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Assistant: Title: My Heart Burns for You
        Author: alwaysZutarian alwaysZutarian 
        Chapter: 5/78 
        Summary: Four years have passed since the end of the war, but as they meet again and encounter many obstacles, Zuko and Katara realize that whom their hearts truly burn for is one another. Can they love each other knowing they will hurt those that love them? What will become of them when a new enemy appears with a vengeful plot to destroy everything they had worked for to bring peace?
        Contents: Chapter 5: Special Moments
    

    


      
        
          *Revised 6/24/2020*
      
  

  
  
    
    As soon as they arrived at the Fire Nation Palace, Aang ran to take Appa for a ride and the rest retreated to their rooms—Toph very much happy to be on solid ground again.Zuko quickly made his way to his study, his guards and servants bowing to him as he passed them by. He opened the door once he arrived, and just as he suspected, found Iroh and Chao drinking tea and playing Pai Sho at a small table set up on one side of the large room.“Zuko! You’re back!” Iroh called out cheerfully as he looked up from staring with a contemplative frown at the game board. Chao turned on his cushion and greeted the Fire Lord with a respectful bow as the young man passed them and made his way to his large desk.“Care to join us for some delicious jasmine tea?” Iroh asked. “And while we are at it, you can tell us all about the exciting things that happened during your vacation on Ember Island.” The retired general beamed.Having already known the group had arrived, Iroh had asked a few servants to bring some refreshments. Before Zuko could respond, the servants arrived with more tea and pastries before they quietly left the room.“Why didn’t you send me information about the colonies, Uncle? I told you to send me a message if something came up,” Zuko said gruffly, not bothering to answer his uncle’s suggestion. He sat at his large work desk and began to look through his papers.Iroh turned to Chao with a twinkle in his eyes, and as he stretched out a hand, he whispered, “Pay up, my friend.”Chao rolled his eyes and, producing a gold coin from his pocket, gave it to the grinning old man.“I guess nothing interesting happened,” he whispered back.Iroh chuckled as he took the coin and tucked it into his sleeve. Zuko would never admit he had fun out loud.“What are you two doing?” Zuko asked as he lowered the papers and raised a suspicious eyebrow at them.“Oh, nothing,” Iroh replied airily as he nonchalantly waved his hand before him. “To answer your first question, the news was not urgent since the situation has been the same since you left. Moreover, I knew that if I wrote to you about it, you wouldn't have hesitated to cancel your vacation. And we could not have that,” the old man finished.He turned to his old friend and Chao nodded in agreement.Zuko muttered darkly under his breath. He should have figured that out before.“Have any letters arrived from the earthbenders Toph sought out?” he decided to ask instead.“Yes, a few, my lord,” Chao answered as he walked over to the large desk and handed Zuko the letters.“I’ll ask Toph about them later,” Zuko commented. She would know better.After Chao and the servants who arrived to take the dishes away were dismissed a few minutes later, Iroh got up from the low table after picking up his steaming teacup and sat in front of Zuko’s desk with a gleam in his eye that made the younger man look at him warily.“Now you can tell me how it went on Ember Island,” Iroh said excitedly.Or how it went with Miss Katara, he added mentally.Zuko had to keep from rolling his eyes, and instead, settled on leveling his uncle with a blank stare. Though he knew he would not get out of this one until he had satisfied the old firebender’s curiosity.“It went fine,” Zuko replied curtly as he returned his attention to the papers before him.“How fine?” asked the eager old man.“Just fine, Uncle,” Zuko answered impassively as he picked up his ink brush and with graceful strokes of the thin writing instrument, began to write.Iroh stroked his chin in silent contemplation as he watched his nephew immerse his full attention on what he was doing.I need another way to make Zuko tell me how it went, even without full sentences, Iroh mused. A thought crossed his mind and a small grin curled his lips as he picked up his teacup and inhaled the sweet aroma.“So...did you like the bathing suit I chose for Miss Katara, Zuko?” Iroh asked innocently as he took a sip from his tea.Zuko jumped slightly at the sudden question, causing a smudge to appear on the paper he had been writing on with the ink brush. He cursed under his breath.Did I like it? Oh, how I liked it! Zuko answered quickly in his mind before he mentally shook his head as images of Katara wearing the mentioned bikini—as well as the sight of her wet skin—flashed before his eyes.He cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his seat as a heat spread through his body.“It was…nice,” he replied coolly as he tried to keep his face placid, but it did not work for his flushed right cheek.Iroh did not miss it and he grinned into his cup.“So what else did you do at the beach?” he asked.Besides gawk at Miss Katara, he again added mentally. Iroh raised his teacup in order to hide his ever-growing grin.Zuko shrugged as he returned his attention to the papers.“We played a game,” was his short answer.“I bet it was a fast and easy game,” Iroh said innocently, knowing his nephew hated to be considered a man who enjoyed something that was no challenge to him.“Fast and easy?” Zuko snorted. “You should have seen how challenging it was.”“So I take it that Miss Katara beat you.”“She did not beat me!” Zuko defended himself as he looked up to glare at his uncle.“Well, who won then?”Zuko looked back down at his paperwork with a scowl.“No one,” he muttered, remembering Aang's outburst.Iroh threw his head back and laughed.“It is not that amusing!” Zuko growled irritably, yet Iroh was the only one he allowed to make him feel silly. “I just got…distracted.”Iroh raised his eyebrow in curiosity, but his nephew did not go into details. The retired general was silent for a moment before he decided to try another tactic in order to get what he wanted to know.“I bet you stayed away from the water,” he teased as he again took up his teacup.“Well, you bet poorly because I did go into the water,” Zuko said absentmindedly as he placed his royal seal on a document. “Especially since Katara splashed me with a wave, but I sure got her back, and then I grabbed her—” He trailed off and shut his mouth quickly as he noticed his uncle’s gigantic smile. “What?”“So you went into the water with Miss Katara and grabbed her, huh?” Iroh grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows before sipping again from his cup.Zuko flushed slightly as he fought from gaping at his uncle.“I grabbed her wrists! Because she was going to crush me with a wave!” he growled lowly.“I see…” Iroh stroked his white and gray beard. To Zuko’s chagrin, the old man grinned even more widely.“Uncle, don’t start getting any ideas,” Zuko warned as he leaned forward to level a mildly threatening glare at his beloved yet irritating relative.“Me? Ideas? Oh, Nephew, you wound me!” Iroh exclaimed as he dramatically touched the left side of his chest.Zuko rolled his eyes just as Toph barged in, throwing the doors aside loudly, before walking confidently in as if she owned the place.“Hey there, Fire Lord Sparky and Iroh! Chao told me you received some replies,” the blind earthbender said as she stomped her way towards them.Zuko silently thanked the gods for the interruption. Considering his persuasive uncle, Zuko did not want to divulge the fact that he had laughed. He would never live it down.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*“Ah, Master Bei Fong,” Iroh exclaimed as he saw Toph make her way into his room after she had firmly knocked once on his door.He had left her finishing her discussion with Zuko hours ago. He frowned slightly. Something seemed to be worrying the small woman.“Care to join me for a cup of tea before dinner?”“Why, thank you,” Toph said with a grin.She followed him to the low table in the middle of his room and sat herself on a cushion. There was a teapot already resting on the table and a few cookies on a porcelain plate.Iroh handed a teacup to her outstretched hand before he picked up the decorative teapot he had bought in Ba Sing Se and patiently waited for her to speak.