Chapter 30: Peace
AN: We have officially reached the end of the story! Special author's note at the end.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Today was a monumental day for the world.
If everything goes right, the Peace Treaty will finally be signed, and the century-long war will finally be ended. The world had lost a lot to the war. It lost one of its four Nations, thousands of lives, and multiple landmarks and cities were destroyed. For one hundred long years the world was in a state of turmoil, and the prospect of peace was a shining beacon of hope for citizens to cling on to. The politicians of the world had failed to get the Peace Treaty signed back in Ba Sing Se, so everyone was hoping to get it done in the Fire Nation. It all rested on the shoulders of the Avatar.
Aang had been restless the entire night. He hadn't felt this nervous about something since going against the Fire Lord. As he held Katara's sleeping form in his arms, he stayed awake, thinking of counterpoints to potential arguments and different reasons to advocate for peace. He had failed to do his job as the Avatar and bring peace to the world back in Ba Sing Se, and he was determined to make sure that it would happen in the Fire Nation. As he stared back at the moon that was brightly shining out their balcony window, he let out a sigh as he knew that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.
He had apparently been too loud, as he felt Katara stirring in his arms. He looked down to see the waterbender's eyes slowly open, followed by her rubbing them as she let out a yawn. "Aang?" Katara mumbled. "What are you doing up? Did you have another nightmare?" The exhaustion was apparent in her voice, and she laid her head down against his chest, her eyes slowly closing again.
Aang softly smiled as he gently ran one hand through her hair while rubbing her back slowly with the other. His heart fluttered as she sighed in content, watching as she slowly was falling back asleep. "Shhh, everything's okay Katara, just thinking about tomorrow is all." He gently cooed. The waterbender let out a soft sigh as she pulled him closer into her.
"You're going to do great, Aang." She sleepily mumbled. "I know it . . . the world knows it . . . get some sleep . . . you're going to need." With that, she fell asleep in his arms once again. Aang could only smile as he looked at his companion. Out of all of the horrible things to come out of the war, she was one of the bright spots. Even now when she was half-asleep, he could still feel her love and sincerity towards him. His heart burst out of his chest as he thought of all of the reasons to why she was amazing, and was surprised when just thinking about her was enough to bring on a yawn of comfort. Before he knew it, the airbender was asleep.
Katara was the first one to wake the following morning. There was something different about waking up this particular day compared to the others. A sense of anticipation rushed through the waterbender as she thought about the potential outcomes of today. Katara had dreams of peace ever since she was a little kid. She hated the idea of a war, and now that she's seen everything that goes along with it, she never wants to wake up in a war-torn world again. The fact that this could be the last day in her life that she wakes up technically "at war" was very exciting for her.
Though, there were some resignations that she had about this day. If the Peace Treaty were to be signed, she couldn't help but think about the future of her makeshift family that she made due to the war. She had committed herself to following Aang wherever he decided to go, but what if he wants to break apart from everyone else? Katara wasn't sure if she was ready to say goodbye to her brother yet. He found ways to annoy her to no end, but he still was there for her every time she needed him. The thought of being separated was daunting.
Then there was the very person that had her heart who was still asleep in her arms. They hadn't talked about the future yet, they had been so focused on the Peace Meetings that they never got to it. But . . . if the Peace Treaty was signed today, what would be next for them? She knew that Aang desperately wanted to rebuild the Air Temples, but she also ached to spend more time at her home. The one thing she knew for sure was that wherever Aang went, she would be by his side. Katara loved him too much to possibly go weeks to months at a time without seeing him.
As if Aang knew that she was thinking of him, he began to stir in her arms. Katara watched the airbender open his eyes. There was a familiar sparkle back in his stormy gray eyes, and Katara almost let out a sigh in relief, hoping that he was feeling better. The waterbender gently reached out her arms so she could softly rub his back, and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "Good morning my love, how are you feeling this morning?" Katara asked as his stormy gray eyes met hers, causing her heart to flutter.
"Excited. Nervous. Scared. Focused. My heart feels like it's going a million hours at once." The airbender replied with a sigh. Closing his eyes, he leaned his forward to rest into the crook of Katara's neck. "I mean, ever since I found out that there was a war, this was the day that I dreamed of, you know? Making my Nation proud by keeping the peace, that's what we were known for. Now that the day has come, I'm just terrified that I'll let people down again. I can't let the world down again."
