AVATAR

The Young Lady Of Legends

She was a shy, self-centered and overall lazy dreamer from our world, transported to the world of Avatar where she's the stuff of some sort of legend. She also can't continue being lazy, not if a certain agitated prince gets his way. ZukoXOcc

O~O~O~O

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Light Pink

"This was…my contract." I replied, surprised by how steady my voice sounded. "In order to save myself before, I had to come into my full Priestess powers early, but…there was a price to pay."

O~O~O~O

Zuko's P.O.V:

I stood by my window as the morning sunlight streamed in. The bandage around my torso was making it difficult for me to put on my outer robes – it was the day of my coronation ceremony. I had to get these robes on, but my body wasn't cooperating.

Just when I was wondering what would happen if I was to ditch the day completely, I heard a reasonable-sounding voice say: "You need some help with that?"

I turned around quickly, and was shocked to see Mai leaning against the doorframe, smiling calmly.

"Mai!" I cried, as she walked towards me. "You're okay!" I held out my arms to her, and we embraced. "You're not dead!"

"Clearly." Mai replied, though she was smiling, as she let go of me and helped me into my robes. "Azula actually came to get Ty-Lee and me out of prison…she was acting rather…strangely…" She looked into my eyes. "And you…are you okay?" She put a hand on the side of my face.

I closed my eyes briefly, and then opened them to look right at her. "I'll be fine…"

"Good." Mai nodded. "Because the Fire Nation needs you."

I nodded as well. "I know…I hope I can become the ruler they want me to be."

"You will." Mai replied confidently. "I'll be here to tell you if you don't."

I knew she meant it, too. If I wasn't a good ruler, I'd probably end up with a stiletto in my eye.

"Friends?" I asked her, holding out my hand.

Mai took it. "I'm your advisor, actually…but…yeah, friends, too." She agreed.

We smiled at each other.

O~O~O~O

I walked down the corridor, and came across Aang, who was meditating.

I realized that, not only did I owe him everything, but my people did as well. There was no way I could ever repay the debt, except by making sure that the Fire Nation never fell back into the avarice again.

"I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down, and now…" I trailed off.

"And now we're friends." Aang smiled.

"Yeah…we are friends…" This was the second time I had used that word today, and it felt good to say it out-loud.

"I can't believe a year ago," Aang rose. "I was still frozen in a block of ice. So much has happened…the World's so different now…"

"And it's gonna be even more different," I told him. "When we build it together."
O~O~O~O

Today…this war is finally over…I promised my Uncle that I would restore the honour of the Fire Nation, and I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred, and divided. But, with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace.

O~O~O~O

Aang's P.O.V:

We were back at Iroh's tea shop, in Ba Sing Se.

'We' meaning myself; Katara; Haru; Toph; Suki; Sokka; Mai; Zuko, Zhu and Iroh himself.

Sokka was getting annoyed at Zuko for moving, and explained to us that he was trying to 'capture the moment' on paper.

Katara had what looked like Momo's ears, but Sokka swore up-and-down that those were her hair-loopies.

Zuko claimed that he looked like a Boarcupine, and that his hair was not that spiky.

Mai thought she looked like a man.

For some reason, Suki was Firebending. Zhu wanted to know why her hair looked like the spikes drawn around the sun.

Haru's moustache covered almost all of his face, and Toph looked like her Wanted poster.
Iroh wasn't happy about how big he looked.

I walked out of the room then, as Zuko stated, very calmly, that Emma had never been as short as how Sokka had drawn her.
I stood out on the balcony overlooking Ba Sing Se, and the sun was setting in a perfect combination of orange and gold.

Katara joined me.

"He's still upset." She whispered to me.

I nodded. "I know…even though he's trying to be strong, it's still going to be hurting him. And…it probably will…forever…"

Katara sighed. "I feel bad, about starting our relationship, when Zuko's just lost his…"

I looked at her. "Don't feel bad about it…Katara…there's something I didn't tell Zuko…"

"What?" She asked me.

"Well…it's what you guys said…how Emma's body disappeared into a million points of pink light…" I looked down at the necklace I was wearing, that I had once made for Monk Gyatso. "And, then they were talking about the vow they made back at the Western Air Temple…when two people who are bonded the way I think they were make a true vow like that…then…the heavens and earths will be shifted to make it happen…"

"So…" Katara looked at me. "There's a chance that she's still alive?"

I nodded. "I don't want to tell Zuko yet, though…just in case…"

Katara blinked, but there was a slight glimmer of hope in her beautiful blue eyes that hadn't been there before…

Just then, we both heard the most beautiful and haunting song ever, and knew that, for just a moment, Yang-Chong had returned, to mourn for his fallen mistress one last time.

O~O~O~O

Somebody's P.O.V:

I looked up at the sky, as the beautiful song of a mourning phoenix grew louder, and then a golden male phoenix appeared.

He dropped a Black Dragon Ring into my hand, and landed on my arm, crying mournfully.

"There, there, little one…" I said calmly, running my hand down the length of his back. "I understand…don't worry…we can make everything all right again…" I promised him. He looked up at me with gleaming blue eyes. "That's right, little one…I am the Priestess Of Dong Wu…" I could see my face reflected in the phoenix's blue eyes, and my own calm, golden eyes. "I have been to the Spirit World and have come back…and now…" I looked out towards the West, as if seeing my home nation beyond the horizon. "I am ready to go home…and see my children…I can make everything alright again…for my daughter...and for my son…"

O~O~O~O

Nobody's P.O.V:

The young lady wore a black singlet, a black waist tie with a red ribbon over her black skirt, black strappy-shoes and a red yin-yang pendant on a red choker around her neck.

She was crying but, for half a second, she couldn't remember why, until she looked at the television and saw the screen frozen in place. Oh, that's right – she'd brought the movie, The Last Airbender, without permission, and she'd gotten punished for it.

She looked at the screen and said, in a completely normal voice: "Zuko…I wish you were real…"

O~O~O~O

~~Jiéshù~~