Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ The Next Chapters ❯ Good-bye ( Chapter 1 )
[ A - All Readers ]
By: Miss Luccifer 
Non Anime: Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.20.2009 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.1K | Visits: 435 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.20.2009 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.1K | Visits: 435 | Status: Work In Progress
It was a formal departure, the Fire Nation’s elite standing in formation to see the Avatar and his friends off. Firelord Zuko waited patiently at the foot of the stairs near the flying bison, accompanied by his fiancée Mai, who slid her hand into his. Zuko glanced at her and they smiled at each other. How peaceful he felt, how calm. How was it that, after everything that he’d just been through, he’d somehow managed to find peace? It was as if his whole life had been two jigsaw puzzles that had been thrown into the same box, horribly mixed up and seemingly impossible to put together. Finally, though, someone had sorted it all out and the final pieces had fallen into place.
“I can’t believe this is all over,” Mai said softly, staring around at the troops in their lines.
“Me neither.”
“Where is the Avatar going to go now?”
Zuko exhaled heavily. Appa yawned, and in the next breath the Firelord inhaled something he deemed nearly toxic. Trying to ignore the smell of unbrushed bison teeth, he turned to his fiancée to answer her question.
“Aang will return to the Southern Water Tribe with Katara and Sokka.”
“And the Earthbender?”
“As far as I know, she plans to return to Ba Sing Se. She and my uncle seem to get along well. Now that I’m here, he’ll have some good company.”
The sun beat down upon the city, lighting up the bright blue skies and fluffy cumulus clouds. A bead of sweat formed on the back of Zuko’s neck and trailed down his back. He closed his eyes for a moment and reflected on the past year. How quickly time had flown! And, like the puzzles, everything had finally come into place.
The sound of voices brought the Firelord’s attention to the massive front doors of the palace. Aang, with Momo perched atop his shoulder, tail wrapped around the Avatar’s head, led the group. The Avatar grinned as he approached the Firelord, and stood before him.
“Did you find everything you need in town?” Zuko asked, his raspy voice gentle.
“Oh, yes. We have all the supplies we need to get back to the South Pole. We thank you for your kindness and generosity, Firelord Zuko.” Aang’s smiled had disappeared into a respectfully solemn face. He bowed slightly, but Zuko’s hands reached out and caught Aang’s shoulders. Aang rolled his eyes up to look at the Firelord’s face.
“No, my friend. You defeated my father without killing him. You enabled the Fire Nation to reconstruct. You’ve given me the chance to help bring the people of this world to peace. You are the Avatar, and you will never be required to bow before this throne.”
Tears lined Aang’s eyes and he threw his arms around his friend. “Thank you, friend.”
Zuko, a little stunned at the sudden emotion, smiled and gave the boy a squeeze. Aang moved to board Appa, who seemed to be growing a bit restless. “Easy, boy. We’ll leave in a minute.”
Zuko’s attention now fell upon Toph. Such a tiny little girl, but such great power. Toph, though she couldn’t see, stared straight ahead with a devious little smirk lifting her lips. “So, this is goodbye.”
Zuko, having never actually had much of a personal relationship with the Earthbender, laid a hand on her shoulder, and glanced sideways for a moment. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“But not forever, you know,” Toph went on.
Zuko smiled. “No. Not forever.”
Toph turned to join Aang on the sky bison’s back, looking back briefly to wave. “See ya later, Sparky!”
“Zuko.”
Zuko turned to Mai, who’d gently touched his arm to get his attention.
“I’m needed at home, but I’ll return later for dinner. Alright?” The woman gave her fiancée a reassuring smile.
Concern marked Zuko’s face. “Is everything all right?”
“What? Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine,” she replied, waving a dismissive hand at the subject. “Just some domestics I need to tend to.”
The Firelord visibly relaxed, looking relieved. “Okay, then. I’ll see you later.” They kissed briefly before Mai departed for her home.
When Zuko turned back around, he was inches away from Sokka’s face and jerked back in surprise. “Whoo-hoo! Aren’t you two just the cutest couple? Well,” Sokka amended, leaning back to put his arm around Suki and puckering his lips at her, “Not as cute as us of course.”
Unable to think of any retort that might serve as a good defense, Zuko held out his hand. “Sokka, and Suki. It has been an honor fighting alongside you. Both of you.”
“Hey, it’s our pleasure!” Sokka grinned and, keeping hold of Suki, ran his other arm around Zuko’s shoulders. “We’re always happy to help! What can I say? We all make one hell of a team.”
Sokka was still bragging about the good work ethics and compatibility of the team when Suki dragged him off to get on Appa. Once again, Zuko turned back around and found himself face-to-face with a member of the water tribe.
This time, though, it was different. A strong feeling of camaraderie rushed through him and he thought furiously for just the right thing to say to this Waterbender. This girl that a year ago he might have killed, whether through battle or some other expedition in seeking the Avatar. Now, standing before her, he found shame and horror within himself that he’d ever tried.