Katara stopped rubbing his back, and sat up, beckoning him to sit up with her so she could look into his eyes. When he nonverbally followed what she asked, she placed two fingers to his chin and looked him dead in the eyes. "Do you know what I think your problem is? I think you're trying to think about this from the Avatar's point of view. You feel like it's entirely your responsibility to make sure the Peace Treaty gets signed today, but it's not purely your responsibility, Aang. What if you went to this meeting as just Aang? Not Aang the Avatar, but Aang the Air Nomad. Be yourself. The people will love you! I'm sure of it because I love you, Aang. I'm not in love with the Avatar."
Aang gazed back at her with awe and wonder in his eyes. Katara smiled as she could see the confidence slowly seep back into his features, and he gently nodded. What she wasn't ready for, was Aang cupping her face and leaning in to place a passionate kiss on her lips. Once Katara realized what was happening, she closed her eyes and kissed back with equal passion, enjoying every single ounce of Aang's passion and love for her. Finally, the airbender broke away from the kiss, still looking at her with pure admiration. "What did I do to deserve you, Katara?"
The waterbender responded with a warm smile, as if this were the easiest question she would ever have to answer in her life. "You saved me. Ever since I freed you from that iceberg you saved me from the boring, monotonous, unhappy life I was living. You taught me how to live, how to find joy, and how to love. You've fought fiercely to save the world, to save my family, and my life multiple times. Any girl would be lucky to have you, Aang, and I'm lucky that I'm the one that was chosen by you."
Arms around her immediately followed, and Katara settled herself in against his shoulder as he gave her a warm hug. "I love you so much, Katara. It's always been you." He softly whispered in her ear. Moving his hands up to her hair, he gently ran his hands through her flowing locks as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths against her. "Just promise me that you'll be there with me today, okay?"
Her ocean blue eyes glimmered, their deep warmth filling the airbender's body as she stared lovingly at him. "I'll always be with you Aang. If things go the way we want them today, I'll be there to celebrate with you, and if they don't I'll be there to help you pick up the pieces. Like I said yesterday, we're in this together."
The joyful gleam that filled the airbender's eyes were enough to make Katara's heart flutter once again. He softly leaned forward, capturing her lips with a slow and loving kiss. "I'm going to go outside so I can meditate. I love you, Katara. Thank you for everything." With that, Aang left the room, and she wouldn't see him again until the Peace Meeting.
The Fire Nation Palace's Chamber room was absolutely full as politicians around the world eagerly entered the room. Although they had failed to pass the Peace Treaty back in Ba Sing Se, a general outcry from the public has made these meetings in the Fire Nation take on a lot more importance. Though there were considerably less politicians attending this time, as a number of them were a part of General Gun Ji's militia and were still in prison. Aang wasn't sure if this would work for him or not.
Aang wandered in the chamber, and he looked for his lone chair as always. But, when he finally found the Air Nation symbol, he gasped in surprise. A group of six chairs were placed together, with Sokka, Suki, and Toph sitting in the back row, and Zuko and Katara sat on either side of an empty chair in the front row, which was meant for him. Tears rolling down his cheeks, he marched up to his friends, who all stood up to greet him. The group formed in a small circle, coming in for a group hug, before Katara explained their actions. "We may not officially be a part of the Air Nation, but we are your family Aang. We know how important this day is for you, and we're going to be here by your side every step of the way."
The airbender sniffled as he looked around gratefully to all of his friends. "Thank you all . . . you don't know how much this means to me. It's kind of funny . . . before I ran away I felt like I had already lost my family. Everybody treated me differently because of my new status as the Avatar. But when I woke up from the iceberg, all of you treated me as Aang, and not the Avatar. You've stepped in and filled the gaping hole in my heart, and I'm forever grateful. I love you guys." The group came in once more for one last hug, before making their way to their seats.
Silence took over the room as Zuko stood up to start the meeting. "Good afternoon, everyone. The Fire Nation is pleased to welcome politicians from around the world today. Our Nation recognizes the atrocities that we have committed over the past century, and we are hoping to finally put an end to the war that we started so long ago. Before we get to the awaiting discussion about the Peace Treaty, there are a few announcements and updates that we would like to make.
The first one pertains to the size of our group. You may notice that the number of politicians that are here is significantly smaller than when we were in Ba Sing Se. This is due to the politicians that were members of General Gun Ji's militia. We also want to take a moment to commemorate the Avatar for his role in taking down the militia, and we wanted to reiterate about how fortunate the world is that Avatar Aang survived this attack." The room around them burst into applause, and Aang briefly stood up and bowed to the room, before dismissing their applause and sitting back down.
