Epilogue
One year later
Before he left the Fire Nation for good, Sokka had talked one last time with his the father of his newborn nephew.
"I'm leaving," he stated, standing before the slightly charred desk of the Fire Lord.
Zuko looked up at him, a face so pale and emotionless it could have been carved from marble.
"I'm going to Kyoshi Island." Sokka continued. "Don't follow me. I don't ever want to see you again. We have nothing in common. The only person who ever gave us a true connection is now dead, and after this, I will try as hard as I can to forget you."
Zuko nodded, the barest of movements.
"I don't know what you're going to do now. If you're going to raise the child as royalty or pass him off as a bastard, I don't care."
Zuko said nothing.
"I hope you know that Aang will come back and he will defeat you. Be prepared, because the Avatar won't be happy to hear about the death of his best friend."
"The Avatar is dead."
Sokka's hand trembled. Had he heard right? "W-what?"
"When my search parties went out to find him, a mistake was made and an arrow ended his life."
Sokka struggled, struggled to keep it in, to hold everything in and not show one ounce of weakness to this evil fucker who'd completely destroyed his life.
"I'm still going to Kyoshi. Don't—don't follow me. I don't ever want to—"
"I don't want to see you again either." The Fire Lord said. "Don't worry about me."
Sokka lost it and snarled. "I wasn't going to!"
Then he turned and left, leaving every single part of his old life behind. Katara was gone, Aang was gone. What was there left in the world for him?
He was going to Kyoshi Island.
Two years later, with his own child on the way, Sokka learned that the Fire Lord had wiped out every single citizen of both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.
His wife was worried for him. "What if they learn you're here? Will they come and try to kill you?"
He shook his head no.
Suki persisted. "Are you sure?"
Sokka nodded. "The Fire Lord won't come after me. Don't worry about it."
By the time his second child was born, the newly instated Fire Empire ruled the world. They held control over ever kingdom, tribe, and village on earth. They had been to every city, every town, every habitable piece of land.
The citizens of Kyoshi Island waited with growing despair for their turn.
But the metal-hulled ships of the Fire Empire never came.
Kyoshi Island gradually grew comfortable with the idea that the Fire Empire didn't see them as a real threat. As long as they were left in peace, the Island people were happy.
Sokka lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his house, listening to the joyful laughter of his wife and his children. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a single cloud in the sky. He could still hear the raindrops pattering above his head and leaking through the roof until one by one, they hit his face and ran down his neck and into his heart.
I miss you so much.
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End
Decided to do an Epilogue, which means two chapters in one day for the end of this story. Thought it would be better.
It's August 29, exactly one month after I last updated this fic on July 29. Writer's Block takes it's toll. Some of you were really supportive and wonderful. Some of you were rude and fucking assholes. Guess what? Writers are human. We have feelings, most of which we try to communicate through writing.
Love Thy Enemy takes place a hundred years later and about three or four generations after THATP. Read now.
I had fun, guys. Hopefully you did too. This was one very weird journey, writing my first fanfiction. When all is said and done, I'm very glad it's over with. Yet I'm still sad. Lots of things didn't go as I expected. These last two chapter (including the epilogue) did not go the way I had envisioned it in my head when I began writing. It was very, very unexpected.
This last chapter is dedicated to all of you. Yes, you, the one who is reading this message right this instant. Please review and tell me everything you think, everything you want to tell me about how you've read this fic and what you think and whether you want to kill me or whether you actually liked the ending. I'm not the only who's been living this story.