“Iroh, I wanted to talk to you about something important,” the young girl began, “It’s about Sugar Queen and Sparky.”“What about them, my dear?” Iroh asked as he poured himself more of the hot tea.“Well, we both have suspicions that they might like each other. I know because I can…well…feel their…feelings, you get me?” Toph said with a frown as she tried to explain.“Yes, I suspect that they may emit some big vibrations,” Iroh mused. They both laughed loudly.“Yeah, I felt their feelings for each other change drastically after they returned from searching for the b@st@rd that killed Katara’s mom and after their fight with that psycho Azula,” Toph huffed.Iroh winced slightly at the mention of his niece.“I was so sure of it and I was so confused when Sparky showed up with Mai. And then imagine my surprise when Twinkletoes announced that Katara and he were together! I never would’ve expected it! His feelings were so obvious, but Sweetness never gave any indication of sharing his feelings. She always seemed like a big sister to him, you could even say like a mother. But when she’s around Zuko…I don’t know, she acts…differently.”“Yes, I see,” the old man mused. “Well, I know because I know my nephew better than anyone. He may be calm and controlled in front of everyone else, but I notice how Master Katara affects him. He can’t hide it from me,” Iroh said and chuckled.Toph smiled. She could only imagine.“Well, you see, I kind of feel bad for the others,” Toph began, looking ahead to where Iroh’s voice was coming from.“What do you mean, my dear?” Iroh asked as he calmly sipped his tea.“I mean they don’t suspect anything because, as you said, Sparky can be unreadable and Sugar Queen can sometimes…well…be good at hiding things for the wellbeing of others. Besides the fact that they were former enemies, Katara acted indifferent…actually hostile is the right word, when Zuko first joined the gang, so it’d be hard to believe they can have feelings for each other. Not to mention the whole cr@p about them being from opposing elements, and different cultures, and different social status. Everybody is positive that Katara is in love with Aang, and they won’t suspect her having feelings for another, especially because Katara is a very caring and proper person,” she explained rapidly.“Yes, I understand. It seems we are the only ones willing to see the truth. However, they will have to face it one day. All of them,” he said with a determined nod.“But that’s the problem.” The earthbender sighed. “Twinkletoes has had a crush on her for a long time and now he’s very happy that Sugar Queen finally accepted him. It kinda makes me feel sad to think how crushed he’ll be when he finds out that the girl he loves doesn’t love him back.” She frowned.“I mean, Snoozles told me Aang went on an Avatar rampage when he thought she was buried alive! I don’t know what’ll happen to him or what he'd do if he finds out. He’ll be devastated,” Toph confessed, lowering her head, her bangs covering her light green eyes.Iroh regarded the young earthbender with kind eyes before he reached out to pat her small hand.“My dear Toph, I know how you feel. I care for Avatar Aang as well because he is Zuko’s friend and because he is a good person. Do not think that I am only looking after my own nephew’s happiness—even though he really deserves it. I have thought about Aang’s feelings and, believe it or not, even Mai’s,” Iroh began.“But let me ask you this, would it not be worse to let them all live a lie?” he continued, “To let Aang and Mai think they are loved, when in reality, the ones they love may be in love with someone else? Is it not be worse that while they are with their loved ones, the loves ones are thinking of someone else?” Iroh placed his hand on Toph’s shoulder. “And what about Zuko and Katara? Would you like them to be in relationships knowing they are not truly in love?”Toph raised her head. “But, Iroh, I don’t think they are in love with each other yet.”“Yes, that may be true, but with the way things are going, it seems a likely possibility. I have not lived many years for nothing. Believe me, I know,” he said before he added, “And what if they do fall in love and it is too late?”Toph sat for a few minutes thinking about what Iroh had said before she straightened in her seat.“I guess you’re right, Iroh. And all they need is a little help.” She grinned as she cracked her knuckles.Iroh chuckled. “Yes, they do, for both are very stubborn and headstrong.”Then with a smile he added, “Do not worry about Aang. He is young and good-looking, not to mention he is the Avatar. I am sure he will have plenty of girls to choose from.”Toph lowered her head again.“I guess,” she muttered.“And I am positive he will find a great woman worthy of him. He will find a woman that will love him as he deserves and that he will love in return. You just wait.” He grinned as he patted her hand again.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Katara entered her room to take a quick bath and change for dinner. As she opened her wardrobe, she could not help but once again chuckle at Iroh’s enthusiasm. The clothes did help keep her cool in the hot weather, better than the ones she had brought from home. She was not sure she would get the chance to wear all of her clothing before she returned to the Southern Water Tribe, though. A twinge of sadness tugged at her heart as she thought about them leaving the Fire Nation, Iroh and…Zuko.But perhaps it’s for the best. I would be able to get rid of all these confusing thoughts that have bothered me for the last couple of weeks, Katara thought as she bit her lip.With a sigh and a mental shake of her head, the young woman looked through her newly acquired clothes to choose an outfit. She began to go for her familiar blue, but she remembered Iroh telling her she needed variety. Going through the clothes again, she chose a red sleeveless tunic with a high collar. It was trimmed in black lace with a sash that went around her waist in the same dark color. Then she put on a skirt of the same dark red that came down to her knees also trimmed in black. Finally, she slipped on a pair of black slippers. Katara went over to the mirror above her dresser and grinned at herself.Not that bad, she thought with a smirk.She brushed her brown hair, put it in a bun and made her usual hair loops. She then glanced at her rose hairpin that rested innocently on the surface of the nightstand.“Katara, are you ready?” she heard Suki called from outside her door, snatching her gaze away from the jewel.“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” Katara called out.She checked herself one last time in the mirror before she opened the door. Suki was waiting for her with a smile on her face. The young Kyoshi warrior was wearing a casual brown and pink dress.“Whoa, Katara! You look wonderful!” Suki exclaimed as she elbowed the younger woman.“So do you, Suki,” Katara replied and they laughed as they made their way down the hall.“So when are you and my brother going to finally marry?” Katara asked, nudging the other young woman on her arm.A dark blush stained the pale skin of Suki’s cheeks as she glanced at Katara before looking away.“Well, I…Sokka hasn’t…asked me yet,” she replied sadly.Katara patted her arm in comfort.“Don’t worry, Suki. Sokka’s crazy about you! Maybe he’s just scared of being rejected,” she teased as they walked down the red and gold halls.Suki smiled as she raised her head up and straightened her shoulders.“Well, he shouldn’t because I’m crazy about him, too,” she admitted with a grin.The female warrior eyed her boyfriend’s sister curiously for a moment before she decided to ask the question that had been on her mind for a while.“And what about you and Aang?” Suki asked as she watched the waterbender closely.It was Katara’s turn to stammer for an answer as she played nervously with the sash around her waist.“I…think it’s too early for that,” Katara finally replied with a small shrug.“Katara,” Suki said seriously as she laid a comforting hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, “You know you can tell me anything. We’re like sisters. Are you…having doubts about your relationship?”“What? Of course not…” Katara replied with a nervous laugh, avoiding the other woman’s eyes.Suki frowned, unconvinced. She pressed her lips together as she removed her hand from the waterbender’s shoulder. She decided not to press the issue as they continued to walk toward the dining room.