Us

Still

5years later

Zuko

No no no!
Lightning flashed so bright it blinded him.
Azula laughed harder.
He couldn't move. Move!
"Katara!"
It hit her. Right on her heart. She fell to the ground.

"No!" He screamed so hard it hurt his throat.
Not her. Please Agni, not her!

"What's the matter Zuzu? Did I kill your little pet?" Azula laughed, standing over Kataras lifeless body.

"Please, Katara." He was sobbing now.
Tears pouring down his face.
He couldn't have lost her, not now, not before he told her how much she meant to him.

Azula walked up to him, dragging Katara behind her.
Reaching him, she tossed the dead waterbender at his feet.

"You did this brother. You killed her.
You failed again. You are weak!"
Azula said in his face.
Suddenly, her face changed to his own image.

"You killed her!"

"No!"

Zuko woke with start, jolting upright, gasping for air.

It was just a dream.
The sun wasn't up but he knew sleep would be impossible now.
It always was after the dream.
It was always the same, he always failed to save her and he watched her die.

Throwing off the silk sheet, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.
Putting his head in his hands, he willed his heart to slow and his breathing to steady.

Just in a pair of black pants, he stood up and left his bed chamber to head to his private training area.
It's been five years since he last saw her and he still can't sleep well for the awful nightmares.

The guards, long use to their Fire Lord's habits, followed behind him.

Zuko thought the dreams would stop after so long, but they only got worse.
Even the special blend of tea his uncle sent him, couldn't keep them at bay.
He didn't think anything would.

Reaching his destination, he pushed open the doors and stepped inside, breathing in the comforting scent of sandalwood.
Stepping into the middle of the huge room, he took a fighting stance and tried to chase away the last of his nightmare.

For hours he fought an invisible opponent, going through every form he could think of, even making up his own, sweat ran down his back and face, his muscles screaming from the hard work out. Only when he could no longer move did he stop and collapse on the ground gasping for breath.
He brought his hand to the scar on his chest, remembering the feel of her hands, cool and gentle, taking away the pain.
Would he ever stop missing her?
Probably not, he thought to himself.
He saw the others every now and then. Sokka and Toph had even stayed with him awhile, helping him rebuild.

But Katara had left Ba Sing Se with Aang and he hadn't seen her since.
She sent him a few letters but she mainly just spoke of where her and Aang were and asked how everything here was going.
And it hurt.

Pulling himself to his feet, he left the training room and went to his bathing chamber. After cleaning off all the sweat, servants appeared with his robe's, ready to dress him and fix his hair for the day.
Waving them off, he hated being treated like he was helpless, he got himself dressed and left his now shoulder length hair down.
Making his way to the dinning hall for breakfast, a familiar voice stopped him before he made it to the door.

"How's it going Jerkbender Lord?!"

Turning to see his best friend standing there with his arm's wide open and a smile on his face.

"Sokka! What's up man?" Zuko said, giving Sokka a man hug, slapping his back.

He had grown quite a bit over the years. Looking more like his father everyday. Taller and broader than he used to be, he was still a few inches shorter than Zuko, and apparently was trying to grow a beard. He'd have to give him hell for that later.

"Not that I'm not happy you're here, but why are you?"

" Mind if we sit down and eat first? I'm starving!"

"Sure." He said chuckling at his food obsessed buddy.

Taking their seats in the dining hall, the men filled their plates with Komodo sausages, boiled quail eggs, rice and fire roasted peppers.
Sokka attacked his food as if he hadn't eaten in months, Zuko ate at a much slower pace.

"Before you choke yourself, can you tell me what brings you here?" Zuko said, slightly hoping for news on Katara.

Sokka paused with a mouthful and looked over at his friend.
Noticing for the first time how rough he looked. Dark circles under his eyes, paler then he should be, though he seemed to be healthy. Just like he hadn't slept in years.

"You okay man? Looking kinda rough there." He asked after swallowing his food.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping well."

"Why not?"

Your sister dying cause of me, he thought.

"Being Fire Lord isn't easy." He answered with a shrug.

"Ah, I get cha man. I'm not even Chief yet and it stresses me out."

Zuko gave him a blank look.

"Alright alright! Ya broke me down!"

Zuko raised a brow.

"I'm getting married." Sokka said with a huge smile.

"No way! It's about time you proposed to Suki. Congratulations man." Zuko said with a smile of his own, genuinely happy for both of his friends.

"Yea, made the necklace myself and everything." He said proudly.

"So...is that all?"

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, I was wondering. Our lives only really began here, after Aang defeated your fathe- uh, I mean Ozai, so we were wondering if we could have the wedding here."

"Really? You guys really want to have it here? Why not your all's tribe or Kyoshi island?"

"Katara will be at the wedding."

.......

"When do you want to get started?"