Anniversary

Part 5

Eight years later

A little girl sits by the turtle duck pond. Her pale skin and raven hair gave away that she is Fire nation, but her bright blue eyes tells that she is the daughter of the Fire lady. "Kya darling, what's wrong?" The Fire lady asked as she walked out to the gardens. Katara had grown up a lot over the past few years.

She lost her girlish figure. Now she was shaped more like a woman. Part of her long brown hair was pulled into a bun and the Fire lady headpiece peeked out of it. Kya looked up at her mother. It scared Katara sometimes when she looked at her daughter, she resembled her aunt Azula so much.

But the little girl's eyes were peaceful and kind, not cold and menacing. Kya was wearing her usual play clothes, her long raven hair was hanging over her shoulders. "Lu ten wont play with me." She pouted. "He says that dolls is a stupid girl game."

Katara hated hearing the sadness in her daughters voice. "Kya, I have a present for you." "Really! What is it!" The small child instantly perked up at the mention of a gift. Katara had finally managed to get her mothers necklace back from Zuko.

She had beaten him at a game of Pi sho, which he pouted over for a week. Uncle was a great teacher and Katara needed something to do while the kids were napping. Katara untied the necklace from her wrist and presented it to Kya. "This necklace has been passed down from Gran-Gran, to my mother, and before she died, my mother gave it to me. Now I'm continuing the tradition by passing it down to you."

Kya gently touched the cool blue stone. "What is that symbol?" She asked with curiosity. "That is a water tribe symbol, and part of who you are." Kya stared at the necklace. "Do you want me to put it on you?" Katara asked smiling as she watched her child marvel at Katara's mothers necklace.

"Yes please." Kya breathed. Katara reached around her daughter and tied the necklace into place. "Now this necklace is very special to me, it's the only thing I have left of my mother, so please take care of it." "Okay mommy, I'll take good care of it, I promise." Katara ruffled Kya's hair.

"Let me tell you a story about Uncle Sokka." Kya smiled, stories about Sokka were always funny. Kya curled into her mothers lap. "Sokka used to tell me the same things about dolls. He used to make me sad when he wouldn't play with me.

"Well one day I passed by our hut while I was doing some chores and I her him talking to himself. I wondered what he was doing so I sneaked up to the window and watched him, and do you know what he was doing?" "What!" Kya asked impatiently. "He was playing with my dolls!" Kya laughed.

"He was? Even after he said it was stupid?" "Well he was playing warrior, but none the less he was playing with them. So maybe if you find Lu ten and tell him you'll play solider, or you can see if he wants to play a game you both like." "Okay." Kya hugged her mothers neck and ran off to find her twin.

Lu ten was dark skinned and he stuck out amongst the Fire nation people, the only thing that made people believe he was the Fire lord's son was his golden eyes. Lu ten ran down the hall, his brown ponytail bobbed behind him. He reached his father's office door and knocked on it. "Who is it." his father asked in a tired voice.

"It's me." Lu ten said sheepishly. "Oh, come in son." Zuko said happily. He was glad for a distraction from the endless paper work he had to do. He hated being confined to his office. Lu ten opened the door and scrambled up into his father's lap. "Why aren't you out playing with your sister?" Zuko asked while hugging his son.

He wondered why he ever worried about being a bad father. He would never understand how you could hurt something that you created. He loved his children with all of his heart. Zuko was wearing his lounging clothes, there was no point in wearing the heavy Fire lord robes while he sat at his desk, even though the sage's tried to convince him other wise.

He had let his hair grow longer and the Fire lord head piece was in place. He refused to grow out the long goatee that the Fire lords traditionally grew, and even if he had wanted to Katara would have cut it off. Zuko's hair tickled Lu ten's face.

Lu ten crossed his arms. "She wanted to play dolls, and that's a girl's game!" Zuko laughed. "I could have sworn that when I passed your room the other day. I saw you playing with Kya's dolls." Lu ten blushed. "I was not!" He said defensively.

Zuko laughed and tickled his son. Lu ten squirmed around, trying to get away, laughing till his face turned red. "I think you should go play with Kya. She is very nice to you and you are luck to have her." Lu ten frowned a little, he knew the stories of his crazy aunt Azula and he was glad Kya was nothing like her.

"Okay dad." He said as he moved to get down, but Zuko held onto him. "Wait, I have something for you." Lu ten smiled as Zuko opened his desk drawer and pulled his dagger out. "This was given to me by Uncle Iroh when I was about your age. Read the inscription."

"Never give up without a fight." He breathed. "Wow! Thanks dad!" Zuko hugged his son "Take good care of it. I'll show you how to clean it and sharpen it later, but right now I want you to go find your sister and play with her. "Okay dad." Lu ten tucked the knife into the sash at his side and raced for the door. Right as Lu ten opened the door Zuko called, "I love you son." Lu ten looked over his shoulder and smiled. 'Love you to dad." Then he was off to find Kya.

