A/N: A new, two-shot story. The story is written completely and I shall update the next chapter next week. It was an idea that has been in my mind for a while and had to be written. Just some Zutara fluff. A couple of things about this story, Iroh is at Ba Sing Se and that's why he only finds a mention here instead of a role. Also, there's at least a month or two of gap between each letter, so the total timeline of the story is about one and a half year.

Please read and review.

SCARRED BONDS
PART 1

Whoever said that the Fire Nation didn't know how to celebrate, had been telling the truth. Even after several rounds of fire whiskey, the stiff nobles hadn't managed to get rid of the sticks up their collective behinds to actually converse a little. Had it not been for some of the Earth Kingdom dignitaries and the Water Tribe representatives, the party would have been a study in boredom.

Swathed in blue silk, Katara sat in one corner, her eyes absently tailing the newly crowned Fire Lord and his knife wielding girlfriend, Mai. She idly wondered about Zuko, who had gone from being the slightly crazed prince who chased them around the world with a dogged determination to a friend whom she could trust. He was a man for whom she would gladly go to fight. Life sure had a funny way of unfurling.

But at that moment, she was looking at him with eyes of a healer. The wound he had taken to his chest had very nearly killed him and Katara had been of the opinion that he shouldn't be having this party at the moment. But Zuko, being Zuko, had overridden all her objections and had gone ahead with the party. His logic was that people have had precious little to celebrate over the century. He couldn't rob them off this very legitimate chance because he was slightly discomfited.

And that, in Katara's opinion, was the understatement of the century. He ought to have been in agony. He had taken a lightning bolt straight to his chest and it had almost killed him. For a few gut wrenching moments, while she had been fighting the crazed Fire Princess, Katara had been convinced that it had killed him, for he had completely stopped moving.

She had cried out in relief when she had felt a weak pulse. From there on, Katara had spent her days in a feverish haze, trying to heal Zuko. He would not... Could not die. Not under her watch. When, three days later, he had opened his eyes briefly, Katara had let grief, relief and exhaustion take her over. She had collapsed.

That had been ten days ago. Now, as she watched, Zuko settled down on a chair, his movements were slightly strained but his face betrayed none of the pain he must have been under. As if feeling her eyes on him, he turned to look at her. Their eyes met and he smiled. A small, genuine smile and she felt her own lips tug in response. As though he heard her unasked question from across the room, he mouthed "I'm fine."

With a nod, Katara tore her eyes from him. She cast a look around the hall, trying to pick out her friends from the crowd. Aang was with Bumi, both of them laughing over something. Some way off, Toph was sitting next to her mother, clasping the woman's hand in a grip so tight, it must have hurt her. But to Poppy Bei Fong's credit, she didn't flinch. Katara couldn't find Sokka and Suki anywhere. She had a shrewd suspicion as to why they were conspicuously absent.

Satisfied, Katara picked up her glass of wine, only to realize that it was empty. Sighing, she walked over to the wine fountain (yes, they had a fountain of wine! Ingenious folk!) to refill her glass.

She pulled back her long, wide sleeve so that it wouldn't dip in the wine and began to fill her glass when a titter reached her ears. Something about that laugh raised her heckles.

"Did you see that?" A feminine voice sounded somewhere to her right. "That scar? How horrible! Poor thing won't even be able to catch a man's eye."

Even Katara, who was often called naïve, couldn't mistake those words for sympathy.

"As it is she's so dark," another one said. "And so broad."

"And no manners."

"The scar just makes it so much worse."

For a moment, Katara wanted to bend the wine on to those two catty girls' dresses and ruin their fine silks. But then, she decided the better of it. Let them talk, she thought. That's all they can do, speak.

But words had the power to hurt even the most battle hardened warrior. Even as she walked back to the spot of her solitary vigil, those hurtful words gnawed at the back of her mind. Whispered words clawed at her heart, leaving her slightly suffocated.

Suddenly, sitting at the chair, watching her friends enjoying the party didn't appeal to her anymore. Looking around, she spied a door that led to a balcony. A backward glance at her friends assured her that they were all otherwise occupied and that she wouldn't be missed.

Downing her wine in two large gulps, Katara set the empty glass on a table, not caring who was sitting at it, and walked out of the door. The cool night air welcomed her and she took a deep breath, letting relief flood her.

Below her, Fire Nation was celebrating. Really celebrating. Not the stiff lipped farce that was on inside the marbled halls, but real, heartfelt celebrations. The sky was filled with multicolored fireworks and snatches of various songs floated through the air.

Standing hidden in the shadows, Katara's fingers traveled to the scar on her right forearm- a legacy from her fight with Azula. A stray finger of flame had singed her skin during the fight but she had barely registered the pain. In her determination to save Zuko, she had neglected her own wound and by the time she had turned her attention to it, skin had closed and so had her window to heal herself. It was going to leave a scar. An angry, amorphous mark that dominated her right forearm, its fringes spreading on her hand as well.

"The party too boring for you?"

She'd recognize that raspy voice anywhere. Smiling slightly, she turned to look at the Fire Lord who walked over to stand next to her. "Nothing like that. Just stepped out for some fresh air."

