ZUTARA WEEK 2023: Day 7: FLOW

Let the Rest of It Begin

DISCLAIMER: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.

NOTE:

"Up Here", was a musical series that aired earlier this year, starring Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes, and it had a lot of cute romantic songs. And because it had Mae Whitman singing, I immediately thought of Katara, and especially of Zutara for the duets. I also decided that I would use at least one song for Zutara Week this year.

Not all the duets matched the prompts so I guess I can save some for next year. But my favorite song is "I Feel Like I've Always Known You" which is pretty much a perfect Zutara song and which I used for this final piece this year.

I do recommend that you check out the soundtrack of the show. There are some real gems in there.

And of course, given this prompt, I could not help but take inspiration (yet again) from one of my favorites, "What the Water Gave Me" by Florence and the Machine. I love this song and it never fails to get the creative juices going.

But just glad I made it through another Zutara Week despite still being in a kind of writer's block - writing slump. It is taking a while to get back into writing fan fiction but this is not a bad start.

Enjoy and let me know what you think. Thank you!

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Katara had learned at an early age to trust where the water would take her.

It was more than just her connection with her element. Throughout her life, she found herself making important discoveries whenever she took a journey over the water.

It was during her first boat ride that she first understood that she had waterbending ability. When she went sailing with her father and brother once, she had suddenly realized the strength of their bond as a family, even if they would someday be separated. Water led her to an iceberg where a young airbender had been waiting to fulfill his destiny.

And it was when she tried to take over a ship with her mother's killer that she found a way, instead, to forgive someone else. Then, that became the beginning of something so unexpected and quite wonderful.

And then, it wasn't even about the water anymore.

She remembered what one of her waterbending masters (not Pakku) had told her when she trained in the healing arts. Energy flowed through every living creature, and those who had the ability, could channel the good energy into others, and somehow counter all the bad energy that could only destroy. Love was a kind of energy that flowed, that transcended time and space, broke through all barriers, and always found its way to those who were open to it.

Katara smiled at the thought. She was becoming so sentimental these days. But she couldn't help it. She had found someone she had never expected to find and yet somehow, it also felt like she had always known him.

"Did we meet in some lifetime long ago?" she had thought once, "There's something about him I already seem to know."

There was so much they could communicate even without words. A look or a nod and they already had each other's backs. She had never had such a connection with anyone else.

It was strange to think it had taken a war for them to meet, but this was one of the few things she was grateful for. They had gone on so many adventures and endured so many trials but they had survived and become stronger than ever. She could look back only with satisfaction and look forward with eager anticipation.

Katara smoothed down her wedding dress and took a deep breath, before stepping off the boat she had been riding towards the long-awaited ceremony.

Zuko was waiting on the dock, and he took her hand gently. Her smile widened.

"We're finally here," the waterbender said in awe.

"We made it," Zuko replied proudly as they walked down the aisle together. The ceremony ended faster than they had anticipated and they had declared their love to all the world.

In a moment, the years of struggle vanished, and all that remained were endless happy memories and the prospect of more to come. They were surrounded by the smiling faces of their friends and family. The world was at peace and balance had been restored.

"We've already taken the first steps on this journey," Katara told Zuko, her heart full, as she walked proudly by her husband's side, "Let the rest of it begin. I'm with you and I'm all in."