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Katara stood in the garden alone. Somehow, something bad had happened to Zuko, “Entertaining all of these guests must finally be getting to him.” Katara thought to herself. This was certainly not the Zuko she had spoken to early this morning. She walk slowly towards the pond and sighed her mind pondering possible reasons for Zuko’s strange behaviour
“Katara!” Suki said while running slightly.
"Hi Suki" Katara replied.
“Have you seen Sokka anywhere? I’ve been looking for him all morning.” Suki seemed flustered; she was obviously bursting to tell Sokka the good news. “I hate when he gets like this. Suki said while placing her hands on her hips. “He just wonders off and then I find him with some new invention he’s just made or playing with Mr Barky?”
“Mr Barky?” Katara asked confused.
“Our pet Squirreldog, anyway have you seen him?”
“No I haven’t sorry Suki. Have you told anyone yet?” Katara perked up immediately, the thought of her future niece or nephew made her feel all warm inside.
“Yeah, Toph knows. She said that she could feel the baby’s heartbeat but she didn’t want to say anything. It seems as though I was the last to know huh?” Suki chuckled
“I guess.” Katara smiled,
“Have you told anyone yet? I don’t mind if you have.”
“No.” Katara’s expression changed from one of joy to one of sadness. Zuko’s reaction had really surprised her. Suki placed a hand on Katara’s shoulder.
“What’s the mater Katara?”
“Nothing Suki, don’t worry about me of all things. I’ll tell Sokka you’re looking for him if I see him. You should relax.” Katara smiled and placed a hand on Suki’s stomach. “The both of you should.”
“Yeah you’re probably right. I should start packing; Sokka brought enough stuff to fill an entire fire nation ship I don’t know how we’re going to get it all back home.” She chuckled “I’ll see you later then.”
“I’ll help you pack. I need something to keep my mine occupied.” Suki and Katara walked off arms locked towards Suki’s room. They had become as close as sisters after the war.
As they entered Suki’s room they found a note on her pillow. “Well from this chicken scratch writing it’s obviously from Sokka.” Suki chuckled and read aloud.
Dear Suki,
Gone Shopping! Be back soon.
Sokka.
P.S. I love you.
“Why am I not surprised.” Suki said while rolling her eyes. “We better pack small….”
By late afternoon Katara and Suki had finished packing and so Katara decided to return to her own room. It felt as if she hadn’t been there in ages. The number of meetings that took place slowly began to decrease due to the fact that the gathering was coming to an end. Only three days remained. “It's all gone so quickly” Katara thought to herself as she lay on her bed. Packing all day had made her tired as so she quickly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
Katara woke up sweating. “I hate falling asleep in my clothes” She mumbled to herself. It was still pitch black outside probably very early morning she guessed. Tonight was hotter than usual and she desperately wanted to freshen up so she bathed and dressed quickly. Again, she began to roam the hallways of the fire nation palace. “No one would be up at this hour.” She thought to herself. “Well almost no one.” She walked towards the room where she had met Zuko training the day before but to her surprise no one was there. She sighed. “I wonder why he’s not here this morning. Zuko and routine are like Sokka and meat. Inseparable.” She left the training room and continued to walk randomly around the palace. After she had walked for a few minutes she saw a bright light flickering in one of the rooms. She had never been to this part of the palace before. As she walked closer to the room she heard faint mumbling coming from inside. It was Zuko. Katara smiled to herself. She knocked the door once and let herself in without waiting for a reply.
“So this is your room” She said while looking around. It was huge. It seemed as though his study and his bedroom had merged into one. It was beautifully decorated with gold and numerous shades of red everywhere.
“Oh... Morning Katara. I didn’t hear you coming. He said turning to face her. He was sitting at his desk with several papers in front of him. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh please Zuko. Enough with the formalities were friends now. How many times do I have to tell you?” She said walking over to him. “How long have you been up?” She asked. Attempting to lighten his obvious dull mood.
“A while.” He replied.
His response angered Katara. She had tried to be nice but his sudden personality change frustrated her.
“What’s with you Zuko?” She shouted. “First you act all weird in the garden and now it’s like you don’t even want me to be here or to talk to you! I mean has something happened to upset you. Have I said or done something that something that hurt you what’s with the personality change?”