Kya rounded a corner in the palace and ran right into Lu ten. They collapsed to the floor. They both laughed and helped each other up. "Hey Kya, look what daddy gave me!" He showed her the dagger. "That's cool! Look what mommy gave me." She showed him the necklace. "It's from the water tribe." "Wow Kya that's really neat!"

He glanced side ways at the floor. "You know if you still wanted to play dolls, I guess we could do that." "Actually," Kya said with a playful smile. "I want to spar." Lu ten perked up "Really?" He said excitedly. "Yeah! Come on, we'll go to the garden. Mommy might still be there, she can watch. It'll be fun!"

Lu ten hugged his twin. "Kya, you're the best!" she shrugged "Yeah, I know. Now come on, we only have a few hours till sun set and I like fighting you when you're at your strongest." She grabbed her brother's hand and they raced to the gardens.

Little did they know a very happy Fire lord had seen them talking. Zuko envied his children's close relationship. "If only me and Azula had gotten along like they do." He sighed into the empty hallway. He followed after his children to join his wife in the gardens.

Kya was a water bender, while Lu tin was a fire bender. They were already more powerful than there parents were at their age. Also being twins they knew the other's strengths and weaknesses like the back of their hands. They would spar until they collapsed with exhaustion.

Zuko had taught Lu ten the true meaning of fire bending, and in the mornings they both practiced lightning bending. Zuko had finally learned how to bend lightning, but Lu ten was still trying to get the hang of it.

Kya and Lu ten where taking a break from sparring. They where sitting by the pond, bending, shapes and people. "Look Lu ten. I made Uncle Iroh." The children laughed as they watched the water Iroh drink tea, while playing Pi sho.

"Oh I've got one!" Lu ten started bending two people. "It's Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki!" Kya giggled. "That's right!" "Mom, look!" Lu tin shouted over to his mother. "That's very good Lu ten!"

Katara giggled as the fire Suki nagged the fire Sokka. She was sitting amongst the fire lilies when she felt a familiar warm hand rest on her shoulder. She looked up into the burning golden eyes of her husband and smiled.

"They are beautiful aren't they." Zuko glanced at his children then smiled back at his wife. "Yes. They have Fire Nation blood in them alright." He said with pride. Katara gently nudged her husband's leg.

"Hey! The Fire Nation blood might have helped with their beauty, but the Water Tribe blood gave them their smarts." Zuko laughed. "Well your probably right about that." Katara placed her hand over the one that rested over her shoulder. "Take a break Love, come sit by me and watch the children. They are making people with their bending, it's quit amusing actually."

"I guess I could take a break from the endless excitement of paper work." Katara laughed as he sat down beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder and he placed his hand on her thigh. He laughed as Lu tin made the fire Suki chase the fire Sokka.

Kya looked over at her parents and smiled. "Hey Lu ten, you know how today is mommy and daddy's anniversary right?" "Yeah. So?" Lu ten answered. "So," Kya stressed. "We should do something cool for them." "Like what?" Lu ten said, a little more excited.

Kya pulled her brother closer and whispered something in his ear. A broad smile creped across his face as Kya unraveled her brilliant idea. Katara glanced at Zuko. "What do you think there whispering about?" Zuko shrugged. "I don't know, but it looks like we're about to find out."

They looked up as their children bound over to where they were sitting. "Yes children." Katara said lovingly. "Mommy, daddy, close your eyes." Kya commanded. Katara looked at Zuko "Okay." They said a little unsure. "We have a surprise for you." Lu ten chimed.

The kids ran of to the statue Toph had given their parents eight years ago. "Oh, and no peeking!" Lu ten called over his shoulder. Kya bent water through the statue of her mother to make it look like the statue was bending a water dragon. Lu ten did the same with the statue of his father, only with fire.

"Okay!" Lu ten called. "Open your eyes!" Kya chimed. Zuko and Katara did as they were asked. They looked in awe at their children's work. They watched with huge smiles as the dragons circled the statue. "Oh. It's beautiful." Katara breathed, her hand over heart. "Very creative children." Zuko said smiling.

The twins ran over to their parents and tackled them. "Happy anniversary mommy and daddy!" They shouted happily. Katara and Zuko kissed their children. "Thank you very much, we loved it." Katara said with love. "Now go and play, it will be dark soon." Zuko said, tickling his children's ribs.

The twins scurried off to play in the settings sun final light. Zuko and Katara smiled and watched their children chase each other around the garden. Zuko kissed his wife. "Happy anniversary my love." He said stroking her cheek. Katara placed a kiss on his scar, and whispered. "Happy anniversary."