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Zuko sat at the head of the dining table with Aang on his right and Iroh on his left as they all waited for the young women to arrive.“What is it with women and being late?” Sokka complained as he hungrily eyed the many plates full of delicious food that sat before him, tantalizing him with their delightful aroma.Toph snorted and crossed her arms over her chest as she slouched on her seat. Mai rolled her eyes and Ty Lee grinned at the pouting warrior that was sending longing looks at the food.“Be patient, Sokka, they’ll be here soon,” Aang reassured him as he grinned at his friend, who only frowned back at him.“Women are such lovely, complicated creatures,” Iroh commented from his spot.Zuko ignored the other’s talk as he thought back to the conversation he had earlier with Toph. They had gone over the earthbending candidates the Fire Nation had sought out, but Toph had told him none of them were good enough to be instructors and they didn't sound trustworthy. He needed to find a capable earthbender teacher before chaos erupted between the firebenders and the earthbenders in the remaining colonies. But who could he ask? Who would be willing to help him and help the Fire Nation?The young lord was brought out of his thoughts when the guards opened the dining room doors and the waterbender and the Kyoshi Warrior entered. All thoughts on finding an instructor vanished as he stared ahead with an awed expression.“Wow, Suki! You look amazing!” Sokka exclaimed as he stood up from his seat, forgetting his hungry stomach for a moment, and walked his blushing girlfriend over to the table.Suki giggled as Sokka gave her a lopsided grin.“Oh, Sokka, stop,” she said, but he only kissed her hand in response.Aang watched as Katara turned to look at him and he gave her a small smile. He could not deny that she looked lovely, but he really did not like her in red clothes, he would much prefer if she wore his native colors of yellows and oranges.Katara frowned at Aang’s lack of reaction. She wanted to be fawned over like Sokka had Suki. She was seriously thinking of changing out of her outfit out of disappointment, but at that moment she glanced at Zuko and she was startled at the expression on his usually cool demeanor. His eyes were wide and he was staring at her with the most enthralled look on his face. She felt herself blush at the intensity of his stare.“My, my, Miss Katara, you look great. Doesn't she, Zuko?” Iroh asked, poking Zuko’s arm while he ignored an irritated Mai that was sitting next to him.“Um…yes, Uncle,” Zuko answered, quickly recovering his composure and glancing away from the lovely waterbender.Mai raised a thin eyebrow at Zuko before she narrowed her eyes at the Water Tribe woman.Her blush deepening, Katara muttered a word of thanks as she sat down at her spot.Well, at least some people noticed, she thought as she sat down between Suki and Aang, the latter immediately turning a radiant smile at her. She was puzzled, however, when she noticed Mai’s cold stare from across the table.“Yeah, you look great, Katara!” Ty Lee spoke up, not noticing Mai’s vexation as she sat next to her.“Hey, nobody has said how great I look. What am I? Invisible?” Toph snorted next to the smiling Ty Lee.Aang smiled at the grumbling earthbender.“You always look great, Toph,” he answered sincerely. “Nobody has to keep telling you that!”The others immediately agreed. Now seventeen, Toph had really changed into quite a young woman. Despite her rough behavior, she was petite, with a lady-like face and long black hair that she usually wore in a bun with her bangs almost covering her eyes.“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Toph grumbled as she tried to hide a blush at their compliments.“And I know I look great,” Sokka said as he wrapped his arm around Suki while with the other hand he stuffed a rice ball in his mouth.“And so do I,” Iroh laughed as he caressed his slightly bald head.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*“So, Sweetness, you sure know how to make an impression,” Toph began with a grin.A very big impression, she thought mentally.“What do you mean?” Katara asked as she sat at the edge of Toph’s bed. “Sokka was too captivated by Suki and Aang didn’t even say anything.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned.“Well, you can’t say the same thing about Sparky,” Toph piped in and grinned as she felt Katara’s heart skip a beat just like every other time the young Fire Lord was mentioned.“What about Zuko?” Katara asked curiously.“His heart was racing like crazy! I really wish I could’ve seen his face.” Toph laughed loudly.Katara felt herself blush lightly before she shook her head at the possibility.“Maybe it’s because he had never really seen me in red before,” she said with a shrug.However, that was not true since he had during the war. She really did not have another explanation. Zuko would only ever look at her as his waterbending friend.What do I have to do to make these people see?! Toph yelled in her head.The shorter woman paused as the sound of footsteps reached her senses and she cocked her head sideways as she felt someone came down the hall. She grinned when she recognized the familiar footsteps.“Wait here, Sweetness. I have to…go look for something…” Toph trailed off as she exited the room.“Okay?” Katara muttered, confused.First she wants to talk and now she leaves, the waterbender grumbled mentally.As she walked out of her room, Toph quickly hid behind one of the great, golden pillars. She had to clasp a hand over her mouth to smother her amused chuckles. She felt like a mischievous kid. She grinned even wider as she heard Zuko’s light, but secure footsteps get closer until he was in her room.“Toph? You wanted to talk to me?” Zuko asked as he walked through the opened door and entered the room.He closed his mouth and stopped in his tracks as he spotted Katara sitting on the bed. He watched as she quickly stood up and smiled at him.“Toph just left. Sorry, it’s just me,” she said jokingly as she placed one hand on her hip.“Oh,” Zuko replied as he returned her smile before he cleared his throat as the opportunity to talk to her alone finally presented itself. He had been waiting to do so ever since the awkward incident in his room.  “Um…Katara? About what happened on Ember Island the last night we were there…well…I…Mai and I…didn’t…uh…”Dammit! Since when do I stammer? he groaned in his head.Blushing deeply, Katara looked away with a shrug.“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I…I understand…” she said, though she could not stop from feeling embarrassed.“Well, then…okay…” Zuko said uneasily.And an awkward silence followed.Oh, for the love of everything that is earthbending! Toph thought irritably as she could not help herself from eavesdropping on the two clueless benders.“So…what does Toph want to talk to you about?” Katara finally broke the silence as she smiled at the frowning firebender.Zuko stifled a sigh of relief that the awkward tension had been broken.“We are trying to find an earthbending instructor for the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom,” he replied.“An earthbending instructor?” Katara asked curiously.That’s right, she doesn’t know, Zuko thought to himself as Katara gave him a curious stare.“It’s a long story. I’m sure you won’t be interested in it,” he replied with a small shrug.“Try me,” Katara said flippantly as she smirked. “I go to meetings at my tribe.”“Hm…Okay then,” Zuko said with another shrug of his strong shoulders.He told her about the raids, the damage to the factories and property and about the people who have been killed. He told her of the firebending and earthbending raiders that seemed to be working together and about the strange way they escaped. He also told her of his plan to protect his cities and the people, and finally told her about his dilemma with finding an earthbending teacher.“That’s horrible! I can’t believe there are still some people doing such awful things. Aang defeated Ozai already and you called the war off. There should be peace!” Katara stated and she sat back down heavily on the bed, rubbing at her temples. After four years, there was still trouble.Zuko turned to look at her with wide eyes.“You were actually listening to what I was saying?” he asked.Katara looked up at him. He sounded surprised and that in turn surprised her.