•𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲•

20 ~Epilogue~

A/N: Hello! So there was a slight delay on this chapter (which I'm sorry for) because I wrote like five different endings, and I disliked them all, and I'm aware this chapter isn't near perfect anyway. But special thanks to sLoveU375 for basically giving me a writing prompt. You're the best!

Quick note: I'm aware Kya and Izumi are characters in The Legend of Korra, but all I'm basically using is their names and maybe their looks. They won't really be like they are in the show.

Enjoy!

Ten years later...

"A large part of firebending is control," Zuko explained, kneeling by his daughter. He opened his hands and a small flame lit up from his palm. "You need to make sure the fire doesn't get out so strong you can't handle it anymore."

Izumi stared at her hands. "But what if I burn myself?" She asked.

"Then your Mom can heal it."

The girl looked at her father warily. Zuko sighed.

"I thought you were excited to learn how to firebend."

"I am," Izumi protested. "See, I'll do it right now." Izumi opened her palm, but nothing came out, not even a spark. Her face burned and she looked down at her feet in embarrassment.

"Let's try again," Zuko said, trying to not let her feel discouraged.

"I'm not a good firebender like you. All I can do is make little sparks sometimes," Izumi said sadly.

"I couldn't even do beginning firebending moves until I was ten," Zuko assured. "You're already doing better than me." Izumi cheered up slightly.

Katara smiled lightly from her seat on the porch steps, watching her eldest daughter's bending lessons. She was holding her other daughter, Kya, close to her chest. Unlike Izumi, who had the same golden eyes and black hair as her father, Kya had big blue eyes and dark brown hair like her mother. Katara wouldn't be surprised if her youngest was a waterbender too.

The baby snored softly in her mother's arms, not understanding what was happening around her.

"Who taught you how to firebend, dad?" Izumi asked.

Zuko's face darkened. "My father. But my mom decided that she didn't want to be married to him anymore when I was a teenager. And I decided I didn't want him to be my dad."

Katara sighed, that was an understatement.

Izumi just nodded. "Grandma's nice. You don't need him to be your dad anyway. You have me and mommy and Kya."

Zuko looked fondly at his daughter. "I do." He positioned Izumi's hands so they were facing away from the house. "Try and make a flame. Focus on the sun, the inner heat in your stomach." He shot a large flame out of his hands, and Katara winced, hoping he didn't hit the trees.

Izumi pushed out her hands, but nothing still happened. She deflated. "I'm never going to learn to firebend."

Katara frowned and stood up, walking over to her daughter in the backyard. "Don't say that. Sometimes it just takes a while to be able to connect with your element." The mother brushed some of her daughter's thick black hair out of her face.

"I guess. But Tenzin can already airbend really well. And he's my age."

"Don't compare your success to others," Zuko said. "Aang's probably a better teacher than I am."

Katara gave her husband a disapproving look and shook her head. "Why don't you try again and make a flame with dad?"

Izumi nodded determinedly as Katara walked back into the house to put Kya down for the rest of her nap. She placed the baby into her crib and sat down in the rocking chair, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. She couldn't believe Izumi was actually learning to bend. It was hard to process, but her daughter would be turning seven in just a few months. And Kya was even starting to crawl.

Her daughters were the best things that ever happened to her. But her mind sometimes wondered what would happen if they or Tenzin or one of their friends got reaped. She and Zuko would have to mentor them, and try and teach them how to survive, and possibly see them-

Katara dug her hand into her palm, the sharp pain grounding her back to reality. This wasn't a healthy way to think, she reminded herself. The Capitol adores them, they won't have their name in for any tesserae...

Katara sighed and stood back up, decided to make lunch. It was something to do besides sit and think. She began to pull out a bowl when Izumi came barreling into the house, her hands cupped together.

"Mom! Look! I'm doing it!" She said, grinning so hard it looked like it hurt. She opened her hands and inside them, Katara saw a single flame flickering energetically. Zuko came in a second later, smiling just as wide.

"That's great!" Katara exclaimed, relief coursing through her. Ever since Izumi had first shown signs of being a firebender, she had talked and talked about wanting to firebend just like her dad. Katara was glad she was learning before she got too discouraged.

"I'm gonna show Kya!"

Katara's eyes widened as she stopped Izumi from running off again. "Your sister's sleeping, you can show her later. And please, don't run with fire in your hands."

That's a sentence I never thought I'd have to say.

Izumi turned red and nodded, extinguishing the small flame easily. Katara began to start on lunch, boiling the water to make noodles.

"So when can I learn how to fight?" The six-year-old mimicked a punch.

Katara startled and nearly spilled the bag of noodles all over the counter but quickly caught herself. "What do you need to learn how to fight for?"

"I want to be like you and dad. The teachers at school say that you won the Hunger Games."

The kitchen became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Katara felt like all the air had been taken out of her lungs. Luckily, Zuko was the first to say something.

"You don't want to have been in the Hunger Games," he said firmly. "It was really scary and Mom and I didn't want to be there, the Fire Lord made us. We hope you and your sister never have to be in them."

Izumi stayed silent.

"But it's okay, you shouldn't be scared," Katara interjected, seeing her daughter's face. At least, not yet. She knew the Hunger Games were glorified for the children, but it made her sick to think the schools were using them as examples. Even a decade later after her time at the Capitol, her sleep was still plagued with nightmares.

"Okay," she paused. Then her face lit back up. "Can I learn how to breathe fire like Mr. Iroh from the Capitol?" Izumi asked, her eyes wide and innocent. At this age, the girl enjoyed visiting the Capitol each year, not aware of the horrible reason why Katara and Zuko were asked to be there. To her, it was just an opportunity to wear weird clothes and play in the big houses.

Katara laughed slightly. "I don't even think dad knows how to do that."

"It's okay, I'll teach myself how."

Katara smiled contentedly and continued to make lunch as Izumi chatted away about all the firebending moves she wanted to learn. She didn't know if Kya was going to be a bender or not, but she made a promise to love her just as equally no matter what.

She did know the world was far from perfect. The Hunger Games continued, people still starved in her district, no matter how hard Katara tried to use her salary to feed everyone. And no matter how hard she tried, the stain the Games left on her mind would most likely forever exist.

But they would have each other. And that was enough.

THE END.

A/N: It seems so unreal that I've actually finished a book, and that some people actually like it. I've never finished one of my stories before.

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed it!

I will be writing more Zutara, which I will be updating you about on my message board, so keep an eye of for that! Thanks again, y'all are the best.

-BunnytheBookWorm24