Katara opened her eyes and rolled out of bed, placing her feet on the floor as she stood. She couldn't believe she was here, in Jun's inn, waiting for Jun to get back from whatever job she had taken. Waiting to return to the life she had never imagined a life full of adventure and stories that would be passed down from generation to generation. Katara, the master Water bender. Katara, the first woman to leave the Southern Water Tribe tradition. Katara, the first bender to ever bring the Avatar back from the dead. Of course, she wasn't better than anyone else- she didn't have Toph's strength, Iroh's faith, or Sokka's... being Sokka. She still had to do her chores and she still had to work. But sometimes, she couldn't believe the amazing life the Spirits had given her. Of course, with every blessing, there has to be a price… and for Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, that price was Zuko, supreme Lord of the Fire Nation.

There was always that little pull and push between Zuko and Katara. The way she would light up when he was around, the way how he would seem a lot more comfortable in her presence. It went unnoticed by everyone, most of the time. The decision they both had to make for themselves and their people was more painful than either had let on. Jun saw that when she was helping the girl get a bearing on things in the world after the war. She knew that Katara really didn't want to help her hunt the criminals, but her only alternatives were helping out her tribe- Jun could see that Katara didn't have the desire (and who would want to, after tasting freedom?)- Or running around with the Avatar, who never seemed to bat an eye at any of the girl's desires. The amazing thing was that the girl had no idea that the jaded hunter saw her pain, even when she would cry after seeing Zuko or hearing about him. It was truly horrifying and amazing all at once. Jun knew that there was only one way the stubborn kids would ever see that what they had was special, and that way was by force.

June came about this thought while she was riding Nyla through the desert- it wasn't as bad as the Earth girl had said it was- looking for a Spirit Library of some sort. Even though she was getting paid highly by the creepy old man, she wasn't too happy with taking on the job. She would rather be searching for a criminal than a bunch of books. Still, she needed the money. The old man had only given her a few days to do it, and a couple words of advice- stay off the beaten path- so she took it on as a side job of sorts.

Nothing could prepare her for the knowledge she was about to receive.

Nyla and June were going over a sand dune when they both fell into a hole. June reached for her best friend with one hand and started a flame in the other. The hole became lit and she came to the start of a tunnel. After years of tracking, she knew the only way to get anything done was to simply relax and do it, so she took a breath and entered the tunnel.

The tunnel was super long, so June took a break from walking and started a fire down in the tunnel. She found it very ironic that she was sitting in a cold wet cave below the hottest place on earth. Nyla had started whimpering after the fall, but she got over it as soon as she realized she was on solid ground.

"Oh, baby. I know you wanna go back home and throw some bad guys around, but this is going to have to be home for now," said the tracker to her animal.

June had never been a lovey-dovey type person, she wasn't really into the Spirit thing either, but she gave her animal all the attention she could afford. Being around the Water bender caused her to think more about the issue with love. Like many other Fire Nation people, her mother had almost nothing. Her dad, growing up, was nice at first, but after being drafted, he became a monster. Her poor mother had no choice in the matter. June decided from a young age that love just wasn't worth all the pain and suffering she saw her mother go through. Pain and suffering, she realized, the young Water bender was going through. The ironic part was, her mother suffered because of war, and the Water bender suffered because of peace. Love, Jun decided, made people do stupid things.

Katara padded down the stairs of the inn. She had considered taking part in what was supposed to be a Women's Suffrage Conference in the lounge last night, but after she saw the rowdy audience that mostly consisted of drunk men howling for beer, she had run up the stairs before she was tempted to do something. Instead, she wrote letters to Sokka, Gran Gran, and Toph. Bounty hunting was hard work, and even though she refused to take part in the killing, the hide and seek she often had to play with the criminals was mentally and physically exhausting. She supposed she enjoyed it, though she always felt a part of her life was missing when she would see mothers with their children. She hoped one day she would find work that was as rewarding as being a mother. She could never tell Sokka or Toph her innermost desires; because she had abandoned living for herself the moment Zuko got crowned. Missing the old Zuko was a moment of weakness she hoped to learn to forget.

/Flashback\

"I present to you, Fire Lord Zuko, Supreme Ruler of the Fire Nation!" The crowd exploded with cheers and howling as Zuko waved to the people below. Zuko's crowning was the first chance that the rebels had after the war to party, and party they did.

Later that night, Zuko and Katara were in front of the pond in the private garden, having a duel. Steam and water droplets were falling all around them as the fierce water bender threw her head back and forth, her wet hair flying.

"You know," Zuko panted between breaths, "I never thought that we would ever be friends. I never thought this was possible."

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting this either… it's hard to believe that the Spirits allowed everything to happen the way it did," said Katara as she returned Zuko's fire punch with an ice ball of her own.

Zuko didn't return Katara's attack. Instead, he bowed and picked up his jacket, wiping his brow as he sat down, underneath the moon peach tree.

"For everything that's happened, this victory stuff is a pretty good exchange. But at the same time, it's killing me to know that tomorrow, we are all going to wake up and be different people, heading in different directions. I'm going to be Fire Lord, Katara. We can't go around the world on a flying bison anymore. We can't be kids. Everyone is going to be looking at us for direction. I just fear that we're not ready for all this responsibility yet. I mean, I feel like it was only yesterday when I got banished. And now, we're sitting in the garden, underneath this tree, and we can only wonder what tomorrow will bring. And nothing is ever going to be the same."

Katara looked at the rambling prince for a moment. He was right. They had already accomplished what they had set out to do. All of them had played their part, and now they were left with nothing besides the wisdom of the time before the war to create a future. He was also wrong, though.

"Zuko, you're still going to have me. You'll have Aang to help you write the future. Your uncle won't leave you, none of us will," she said while taking his hand in hers. "All you have to do is trust us, and look at me in the eyes right now," he did as she continued; "I wouldn't leave you for anything in the world. You just have to let the future happen. Just stay here with me, in this moment. Remember, I never give…"

"Up on someone who needs you, I know," he finished for her. His eyes softened, and they both leaned in.

The kiss was gentle and sweet, much unlike their first fiery encounter many months ago. As they pulled apart, fireworks went off and they watched the colors explode across the sky, hand in hand, each of them wondering what would be of them in the future.

\End Flashback/

Of course, the days after their sweet night under the moon were busier than Iroh's new tea shop in Ba Sing Se. Neither of them had any time to spare, with Zuko getting settled in as a new ruler, and Katara representing the Water Tribes in the very early negotiation period. However, when they would pass each other in the hallways of the Palace, their eyes would lock and a sense of security and peace would wash over them, giving them new hope. That hope wouldn't last long, however, because the official Water Tribe dignitaries were beginning to arrive and Katara was being hinted at to leave.