“Of course, Zuko, why wouldn’t I? And I think it’s so great of you for protecting your people,” she told him sincerely as she smiled at him.Zuko felt his heart warm at her words. Somebody else besides Iroh had listened to him and was interested in what he said and thought.Leaning behind the cold pillar, Toph grinned as she listened in on their conversation. When they had seen that terrible play on Ember Island four years ago, she was telling the truth. Everything they had seen was the truth, even if the others did not want to acknowledge it. And that included the feelings these two had for each other. Now if only Zuko and Katara weren’t so afraid to see it, she wouldn’t have to resort to such methods.The blind earthbender decided it was time to cut in since she felt the others making their way back to their rooms.“Sparky, there you are! I was looking for you,” Toph called out as she entered the room, acting annoyed.Zuko turned away from Katara to look suspiciously at the irritated earthbender as she made her way to stand before him.“Well, here I am,” he replied coolly. “Have you figured out who could be a good instructor?”“Well, not yet,” Toph said, scratching her head pensively. “I know I would be great, you know, being the Avatar’s former earthbending sifu and all.” She smirked arrogantly. “But I’m busy with the Earth Kingdom’s problems.”Katara continued to sit on the bed as she silently watched them try to figure the problem out. She rose to her feet and approached them. She cleared her throat and smiled when they turned to look at her.“Um…you guys? Why don’t you ask Haru? He's pretty much an earthbending master now. I’m sure he would accept gladly,” she suggested. Zuko stared at her for a moment before he pinched the bridge of his nose and Toph smacked her forehead.“Why didn’t I think of that?” Toph yelled as she flung her hands in the air with a disgusted snort.“I’ll send him a request tomorrow,” Zuko stated pensively, then looking admirably at Katara he remarked, “You’ve barely been here a few weeks and have solved a problem in a few minutes. Thank you.”“You’re welcome,” Katara replied with a laugh. How could they have missed that?“Well, now that that’s settled, I’m going to sleep. Good night, you two,” Toph remarked and yawned loudly. Without waiting for either to respond, she pushed them out the door and slammed it behind them.She has a lot of nerve to slam the door in the Fire Lord’s face, Zuko thought irritably as he glared at the door.But he could not stay mad at her. Toph was like the little sister he wished he had—one that did not stab him in the back or tried to kill him in his sleep.“Okay?” Katara said as she stared at the closed door with a frown.They stood in the corridor uncomfortably for a few moments as they stole glances at each other.“I’m sure you must be tired. I’ll…walk you to your room,” Zuko said, rubbing the back of his neck briefly, before he straightened himself.Katara smiled at him.“Okay, thanks,” she replied happily. It was not as if her room was far or dangerous to walk to, but who was she to complain?They walked side by side, as they headed down the hall to her room. Zuko could not stop himself from glancing at her out of the corner of his eye every so often. He still could not get over how fantastic she looked. Red really added favorably to her rich, dark skin.I wonder how more favorably her brown skin would look on top of my red bed cover, Zuko thought, his eyes becoming hooded. He mentally slapped himself. I can’t be having such indecent thoughts about Katara!Katara turned her head as she caught a glimpse of him looking at her before he quickly looked away.“What is it?” she asked.Do I have something in my hair? Something in my teeth? Oh, how embarrassing! she thought as she discreetly touched her hair.“Oh, it’s just that…you look wonderful in red,” Zuko commented softly, trying to hide his embarrassment by intensely looking straight in front of him.Katara blushed.“Really? You think so?” she asked, looking down at herself. Her heart did a little somersault.“Yes, you look great,” Zuko again admitted before he smiled down at her, making her cheeks grow a deeper shade of red.She looks so cute when she blushes, he thought. He frowned at himself. Since when did he use the word cute?“Thank you,” Katara said as they finally arrived at her room.Why did she feel such pleasure when Zuko complimented her? Probably because it did not seem like something he did often.“Well, good night, Zuko,” she told him as she opened her door.“Good night, Katara,” Zuko replied as she closed the door softly behind her after she gave him a smile. He stood there for a few moments before he finally moved away.He needed to go see Ozai the next day and send Haru his request.Why didn’t he think about asking Haru before? He frowned at himself as he made his way to his chambers. Well, he was glad Katara was here. He didn’t know how long they would’ve gone before they finally realized.Then smiling, he said, “She actually listened to me and didn’t even seem bored.”He slowed as he neared Mai’s room, debating for a brief moment if to go in since they have not spent much time together recently, but he continued on his way toward his own chamber, smiling to himself all the way, glad no one was there to see his once in a lifetime silly grin.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*After sending an official letter to Haru with his request and explaining the situation to his advisors, Zuko made his way toward the prison tower once again with the hope of finding some answers from his father, but as always, he returned with no more information than before.Iroh watched his nephew sadly as he once again buried himself in work. Being a Grand Master of the Order of the White Lotus gave Iroh the advantage of being able to find information on anything—example being the gang’s whereabouts—but finding information about Princess Ursa’s location proved to be hard. Ozai seemed to be the only one who knew what happened to her or where she could be, and being the cruel person that his brother was, Iroh was sure only a miracle could help them.Iroh decided it was time he paid a visit to his younger brother for the sake of his nephew.Once Iroh stood before the large steel door, the captain of the prison guards quickly opened it for the Dragon of the West. Without any hesitation, the retired general stepped into the dark room and bid the guards to close the door behind him. As his old eyes became adjusted to the darkness, the only light coming from a small torch resting high on the wall beside the door, Iroh noticed the hunched form of his brother leaning against one of the cold walls. The old prince found it unbelievable to see his once condescending brother in such a state and place.“Hello, Ozai. I see you are still alive,” Iroh said in a jovial voice as he made his way to the bars separating the room.“Well, well. I’m glad to see you again…Older Brother,” Ozai hissed, the last words filled with hatred.Iroh did not let it bother him as he took a moment to look around the dirty cell before he returned his gaze to the man behind the steel bars glaring at him with dark, yellow eyes.“You know I did not come here for a family reunion, Ozai,” Iroh stated solemnly as he placed his hands inside his sleeves.“I know why you’re here, but you’re just wasting what is left of your pathetic life…old man,” the former Fire Lord sneered.Iroh sighed irritably. He and Ozai were born a good twenty years apart and such a great difference of age did not allow them to become close. While Ozai was barely beginning to learn the art of firebending, Iroh was already beginning to climb the military ladder to becoming a great general.“Ozai, please tell me where Ursa is,” Iroh began as he coolly observed his younger brother.“I’ll tell you the same thing I told that sorry excuse of a son I have…not until I am freed from this place,” the disgraced Fire Lord retorted.Iroh felt his anger rise at the insult inflicted at Zuko, but he kept his temper in check as he narrowed his eyes at his brother.“Zuko has turned out to be a great man, many times better than you could ever be. And I am proud of what he has become,” Iroh rejoined sharply. “He should have been my son not yours.”Ozai snorted in reply and flicked a dirty strand of hair behind his shoulder as he looked away.The retired general continued.“You will never leave this place because of all the atrocities you have committed against the world. This is where you belong. But you could at least do one good thing in your selfish life and let your son know where to find his mother,” Iroh said in a grave and serious tone.“Never,” was Ozai’s cruel reply as his eyes flicked toward his older brother. “It is best she stays where she is for her own good.”