"The last announcement we have made is an important one. As you all have heard, Long Feng, longtime leader of the Dai Li was arrested back in the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation is happy to announce the arrest and imprisonment of General Gun Ji, who is now safely stored away and is no longer a threat to the world. We would like to thank Toph Bei Fong for being the one to bring in General Gun Ji." Once again, the room erupted into applause. Toph stood up and grinned, "I thought the applause would be louder!" the earthbender shouted, causing the entire room to stand up on their feet for a standing ovation, before finally sitting down.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Zuko finally got the attention back on him. "We are now going to open the floor back up for discussion about the signing of the Peace Treaty. If we as a group decide that we are ready to move forward to voting, we will do so. But, if you feel that you have something that you would like to bring up for discussion, the floor is now open." Zuko sat down, visibly relieved to be done speaking for the time being.
A politician from the Northern Water Tribe stood up. "We have our concerns about the Fire Nation truly being advocates for world peace. The other three Nations were told from the very start that the fighting would end with Fire Lord Zuko's coronation, yet already General Gun Ji became a high-class world threat. How do we know that this wasn't intentionally planned by the Fire Nation? We still have our fears about the Fire Nation trying to take advantage of the other three Nations, even in a time of peace."
Aang then stood up before Zuko or any of the Fire Sages could to defend them. "I would like to remind you that it wasn't solely the Fire Nation's idea to come up with the militia. I was the one who proposed having the Four Nations working together in order to promote peace. At the start, the militia was doing excellent things. They rebuilt the Earth King's Palace that was destroyed in the Siege of Ba Sing Se, and they were there to help with the rebellions that took place as well. Yes, General Gun Ji turned out to be someone different than we had thought he was. But, that's not a reflection on the Fire Nation, that's a reflection on General Gun Ji. If I need to remind you, the militia that attacked me was made up of numerous members of all three Nations, not just the Fire Nation. Every Nation has made mistakes in this time period, but we can't dwell on the past. We need to move forward."
A soft moment of silence took over the room as the politicians pondered the airbender's statement. Then, an Earth Kingdom representative, the same one who had constantly been nagging Aang in the previous meetings, stood up. "Forgive me, Avatar Aang, but I still have qualms about your leadership. You just openly admitted that the militia was your idea, and look how that backfired! How is the world supposed to move forward into a time of peace when you are the one leading us? What skills do you possess that would lead us to believe that everything will be okay?" Soft murmurs started to flood the room as people discussed Aang's leadership skills among themselves.
Katara's face tightened, and she was about to stand up to defend her companion, when a soft arm and gentle gaze was placed upon her. Aang gave her a light smile, before standing up and taking a deep breath. He had this speech rehearsed the entire night, and he was hoping he wouldn't let himself down now. "I agree with you all, there are multiple signs that I am not fit to be leading the entire world. That's why I want to step down from the role of the Avatar."
The room erupted with chatter, cries of resignation and uproar clattering among the walls. Katara shot him a look of confusion, and even Zuko was giving him a weary look. Aang held up his hands to gain everybody's attention, and the room immediately went quiet. "I believe that we have been approaching this the wrong way the entire time. I as the Avatar cannot lead the entire world. That's not my role. My job is to bring balance to the four Nations, and as the last remaining Air Nomad, if I were in charge of the other Nations in the peace movement, I would precisely be throwing that balance off. That is why, I want to take both my role as the Avatar and an Air Nomad seriously.
As the Avatar, I will happily play the role of a diplomat. I will travel the world and help rebuild. We all have suffered so many losses due to the war, and I want to make sure that we cohesively heal together. I will be there every step of the way. However, I want to be an Air Nomad. There are still four Nations, regardless of what some of you believe. I want to restore the Air Temples, teach others about my culture and make my Nation prevalent again. I can still attend meetings as an Air Nomad, and help promote peace like I am doing now. This was our role before the war began anyways.
But, as an Air Nomad, I'm done fighting. I've worked tirelessly with my group of friends sitting around me this past year to help bring an end to the fighting of the war. The three greatest threats to the world have all been disposed, and I don't see a need for fighting anymore. Fighting in a war goes against my own personal and Nation's values, and I'm sure your Nations all are ready to live in an era of peace where you are not constantly fearing an invasion or your lives. So, to answer your question. No. I don't think I possess the proper leadership qualities to lead the world. But, as an Air Nomad, I am happy to promote peace to the best of my abilities, and work alongside you all . . . as colleagues."
A soft chatter took over the room as Aang sat down, the politicians discussing this outrageous claim. Everyone has always looked at the Avatar as a pure position of power, and for Aang to push that aside was baffling. Katara, however, had a sparkling glimmer in her eyes, and she reached over to embrace Aang. "I'm so proud of you Aang," she softly whispered in his ear, "I knew you would find a way to be true to yourself."
