Avatar Katara

After the End

Sang swooped down to the waiting ships. Evidence of a battle was clear. The ships' sails were tattered and torn, and one had even sunk.

Jinora, Meelo, and Rohan were waiting for them when Sang landed. "We heard about Ba Sing Se," Jinora said as the six disembarked. "The Fire Nation has all but won the war."

"And there's that cheery airbender attitude I know and love," Rina muttered.

Meelo shrugged. "Hey, the Avatar came out alive, at least. As long as she lives, there's still hope. You can get settled in your cabins, and then in the morning, we'll plan."

---

"I'm not coming with you," the former king said.

Katara couldn't hide her surprise. "Why not?"

"I can't be tricked by someone like Long Feng again. I'm going to travel the world as a humble man. With Bosco, of course!"

---

Rina scowled over the edge of the ship.

"Can't sleep?"

"Mom?"

Kyoha put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. None of us can. Do you want to talk?"

"Zuko," Rina blurted. "Katara's suddenly decided he's her best friend now. Toph likes him. Even Sokka has accepted him into the group. It feels like I'm the only one who remembers..." She trailed off, looking at her scars.

Kyoha smiled sadly. "If it helps you, I don't trust him yet. But if we don't forgive anyone, how can we find peace after the war?"

"Most people don't hunt the world's only chance for peace."

"Have you ever wondered why he does it?"

"Well...glory, I suppose."

"Maybe you should ask."

Rina shrugged off the hand. "I don't care what his tragic backstory is. It doesn't excuse everything he's done."

"But it might provide perspective. Did I ever tell you the stories about my youth?"

"Yeah, a million times, actually. You were a bandit."

"A bandit queen. My village had been destroyed by the Fire Nation, so I rallied the survivors. We took shelter in the woods and robbed passerby. One of them was carrying a book on ancient Chi-blocking techniques. One day, your father was one of those unfortunate victims."

"Love at first sight," Rina muttered.

Kyoha laughed. "I'm just saying, people change. I won't pretend I did good things. And look where I am, fighting for peace."

---

Dinner that night was a somber affair. Katara told the senior airbending trio everything about the battle and Azula's coup, her friends chiming in with more details.

"I'm sorry about your uncle, my prince," Malu said as she and Zuko munched on fire flakes.

"It's fine," Zuko said in a voice that made it clear it was absolutely not fine. "And I'm not a prince."

"You'll always be a prince to me. No, don't scoff at me, my prince. I trained in the forty-first division. When the major found out about my aptitude for explosives, he had me transferred to the seventh. Two months later, the forty-first was marched into a battle no one planned on them coming back from. No one dared speak up in the defense of the people who were like my family. No one except you."

---

Jinora laid out a map. "Before we can worry about the Day of the Black Sun, we have to worry about this scout ship approaching. Our ships cannot handle another confrontation."