"It's okay Katara," Zuko chided mildly. "You can say it's boring, because it is. Mai has said it at least ten times."

Katara sniggered. "It's your coronation party Zuko. Shouldn't you be inside?"

"If I have to listen to another nobleman telling me how fortunate it is that I'm keeping the dragon's pulse alive, while at the same time telling me how Ozai was a true dragon, I will barf. I needed fresh air too."

The two friends stood in companionable silence for a few heartbeats, watching the citizens celebrating. "Some of the Fire Nation nobility can be rather cruel, right."

Zuko snorted. "You have no idea."

"Actually, I do," Katara responded, without thinking. But then bit her tongue. Zuko had been very guilty when he had realized that Katara hadn't healed herself because she had been taking care of him. He didn't need to know the catty remarks that had unsettled her.

But of course, because the universe hated her at that point, the normally oblivious Zuko caught on. "Has someone said something to you?"

"It's nothing, Zuko."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Says the guy who can't lie," Katara scowled.

"Takes one to know one," Zuko answered smoothly. "Besides, I grew up with Azula, a professional liar. You are many things Katara, a liar is not one of them. So out with it, what happened?"

"It's just something someone said, it sort of got under my skin."

"Who?"

"I don't know, some girls. That's not important."

"Okay. So what did they say?"

Katara huffed. "They just said something about my scar and... and..."

"It hurt."

"No Zuko. I mean yes it hurt, but more than that. I don't know. I can't explain. Anyway, you wouldn't understand," as soon as the words left her lips, Katara winced.

Zuko's voice dropped to a whisper, "I wouldn't understand?"

"Sorry! So sorry. That's not how I meant it."

"I know you didn't," Zuko replied calmly. "I also know what you are feeling Katara. There's an anger and you don't know what to do with it. There's a new sense of self consciousness. All you can think of is how people see your scar. It's become your identity and it bothers you to no end. You're no longer Katara the Master Waterbender. Not Katara, Avatar's Waterbending teacher. Not Katara of the South Pole who defeated the Fire Princess. At this moment, all you are, is Katara the scarred girl, am I right?"

Katara looked at him, stunned. He had succinctly summarized the emotions she had been feeling, even though she herself did not fully understand them. Unable to speak, she nodded.

"I know Katara. It's a bad place to be in. But trust me when I say this, the scar doesn't define you. It's your badge of honor. Your war medal. Don't look at it as a blemish for it's not that. It's a proof that you fought against the best Firebender of our generation and lived to tell the tale. Wear it proudly. Who cares what anyone else says? They're not the ones wearing it. You are. You decide what it means for you, no one else does."

Unbidden, tears came to Katara's eyes, and her lower lip trembled.

"Shit! Are you crying? Agni! Even when I am trying to be nice, I can't. Ugh!"

Despite herself, Katara laughed, confusing the Firebender even more. "Why are you laughing now? Are you drunk?"

Katara wiped her tears and stopped laughing. "I'm not crying Zuko. Your words did actually help me. Thank you. I have to ask though, how did you go from silver sandwich to this?"

He groaned. "Sokka told you? Can't that oaf keep his mouth shut? That was embarrassing."

"Me and everyone else. Toph is waiting to use it on you."

Zuko's expression of pure terror made her laugh again. "I will kill Sokka. I won't even use fire. I will strangle him with bare hands."

After a moment of silence, Katara reached over and put a hand over his.

"Thank you Zuko. You really helped me. I feel much better now. I don't know how you could say exactly what I needed to hear, but you did. Thanks."

His smile was the shy response of someone unaccustomed to compliments. "Thanks. I... I mean... Yeah... Personal experience helps."

Katara had to suppress the urge to reach up and ruffle his hair, just so that he could resemble the shy, awkward boy she had come to think of as family. Dressed in this regalia, he looked nothing like that boy. Now he looked like a man, a prince, a leader.

"Congratulations again Zuko. You have earned it."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"Write to me, okay."

Zuko nodded.

"And take things slow now. You're still recovering."

"Yes mam."

"You'll be alright."

"I don't think so."

"I know so."

He shrugged. "I'll take your word for it. Safe journey."

"Thank you."

The two friends gave each other a brief hug before he stepped back inside the party. The next day, Katara sat on Appa with Aang, Sokka and Suki. She took one last look at Fire Nation as the bison took them higher and higher.

Two months later:

Katara was at the South Pole, working with some benders from the North Pole. Together, the Waterbenders were rebuilding and rehabilitating the South Pole. Katara was standing with two other benders, erecting the perimeter wall when a man shouted something about a messenger hawk. The bird circled above their heads once before landing next to Katara, letting out a caw. Noticing the Fire Nation insignia on the scroll, she pried it out gently.

"Who is it from?" Tyruk, one of the two benders asked, looking over her shoulder Tyruk was a young, good looking man who was obviously interested in her. But he wasn't, as Toph would have put it, the sharpest tool in the shed. She had dropped many hints about her disinterest but none of them were taken.

Katara unfurled the scroll and smiled, "Zuko."

