Today's the day of the comet, the day when Aang is supposed to defeat Zuko's father. We packed up all our camping equipment and got ready to go back to the Southern Water tribe. "I'm a little nervous meeting your family." I smile nervously. "Our family." Sokka says as he brings me into a side hug. "They'll love you. It'll be ok." Katara gave a comforting smile.
Once we made it to the Southern Water tribe we got off Appa. "Gran gran!" Katara and Sokka yelled happily. I watched them run up to their grandma and hug her. She hugged them back with the biggest smile on her face. Katara motioned for me to join, I looked at Zuko, unsure. "You have a family now, go say hi." I looked back over to the group hug and joined.
"(Y/n)? Is that really you?" Gran Gran asked.
"Yeah..it's me."
Gran Gran brought us three into a tighter hug and almost cried. "I've missed you so much! I thought you and your father were dead that day. I'm so glad you're back." She began to cry. I felt tears brewing in my eyes, I barely knew her, and I was about to cry. We all separated from the hug, and I wiped the tears away before they could fall.
Katara and Sokka looked over to the side and quickly got happier. "Dad!" They ran over to Hakoda and did another group hug. "You should go say hello to him. After all, he's your family now too." Gran Gran patted my shoulder and smiled. I looked at her, unsure, and then looked back at Zuko. He smiled softly and motioned for me to go.
"I just feel like I'm intruding.." I mumble.
"Don't worry, you're part of the family. You've always been part of the family." Gran Gran smiled.
I looked over to Katara, Sokka, and Hakoda. Hakoda looked up and met eyes with me. He opened his arms, signaling me to join the hug. I awkwardly walked up and joined the hug. "I'm glad to have all my kids back home." He spoke then squeezed us all. Hearing them call me part of the family and hearing him call me his kid... I didn't know how to feel.
'I'm happy about it, I mean, I have a family again. But...I still feel like I'm intruding on their already existing family. And I can't help but feel like he's trying to replace my dad, I know that's not his intention but...I don't know...'
I was lost in thought, trying to process my feelings. But I was soon snapped out of my racing thoughts by someone patting my back. "Huh?" I mumble, looking up. It was Hakoda. "I was just saying I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to replace your dad. He was a fine man." He smiled big. "You knew him?" I asked. "No, but Kya told me a lot about him." His big smile turned into a small soft one.
Sokka and Hakoda started to hatch plans with the rest of the men who would be fighting. Katara taught the women some fighting moves as the elders kept the young kids occupied. I sat back with Zuko who was with Appa and Momo. "Shouldn't you be teaching water bending?" He asked. "Yeah, but Katara is a better teacher. Besides I rather keep you company." I looked at him and smiled.
He blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I could use some company." I leaned against Appa and looked at him. "Are you ok?" I asked. All he did was nod his head. "Are you ok?" He copied my question. I avoided eye contact as I nodded my head, copying his response. "I know you're lying. What's wrong?" He asked.
"Discovering I have a family after thinking I was alone is a little bittersweet." I admitted.
"How so?"
"Well, finding out I have a family again was amazing. But now I can't help but feel like I'm intruding."
"You're not intruding on anything. They all love you."
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me next to him. "I know you feel like that, but think of it like this... you may have lost your parents, but now you have two siblings, a grandma, and a stepdad." I looked at him with a cocked eyebrow and giggled. "You suck at advice."
"Yeah, but I made you laugh."
I couldn't help but smile and blush. He's not great at advice but he still tries to make me feel better.
꧁𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚂𝚔𝚒𝚙꧂
It was time to invade the fire nation and defeat the fire lord. Supplies were packed, weapons were ready, a plan was set, and we were on our way. I sat next to Zuko on the submarine Sokka and that other guy came up with. They both have some brilliant minds. I was writing in my journal when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I looked over and saw Zuko. "What are you writing?" He tried peeking. "Oh, just something in case I die in battle. Like what I want to be done with my body and stuff. That kind of thing." I smiled awkwardly. "I'm just trying to be prepared." I closed my book and put it away.
We made it to the Fire Nation undetected. As soon as we surfaced, we immediately started to get shot at. And so the fight began. Everyone immediately went into formation and followed the plan. Everyone was fighting and getting as many Fire Nation soldiers down as possible. We kept making our way down and eventually reached the Fire Nation Palace.
