He was not yet a man grown, still climbing to the heights of adulthood, and already he was tested in restoring what generations before him had ravaged in their avarice. There was no question that there would have to be compromise, but he still remained the recipient of the waging war between good and evil, of his two great grandfathers, Fire Lord Sozin, and Avatar Roku. Good intentions wouldn’t be enough when he had to make the right choice, and he had plenty. Zuko was not alone —— this he was reluctant to acknowledge, and ignored those closest to him in consequence. His uncle had been his greatest advisor, but he had taken his words to heart. Instead, he had turned to someone nobody would have expected.
It was not infrequent, in the midst of the colony crisis, that he conversed with his father in the dead of the night. His father, the man he had menaced with his own dual blades, the man who had burnt his face to crisp whilst he begged for mercy, the man who had him banished for three long years, sent on an impossible quest. Zuko did not take his words lightly, or trust them to their full extent, but even to lend an ear to the sayings of a deranged and cruel man was a mistake. It would seem his entire life was nothing but a series of blunders, gaffes, that all proved to be more fatal than the last.
It was even more of a mistake when he did not disclose his concerns, the tumult of his mind, with the one who ought be his confidante. He had wronged her, and even when she had requested his trust once, he had wronged her again. And now he turned to Katara, once foe, the opposing element to his own, now friend, and perhaps just the adviser he needed.
❛ You’d think it’d be easy for me to sit on the throne. I have the blood of rulers in my veins, I am the rightful heir. Their task was different, though. It takes seconds to destroy, but it takes years to rebuild. I’m only making it harder for myself by distancing myself from Mai. ❜ She had been his only attachment remaining within the Fire Nation when he had made the choice to leave and fulfil his destiny, and a never-ending source of support. ❛ There’s just too much on my mind. I don’t even know where to begin! I thought it would be easy once the war was over, but it’s not. How can I rule a nation if I can’t even have a grasp over my own life? ❜ His troubles had only just begun.
maybe it was childish to think after firelord ozai was defeated, that the world would snap back -- not necessarily immediately, but, certainly with less difficulty than what they currently faced. the scars were too deep, people were not easily trusting, and all were still reeling with the sudden beginnings of change, attempting to find their place once more in this new world, albeit quite tentatively. after all, things had been terrible for so long, although she wished ( naively, certainly ) everyone would leave the past behind them to band together, it was understandable that many did not wish to budge. but, that didn't mean there wasn't hope for the world; though it did mean more work was put upon the shoulders of the individuals who spearheaded the war's end.
adult duties in the hands of teenagers, who had their own fair share of normal grievances that would not wait until the world was pieced back together. they would figure it all out, she was sure ( growing up, handling the reconstruction of the four nations and rebuilding the trust lost, navigating the unfamiliar eaters of relationships and being caught between still being young and taking on big responsibilities ); but that was because they weren't alone. they had each other --- and they always would.
❛ zuko, we're still kids. you're still one too, even if you're on the older side of the spectrum. and you, more than anyone, have had to fight to find yourself. all your life you struggled to get to where you are now, where you should be, and no one else deserves to lead the fire nation more than you. these people will have struggles of their own, as they try to reaffirm their own identities, and what it means to be a firebender------ you can help them, because you already went down that path. they'll need your help to see it, and to not give up, even when they meet resistance, or doubt themselves.❜
the irony of this wasn't lost on her, considering their circumstances. never would she have thought that one day, she would be giving advice to zuko, of all people; yet he had earned that, and more. and, despite sokka and toph's jabs, maybe she could be preachy at times, bursting from the seams with hope and belief in her friends, but clearly that could be needed. katara would be lying to deny the fact that she liked being needed, and she liked helping people; and she would never turn her back on someone who needed her.
❛ i think she realizes the pressure that's on your shoulders; and that distance is bound to happen now and again with all that's going on. but if you don't take the time --- even a few moments --- to un-distance yourself, and reaffirm the fact that she has a place in your life, even when it's hectic, it'll only get worse, for the both of you. maybe, if you can, include her in some of the political meanings? or, if you go out to the colonies, invite her along. if she can't go for some reason, the fact that you thought to ask will mean a lot. girls might seem very complicated to guys, and we can be at times, but mostly we just want to know we matter, and it's the little gestures that say that the most. ❜
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