Tyruk's eyes widened, "You were telling the truth when you said you're on first name basis with the Fire Lord."

Not dignifying that with a response, Katara put the scroll in her parka and excused herself. She had no desire to have her personal letter being read by prying eyes. Inside the privacy of her igloo, she brought out the scroll and began to read.

Katara,

You asked me to write to you, so here I am, writing to you. Although, to be honest, I have no idea what to write. I have a rather sketchy history with letters. I wrote one to uncle when I was with you all at the Western Air Temple, but Sokka's stupid bird never delivered it. To date I have no idea what happened to that letter.

The other letter I wrote was to Mai. On the day of the Black Sun. I wrote to tell her that I am breaking up with her. Yeah. True story.

So given my stupendous success with the medium, don't expect anything. Things here have been chaotic and very confusing. I swear, every day I sign so many documents, it feels like my arm is about to fall off. Yet, somehow, it manages to stay on. Ozai always made it seem like being the Fire Lord was something phenomenal. He was wrong about this too. Who knew?

The day after you all left, the entire Bei Fong family had a big showdown. Lao Bei Fong was screaming himself hoarse and Poppy was in tears. Toph kept trying to tell them about who she was and what she has done but all they could see was their blind daughter. It was very frustrating to watch. I had to intervene and break them up or else Toph would've probably brought the whole palace down and I would be homeless. I have never seen Toph cry but she did that day. So much.

I won't bore you with politics that dominates my days now. In any case, I hope you're doing well and the reconstruction is going well. Let me know if you need anything. Till next time.

Fire Lord Zuko

Katara read and re-read the letter, a small smile playing on her lips. She had never imagined that Zuko would actually write to her, but she should have known he would. He always kept his word. Rolling the scroll, Katara put it in her trunk, the one place where she kept her most precious belongings.

A comb Aang had given her, her old water sack, the Waterbending scroll she had stolen from the pirates, a scarf she had purchased from Earth Kingdom and a few other knick-knacks that she had collected in her journey. But most importantly, it contained letters. Letters from her friends from all over the world. There was one from Haru, a couple from Teo (he was an enthusiastic letter writer, for sure). One was from Aang who was now in the Eastern Air Temple, where along with Guru Pathik, he was beginning the arduous task of rebuilding his civilization. The two of them were in search of people who would be willing to become monks and pick up the remains and reinstate the lost civilization. Sokka's scribbled note from Kiyoshi Island was also in the trunk and now, Zuko's surprisingly long letter joined the pile.

With utmost care, Katara closed the trunk, formulating a response in her mind, when suddenly her eyes shone with gleam that was highly reminiscent of a blind Earthbender.

Zuko took a deep breath and exhaled, dimming the fire in him. He picked up a towel and began wiping off the sweat when he heard the footsteps of an approaching servant.

"My Lord, we received a letter for you."

Nodding Zuko held out a hand and waved the man off. He was aware that any letter he received would be screened by the external affairs department. Although it had rankled him at first, but then he figured no one would be writing him personal letters and had agreed to the condition. However, seeing the Water Tribe symbol, he regretted signing the contract. If Katara knew someone else had read the letter, she would be furious. Upon opening the scroll though, his features morphed into a frown.

Respected Fire Lord Zuko,

I am so honored you chose to write to me. I find myself falling short of words to describe how humbled I feel upon receiving your communication. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for someone of your stature to take time off your busy schedule to write to me. On behalf of the entire Water Tribe, I thank you deeply and sincerely.

With the most humble regards,

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe

Zuko scratched his head, completely flabbergasted. He read and reread the letter, trying to understand what it was that he was missing, when it suddenly occurred to him that she might have used an invisible ink to hide the true contents of the letter. Struck by the sudden inspiration, Zuko lit a flame under the letter and waited for the text to appear. Nothing happened.

He let out an annoyed huff, smoke curling out of his nose. Crunching the letter in his hand, he strode over to his study. He must have looked menacing for several people scurried out of his way. As usual, his desk was full of official documents, divided into two neat piles. With a single swipe, he pushed off all the documents and procured a fresh paper. Picking up a quill he quickly wrote the five words that were on top of his mind.

Katara,

What the hell?

Zuko

Life as Fire Lord was one unending stream of complete chaos. Every day there was a crisis that he needed to solve. Even though the war had ended, the troops stationed all around the world were still returning home. With each new wave of returning soldiers, the problems of housing them and providing for them increased. Besides there was the issue of finding employment for these young men and women who were suddenly out of a job. To make matters worse, the nobles who had profited of the war were getting anxious because suddenly, their cushy lives were threatened. And to top it all up, there were a few Ozai loyalist who weren't too happy that Zuko was on the throne.

All in all, Zuko found himself stretched thin. His day would start at sunrise and continue way past midnight. More often than not, he would return to his chamber and collapse on the bed without even changing his clothes. However, on the rare occasion that he found a moment or two to himself, Zuko found his thoughts going to the rather odd letter that Katara had written to him. He couldn't, for the world of him, figure out what had prompted her to write a letter like that. In one way, he was thankful that she had written something like that for it was the most innocuous letter that the external affairs department could read. After that letter, and upon the realization that his friends might need to use an invisible ink, Zuko had gone on to issue an instruction that letters from his friends were personal and that he would not appreciate them being scanned.