She spoke first. “Zuko. I just wanted to say…that is…” Okay, a little awkward. She finally just smiled. “Thank you. For everything.”
They hugged, and Zuko responded, almost in a whisper, “No, Katara. Thank you.”
The embrace ended as quickly as it had begun, and Katara ran to join the others.
As he watched Appa lift off, Zuko once again took a moment to reflect, and realized that there was something leaving him now that he would miss, but would forever hold quietly dear to him now that everything else had changed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the characters therein.
“I can’t believe this is all over,” Mai said softly, staring around at the troops in their lines.
“Me neither.”
“Where is the Avatar going to go now?”
Zuko exhaled heavily. Appa yawned, and in the next breath the Firelord inhaled something he deemed nearly toxic. Trying to ignore the smell of unbrushed bison teeth, he turned to his fiancée to answer her question.
“Aang will return to the Southern Water Tribe with Katara and Sokka.”
“And the Earthbender?”
“As far as I know, she plans to return to Ba Sing Se. She and my uncle seem to get along well. Now that I’m here, he’ll have some good company.”
The sun beat down upon the city, lighting up the bright blue skies and fluffy cumulus clouds. A bead of sweat formed on the back of Zuko’s neck and trailed down his back. He closed his eyes for a moment and reflected on the past year. How quickly time had flown! And, like the puzzles, everything had finally come into place.
The sound of voices brought the Firelord’s attention to the massive front doors of the palace. Aang, with Momo perched atop his shoulder, tail wrapped around the Avatar’s head, led the group. The Avatar grinned as he approached the Firelord, and stood before him.
“Did you find everything you need in town?” Zuko asked, his raspy voice gentle.
“Oh, yes. We have all the supplies we need to get back to the South Pole. We thank you for your kindness and generosity, Firelord Zuko.” Aang’s smiled had disappeared into a respectfully solemn face. He bowed slightly, but Zuko’s hands reached out and caught Aang’s shoulders. Aang rolled his eyes up to look at the Firelord’s face.
“No, my friend. You defeated my father without killing him. You enabled the Fire Nation to reconstruct. You’ve given me the chance to help bring the people of this world to peace. You are the Avatar, and you will never be required to bow before this throne.”
Tears lined Aang’s eyes and he threw his arms around his friend. “Thank you, friend.”
Zuko, a little stunned at the sudden emotion, smiled and gave the boy a squeeze. Aang moved to board Appa, who seemed to be growing a bit restless. “Easy, boy. We’ll leave in a minute.”
Zuko’s attention now fell upon Toph. Such a tiny little girl, but such great power. Toph, though she couldn’t see, stared straight ahead with a devious little smirk lifting her lips. “So, this is goodbye.”
Zuko, having never actually had much of a personal relationship with the Earthbender, laid a hand on her shoulder, and glanced sideways for a moment. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“But not forever, you know,” Toph went on.
Zuko smiled. “No. Not forever.”
Toph turned to join Aang on the sky bison’s back, looking back briefly to wave. “See ya later, Sparky!”
“Zuko.”
Zuko turned to Mai, who’d gently touched his arm to get his attention.
“I’m needed at home, but I’ll return later for dinner. Alright?” The woman gave her fiancée a reassuring smile.
Concern marked Zuko’s face. “Is everything all right?”
“What? Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine,” she replied, waving a dismissive hand at the subject. “Just some domestics I need to tend to.”
The Firelord visibly relaxed, looking relieved. “Okay, then. I’ll see you later.” They kissed briefly before Mai departed for her home.
When Zuko turned back around, he was inches away from Sokka’s face and jerked back in surprise. “Whoo-hoo! Aren’t you two just the cutest couple? Well,” Sokka amended, leaning back to put his arm around Suki and puckering his lips at her, “Not as cute as us of course.”
Unable to think of any retort that might serve as a good defense, Zuko held out his hand. “Sokka, and Suki. It has been an honor fighting alongside you. Both of you.”
“Hey, it’s our pleasure!” Sokka grinned and, keeping hold of Suki, ran his other arm around Zuko’s shoulders. “We’re always happy to help! What can I say? We all make one hell of a team.”
Sokka was still bragging about the good work ethics and compatibility of the team when Suki dragged him off to get on Appa. Once again, Zuko turned back around and found himself face-to-face with a member of the water tribe.
This time, though, it was different. A strong feeling of camaraderie rushed through him and he thought furiously for just the right thing to say to this Waterbender. This girl that a year ago he might have killed, whether through battle or some other expedition in seeking the Avatar. Now, standing before her, he found shame and horror within himself that he’d ever tried.
She spoke first. “Zuko. I just wanted to say…that is…” Okay, a little awkward. She finally just smiled. “Thank you. For everything.”
They hugged, and Zuko responded, almost in a whisper, “No, Katara. Thank you.”
The embrace ended as quickly as it had begun, and Katara ran to join the others.
As he watched Appa lift off, Zuko once again took a moment to reflect, and realized that there was something leaving him now that he would miss, but would forever hold quietly dear to him now that everything else had changed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the characters therein.