“Why do you say that?” Iroh asked warily.A sinister smile spread across Ozai’s face.“Let’s just say she would suffer even more if all of the sudden her reunion with her precious son is cut short,” he responded vaguely with a shrug of his thin shoulder.“What are you talking about?” Iroh exclaimed in alarm. He felt a chill in his heart.Ozai only stared at him with eyes filled with cruel amusement.“Oh, you never know what life can bring. Death is always knocking when you least expect it.”After a few more unsuccessful minutes, Iroh left the prison tower, worry etched in his wrinkled face. He prayed to the gods that Ozai was just bluffing.After all, what can he do in a secured, enclosed prison cell?~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*A few days later, the gang sat at the large dining table eating their delicious Fire Nation breakfast. Iroh watched them eat with a small smile on his face before he winked at the servant who was placing another plate on the large table. He grinned when the young woman blushed before he turned worried eyes to his nephew who was currently talking to the young Avatar. He hoped that what Ozai had said was just a way for his younger brother to try to intimidate him.Once it seemed the gang was finishing their meal, Iroh asked the young people what they planned to do for the rest of the day.“I’m not going to be able to keep you company today since I have some business to attend to with two elder noblemen,” Zuko told them with a long sigh.“It’s alright, Zuko. You’re the Fire Lord and have a nation to look after,” Aang told him with an understanding smile.“I know!” Ty Lee exclaimed. “How about we have a girls’ day out and we go to the spa? It’ll be fun!”“Oh, no,” Mai grumbled lowly as she pushed her plate away from her.“A spa? I haven’t been to one in such a long time!” Katara exclaimed excitedly before she turned to grin at the short earthbender. “Remember the one in Ba Sing Se, Toph? How exciting!”“I guess I do need some pampering.” Toph grinned as she picked at her teeth with her fingernail.“Well, I was going to take Suki for a romantic walk around the city,” Sokka announced as he embraced his girlfriend. “Do you want to go to the spa with them instead?”“I already said I was going out with you,” Suki told him, tapping his nose, and earning a radiant smile from him. She turned away to smile apologetically at the others. “I’m sorry.”“We understand,” Ty Lee said as she grinned at them.Not wanting to be left out, Aang grabbed Katara’s hand and smiled brightly when she turned to look at him.“Katara, I was hoping we could go out together, too. We haven’t gone out alone for a very long time,” he piped in with his usual cheery smile.Katara frowned since it was true.“But I wanted to go with the girls to the spa,” she told him softly.“Come on, Katara. It’ll be fun,” Aang pouted before he added, “We are a couple and that means we have to do things together.”Zuko frowned at the young airbender’s insistence. Katara did not want to go, could Aang not see that?Sokka spoke up for his little sister as he turned to frown at the young monk.“Aang, you can’t make someone do whatever you want. You have to consider what they would like, too,” he said, which earned him a few surprised looks at his words.Toph snorted from her seat.“Yeah, Twinkletoes. Katara wants to go with us. She has been working too hard, she needs some pampering,” she said.Zuko nodded in agreement. At their words, Aang looked down and began to push his food around his plate. He didn’t think his request was enough to be chastised for. Could he not spend time alone with his girlfriend? He had missed her. He glanced briefly at Katara before he looked back down at his plate. Couldn’t she see that?Katara saw the dejection on the airbender’s face and she felt a little guilty. That same feeling of wanting to shield him from the harsh world that she had felt since she rescued him from the ice berg once again surfaced within her.“It’s okay, you guys. Aang’s right. I could go to the spa some other time,” Katara relented as she turned to smile at Aang.Aang smiled broadly at her and again reached out to gratefully squeeze her hand.Zuko frowned even more while Iroh sighed and shook his head.Sokka’s usual grinning face held a scowl. He sometimes hated when his sister would always comply to Aang’s whims in order to calm him down. He had to agree with Zuko. Katara mothered Aang too much.Toph pouted her lips and blew air out, causing her long bangs to lift over her head.“Great. I’m stuck with Happy and Depressed,” Toph mumbled under her breath to Suki as she tilted her head in Ty Lee and Mai’s direction.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*As Zuko went to deal with business, the girls headed to the spa, and Sokka and Suki went on their date, Katara walked around the city with Aang, who as usual, was excited by everything in sight, jumping from place to place. The citizens were now used to seeing the Avatar in the city. She had to admit she got caught up in his excitement as they walked around, but after a while, she was beginning to get exhausted.“Avatar Aang! Avatar Aang!” they heard a man call out.They turned at the sound of the voice and they watched as a man with a colorful outfit waved his hands at them as he swiftly approached them. He bowed deeply as he reached them before he quickly straightened up, his thin mustache twitching as he smiled at them.“Hello, I am the Ring Master of the circus over there,” the man pointed to a group of more colorful tents off to one side. “Some of my best performers had food poisoning last night and cannot perform, so without any entertainment the people will be very disappointed and the circus will lose money. I was wondering, you being the Avatar and all, if you could help put on a show with some of your bending moves that will surely fascinate everyone,” the man gushed out.Aang’s gray eyes sparkled with excitement as he turned to stare at the colorful tents where a large crowd was gathering. Joining a circus sounded like fun. It’s funny that a few years ago he would have been killed on the spot instead of being asked to join in a circus act. He looked over at Katara with a smile, but it faded and he frowned.“I’m sorry. I would like to help, but I’m busy right now,” Aang said as he turned to smile apologetically at the circus man.The man sank his shoulders in disappointment.“It’s alright, Aang. I don’t mind. I know you’ll enjoy it and the children will too, so I say you should go,” Katara told him encouragingly. “I’ll meet you at the palace later.”“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you by yourself,” Aang said with concern as he reached out a hand to clasp hers.Katara smiled since she knew he was impatient to go even though he was also worried for her. She laughed as she patted his hand.“I’m a waterbending master. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she reassured him.Aang frowned for a few more seconds before he smiled and hugged her gratefully. She was always so considerate of him. How could he not love her?“We’ll finish our date later, okay?” Aang said as he kissed her cheek.She only nodded and gave him a small smile. Then almost bouncing with excitement, the young airbender followed the circus man. Katara watched the two walked away until they vanished among the crowd.