Silence took over the room, and no one else took the opportunity to stand, so Zuko himself stood. "I have full confidence in Aang not only as a friend, but as an Air Nomad. He has exemplified traits and values of peace so many times, even while fighting in this war, and I think if we all as Nations commit to the idea of peace as much as Aang does, we have many prosperous years ahead. With that being said, does anyone have any other concerns before we head into a vote?"
The room was silent as everybody waited for someone to stand up, but no one ever did. Zuko took this opportunity to continue. "Then, we as a world will take this time to vote. If we vote to pass this treaty, the war will officially come to an end and we will be entering a new era together. If not, we will pass it along to the Water Tribes to host, and we will have to wait at least another month before we can vote again. All in favor of the Peace Treaty being passed?" The sight was the most beautiful one imaginable for the world. Slowly, hand by hand rose into the air, until every single politician had their hand up. "And against?" No one dared to raise their hand. Zuko then put on the brightest smile that Aang had ever seen from him. "Then we are happy to announce that the world is officially in a time of peace!" The room erupted in applause and cheers, every single person relieved to have finally put an end to this tumultuous war.
The celebratory Ball that took place after was amazing. Immediately after the Peace Meeting, hawks were sent everywhere, messengers were sent to go running through the city to spread the news. The war was over! Zuko was happy to host another Ball for everyone to celebrate the newfound peace that the world was in. For Aang and Katara, this was their opportunity to have the proper celebration that they had wanted before. They took to the dance floor, dazzling the politicians and rest of the partygoers with their dance moves. This time, when Aang dipped Katara, he didn't hesitate to close the distance between them, placing a searing kiss on their lips.
They made their way back to the table where their group of friends was sitting, and even Zuko and Mai were able to join them. As Aang sat down, he noticed that Toph looked particularly grumpy. "Toph, what's wrong?" The airbender asked with a mirthy chuckle, "we're celebrating a newfound era of peace, what could possibly make you upset?"
The earthbender glared back at Aang. "I'll tell you what's making me upset Twinkletoes. All of these stupid politicians. "Thank you for taking down General Gun Ji, you're our hero for saving the world, and so much more gross stuff." She said in a high mocking voice. "If I would have known that I would get all of this extra attention, I would have never lied and taken credit for turning General Gun Ji in, Twinkletoes." The rest of the table burst out in laughter, thankful that pestering politicians were their biggest problems to worry about at the moment.
Then Katara let out a shriek, causing the rest of the table to look at her in concern. "Suki! You're neck!" She pointed out in pure excitement and surprise. She wasn't quite able to formulate the words correctly, but her point came across, and everyone looked at the Kyoshi Warrior's neck to see what was wrong. But, there was nothing wrong at all! A beautiful Water Tribe engagement necklace was now hanging on her neck, the symbols of Earth and Water beautifully carved and etched into the stone.
"Surprise!" Sokka proudly exclaimed, before throwing his arm around Suki, who immediately leaned into his touch. Shooting a loving glance towards Suki, he began to explain himself. "I told Suki that when we got to a time of peace, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. We both knew that while the war was going on that there were other priorities. So, immediately after the Peace Meeting today, I had to do it. I was getting quite impatient, you know. It helped to have Aang the master jeweler over here to put the carvings into the necklace. You did a great job buddy."
The airbender brightly smiled back, before placing his hand firmly on Sokka's shoulder. "Of course, anything for my brother." Sokka's face was immediately placed with pride in that sentiment, and he brought the airbender in for a way-too-tight hug. "Congratulations buddy," Aang barely squeaked out through Sokka's strong arms. Katara immediately was by Suki's side, checking out the engagement necklace and asking for all of the details about the proposal.
Then, Toph spoke up, and brought them all back to reality. "What does this mean for all of us?" She softly spoke with a somber tone. "I mean, we accomplished what we set out to do, right? We helped Aang master the four elements, he defeated Ozai, and now we just secured world peace." There was a brief moment of silence before the earthbender finished her thoughts. "Do we even have a reason to be together anymore?"
An uncomfortable silence fell across the table as everyone pondered this statement. Aang knew that he couldn't provide comfort to everybody, but he would try his best. "I'm an Air Nomad, Toph. I'll constantly be traveling around the world for the rest of my life. But, you all are my family now. Just because we're in a time of peace doesn't mean that we are going to stop seeing each other. You all mean way too much to me. Whatever path that we all decide to take, we're going to make sure that we're still in each other's lives. We're in this together."
The group came together, and shared a group hug. This one was the tightest embrace that they had shared yet as a group, no one sure if they were all quite sure they were ready to let go of each other. As the group continued to talk to one another, Aang noticed Katara silently slip away, heading out to the balcony of the Fire Nation Palace. Aang excused himself from the group, and followed the waterbender outside.
