Afterward Adventures (ATLA Zuko X OC)

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Good Day to Die

Three Days Later,

Dark... the sky was dark. The weather heavy. Thick grey clouds covered each part of the blue sky. The sun was hidden behind them. There was a small chilling breeze. Everything was quiet. Zuko looked outside the window. He bit his lip trying to contain the need to cry, fists clenched.

His gaze slipped at the little pond in the Royal Garden. A small twitch curled up at the corners of his lips when he remembered the day he had proposed to her. He was ready to face anything that would try to keep them apart. But he was never prepared for death. Tears insisted to escape. He shut his eyes, trapping them in, blinking them away, before opening them again.

The Fire Lilies, around the pond, had withered, just like his heart. The movement in the Capital's streets was silent. It was a day of silence, a day of nothing, but blankness.

He hadn't seen any of the others yet. Most of them were locked in their rooms since the moment it happened, three days ago. How could he even face them? He was sure Aang would be blaming him for his sister's death. Besides, she died in the Fire Nation. His Nation had done so many to her, so much pain, yet still she loved him.

He gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw ached. It wasn't just sadness. It was pain. A pain that didn't sting as much as lightning but it hurt a hundred times more.

The door of his room opened and someone walked in. He could see from the reflection on the mirror that it was his mother. She walked towards him hesitantly. She had recognized that hurt expression on his face. He didn't turn to look at her. He was too distracted at containing his tears back.

He felt a soft touch on his shoulder as she slipped her hand on it, hesitantly. Zuko turned around and he tried to force a sad smile. She gave him a consoling smile, her eyes shining from upcoming tears as well. She had gotten so well along with Iris, she couldn't believe that she... left them before she even had the time to get to know her better.

Before they even had the chance to get married. Most of the others didn't know it yet... I guess they'll never learn about it... Zuko thought bitterly.

Ursa took her son's hand in hers and she kissed the back of his palm. "I know how it feels," she said softly.

Zuko withdrew his hand away from his mother's and he buried his face in his hands gritting his teeth "It hurts even more than you think, mother," he said with a small sob.

"I know,"

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Katara tried to wrap her hair back. Her hands trembled. After a few efforts she finally managed to make her hair the way she'd planned. She wore dark clothes, water Tribe blue but in its darkest shade. Her hair was wrapped behind in a braid and her hair loopies tugging on it.

Katara looked at the mirror's reflection seeing Aang. He was still sitting at his side on the bed in the same position as if he hadn't moved at all. He hadn't talked since that night. He didn't eat much. Well... no one had the appetite after what happened... even Sokka.

She buried her face in her hands letting the tears out. She couldn't keep them. Katara left a small sob. She couldn't stop remembering every moment she had spent with her. They'd been through so many things together. They had survived all of them... why did this happen?

Katara turned and looked at Aang. He had buried his face in his hands. He was wearing his traditional Air Nomad outfit but in a lot more dark shades. She had tried to make him feel a little better but... she knew that she couldn't do anything and she bit her lip harshly focusing her gaze back on the floor...

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Sokka slipped his gaze on the paper again, and again, and again... He soaked the pointy side of the feather in the ink and he tried to write something expecting the idea to just pop out. He sighed disappointedly.