“Alright, now where do I go from here?” she said as she looked around, glad for some alone and quiet time, since Aang could sometimes be exhausting.Katara walked along the clean and elegant streets. The last time she was in the Fire Nation, she was too busy with the war hanging over her head to really appreciate her surroundings. She watched as the people hurried along on the pavement, walking through the various stores and stalls that decorated one side of the street. She liked how the whitewashed houses seemed to reflect the late summer sunlight and how well they looked with the red roofs. She had to admit that she liked the Fire Nation architecture much better than the rough, block-like buildings of the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation had a certain elegance in the way the edges of the roofs curled upwards and the patterns and designs that decorated the red pillars and columns.Of course nothing could compare with the beautiful carvings and designs on the Water Tribe buildings, she boasted mentally.I wonder how Dad and Gran-Gran are doing, she thought as she searched among the things in the stalls. She grinned. I hope my waterbending students are treating Master Pakku well.As she continued to walk through the city, she noticed the people staring at her with wide eyes as she passed them by. Her blue clothes, her dark skin, and her blue eyes set her apart as a Water Tribe woman. Some of the citizens returned her smile, while others only looked away haughtily and with disdain. It saddened her a bit, but she did not let it bother her much, she understood that there was still resentment and mistrust.She stopped at a store that held interesting trinkets and peeked in through the large window that held the displays. She noticed a crystal tiger-armadillo in a lunging position with red stones as eyes. She smiled and could not help thinking of Iroh, the shopaholic. She was positive that if the cheerful compulsive shopper were there, he would have probably bought the whole store already.Shifting her eyes to get a better look inside the store through the clean window, she caught the reflection of two men looking at her from behind the darkness of an alley. She turned her head slightly, pretending to fix her dress, and sure enough, they were still there, staring at her with dark eyes. They did not look like pitiable thieves for their clothes were those worn by the upper-middle class, so she had a feeling that they were not going to steal from her. Katara moved away quickly, but not too fast as to alert them that she had seen them. She shifted her water skin closer to her hip so she could have better access just in case. She looked over her shoulder again and noticed the men were gone.Maybe I’m just being paranoid. She shook her head and laughed lightly at her silliness.After walking for a few more hours without any more incidents, she decided it was time to head back to the palace. She turned around and immediately stopped in her tracks. The two men she had seen earlier were now waiting ahead of her. She quickly turned back and took another street. She cursed mentally when the men followed closely.Katara did not like the looks they were giving her. She resisted the urge to turn around and water whip them, but she did not want to be the first to cause a scene that could make the Fire Nation citizens mistrust her more. As she kept on walking, she realized that there were less people around. She cursed herself for not paying closer attention to where she was going. She turned her head back and noticed they were closing in on her.With quick steps, Katara turned sharply at a corner and ran into someone’s broad chest, eliciting a shocked gasp from her lips. At the sudden impact, she stumbled backwards and lost her balance. A pair of strong, familiar hands grasped her small wrists to catch her from falling, pulling her close against a hard chest.“Katara!” she heard Zuko exclaim in surprise.
  ‘I’ll save you from the pirates.’
Katara shook her head as the memory suddenly surfaced in her mind before she looked up to see Zuko’s concerned face looking down at her anxiously. About six of his guards were standing attentively behind him as they watched their lord and the waterbender curiously. Katara averted her gaze when she realized she had been staring at Zuko’s face and she tried to keep from blushing at the proximity between their bodies.“Katara, are you all right? I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Zuko told her with a frown as he steadied her.“It’s okay, I’m fine,” she reassured him and laughed nervously as she backed away a step before looking curiously behind her.Zuko looked over her head to see what she was looking at and noticed the two men who had immediately stopped in their tracks. Realizing they were in the presence of the Fire Lord, the men tried to retreat quickly.“Get them!” Zuko ordered fiercely as he pulled Katara to his side.Two pairs of guards sprang forward at the command and quickly apprehended the men who were trying to escape. After bringing the struggling and protesting men toward their lord, the guards roughly pushed them to their knees.“Why were you two following her?” Zuko questioned heatedly as he narrowed his golden eyes at them.“We w-weren’t following her, y-your Majesty…We were just going the same way,” the oldest one spoke up innocently, trying to sound courageous. The younger man beside him bobbed his head rapidly in agreement.“Don’t lie to me!” Zuko barked, causing the kneeling men to cringe in fear as he loomed over them.Katara stared wide-eyed at the irate Fire Lord. She had almost forgotten how fierce-looking Zuko could be.The young Fire Lord turned his head toward the silent waterbender, his expression softening for a brief moment before it turned dark again.“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” he asked, his voice turning hard as he looked back at the trembling men before him.“No, I’m fine, really,” Katara reassured him. Then looking at the two frightened men she said, “Zu—Fire Lord Zuko, I’m sure they meant no harm,” she told him softly before she smiled at the men.The two men only stared in disbelief. She was defending them?“They better not have,” Zuko sharply replied.Then in a calmer and stern voice, he addressed the men, who gulped at the glare he aimed at them.“Gentlemen. I hope you were not trying to intimidate her because she is a Water Tribeswoman. We are at peace now and we must respect each other. You may leave now and let this never occur again,” Zuko ordered, his tone implying that there will be punishment if he were to be disobeyed.The two men readily nodded and reverently retreated. They stole apologetic glances at Katara before they disappeared from sight.“Why were you alone in the first place? Where’s Aang?” Zuko asked Katara as he looked her over in order to reassure himself that she was indeed okay.Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She explained to him what had happened  with Aang and shrugged nonchalantly.“Don’t make such a big deal about it. I had everything under control. I can defend myself, you know,” Katara huffed and narrowed her eyes, placing her hand on her hips.Zuko smirked.“I never said you couldn’t,” he responded, “You have shown that many times over.”Katara smiled at him for the compliment.“Thanks, anyway,” she added.Zuko nodded at her as he gave her a small smile that Katara would not have seen it if she had not been looking intently at his face.“It’s a few hours past noon. I bet you must be hungry,” he remarked.Tilting her head back to look at the cloudless blue sky, Katara was impressed at how well firebenders could tell time by simply feeling the sun’s energy. Zuko did not even bother to lift his golden eyes upward in order to judge the position of the sun. She then realized she had not eaten since the morning, had skipped lunch, and would have to wait for dinner. But she was not about to complain in front of the Fire Lord and his guards.“No, I’m not hungry at all,” she lied and plastered a smile on her face.But it seemed the world decided to cause her trouble for the day, because her stomach growled loudly just as she spoke. Katara clutched her stomach and blushed in embarrassment.“Well, sure does not seem like it,” Zuko replied and chuckled quietly.His guards stared in disbelief at their lord. They rarely ever saw the young Fire Lord smile and now he was chuckling!“Great. I’m turning into Sokka. Now your cooks are going to have to work overtime!” Katara teased.Zuko let out a low laugh. Katara smiled. Zuko’s laughter was nice to listen to since it was so rare.I like to make you laugh, she thought as she watched him before she shook away her sudden daze.The guards looked amongst themselves and smiled minutely. Maybe the Water Tribe woman was not that bad.“Come. I have missed lunch also and dinner is still some hours away. Let’s go get something light to eat,” Zuko said as soon as he stopped laughing.He walked ahead, motioning for her to follow him when he noticed her staring at him. His guards followed behind them at a close yet respectful distance so their lord could converse with the waterbending woman privately.They were walking in what seemed to be the wealthy part of the city—not that the other parts were run-down like the lower district of Ba Sing Se, Katara amended. The waterbender observed how the citizens reverently bowed before Zuko, who would politely nod back in acknowledgment. However, she noticed with some confusion how some of them bowed rigidly as if they hated to do it. She became slightly annoyed at the cold stares they would give him and she wondered why they acted like that towards him and if Zuko even noticed.As they kept on walking, Katara noticed that there were many noblemen and women riding on elegant palanquins. Some of their servants were carrying them while other servants trailed after them.