Our army stayed back to fend off the remaining soldiers as Katara, Zuko and I fought Azula. Aang separated from the group to take care of Fire Lord Ozai. Azula challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai, Katara was about to step in to help him but I held her back. "What are you doing? We have to help him." She looked at me confused. "It's an Agni Kai. The rules are one on one. We'll step in if he loses." We stayed far away to not get hit with crossfire.
"Kick her ass Zuko!" I yelled.
He briefly looked at me and smiled, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Aw someone's finally got a girlfriend. How can someone love somebody like you?" She hissed as she threw her first shot. "Girlfriend? You're dating him?" Katara looked at me a little surprised. "No, but we do both love each other. We haven't gotten the chance to talk about it." My face felt hot to the touch.
We watched the fight go on and as it progressed Azula got more sloppy and erratic. Katara couldn't handle watching this anymore and had to help him. "I know rules are rules but we can't just sit back. We have to help him." She then ran up to Zuko and helped him, using her water arms. Azula bent lightning and shot it toward Katara. Zuko jumped in front of her and redirected it to hit the nearest building.
Zuko fell onto the ground in pain as Katara kneeled down to try to heal him. This is when Azula started to scream and shoot fire in random directions. She was throwing a fit like a toddler, she had officially lost her mind. I decided to join the fight and put an end to Azula. "Katara! Can you heal him and keep him safe?" She nodded and began to heal him. Zuko groaned and tried to look at me.
I ran over to Azula as I put her fire out with water. "You used to be cool!" I yelled angrily and shot a fireball to her face. She snapped out of it and split the fire. She sent a wall of fire towards me in an attempt to get some distance between us. I blocked it by making a wall of water to crash into it. The fire went out as the water evaporated. I did my family's move and created a water whip, once it reached her the water turned into ice.
She got a cut on her face and fell onto her butt. I took this second of vulnerability to do another water whip. Another cut on her face appeared. She stood up and wiped a small amount of blood off her face. Katara joined the fight as Zuko was on the side recovering. Katara was rapidly firing water toward Azula, she was completely distracted. I took a deep breath and got into stance, focusing on the water in her blood.
Azula stopped moving and was stuck in place. I now had control over her. I focused on her blood getting hotter, and evaporating from her body heat. "Bring her over here!" Katara yelled snapping me out of focus. I made Azula walk to where Katara instructed. Azula was trying everything she could to get control back but she couldn't.
Azula was now where Katara needed her to be. Katara found a chain nearby and used it to tie Azula to the pillar. Once she was done tying her up and gave a thumbs-up I stopped controlling Azula's blood. Azula has now lost, she realized she's lost and she started to throw a fit again. Katara and I ran over to Zuko to see how he was doing.
"When did you learn how to do that?" Zuko asked taken aback.
"Blood bending? We learned from a water bender in the hills." I shrugged.
I helped Zuko stand up and asked if he was ok. "I'm ok, it's just some residual pain." I looked over at Azula who now has worn herself out. I looked back at Zuko and rubbed his back to show him my sympathy.
꧁𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚂𝚔𝚒𝚙꧂
"Congratulations on becoming Fire Lord. You'll make a great leader." I smiled happily as I fixed his crown.
"You think so?" He asked a little nervous.
I nodded my head and motioned him to walk outside. "Now go greet your people." The workers in the Palace got ready to open the curtain. "Have fun being busy all the time." I quietly giggled. "I guess that means we'll have no time together." He softly chuckled. Zuko looked at the curtain and then back at me, he held out his hand and smiled. "Join me." I looked at his hand surprised then looked up at him.
"What..?" My eyes widened.
Zuko turned to fully face me and took both my hands into his. "I mean join me, stand by my side through it all..." He was rambling a little but all I could focus on were his eyes. His eyes were hopeful, genuine, happy, and scared. "You.. you mean?" I started the question but I couldn't finish it. My eyes started to brim with happy tears.
"Marry me."
As soon as I heard him say that I threw myself on him wrapping my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed me. "Yes, I will." I smiled big as I brought him in for a kiss.