Five weeks after he had penned that annoyed response, a servant brought Katara's unopened scroll to his chamber at night. Zuko set aside all his work and grabbed the scroll, welcoming the respite. Ignoring the parchment he had been reading, Zuko opened the letter.

Zuko,

Now there is the person I know! I wrote that letter since you signed off as Fire Lord Zuko. How obnoxious is that?

Honestly though, I never expected you to write. I can't tell you what a big surprise it was to see the messenger hawk landing next to me. Which brings me to the first letter you wrote. Serves you right for choosing Sokka's bird to send a letter. I doubt there has been a single letter that that bird has delivered. And you broke up with Mai over a letter? Yikes! And she didn't make a Princely Shish Kabob out of your royal behind? Lucky you!

I know what you mean by working so much that you feel like your arms are about to fall off. I have been bending almost all day long and muscles I didn't know existed have started to ache. To make matters worse, I seem to have attracted the attentions of this Northern Waterbender, Tyruk. By La! He's so annoying. Hints don't work on him. I even told him that I'm the Avatar's girlfriend, but he doesn't believe me. Since he has not seen Aang, he thinks I'm lying. He doesn't believe that I did everything I say I did. In his worldview, women can't do these things. Idiot!

Oh poor Toph. She's so strong and powerful, wonder why she can't stand up to her parents and just tell them what she wants to do? I can't imagine Toph crying. It must have hurt her so bad. I wish they would see Toph for who she is and not who they think she is.

Something tells me that you're working way too hard and not really taking care of yourself. Please, do eat. And remember, you are still recuperating. Please do take care. Don't overexert yourself.

Thank you so much for the generous offer. I will take you up on it when the time comes.

Katara.

PS: I think Sokka is planning to propose Suki. I find crumpled sheets of paper in his room that have several 'designs' drawn on them. I do hope when he does carve the necklace, it's slightly better than the drawings that I see.

PPS: How're thing with Mai?

Katara,

I should have known I did something stupid. It's just that I sign off so many letters as "Fire Lord Zuko" that it doesn't even register anymore. Thanks for bringing that to my notice. I shall now be doubly careful while signing off.

As you may have noticed, my 'royal behind' is in perfectly working condition. So no, Mai didn't make Princely Shish Kabob out of me. She just had me arrested and dumped in Boiling Rock, leaving me at the tender mercy of her jailor uncle. Sweet girl.

While on Mai, things with her are a bit… strange at the moment. I honestly don't have time to spend with her, and she understands that. Or at least she says she does. But I feel like there's something missing. I wish I could tell you more but I haven't spoken about this to anyone and I don't even know what is wrong. But I feel like we are both talking but we are not communicating. I don't know if all this is in my head or if this is really happening but I feel as though she doesn't understand who I am. She knows the person I was before I was exiled. But I am not that person anymore. I don't know if I can even show her who I am now.

Anyway, I'm rambling. You tell me, how's Aang? He's in Eastern Air Temple now, right? How is it going for him? He'd said he would write to me when he found time, but I am still waiting for a letter from him. I think I should send a letter to him.

Speaking of Aang, who is this moron, Tyruk? Does he really want to incur the wrath of the Avatar? Besides, you're a Waterbending Master. Put him in his place, firmly. Freeze him there for good measure.

You know, I think I understand what Toph feels. Sometimes, standing up to your parent is the toughest thing to do. It took me a burn, six years and an exile before I could do it. Give her time. Toph isn't one to take things lying down. She will fight back.

Relax, I am taking care of myself. I hope to hear good news on Sokka's front soon. Oh, and I hope you are no longer depressed about that scar in your hand, are you?

Regards,

Zuko.

Katara sighed, curling herself into a ball. It was the third time that she had read Zuko's letter and she still felt a sort of emptiness settle within her. Zuko had had a very tough life and he, of all people, deserved to be happy. The fact that he was having problems with Mai, was something Katara didn't like. Pulling her pelt closer, Katara wondered what she could possibly say to him about it when Sokka peeped in.

"There you are! I have been looking all over for you. What're you doing lying here in the middle of the day?"

Katara sat up and hid the letter under her pillow. It wasn't as though she didn't want Sokka to know that she was exchanging letters with Zuko. But, for some reason, she felt that what Zuko had shared was extremely personal and that was not something she wanted Sokka to know. Sokka's sharp eyes, however, caught the action.

"What're you hiding? Is that a love letter from Aang?" Sokka walked in, waggling his eyebrows.

"Your powers of perception is stunning, Sokka," Katara rolled her eyes. "Why were you looking for me?"

Sokka settled down next to her, looking slightly pensive. "Katara, I… I want to ask Suki… if she… you know…"

"If she would marry you?"

Sokka nodded, unable to say anything. Knowing his anxiety, Katara draped an arm across his shoulder and said, "Sokka. Suki loves you. Why would she say no? Take it from a girl, she is waiting for your proposal."