“Zuko? May I ask you a question?” Katara asked as she lifted her head to look at him.“Yes, of course,” he answered as he kept walking straight ahead.“Why aren’t you riding a palanquin? I mean, you’re the Fire Lord, shouldn’t you be carried everywhere?” she asked curiously.Zuko chuckled again and the guards smiled beneath their serious expressions.“You’re right, but I don't want to be pampered just because I am the Fire Lord. I like to walk around my city. But I do use the palanquin or a carriage when I go far or for special occasions,” he explained before he looked down at her. “Why? Do you want me to call for my palanquin?” he asked. He berated himself for not asking her if she was tired before since she had been walking around the city for hours.“No. I can walk, too, you know. I’m used to it,” she said smiling before she shrugged. “I was just wondering.” She was glad to know Zuko had not become spoiled royalty.Zuko led them to an elegant restaurant, where the short, bald owner and his customers greeted him superfluously.“My lord, it is an honor to have you here! I will immediately set a single table for you,” the stout, old man said excitedly as he bowed a few more times, almost tripping over his feet in his excitement.Before the man could turn to leave, Zuko spoke up coolly.“I want a table for two. For the lady and me,” he announced and nodded at Katara.The bald man turned to look at her as if he barely realized she was there. Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him.Looking her over critically, the man finally spoke.“Uh…yes, my lord, as you wish,” he agreed, though it was easy to detect the distaste in his tone. He then turned around and left to prepare their table.The restaurant was a large, two story building with tall red wooden pillars and golden paper lanterns running along the ceilings and edges of the roof. It was considered one of the best restaurants in the city and so it was very crowded, much to Zuko’s annoyance. He did not like to eat out where there were so many irritating people, who were either trying to get his attention or were simply judging his every move. However, he decided to brush it all off since he could not let Katara go hungry.As they were led to a more prestigious part of the restaurant, Katara noticed the glares she received from everyone and she wondered if it was because she was from the Water Tribes. Zuko noticed this as well and he was greatly displeased.“I hope you are not being rude to Master Katara,” Zuko said sharply at the owner who seemed reluctant to acknowledge the waterbender.“Of course not, Your Majesty,” the short man replied before he turned to look at the young woman. “What would the young…lady like?” he asked curtly.Instead of showing her anger, Katara simply smiled at him and answered politely. She tried to be cordial with the owner and his waiters and even to the customers that were closest to their table. She wanted to show them that she wanted no more resentment and hatred between all of them. They were taken aback by the waterbender and murmured quietly amongst themselves.When the food was finally served to them, Katara looked over to Zuko, who was slowly and properly eating his food with his chopsticks, before she returned her attention to her own meal. They ate in silence for a while as they enjoyed the food. Finally remembering that Zuko was not really a good conversationalist, Katara decided to break the unbearable silence.“So…how did it go with those bickering, rich men?” she asked as she took a small bite of a dumpling.“The usual, tiring,” he simply answered.“Come on, tell me how it went,” she insisted. When she realized he was not going to say anything she added, “We’re friends, aren’t we?”Zuko looked up at her from his plate.“It’s just political things,” he responded impassively. “I’m sure it’s not interesting.”Slightly annoyed, Katara sighed loudly as she played with her food.“Are we going to have this discussion again? I am not stupid! I know politics,” she told him as she pointed her finger indignantly at him.Zuko was unable to stop from rolling his eyes at her insistence.“Okay, fine,” he relented with an inaudible sigh. “I had to go settle this dispute between two wealthy men. Their families have been neighbors for many generations, but the current owners now are fighting each other for a patch of land both claim as theirs. They have gone as far as inflicting damage to each other’s properties. I told them I’ll figure out a way to settle it,” Zuko explained. He was seriously considering seizing the piece of land away from them both and not giving them anything for wasting his time with such a foolish dispute.“Well, that’s a silly thing to be arguing about,” Katara said with a frown as she chewed on a piece of vegetable. “You should take that patch of land so neither one of them loses or wins. If neither one has it, then they can’t fight each other for it.”Zuko stared at her. It looked like he was not the only one who thought it was a good idea.“Well, I’m just saying since you are the Fire Lord and all,” Katara quickly added as she continued to eat, hoping she had not stepped over the line.“I think that is a great idea, Katara. But what will I do with it? I don’t need more land for myself,” Zuko said after the waiter set down their desserts.“Well, why don’t you make it into a park or…a playground?” Katara suggested. She tasted the chocolate strawberry pastry and her blue eyes widened in pleasure at the delicious taste. “Mmm, this is good.”Zuko smiled at the delighted expression on her face before he continued speaking, “That sounds great. The children will like that. Thank you for the advice.”“No problem.” Katara smiled as she continued to savor the sweet dessert.She would make a good advisor, Zuko thought as he watched her enjoy her pastry. If only the elder advisors allowed women to participate in the meetings.They continued eating and talking pleasantly for a few hours, catching up on things that had happened to them for the past four years. As they finished their meal, Zuko thanked the owner passively as he turned to leave. Katara smiled and kindly thanked the stout man and those who worked for him for their service. They thanked her in return and bowed to her and Zuko.“So has Haru responded to you yet?” Katara asked as they walked down the street again, a light breeze passing them by.“Yes. I received a letter this morning where he said he was arriving in a few weeks,” Zuko informed her.“Haru is visiting? How exciting to see him again! I hope he agrees to help you with the earthbenders in your colonies,” Katara said as they rounded a corner.The universe seemed set to torture her on that day as she again bumped into someone. It was a small boy, who was carrying a rather large barrel of water with difficulty. As soon as they crashed into each other, the water spilled onto the floor and onto Katara’s short, blue dress.Zuko again caught her in his arms before she fell backwards and held her to him. He felt Katara tense and he immediately placed her on her own feet before he glared at the one responsible. His eyes softened when he realized it was just a small boy, probably eight-years-old.The boy had fallen to the ground on his rear and as soon as he recognized the people he was looking up at, he immediately went on his knees and hands, fear evident in his big eyes.“Please forgive my clumsiness. I didn’t mean any disrespect. I’m sorry,” the child apologized on the brink of tears.Zuko was faintly reminded of himself on that dreadful day when he had received the scar on his face from his own father as he watched the boy cower before them. Zuko, his guards, and the crowd that had gathered turned to look at Katara. Zuko knew it was just an accident, obviously the boy could not see over the large barrel.“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. Are you hurt?” Katara asked softly as she lifted the small child to his feet and dusted him off, checking to see if he got hurt. She knelt in front of him so they were on eye-level and offered him a sweet smile.“You aren’t going to punish me?” the boy asked as he looked up at the pretty lady.