"I'm not so sure about this, I don't think, hold on—" Y/N was a mess, backing away from the curtain as she stuttered on. 

          "Come here." Zuko laughed, pulling her close and turning her to face the mirror. There were the special silks he had given her almost a year ago, then there were these. She looked stunning in the red royal robes, but that didn't calm her nerves much.

          "You'll be perfectly fine, Aang's going to be out there, too." Zuko pushed a loose hair back from Y/N's forehead, smiling at their reflections. 

          "I don't feel like I should be here, I need to be in the crowd watching." She worried, adjusting her sleeves a little. 

          "But I want you to be there, oh, and I almost forgot something..." Zuko walked over to a small nearby chest sitting on a low table. He opened it, and took out a familiar metal object.

          "You... kept it." Y/N realized in amazement, letting Zuko attach the container to her belt. When he let go, it was slightly hidden by her robes, but still showed, and somehow went well with the red. It still had water in it.

          "Of course. Azula destroyed the other one, but I can make a new one. You'll have the old one, and a new as a pair." Zuko smiled down at her, watching her run her fingers over the carved inscriptions. 

          "Thank you." Y/N reached up, kissing him on the cheek. "You look amazing, Your Majesty. Honor is a good color on you." She adjusted his collar, looking him up and down. 

          "Ready?" Aang walked around the corner, wearing Air Nomad inspired robes. Zuko nodded, but Y/N hesitated.

          "Come now, where's the fiery spirit from a year ago?" Zuko chuckled, grabbing her hand and stepping through the curtain without warning. Y/N yelped quietly. One second she was in the darker corridors of the palace, the next under the sun, and hundreds of eyes. She squinted, looking around at the crowd below as they erupted in cheers.

          "Please! The real hero is the Avatar." Zuko stepped aside, and Y/N followed, never letting go of his hand. The crowd cheered again as Aang stepped out onto the steps from the curtain. Y/N looked out over the crowd, where her family was. Katara was smiling, hanging onto Hakoda's arm, but Sokka caught her eye, letting go of one of his crutches to wave.

          Y/N gave a small wave in return, her nervousness vanishing, replaced by a bubbly warmth in her chest. Sokka, her family, everyone, they were all with her. Zuko squeezed her hand gently, a small smile on his face.

          "Today, this war is finally over." He announced to the crowd. "I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will." He paused, looking over all of the faces from different nations. 

          "The road ahead of us is challenging. 100 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." Y/N let go of Zuko's hand as he spoke, stepping away as he knelt, and a sage approached with the crown.

          She fought tears as she watched. He was ready for the responsibility the crown had. She was ready. They were ready. They would carry the burden of ruling together someday, but for now she would support him as best as she knew how through every coming challenge. 

          "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" The sage announced, placing the crown in Zuko's hair. Y/N cheers melded with those of the crowd as Zuko stood, but she cut off in surprise as he turned, reaching out for her.

          The moment was surreal. The cheering crowd faded into a distant hum. Zuko held out his hands, a wide smile on his face, and a new light in his amber eyes. They had both been through so much, but they were here. Alive. Together. Ready for the coming storms. 

          They had talked about her curse. Yes, it would follow her for the rest of her days, but Zuko was more than willing to work through it with her. She would go to the North Pole soon, to learn control from Pakku, and stay in close contact with La through the process. She would help with repairing the city while there.

          It would be awhile before she could see Zuko again, but that was alright, he needed to get used to his new role, and he would be waiting when she returned. No matter how long she was gone, he would wait for her.

          All this went through her head within the span of a few seconds, and Zuko's whisper, barely audible over all the noise, brought her back to the present. 

          "I'm ready." Zuko's smile only got bigger as Y/N placed her hands on his. With a joyous laugh, he pulled her forwards to stand beside him, facing the crowd. 

          "You were so unsure about this yesterday." Y/N commented quietly, smiling at the crowd. "I'm glad you've accepted it, but what changed your attitude so quickly?" 

          "Well," Zuko didn't look at her, waving to the people below. "I realized something, you know, through all this, whatever happens, even if I mess up, or get lost..." Everything but Zuko seemed to disappear as he looked down at Y/N.

          "I know that you'll always Find Me."

                              —End of Book 1–

          Wow, we finally made it, Book 1 is finished! Huge thanks to everyone for being here, and I know I can look forward to seeing you guys in Book 2, where we move from the show to the comics, and all the issues with fixing a broken world. 

          If you have not read the comics, I encourage you to before reading Book 2, not just as to not spoil anything, but they're also just good. :)

          Anyways, have a brilliant day! There is no set date for book 2, but definitely keep an eye out for it!

                    —StarSensitive