His blue eyes lit up. "Really? Are you sure?"

She nodded, giving him a small squeeze. "Go for it, seal tiger."

Sokka grinned. "And what about you? Whose letter were you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding it, but it is my letter. I just don't want anyone else to read it."

"Hey, not everyone reads other people's letters. Not everyone is like you."

With a scowl, Katara slammed his face with a water jet.

The little kids imitated Katara's action as she showed them how to pull water up. It was a basic up and down motion but an important one for a beginner as it helped them connect with their element and feel the push and pull of water. She explained how to feel the element and how to pull it. The children followed her motions but out of the seven in front of her, only three got the water to lift. One managed to slosh the water a little and another succeeded in creating a ripple in the bucket. The other two, however, couldn't do anything. It was more than she had hoped for.

"That's perfect," Katara said, clapping her hand in joy. "Very good. Now, shall we try again?"

One of the two kids who had not pulled at the water, pouted jutting her lower lip. "I can't do it, Sifu Katara."

"Of course you can," Katara said with a smile. "Water is not like Earth that requires you to stand up to it. It's not like Fire that needs your breath and it's not like Air that requires you to be light. Water is life. You have to flow with it. You feel it in you. Water listens. You just have to feel it, that's all. Now try again."

The lesson continued for another forty-five minutes, by the end of which, all the seven had pulled at the water. Congratulating every one of them, Katara walked out of the little arena situated outside the village where she and a couple of others taught the kids Waterbending. As she headed towards the village, Tyruk caught up with her, making her suppress a groan.

"Hello Katara," Tyruk said, walking up to her. "There was something I wanted to tell you."

For a moment, she was tempted to do exactly as Zuko had told her to and freeze him, but she realized he was a waterbender as well and quite a good one at that. He could unfreeze himself easily.

Taking her silence as his cue, Tyruk stepped close to her. "Katara, here."

She looked at what he was holding out and her worst suspicions were confirmed. In his hand, he held a betrothal necklace.

"Tyruk, I have told you, several times, I'm Aang's girlfriend."

The man laughed. "I have heard you say that, but where is the Avatar? Why has he not given you a betrothal necklace yet then? How can he let his woman be alone?"

Annoyance shot through her and without thinking, Katara raised both her arms and froze him into a block of ice, ensuring that his hands were trapped in such a way that he couldn't bend himself out.

"Now listen to me once and for all, and I am not going to repeat myself. I don't like you. I don't want to marry you. I love Aang and he is the one I will be with. Thank you. Don't approach me again."

She stormed away, ignoring his pleas. Just before reaching her village, she dropped her hand, unfreezing him. Sometime during the whole event, she had figured out her response to Zuko.

Zuko,

Sorry for the delayed response, but I had a tough time trying to decide to what to write. I was very sad to read your problem with Mai. I was wondering what you could do to solve it and I think I have found a perfect solution. Take a small holiday with her. You said you are having communication issues, so I would suggest you both to go for a couple of days to a place where you both are not surrounded by people. Go somewhere where it's just the two of you and talk your issues out. It will help. I would suggest Ember Island.

Yes, Aang is in Eastern Air Temple. If it makes you feel any better, Aang doesn't send me too many letters either. All this while and I got only one letter so far telling me that he reached safely and that he would write when he has time.

You know, up until now, I wasn't doing anything about Tyruk because I didn't want to jeopardize the relations between South and North. A lot of the Northerners aren't too happy about the fact that the South played a more important part than them. I didn't want to give them another reason to hate us. But today, that moron tried to give me a betrothal necklace. Now it was personal and what a girl does upon being given a betrothal necklace is entirely her prerogative. No one will have a problem that I froze him. No one except Tyruk that is. And I don't particularly care what he thinks.

I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to stand up to Ozai. I have never had to do something like that so I wouldn't know what it must be like. I just assumed that it'd be easy for her. Yet again, as with my scar, you showed me how emotionally mature you are. And don't be worried about my scar. Thanks to you, I am getting used to it now. Maybe because I now see it differently.

Thank you Zuko. Not just for my scar but for everything that you have done. I have never really realized how much you have sacrificed for us. Going against your family, against what you were taught all your life, against everything you always believed in.

I never told you this, but back at Western Air Temple, I was mad at you for being Fire Nation. All my hate, my rage, and my wrath- I targeted towards you. Without thinking. I never once paused to think what it must have cost you to switch alliances back at Ba Sing Se. And for that, I apologize.

Katara

PS: You might be getting Sokka's wedding invitation soon.

Zuko stared at the paper, quill poised above it, unsure of what to write. Katara's letter had touched him and he had no idea what to say to her. How was one supposed to react to a letter like that? What had started as a humorous exchange between two friends had now turned into something a lot more serious and private. Once again, Zuko was thankful that he had stopped the ministers from reading his personal letters, for he had no desire for the content of this letter to be read by his subjects, His eyes fell on the beautiful but very basic invitation of Sokka's wedding and a thought struck him. He dipped the quill in ink and began writing.

