silver soul | avatar, the last air bender

chapter thirty eight

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"So...the war is really over, huh?" Naia asked. A recovering Zuko nodded. He suddenly winced and lightly tugged at the bandages surrounding his torso. Naia sat at the foot of his bed. Naia shot him a look. "You know, you're really dumb for jumping in front of Azula's lightning bolt."

"And you're really dumb for electrocuting yourself and Azula," Zuko retorted.

Naia opened her mouth to say something, but sighed. "Shut up," She grumbled. Suddenly, her face dropped. "Is she...you know?"

Zuko shook his head. "I'm convinced at this point that Azula is immortal."

Naia nodded her head. "It feels weird that's it's all over."

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"Because," Naia started, playing her hands. "I've always felt this threat of impending doom. Like the war will never end and everyone I know will die. But now, it's all gone. It feels...peaceful. Like I don't have to worry about the people I care about dying anymore. This whole time I've been so focused on the present. Living day to day and just surviving. Now that the war is over, it's making me think about how much of the future I don't have planned out. I don't know what to do with myself."

Zuko blinked at her. "Uh...I mean there's a lot that still needs to be done. Like how I have to rebuild the entire Fire Nation, the same nation by grandfather and father poisoned. Or how I'll get the other nations to trust us, after all the wrong we've done. But one thing I've learned over this past year is that you have to do what makes you feel most content. You shouldn't live your life by others. Trust me, I learned my lesson. I've been meaning to ask," Zuko's tone suddenly changed. Naia instantly perked up. "Since my coronation is tomorrow, I was wondering if you would like to stand by me while I'm being crowned."

"Me?" Naia asked. "Why?"

"Because...you're my friend. Not to mention, you're princess of the Northern Water Tribe. You would represent a whole nation of people who were greatly affected by this war that my grandfather started," Zuko explained. "I want to demonstrate peace and harmony between our nations."

Naia thought about it for a second. She lightly smiled. "I would be honored to."

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The next morning came, with Naia rising with the sun. She was quickly whisked away and had her hair and makeup styled by Fire Nation servants. Naia started to feel like she was back at home again. She could barely remember the last time she was dressed by other people. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Naia slipped on a beautiful dark blue gown and robe in the same color with shimmery silver etching. The color reminded her of the deep parts of the ocean and how they shimmered in the moonlight. Her hair was put into an intricate braided crown. It was the first time in a while that she felt like a princess.

She was escorted to the entrance of the Fire Nation's palace courtyard, where the coronation would be taking place. Naia peaked through the curtains and look at how many people were amassed to witness Zuko's crowning. It was certainly a lot more than the entirety of the Northern Water Tribe. She saw a good amount of people in the crowd wearing blue. Naia felt a sudden feeling of pride, that she would be the representative of both the water tribes. Even if her future was undecided, she knew she wanted to represent her people, a common humanity, and the greater good.