“Punish you? Of course not! It was an accident,” Katara replied with a frown before she smiled gently at him. “Besides, no harm done.”She stood up, and with a graceful sweep of her arms, she bent the water from her clothes and placed it back into the barrel. Then she did the same thing to the water on the ground, making sure the water was clean. Seeing the boy’s awed expression, Katara decided to use more of her waterbending for the boy’s amusement, to show she was not angry with him.Smiling mysteriously, Katara gathered a tendril of water from the barrel and wound it around one of her arms, up around her neck, and back down her other arm until it collected into a ball of water between her hands. Watching the boy looking at her movements with curiosity, Katara gracefully twisted her hands and the liquid ball shifted and quivered into two shapes. Gracefully shifting her fingers and wrists, the two shapes transformed into a pair of koi fish with long flowing tails and fins.The boy gasped in amazement as he stared at the floating shapes circling each other and Zuko smiled at the interaction between the waterbender and the boy. He heard the gathering crowd murmur in admiration.Grinning, Katara again moved her hands and the two koi fish combined to make another round shape. Pulling her hands aside, she stretched the water into a long horizontal shape until it took on the form of a dragon with long streaming whiskers and tail. The boy’s eyes widened in delight. The liquid dragon twisted and weaved around itself in the space between the waterbender’s hands before it slowly floated toward the boy. It flew gracefully around his body and head. The boy laughed when the dragon’s tail brushed against his cheek before it returned into the barrel of water. Laughing enthusiastically, forgetting the incident from a few minutes ago, the boy looked up to smile widely at kind waterbender.Zuko hid a smile as a few people in the crowed clapped delightedly at the show. He was sure if the incident had been with a Fire Nation noblewoman, the poor child would have had it bad. He smiled at how well Katara handled the situation, with kindness and gentleness. It touched his hardened heart.“Tell me, why were you carrying such a heavy thing in the first place?” Zuko addressed the child with a small smile.Katara stared wide-eyed at Zuko. She was surprised at how softly Zuko asked the question.The boy smiled and inclined his small head respectfully in the presence of the Fire Lord as he nervously played with the bottom of his shirt.“My mother needed water and I was the only one who could bring it to her since my father got sick and he can’t stand yet,” he explained.Katara noticed Zuko furrow his forehead in displeasure before he turned to one of his guards.“Help the boy take the barrel to his home,” he ordered.The guard bowed before he stepped forward and lifted the barrel. The boy looked at them gratefully and bowed with a huge smile on his young face as he followed the guard. The crowd murmured in approval. Without another word, Zuko turned away and continued walking down the street, away from the commotion.“That was really nice of you, Zuko,” Katara praised as she fell in step with his long strides.“It was the least I could do. Children are not supposed to carry such heavy things,” he replied.Children are not supposed to be burned by their own father and banished from their homes, he thought bitterly.Katara smiled at him.“I’m glad you think so, too. Children are meant to play and have fun, not work hard in order to support their families.” She sighed.She knew how that felt. She felt Zuko place his strong hand on her shoulder as he gave her a small smile. Her heart skipped a beat. Zuko sure had a nice smile.They walked leisurely around the city as Zuko made sure everything was in order. He showed her around, both stopping to admire one thing or another, smiling or nodding in return to the citizens that passed them by in order to see the pretty and kind waterbender others were already talking about since the incident.They did not realize it was getting late until the street lamps were lit, casting a warm, orangey color onto the city streets. They reminded Katara of the ones back home.“It’s getting dark. We should head back to the palace,” Zuko commented as he held back a sigh.“Yeah,” Katara agreed quietly.They reluctantly headed back, each saddened to see their outing coming to an end. As they entered the palace, Zuko dismissed his guards, who bowed and smiled at them as they retreated.“Um…Zuko?” Katara asked.“Yes, Katara?”“Thank you…for giving me a tour of your city,” the waterbender said softly.Zuko smiled. No, thank you for accepting.“You’re welcome,” he responded.Under the lamps and torches in the corridors, Katara noticed how the light reflected on Zuko’s fire crown and his black, red, and golden armor as well as on the scabbard of his broadswords on his right hip.“Why are you wearing armor and why do you carry your swords?” Katara asked.“My, my, you sure are full of questions today,” Zuko mused and chuckled.“I can go back to ignoring you if you want,” Katara retorted playfully.Zuko chuckled again before he shook his head and became serious once more.“Well, I carry my swords and wear my armor when I leave the palace walls to protect myself. Even though we aren’t at war anymore, many people still wish me dead,” he said emotionlessly.Katara gasped silently before she lightly touched his arm.“That is only a handful of people, Zuko. But the rest of the world respects you and is grateful for what you have done to bring peace back to a chaotic environment. I know I am,” she said softly.Zuko’s heart warmed at her words. He was about to clasp her hand in his when Aang appeared ahead of them.“Katara! Where were you?” Aang called out as he approached them, the rest of the gang following behind him.Katara pulled her hand away and Zuko resumed his usual unreadable demeanor.“On, no, I forgot. I’m sorry, Aang,” Katara began.“You said you were going to be here when I got back,” Aang said with a hurt frown. “I was waiting and you—”“Aang, stop,” Zuko interrupted. “Katara has no fault that she forgot. She was with me.”Iroh lifted his eyebrows at his nephew’s words and Toph smirked.“And what were you two doing?” Mai asked icily.Aang waited for the same answer.“We…bumped into each other, went to eat, and then walked around the city. We lost track of time. That is it,” Zuko said firmly, his voice hinting that there would be no more questions.With that, the Fire Lord turned and walked toward his study room. Mai gave Katara one last glare before she went after Zuko.Katara turned her attention away from the retreating form of Zuko before frowning at Aang.“I’m tired,” she said before he could talk and walked to her room.Aang stared after her with a confused and hurt expression.“So…anyone want to play Pai Sho?” Iroh asked the others that were left behind as he smiled sympathetically at the young airbender.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Zuko opened the door to his study and went over to his desk to finish some of his paperwork. He sighed angrily when he heard his door open and he looked up to see Mai’s irritated face.“What is it, Mai?” he asked tersely as he looked back down to his papers.“I want to know why is it that every time I ask you to spend some time with me you say that you have too much work,” Mai said, trying to keep her tone indifferent.Zuko looked up.“Well, because it’s true,” he replied calmly.“But you took the waterbender out into the city!” Mai hissed.Zuko frowned.“Her name is Katara. And I told you we just met each other accidentally. And we were hungry, so I took her to eat. What’s the problem?” he asked irritably as his brow furrowed deeply.Mai sighed angrily before she took a breath to calm her emotions down before she gave him a smile. She moved behind his desk, ignoring the wary look he sent her way.“Well, how about we spend some time alone right now? You could put off your work for a few more hours,” she said as she leaned in to kiss him.Zuko held up his hand to stop her.“I don’t have time right now. I lost track of time already and I’m behind on my paperwork. But I promise I’ll take you wherever you want next time,” he told her so he could be left alone and so he wouldn't hurt her feelings.Mai frowned at first, but then smiled.“Okay then,” she said before she kissed his right cheek and left the room.Zuko sighed again and continued with his paperwork, but he was unable to stop thinking about his day with Katara. He just felt so relaxed and at ease around her. He enjoyed their banter. He replayed in his mind what Katara had told him earlier.
  ‘But the rest of the world respects you and is grateful for what you have done to bring peace back to a chaotic environment. I know I am.’
He was relieved to know that not everybody wanted him dead.'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
Assistant: