relief |riˈlēf|
noun
1 a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress
• a cause of or occasion for such a feeling
• the alleviation of pain, discomfort, or distress
• a temporary break in a generally tense or tedious situation
2 assistance, esp. in the form of food, clothing, or money, given to those in special need or difficulty
• a remission of tax normally due
• chiefly Law the redress of a hardship or grievance.
• the action of raising the siege of a besieged town
3 a person or group of people replacing others who have been on duty
• Baseball the role of a relief pitcher.
4 the state of being clearly visible or obvious due to being accentuated in some way
• a method of molding, carving, or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface, to a greater (high relief) or lesser (bas-relief) extent.
• a piece of sculpture in relief.
• a representation of relief given by an arrangement of line or color or shading.
• Geography difference in height from the surrounding terrain; the amount of variation in elevation and slope in a particular area.

[via French from Italian rilievo, from rilevare 'raise,' from Latin relevare .]

PHRASES
in relief 1 Art carved, molded, or stamped so as to stand out from the surface. 2 Baseball acting as a replacement pitcher.
on relief receiving government assistance because of need.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French, from relever 'raise up, relieve,' from Latin relevare 'raise again, alleviate.'

Zuko smiled as he watched Katara deliver the food, clothes, and other items. They were on a mission to bring relief to some of the poorer areas still recovering from war. She was out there, giving to the people without a second thought. She was loving, kind, patient, and motherly. She was beautiful. She knew more of what these people went through than he did. Though this wasn't the South Pole, but the Fire Nation. The South Pole would be soon. It would be a surprise to her and a mission to help the people. But it would be different.

The young Fire Lord shook his head at his fiancée. She couldn't do it all on her own. So he soon joined her. He was not about to abandon his nation. He loved it, despite its faults. It was something he would do. He would help with relief missions whenever possible. He found that by visiting the people who needed him the most, her would be of the most help. He felt like it was more helpful than when he sat around the palace dealing with the nobles. The arrogant pricks.

No, this was a mission of relief, to bring assistance to people. But funny enough, all he felt was relief, reassured and relaxed in her presence. That is what she brought him, and what it seemed she was bringing this people. That was who she was and it was what made him love her. Though he couldn't deny he felt relief as well when the people here accepted her.

Not everyone had the forward thinking mindset that he and his friends did, but it was worth it. He felt relief when a day passed by without any problems. He felt relief when people accepted her. He felt relief when she was happy. He felt relieved just to have her close.

Katara looked back at him and smiled, waving him over. He smiled at her in return, something that was becoming easier, but still sometimes difficult. He walked over to the people, helping his wife-to-be distribute the things they brought. As he looked on, he felt relief in seeing her bring relief to other people. Katara was happiest bringing joy to others and that never ceased to amaze him. He knew she'd make a great Fire Lady. He'd been especially relieved when he proposed to her, nervous, mind racing…and she'd said yes. That was probably the strongest sense of relief to him. And looking at these people, he was relieved to see they were making a difference. Together.

A/N: Sooo I kinda went on tangents and strayed and used two definitions and yea. But gimme a break. I wrote this late last night so I could have it ready for Zutara Month's beginning! I promise they'll get better. XD Zuko lurves his Katara. And he's Fire Lord, so she'll be Fire Lady. And…relief can be used in many ways. And I'm rambling. My mind is rambling. I'm hyper and tired all at once. _ Well I love you folks but I gotta get some sleep (while I'm writing this). I'm going to something for SAI and then up to Berry for Candles and Carols on December 1. By the time I post this, I'll have returned! =) I'm a weird child yes. Ta ta for now~~

~ Different Child

(azuremoon on Painted Blue)