About forty days later, a Fire Nation airship landed in the snowy tundra of the South Pole. The doors opened to reveal the Fire Lord who was dressed warmly. Amid a small procession of Firebenders, he descended the stairs to come face to face with the two chiefs of the Water Tribe, Hakoda and Arnook. The three men bowed to each other as three leaders. Next, Zuko turned to the Avatar and they bowed. But then, surprising everyone present, Aang jumped to pull Zuko into a bear hug.

"Nice to see you again, Sifu Hotman."

"Stop!" Zuko groaned, pulling himself from Aang's grasp. "You do that again and I will set your robes on fire."

"I'm really scared now," Aang replied, grinning widely.

Sokka walked up to the two and butt in suddenly. "Stop hogging all the attention Aang. Let me greet my favorite jerkbender."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You honor me, Sokka of the infinite wisdom."

In response, Sokka punched his arm. Instantly the ten Firebenders accompanying Zuko took a firebending stance. With a tired sigh, he lifted a hand, telling them he was fine.

"You'll have to excuse them. They take their duty of protecting me rather seriously."

"Because they clearly have not seen you fight," Toph's voice came as she walked to him, guided by Suki, making Zuko grin.

"Well, technically, neither have you. Congratulations Suki."

The Kiyoshi Warrior smiled in response.

"True," Toph conceded. "But I have seen you in my own way, which I can't do here, in this block of ice!"

"That's my home you're talking about Toph," Katara's voice made him looked up. However, as Katara walked up to them, something strange happened to Zuko. All of a sudden, his breath whooshed out of his lungs, making him gasp. From the corner of his eyes, Zuko saw Aang turn to look at him, concern writ large on his face. But for some reason, Zuko couldn't take his eyes off Katara who was smiling at him brightly.

"Zuko? Are you okay?"

Aang's voice broke the strange daze, and Zuko blinked, trying to clear the buzz in his mind. "I… I think the cold is starting to get to me."

Katara, who had reached their group by then, hooked an arm through his. It must have been the dry air of South Pole that caused the spark down his arm, Zuko reasoned. After all, he had met Katara dozens of times before this. There was no reason for him to feel this way around her. It had to be the freezing temperature. He allowed himself to be dragged away by his friends, hoping that no one saw his momentary lapse of control.

Water Tribe weddings were a loud, noisy affair, something Zuko hadn't expected of the people of water. The wedding itself was a short, private ceremony to be attended only by the next of kin, so he had not been privy to it. But the post wedding ritual was a sight to behold.

The men sat around in a big circle, stomping their feet and singing a song that, given their laughs, Zuko suspected was rather bawdy, even though he didn't understand the words.

The women danced around a roaring fire, clapping their hands to the beat of the song. The sway of their hips, the open, flowing hair and the graceful moves of their hands made for an erotic display. On some level, Zuko was glad that the kids had been sent to their respective igloos after the elaborate meal, for this dance was clearly unfit for the innocent eyes. In fact he was half tempted to reach over and close Aang's eyes.

Zuko's own eyes were, much to his disconcertion, trailing Katara as she twirled and swayed. She leaned to the left and clapped, twirled around and then leaned to the right to clap. Following a swirl of her hips, he couldn't help but notice had grown wider, curvier. There was a smile on her lips as she sang the women's part of the song, keeping her place in the slowly moving circle, while her hair fluttered in the wind. It was the most sensual thing he had ever seen.

As she danced, she met his eyes and raised her eyebrows in greeting. Zuko managed a smile in return, but he suspected it looked more like a grimace, given his current predicament.

Get a grip, Zuko! He chided himself. She's your friend, you can't think like this.

Katara sat on her bed, running a comb through her hair. Having danced for hours, she was exhausted and was looking forward to a long, blissful sleep.
"Katara, can I come in?"

Her head jerked up. "Aang! Come in, come in."

The Airbender walked up to her, a small smile playing on his lips. He perched on the bed next to her.

"How have you been?"

"I'm fine, Aang. Busy with the reconstruction. How about you?"

"I'm well. Guru Pathik and I have been working very hard, trying to teach the new recruits the way of the acolytes."

"That's great, Aang, that's great."

The two of them fell silent for a moment. Katara tried to think of things to say and for some reason, she couldn't come up with a single thing to say. This was the first time that she was truly alone with Aang. While the war was on, she had always had something to talk to Aang about, but now, with the war over, Katara could not come up with anything to say to him.

"So? The marriage was quite something, huh?" Aang said, after a period of uncomfortable silence.

"Oh yes. It was. I am so happy for Sokka and Suki."

"As am I," with that the two fell silent again. After a while, he said, "You must be tired after all that dancing. I will let you sleep."

Aang leaned forward and took her lips in a gentle kiss. Katara closed her eyes, waiting for the fireworks to begin, as they had on that balcony in Ba Sing Se. She waited and responded to the best of her abilities, but nothing happened. The tip of her nose itched, and Katara found her thinking about the itch rather than the kiss.

Aang pulled from the kiss and gave her a tentative smile before beating a hasty retreat. Alone in her room, Katara sighed.

"You're one to give relationship advice," Zuko's voice sounded from the door.