Zuko smiled. That annoyed Katara even more. “Seriously Katara there is nothing wrong” He replied calmly.
“There you go again. Playing everything down. How am I supposed to help you when you always shut me out? Is it a sill honour thing or…"
Something seemed to click in Zuko's mind. “Why do you feel as though you have to help me Katara?” He was shouting slightly now. “You owe me nothing Katara. So please don’t feel obliged to do anything for me.” He walked past Katara
“Of all the ridiculous ideas Zuko. I don’t feel obliged to help you Zuko I want to. Why is that that so difficult to understand? Is it because we were once enemies.”
“No”
“Is it because I was the last person to forgive you?”
“No it’s…” Zuko stuttered as if he was having difficulty saying what he wanted to.
“Then why is it Zuko” Katara shouted “Why is it you feel this way?”
“It’s because you left!!” Zuko finally shouted. “It’s because you left Katara. When I thought I needed you the most you weren’t there.”
Katara stood there silently taking in all that Zuko had said. “After everything we had been through with you finally forgiving me and Azula, you just left. Zuko lingered on the last word and slowly turned to face Katara. “Now do you under…”
“You’re wrong Zuko.” Katara said flatly. “I didn’t leave. On the morning of your coronation I came to see if you were all right after Azula’s attack. I remembered how many healing sessions Aang needed when he was shot and so can to offer any help but when I got to were you were I saw you and Mai together in each others arms.” she paused. “Urmm smiling. I saw how happy you were and saw that you really didn’t need any of my help. After everything that had happened to you, things were finally going your way and I was happy because of that. You more than any of us deserved that.” She looked up and smiled at him. “I knew that you would be happy with Mai to help you. Sokka told me what she did at the Boiling Rock.” She shrugged.
Zuko stood there speechless, slowing taking in what Katara had just said. “You…came back?” he asked slowly.
“Of course I did. What kind of healer would I be if I didn’t?” She chuckled.
“Yeah I suppose.” They stood there in silence for a while, taking in what had just happened.
“Katara, may I ask you something?
“You already have.” Katara said coyly. “But yes. Go on.”
“Well, what happened between you and Aang? In Ba Sing Se you two were so close but now you are.” He paused finding the right words “…not as close.”
“Here come and sit with me.” Katara walked over to the lounger beside the window and sat down. Zuko followed. Katara looked out of the window and stared at the stars.
“After Aang had defeated Ozai, things moved at a slower pace than before as you can imagine. We stayed in Ba Sing Se for about three week after you and Mai left, just resting. Aang had to do certain things but most of the time we stayed with your uncle. As a group we played a lot. Especially Aang and Sokka, you know picking up on the places of our childhood that we left off on. That was nice. My feelings for Aang then were still slightly confused. I was so grateful to him for saving the world and ending this war but was unsure if I loved him. Now that I think about it, we were all so young back then I don’t even know if I knew what real love was. Anyway on the way back home on Appa, we all decided to play a little game of sorts. We would tell everyone the scariest moment of the past year. Toph said when she was falling off the Air balloon and I said when Aang was hit by Azula. Sokka then said something I’ll never forget. He said the moment he knew that Suki was in danger. He then turned to Suki and smiled.” Katara smiled to herself. “Aang said when the sand benders took Appa.” She paused. “At that moment I wondered to myself if what Aang and I relationship was based on. Ws it love of just some sort of bond that had developed over the year of travelling with him. Later that evening while still on Appa Suki fell asleep on Sokka. I was sitting opposite then and so couldn’t help but notice them. Sokka gently brushed her hair away from he face and kissed her gently on her forehead. At that point I knew what love was. Sokka and Suki had it. The completed each other. Two halves of a whole. There was nothing Sokka wouldn’t do for Suki and vice versa.” Katara sighed. “I also knew that I would never have that with Aang. I loved him…yes that much I can admit but I knew that I would never be in love with him. He was and still is one of my best friends but for some reason I just didn’t see him in that way, the way that two people in love see each other. I suppose I have Sokka and Suki to thank for that. She smiled and turned to Zuko. “Not what you were expecting huh?”
Zuko smiled. “No... It’s not that, it just sad.”