The sunset in the Fire Nation was almost as beautiful as the one they had witnessed in Ba Sing Se. Katara was leaning against the railing, lost in thought, as a gentle breeze rippled through her hair. Aang softly approached her, coming next to her side. He looked at her with admiration and love, and gently placed his arms around her in a loving embrace. "This kind of reminds me of when we officially got together," he gently whispered in her ear.
Katara broke out of the hug, a heavy but gleeful look filling her eyes. "Aang, when you said that you're an Air Nomad and you're going to travel the world . . . what does that mean for us? I love you so much and I can't live my life without you, but do you still have me in your future plans? You have so much to do, and I know you want to restore the Air Temples . . . I just don't know where I fit into all of this."
Aang could only respond with a radiant and warm smile, causing Katara's heart to flutter. Aang then pulled out a black and white flower, and it was the most beautiful flower that Katara had ever seen. He delicately parted her hair and gently nestled the flower in her nest, before leaning her forehead against her. "Katara, do you know what type of flower that is?" The waterbender gently shook her head. "This flower is called a Panda Lily. It's a symbol of love, and is meant to be given to the person that holds your heart for the rest of your life."
The airbender gently took Katara's hands, deep love shining through his eyes. "Katara, ever since you freed me from the iceberg, I was madly in love with you. You've helped me become the best person I could possibly be, and none of what I was able to accomplish in the war could have been done with you. You're my rock, my joy, and my reason for fighting. Now that the war is over, you're my everything. Whatever I do after the war, I want to do it with you, Katara. I don't have a physical home as an Air Nomad, but I do have a home with you. Wherever you are is my home Katara."
Tears filled Katara's eyes as Aang continued to pour out his love for her. "I know it's early, but next year you will be turning 16, and I'll be able to ask you the question I've been waiting to ask since I've first laid my eyes on you. But, I want this Panda Lily to serve as a promise. I promise to love you with all of my heart for the rest of my life, Katara. As soon as you turn 16, I'm going to ask you to marry me, Katara. I don't know what else is ahead in our lives, but the one thing I'm sure of is you. I'm meant to spend every second I possibly can, by your side. Forever."
Both of them were freely crying now, and Katara didn't hesitate to close the distance between them, crashing her lips onto his. The kiss started gently at first, both of them savoring the touch of the other person. Aang then slightly tilted his head, deepening the kiss. Katara threw her hands around his neck, and he gently placed his arms around her waist. All of the love and passion they could possibly provide was poured into each other. They were intertwined with each other, and they would remain that way forever. Now, they had the opportunity to enjoy each other's presence in a time of peace.
And it had just begun.
AN: You guys, I'm literally in tears right now! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this story. I can't begin to tell you how hard it is to try to match somebody else's writing style, and trying to guess how they wanted the story to move forward. Your continuous support has made it so much easier to continue writing this story, and I have felt nothing but love and praise from everyone. You all are amazing!
Some explaining about decisions I made and some extra tidbits:
-Avatarfan792 started their story with "It was over." I thought it would be cool to end it with "It had just begun." As a nice little parallel.
-Sorry for those who felt that the ending was rushed. I recognized that as well, but this is AvatarFan792's story, and not mine. I didn't want to write more chapters than they did, and I want all of the credit to go to them, and not me. It was their wonderful story that started this all, I was just lucky to be the one who continued it :)
-My reason for killing Aang: He had struggled this entire book about struggling with his role as the Avatar. This moment was meant to be a lifechanging one that helps him realize his purpose as the Avatar and become confident in himself in that role moving forward. Plus, it adds just a slight amount of tension and made for a really powerful Katara-based chapter, so I decided I could move forward with it.
-I'm going to be so sad to say goodbye to this version of Aang and Katara! I'm telling you, they were PERFECT for each other in this book. The fluff with them just came so naturally to me, they deserve all the love and happiness.
Once again, thank you everyone for reading this story! I put a ton of heart and soul into this to finish it up, and I just hope that I was able to create the proper ending that AvatarFan792 had created in their mind. As for me, I am not done yet! I have a MASSIVE story project that I will be starting in a couple of weeks after a nice break. It will be a Kataang AU, and that's all I'm going to hint at. If that's something you would be interested in reading in the future, feel free to give me a follow or keep your eyes peeled in early April!
Lastly, to AvatarFan792, you're the reason why we're all here together. Thank you so much for creating this beautiful story, and I'm glad that I could help give the proper ending that it deserved.
RIP, AvatarFan792