Katara turned around and scowled. "You were eavesdropping?"

Zuko held up his hands in an action of surrender. "Didn't mean to. I was coming to give you something when I saw Aang and you kissing. I would've left but the chill between the two of you was worse than South Pole."

Katara sighed and held her head in his hands. "I don't know Zuko. I don't know what to do. I couldn't think of a single thing to say to him."

He walked in and took the place occupied by Aang mere moments ago. "Maybe you should try and heed your own advice then, right?"

"Which is?"

"Go for a holiday with him. Reconnect with him."

Katara sighed, rubbing a hand on her face. "Did it work for you?"

"I don't know," he answered after a thoughtful pause. "When I offered, she didn't accept it."

"What? Why?"

Zuko shrugged. "I have no idea. She just said, 'later maybe'. I didn't bring the topic up again."

"Oh!"

"The idea was good though," he added hurriedly. "Just because Mai wasn't interested, doesn't mean you shouldn't try it."

"I will. I assure you."

"Good work on Tyruk, by the way."

Katara grinned. "He hasn't approached me since." She paused for a bit before asking, "How did you like the wedding?"

Zuko's cheeks took a pinkish tinge as he said, "It was…uh… good."

"Good? Just good? You didn't like the Water Tribe food, did you?"

"No, no! It was…bracing."

Katara raised her eyebrows, amused. "Bracing? Okay. I'll take that as a compliment. So what didn't you like? The song and dance?"

Zuko's good cheek proceeded to match his clothes. "That dance… Your dance… it was…it was very…uh…sensuous."

Katara felt her own cheeks warm up. "Oh! Ummm… thank you? I guess."

He brushed the back of his neck awkwardly "Yeah. I… I should go."

At those words, Katara felt a stab of disappointment. Awkward as the conversation was, she didn't want Zuko to leave. He stood up and was about to leave when she reached out to grab his hand. Maybe it was a Firebender thing, but she felt a warmth engulf her where skin met skin. His beautiful golden eyes held an unasked question.

"You said you were here to give me something?"

"Oh yeah!" he said, without prying his hand off hers. He reached into his red coat with his other hand and procured a scroll. "My next letter."

Inadvertently, her lips drew to a smile. "Zuko, you're right here. Why do you have to give me a letter?"

"Katara," he was probably unaware of the small circles his thumb was drawing on her hand. She decided she liked it. "There are things here, in this letter that I will never be able to say to you out loud. Your last letter… I can't… Just read this and you will understand."

Nodding, she accepted the scroll.

"Please, read it after I'm gone. I leave tomorrow morning."

Katara stood up abruptly, unaware of how close the action brought her to him. Absently she registered that he had grown an inch or so taller than the last time she had seen him, making her tilt her head up to see him. "So soon?"

"I have a nation to run," he answered in a low whisper.

Without thinking, Katara stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek. "I will miss you. Somehow, you've become my best friend."

He smiled. The transformation that single action wrought was unbelievable. Gone were the hard edges, the frown and the weariness on his face. Looking back at her was arguably the most handsome man she had ever seen.

"Thank you Katara," he was saying. "Those words mean a lot to me. For what it's worth, you're my best friend as well."

Katara threw her arms around him, burying her face into the crook of his neck. There was a slight hesitation before she felt his arms going around her waist. The fact that the hug lasted longer than was strictly necessary as friends was ignored by both.

Dear Katara,

If all goes to plan, I should have given this letter to you personally. This is not a letter I would want to be intercepted or read by anyone else. And that's why I want to give this to you personally.

I should have told you most of what you need to know. In this letter, I will exclusively address the last part of your letter, the Western Air Temple and what it cost me.

First of all, you don't have to apologize. Really. I figured it must have been something like that. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't upset by the way you behaved, but I don't hold it against you. Never have and never will.

You have to understand, Katara, that when I came to you all, I was still very much the Fire Nation Prince. To be very honest, I was surprised that I hadn't received more animosity than what I did. Agni knows I deserved it. To me, you were telling me the words Uncle should have been telling me, because I betrayed him as well.

Why should you have trusted me? What did I do till then for you to trust me? Up until then, I had always been your enemy. You had no idea what had happened to methat brought me there at your doorstep, begging for mercy.

You speak about what it cost me to be there. I can't even begin to explain. Where do I even start? Perhaps at the beginning? Katara, what I am about to tell you, I have never spoken about it to anyone. I don't know why I'm telling you, but I think it's because I trust you. I know I can say what I have always wanted to say to someone but never could. But now I want to tell someone about it. I want to get this burden off my chest, and who better than you to tell all this to?

It all began when Uncle lost Lu Ten and that broke his spirit. He gave up on the siege of Ba Sing Se and was returning home in 'disgrace'.

Ozai wanted the throne but my grandfather wouldn't betray Uncle. I don't really know what happened after that, but Azula overheard Azulon telling Ozai that to know Uncle's pain, he had to go through the same. Ozai was ordered to kill me. No one except Ozai knows what happened that night. All I know is that my mother did something to protect me and for that, she was exiled. Azulon was dead and Ozai was on throne.

