriage honored the start of a new family.
He tied the blue sash around his waist. That was the contribution of the Water Tribe's culture, where blue was the mark of both change and continuity. The color represented the hope that this marriage would bring change in the form of new life and love, as well as the wish that it would last through a lifetime of challenges and adapt to them the way water always would.
This would be a great day for Katara. He would enjoy it too.
--
Zuko had been a little hesitant to ask the Avatar, afraid it would only rub salt in his old friend's wounds. But he had done it, and he was glad of the decision. Aang was the perfect person to be his best man.
Everything was shaping up beautifully, coming together for what would undoubtedly be the most amazing wedding there had ever been, a fusion of two elements that had been bitter rivals for millennia untold.
But then, Zuko mused, every groom probably felt that way on his wedding day.
--
"So, Katara, where are you going for the honeymoon?" Suki questioned as she helped her friend with the beautiful Water Tribe dress.
"We're not quite sure yet. We've already packed, just waiting for the right destination to pop up."
"How about Ember Island? That place was nice..." Suki suggested.
"No, we've been there already. It's got to be somewhere new, somewhere full of adventure."
"Traveling with the Avatar for so long really got to you, didn't it?" the Kyoshi Warrior giggled.
"Well after all that excitement, I'm certainly not going back to living on a block of ice," the Waterbender replied fiercely, and she didn't doubt her sincerity.
As Katara twirled around in front of the mirror, examining the dress from all angles and looking every bit like an innocent young bride, Suki wondered if Zuko knew just what he was getting himself into.
--
Everything was in place now. And there was just one person left that he needed to talk to.
He knocked on the door, quietly, almost as if he hoped the person inside wouldn't hear. As if he hoped to just walk away and tell himself he tried his best.
"Come in," a voice deadpanned from inside. Zuko braced himself and stepped into the room.
He was startled to find his ex-girlfriend lounging on a settee wearing stark white, a blue sash tied around her waist. "Mai?" he asked incredulously.
"I was invited, you realize. Did you think I was going to miss your wedding?" she smirked slightly, but there was a sadness in her eyes that didn't show up in the voice.
"Mai, I just came to apologize. I'm really, really sorry about the way I left things betwe-"
"Zuko, I get that you were never happy with me. I get that she's the one you want to be with. And it's okay." The voice was still flat, but Zuko was shocked by the determination in it.
"It's... okay?" he asked, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing.
"Yes. I'm gonna miss you, but I had fun while it lasted." She smiled. It was genuine.
"Mai, I... I know you'll find the right guy for you someday. He'll be much better to you than I ever could have been. Not to say that I wasn't giving it my best shot, but, I mean, some guys are suited better to some girls, and-"
"Oh, shut up, Zuko. You're going to hurt yourself," she smirked.
"Thanks, Mai. For everything."
"Get going already! You're gonna be late for your own wedding," she scolded him.
The knife-thrower waited until Zuko left before she allowed her gaze to wander to the portrait of the two of them. Those were the days. She knew she was supposed to be happy that he was happy- that was the Avatar's attitude, wasn't it?
But that just wasn't enough.
--
"So.... Toph..." Sokka edged toward the blind Earthbender.
"So... Sokka..." she mimicked, and he ducked his head in embarrassment.
"You.. uh... doin' anything after the wedding?"
"Yeah. Goin' to the reception party."
"Oh. Right. Gotcha. So... when we... get there... do you wanna... do an activity?"
"An activity?" Toph snorted scornfully.
The Waterbender looking on did her best not to appear too amused. Sokka was at it again.
--
"I do," Katara's voice didn't tremble at all. There was no inkling of hesitation. She was positive that her life with him would be perfect.
"Very well. Fire Lord Zuko, you may kiss the bride."
and we're done! i kinda like how it wrapped up, although i feel like all of my endings are a bit fluffy. mai didn't get a happy ending though. sorry to any fans of mai who read this, i just couldn't really think of anything for her. she's not the most inspiring character out there. oh, and for all you tokka fans, i have an extended ending! read on if you dare...
"Pssst, Toph," Sokka whispered urgently.
"What? I already told you I'll go to your 'activity'," she reminded him.
"I know. But there's something else. When they finish making out, Katara's gonna throw these flowers. It's a... competition for all the girls," he explained. "You gotta try to catch them."
Toph grinned deviously. "I'm good with competitions."
"I know. That's why I told you," Sokka half-lied. She couldn't pick up on half lies, right? Or white lies? Just the big, bad, evil li-
"Thanks, Snoozles. I'll be sure to get 'em."
Sokka struggled to stifle a sigh of relief. The plan was going smoothly.
--
"Okay, good luck everyone!" Katara shouted, then tossed the bouquet into the air. Toph had carefully sensed the vibrations and felt the angle of the projectile based on where the Waterbender's weight had gone. She launched skywards on one of her faithful rocks and snatched the posy in midair.
"Yeah! I got it! Woohoo!" Toph cheered. Then she noticed the silence. Even without seeing them, she could feel the stares. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
"Uh, Toph? You do know what that bouquet means, right?" Katara questioned.
"It... means something?" If this was bad, boy, was Captain Boomerang gonna pay...
"Yeah. It means you're going to be the next one to get married."
"Oh," she said in a small voice, and quickly dropped the offending flowers.
k, that's it! R&R please! let me know what you thought of the actual chapter and (if you read this bit) the extended ending!
see you around!
~z4e