“Why?” Katara looked confused. “I was never sad. It just wasn’t meant to be. Aang and I both knew that we had rushed into it. I think that’s why he’s taking things a lot slower with Toph. Now that’s a perfect couple!” she chuckled to herself.
“Yeah.”
“Can I ask you something now Zuko?”
“You already have.” Zuko replied grinning.
“Very mature Zuko.” Katara said nudging him in the side
“Yeah sure. Go on”
“Well you and Mai... you too seemed so happy in Ba Sing Se. But now I heard that you two are no longer together. What happened?” Zuko’s face dropped.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just wondered.”
“No its OK Katara.” He smiled and looked at her, his eyes shimmering in the candle light. “Mai and I were happy together. After everything, I thought I had lost her faith in me but she seemed to want me back. After Ty Lee left with you all we spent a lot of time together and my feelings for her grew. Everything was finally going my way like you said. We were spending a lot time together, when I wasn’t in meetings.” Zuko grinned.
“Yeah! The fire nation loves their meetings.” Katara chuckled
“Yeah. Anyway one day we were talking and she said ‘Thing were a lot easier when we had earth nation servants.’ ” She apologised straight away but it didn’t matter. In that split second I saw her true colours. My years of banishment had taught me a thing or two about tolerance and respect for people of different nations. I knew that it wasn’t going to work. Yes she loved me and I loved her but it was the old me. I…we had to let go. I guess you could say she wasn’t my other half. “Zuko shrugged.
“Poor Mai I hope she didn’t take it too badly. She was nice in Ba Sing Se. Where is she now?”
“She’s in Omashu. Her father is helping King Bumi rebuild it.”
Katara sighed and rested her head on Zuko shoulder. Her olive brown falling lightly. “Look at us reminiscing about the past like two old ladies” She chuckled to herself. “Wow look at that.” The sun was slowly rising above the hills that surrounded them. “It’s beautiful. Now I know why your room is situated here.” She smiled and slowly got up to walk towards the door but she only reached the entre of the room.
“You’re leaving? But you just got here.”
“It feels that way doesn’t it. But I really do have to go; I haven’t started my own packing yet.”
“Packing?”
“Yeah? I’m leaving in two days Zuko, remember.”
“Oh. Right. Well…”Zuko walked over to her and held his hand out. “I’m sorry about the argument. Friends.”
Katara smiled and the wrapped her arms around Zuko’s neck in a sweet embrace. "Of course we are Zuko. What is it with you and handshakes?” She looked in to his eyes and smiled. “Besides that wasn’t an argument. That was a….loud conversation. If you’d lived with Sokka for as long as I had then you’d know what and argument was.”
“I really AM happy for you Katara”
“About that Zuko, what do you mean? I don’t understand….” They were still in each others arms when sudden a messenger came through the door, it seemed as if he had been running.
“Ahem.” The messenger coughed politely. He did not imagine he would ever find the Firelord in the arms of the master waterbender. Let alone at these hours of the morning…. Katara blushed and quickly dropped he hands from Zuko’s neck. She knew exactly what the messenger was thinking. Zuko on the other hand seemed oblivious to this and kept his hands around Katara’s waist.
“Firelord Zuko, the ships that were due to arrive from the earth kingdom will not be arriving as scheduled. It seems that the ocean current have pushed the ships of course. The captain couldn‘t foresee this. He said that its goes against the season and the tides. He sends his apologies.”
Katara and Zuko looked at each other. “The problem’s spreading.” Katara mumbled.
“Lee arrange a meeting with the generals for midday to discuss this problem.”
“Yes Fire Lord Zuko” With that the messenger left as swiftly as he came.
“Urmm Zuko…”
“Yeah”
“May I have my waist back please?” Katara blushed slightly. He had been holding onto her for a while now.
“Oh Sorry…” Zuko dropped his hands and scratched his head.
“Good luck with that meeting. Its seems as though you'll have a lot to talk about.” Katara said smiling. “I better go.”
“Will I see you later?" Zuko asked.
“Yeah probably." Katara waved and walked out of Zuko’s room. Zuko smiled, glad that he had made up with Katara. About the majority of things at least… His smile faded. There was still the matter of Takai and now an unknown problem that seemed to be gradually getting worse.