Things were bad after that. I tried and tried to get Ozai's approval. But I failed, always. Azula was better, always. But you know me, I don't give up. I couldn't. So for the next three years, I tried and failed.

Then, one day, I pestered Uncle into letting me attend a war meeting. Uncle made me swear that I would stay quiet, but keeping my mouth shut isn't my strong suit. At the meeting, a General was proposing to use a battalion of new recruits as bait. I protested. And for speaking out, I was told to fight an Agni Kai.

I thought it would be the General I would fight. Instead I was facing Ozai. How could I have fought my father? I begged for mercy. For refusing to fight, and for begging, Ozai burned and exiled me. I was told that the only way I could return home was with the Avatar.

And that's why I was so bent upon capturing Aang. Back at Ba Sing Se, when Azula offered to take me back home, the temptation was too great to refuse. And I just couldn't. I chose them over everything else.

Back home though, nothing felt right. I had everything with me. I was welcomed home a war hero. I was the Crown Prince again. I sat next to Ozai, could give my inputs to war meetings. I was in the lap of luxury and I had Mai with me. I was the son Ozai wanted but I wasn't me.

And so, on the Day of the Black Sun, I left Fire Nation and followed you all to the Western Air Temple. Rest, as they say, is history.

So you asked me, what it cost me to be there at the temple. I don't know. Everything? Nothing? Something? No idea. You decide.

All I know is that it was the best decision of my life.

Zuko.

As always, Katara lay on her bed as she read Zuko's letter. By the time she finished the last line, she was in tears. She wanted to reach out to her friend and hug him. She wanted to run her fingers along his hair, whisper words of comfort in his ears and take away all his pain. But she couldn't. All she could do was hold the scroll to her bosom and cry. And cry she did. All night.

Next morning, she was at the kitchen with her grandmother, when Hakoda walked in. unknown to Katara, the two adults exchanged a worried look for her swollen eyes and her frizzy hair had not gone unnoticed. Following a nod from Kanna, Hakoda began to speak.

"Katara, are you feeling alright?"

She turned to look at her father, "I'm fine Dad. Why do you ask?"

"You look pale and your eyes are swollen," Sokka, who had been sitting at the table, spoke up. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were crying,"

Somehow Katara managed to keep a straight face as she looked at her bother, "Why would I be crying?"

"Oh I don't know," Sokka said sarcastically. "Maybe because Aang is leaving today?"

With a rude jolt Katara realized that she hadn't thought of Aang even once since he had left her room two nights ago. Since then all her thoughts had been occupied by Zuko. Even though he had left at the crack of dawn yesterday, Katara's mind had dwelled on the conversation she'd had with him in her room. Not only had she not sought Aang out all of yesterday, she had not even thought of him.

Without responding to her family, Katara shot out of the kitchen and ran to the big snow building that housed all the esteemed guests of the South Pole, a sickening feeling coursing through her. The cold air bit her skin, her indoor clothes not thick enough to block out the wind. Ignoring her own discomfort, Katara walked in, paying no heed the annoyed hiss of a couple of Northern Tribe men.

She ran to Aang's room and knocked on his door.

It was a while before the bleary eyed Avatar opened the door and looked at her, confused. "Katara?" his voice sounded groggy.

Wordlessly, Katara flung her arms around him, tears prickling her eyes.

"Katara?"

"Aang, I am so sorry."

The young boy was confused as he patted her back. "Uh…what? Why?"

"I… I should have come to visit you yesterday."

Aang drew back, very gently pulled her into the room and made her sit on the bed. He knelt in front of her and grabbed her hands. "Don't worry about it Katara. Even I didn't come to see you. Did I?"

"Aang…What's happening to us?"

The Avatar sighed and looked down. "I don't know Katara. I really don't know."

"This was not how I had thought things would go."

Aang nodded, "I agree. When I got together with you, I thought we will be so happy."

"But… But things aren't…I don't know."

"Katara," Aang said, sitting next to her. "As much as I hate to say it, maybe… maybe this isn't meant to be."

A lone tear dropped from Katara's eyes. "Aang, I… I am sorry."

"No Katara, it's not you or me. It's us. Honestly, if I had been with you in South Pole, or if you had been with me at the Air Temple, maybe things would have been different. But as things are now, I don't know. It's not working out."

"I love you, Aang."

"I love you too Katara," he said.

"But not romantically," she added.

Aang nodded.

"How are you taking all this so calmly?" she wondered, watching her own trembling hands.

The thirteen year old shrugged. "I don't know. I think a part of me always knew it wasn't meant to be. That's why I was so possessive of you. I was determined to make this work. But when I went to Eastern Air Temple and you were here, I began to realize that I'm still me even when you are not around. That somehow, I had pictured that you were my pillar. But when I was dealing with things even without you. I think I knew. Even though I didn't really admit it to myself until now." After a brief pause, Aang looked at her. "You will still be my friend, right Katara?"

"Of course Aang. Nothing changes between us."

"Thanks." He stood up and stretched. Suddenly he turned to look at her, his grey eyes gleaming with mirth. "Maybe the Ember Island Players did get things more right than we thought."