Summary: Zuko and Katara wait for the news about the end of the Hundred Year War to arrive after their Agni Kai with Azula.
Word count: 873
Author's note: I was just thinking about meeting Dante Basco (it's one of my most recent dreams) because I know that he's a world traveller kinda guy (he visited Bulgaria some time ago, which is in the corner of South-Eastern Europe and not too far away from Estonia). If he ever did, I'd love to meet him in person and maybe give him some of my fanart (+ good Estonian chocolate or other great stuff to remember us by) as a gift (like this piece featuring Zuko and the Avatars) or draw something completely new especially for him. Something like Zutara perhaps, since that's his favourite pairing?
So I imagined this picture in my head where those two are all snuggled up together, but by then this story began writing itself in my head because there had to be a reason for it and I wanted to write my take on how they'd deal with the aftermath during the first hours. I just had a very strong urge to write some short (platonic) Zutara fluff, okay!?
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After Sozin's Comet left the Earth's atmosphere, nightfall took over the once crimson sky. Silence prevailed inside the caldera where the Fire Nation capital had been built, everything suddenly seemed so still. The fire burning in the torches on the sides of the pillars lit up the coronation grounds. A bright blue glow was a stark contrast to the dim yellow lights. It came from the water on Zuko's chest.
"Just let me try healing this burnt skin a little bit more, maybe I can reduce the damage.." Katara coaxed, but the process was hurting the firebender more than it was helping him.
"Katara, I.. Argh! I don't think you can heal it any more. It's a scar now."
It's another scar now, she sensed he would've wanted to say. Katara sighed in defeat and waterbended the water back into her pouch. She laid the palm of her hand on his chest, softly running her fingers over the fresh scar. She would've wanted to do more, but apparently scars left from burns were too tough to heal, even for one of the best healers in the world.
Zuko stared back at the person who'd scarred him this time - his sister. Azula was lying chained up right where Katara had left her. Her back was turned towards her brother and the water tribe "peasant", who were now standing up there where she had before, just as she was about to be crowned the new Fire Lord. Her once loud sobs had quietened down. Azula had no intention of giving them the pleasure of seeing her in such a broken state by facing them. They didn't dare to leave her out of sight, at least not until the comet passed. She'd be less dangerous when her firebending wasn't fuelled by it.
Now that the comet had passed and she wasn't a threat to them anymore, all they could do was wait. Wait for news to come from the other side of the world. Did the White Lotus take back Ba Sing Se and free the Earth Kingdom? Did Sokka, Suki and Toph manage to stop the Fire Nation airship fleet from burning down the forests? Most importantly, did Aang defeat Zuko's father? And if he did defeat Fire Lord Ozai, then how?
Zuko supported himself against one of the pillars near the steps leading inside with Katara kneeling beside him while she attempted to heal his second scar. Now that she was finished trying, she simply wanted to lie down and rest while they waited. Zuko beckoned her to come lie down next to him. He could keep her warm in the chilly night. Katara snuggled up against his left side and gently rested her head on his bare chest, slightly above the scar. He laid his left hand on her waist, warming her back by heating up his palm thanks to his firebending. The waterbender sighed again.
"What if.. what if that was the Avatar Spirit dying?" she asked. They'd both seen the red clouds in the sky turn blue on the horizon for a few seconds. And they both knew it had something to do with Aang.
It reminded them of the day they found him near the South Pole. How the tiger seals roared at the sudden phenomenon, how Uncle thought that those were just the celestial lights. How Zuko knew it had to be the Avatar because he wanted to return home so badly after three long years. How Katara simply thought of saving a little boy trapped inside an iceberg.
"I hope not," Zuko mustered the words together. He didn't know what to say. They'd been terrified of going into battle against firebenders during their most powerful, afraid of the thought that they could die while fighting for a peaceful world. But now that it was over, it turned out the silence and waiting was what really started eating them alive. Worrying whether Aang had succeeded or not.
"He has to come back.. he has to.." Katara whispered over and over, several times, trying to assure herself. She closed her diamond blue eyes and tried to focus on something, anything to take her mind off the worst case scenario. Lub-dub.. lub-dub.. lub-dub.. She heard something - Zuko's heartbeat, his heart echoing that comforting faint steady rhythm into her right ear. He was alive thanks to her. If nothing else, she'd saved one of her friends that day.
Zuko's golden eyes grew wide when he suddenly heard Katara sniff, her head shivering against him. A moment later, he felt something wet against his chest, slowly trickling down towards his robes and dampening the scorched edges. She was crying. She hoped with every fiber of her being that she could listen to that sound come from inside Aang, his heart to tell her that he was alive, too.
Zuko knew he wasn't too good at comforting people, he wasn't sure how to comfort her now. He wrapped his free hand around her, too, and hugged her a bit tighter. Katara wiped her cheeks dry.
"Thank you, Zuko.. thank you," she said in a shaky voice, curling up in his embrace. She remembered that she wouldn't have been alive without him either.
"You know, Zuko and Aang were close friends... Yes, my nephew. Their relationship started off a little rocky, but they grew to become lifelong friends. Best friends." ~ Iroh
So, yeah, this moment makes me cry and hits me right in the heart every single time. It's such a beautiful reminder of the dream Aang had when he talked to Zuko in "The Blue Spirit". "If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?" Yes, you will be.
This is merely a small detail I drew last year while watching TLOK Book 3 and finishing this huge masterpiece. The 2014 FIFA World Cup kept me company most of the time, too.
Happy 10th Anniversary, "Avatar: The Last Airbender"! *throws confetti in the air* The amazing group of Team Avatar, including Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Mai, Toph Beifong and Momo (I didn't forget Appa, he was just too big to fit here), in their finale attire is something I always wanted to draw because the ending was simply perfect. Which is why I believe this is the most fitting piece I could post on one of the most fascinating cartoon series' special day.
This was used as a detail for a painting in the background of this picture featuring Aang and Katara, which I still consider to be one of my favourite as well as best works ever. I finished the groupshot exactly a month earlier, on the 30th of June in 2013, and I remember it took me about 2 weeks to complete.
I tried to position the members in the order the Gaang formed, starting with Aang being surrounded by the water tribe siblings, of course. Since Aang and Katara fell in love and eventually became a couple... What am I talking about!? I cried and sobbed throughout the final 10 minutes of the show after Aang defeated Ozai, the familiar blue beam from the beginning entered the sky and everything else followed, especially when "Avatar Aang" began playing. I thought I'd add the same touch to Sokka, given that Suki was in the final scene too, thank goodness! Toph was the next official member, since her friendship with Katara was something that was shown more as well as a dynamic I really loved, I placed them side by side. I could feel the couples starting to steal the spotlight, but I didn't want her to be all alone, hence Momo seemed to be the perfect little pal for her. Speaking of couples, Zuko and Mai also had to fit in here. As their relationships with the original members of Team Avatar weren't that close yet, they ended up on the far right. I paid specific attention to details, like the ways the couples were holding each other as well as everybody's poses and facial expressions in general.
