Us

Proud

The Fire nation will always remember the day their once lost prince, became their Fire Lord.
After being ruled over by cold hearted men, having Zuko on the throne gave them hope.

Three days after the Agni Kai with his sister, Zuko was about to be crowned.
With Kataras healing, he was able to stand without help, Finally, he thought.
He still has a long way to go on the way to recovery, but he knew he'd get there because of her.
A smile appeared on his face at the thought of the waterbending master.
After years of pain, he finally had everything he ever wanted. Right?
The smile faded.

What if what he wanted now was impossible?
Yes he was home, he regained his honor tenfold, he helped stop a hundred year long war, he was about to be crowned Fire Lord for Agni sake!
But was it enough?

As a pair of ocean blue eyes came to mind, he wasn't so sure anymore.
When had this happened?
When did his heart start to race at the thought of her?
When had the very idea of not seeing her every day, cause him more pain than his sister's lightning?

Shaking these rather troubling thoughts from his mind, Zuko tried to pull on his robe's.
After getting one arm in, he let out a painful grunt, he was tempted to just toss the damn thing aside.

"Need some help with that?" Came a monotoned voice from the doorway.

Turning around, Zuko saw his childhood friend and his ex girlfriend standing before him.

"Mai! You're okay!"
After everything that has happened, it was a relief to see someone from before that wasn't trying to kill him.
He would forever be grateful to the girl that stood up to his sister for him.

"They let you out of prison?"

"My uncle pulled some strings. And it helps when the new Fire Lord's your boyfriend."

Wait...what? Boyfriend?

"Uh-"

She kissed him before he could tell her he didn't want that.
Pulling back from the kiss, she jabbed his chest with her finger.

"Don't ever break up with me again."

She moved to kiss him again, neither one of them saw that the one who saved his life and consumed his thoughts had come to check on him.
But seeing him with Mai stopped her in her tracks.
Did she really expect him to want her?
Fire and Water.
She almost laughed at herself.
Turning around on her heel, she ran
before he saw her.

Stupid. Stupid!
In what world did she think they could be together? Her brother always called her a hopeless romantic.
He was right.
Did she really think that just because he jumped in front of a lightning bolt for her, that he was in love with her?
She'd do it for her friends.
Why wouldn't he?.

"What's got you all tore up Sugar Queen?" Toph said from behind her where she stood on the balcony.
She hadn't even noticed where she was.

Wiping her hand down her face, she hoped she had gotten better at lying to her human lie detector friend.

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

For once, the earthbender couldn't bring herself to call the uptight girl out on her lie. She had an idea as to what was wrong.
A softy by no means, at all, she still hated to see her new family hurt.
Especially the one who mother's her.
She'd never tell Katara, but it meant the world to her that she cared this much.

"Well, it's gonna start soon if you're ready. Sokka said he wants to find your dad. He said for you to help him."

She heard Katara take a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm coming....Toph?"

"Yea?"

Instead of saying anything, Katara pulled the younger girl in for a hug.

Normally, she'd have pushed her off and punched her arm, but after the hell they all went through, she hugged her back.

Letting go, Katara went in search of Sokka.
Toph hung back, listening as her sister in all ways but blood walked away.
She knew what it was like to love someone that you couldn't have.

Sparky is an idiot.

********

Zuko

Walking down the hall towards the doors, leading out to the ceremony, he saw Aang sitting down beside it.

"I can't believe a year ago, my purpose in life was hunting you."

Aang stood and smiled, he was crazy for being jealous before. Zuko was his friend, he wasn't in love with Katara.

"I can't believe a year ago I was frozen in a block of ice!"

"And now-"

"And now we're friends." The Avatar said with a smile on his young face.

"Yea, we are friends." Zuko said, smiling back at the boy that defeated his father when no one else could.

It amazed him how far they had come.
Him, from the angry, hurt and lost boy.
To a man that trained the very boy he hunted to the ends of the world.
To the man that was ready to fight for this world instead of against it.
To the man that would take a lightning bolt to the chest for the girl that opened his eyes with a simple touch to the scar no one wanted to even look at.
He still regrets turning his back on her then.
He couldn't help but wonder if they'd be something more by now if he hadn't been so stupid and joined them then.

He needed to speak to Katara.

*********

After he was crowned, the celebration was in full swing.
Everyone was together again, laughing, eating, dancing, living.

Zuko had gotten a letter from his uncle, letting him know that Ba Sing Se, once again belonged to the Earth Kingdom and he got his tea shop back.
In a few more days, they'd all be joining him to just breathe for a bit. After living in war their whole lives and putting an end to it at last, they deserve a much needed break.

Seeing all his friends and now his people, smiling and having fun, Zuko felt his heart swell.
The war was over and they could all finally starting living their lives.
This reminded him of a certain waterbender he still needed to speak with.
Searching the crowd, he saw Sokka and Aang but no Katara.

Making his way to them, he couldn't help but feel odd as people that once seemed to hate him, part and bow as he passed.

"Hey guys." He said after he reached them.

"What's up Jerkbender Lord?!" Sokka laughed at his own joke.

Zuko laughed with him, something's never change.

"How's it feel to be Fire Lord?" Aang asked grinning at Sokkas sense of humor.

"Unreal almost. Like all this is a dream." He said.

"Well enjoy it buddy! Eat, drink, dance and be all Fire Lordy!"

How this boy took out an air fleet he'll never know.

"Actually, I was wondering if either of you had seen Katara."

Aang felt jealousy surge through once again, but shook it off.
They had gone through something traumatic together. He probably just wanted to thank her for healing him.
None of them had had much of a chance to talk.

Yea, that had to be it. Right?.....