Why hello people! I know it has been a while, and I am truely sorry, but with the finale and everything, I just got sidetracked. I came up with this idea, shortly after the finale. I know, I know, Kataang won out in the end, but I decided to change 'destiny's' future. I am really excited about this one. And before any phsyco Kataangers are like "You lose, stop trying to reserect Zutara.", just know now that I am not going for world domination with this one. Just stick around, you will see!

The Fire Lord awoke to the sounds of scuffle. He threw the covers off of him and took of down the hall toward the noise.

Zuko skidded to a halt in the main hall of the palace, just as one of his guards flew toward him. He stepped to the side and the guard fell down the hall in the direction of which he had just come.

Zuko stepped forward, arms raised, ready for battle.

In the middle of all the commotion was a warrior dressed completely in black. Zuko motioned his guards back, and stepped into the sparring ring.

The intruder, turned to face him and put a hand on their hip.

They dove into battle. Whoever the intruder was new Zuko's moves well; they stepped out of the way at just the right time, and attacked with a certain preciseness that was quiet accurate to Zuko's fighting style.

After a fist fight, Zuko knew it was time to end this. He summoned a fireball and shot it at the intruder. They dodged it with ease, and Zuko turned up the heat.

When Zuko got close enough, he distracted the person with a fireball toward the gut, and then he dropped down and kicked their feet out from under them.

The warrior hit the ground with a hard thud and though Zuko shoved an angry fist of fire into their face, they made no attempt to protect themselves.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my palace?" Zuko spat angrily.

The warrior scoffed. "What? You mean you don't recognize me, Zuzu?" A female voice answered.

The flames in Zuko's fist burned white hot. "Azula." She was the only person who had ever referred to Zuko by that awful nickname.

Azula began to move her hands in a circle around her. Zuko recognized the pose for gathering lightning. He took to steps back and sent the white hot fireball straight at her. She rolled backward, out of the way.

"Nope." Her voice was taunting.

Before Zuko could react, the woman had thrown her hands forward. Zuko expected to get a chest full of lighting, so he positioned himself quickly to redirect it.

Zuko gasped in surprise as, instead of lightning, he was hit full on with freezing cold water.

The water blasted him backward into the wall before he fell to the floor.

He looked up slowly as the warrior pulled the black fabric from around her face, and let it fall around her shoulders. She reached back and flipped her hair with one hand while the other went back to her hip as she grinned at Zuko.

Zuko could all but gasp at what he was looking at. A very grown up, very beautiful version of Katara was standing in front of him. Her body was lean and muscular, and she had grown at least a foot since the last time he had seen her. She now had hips and breasts. Her lips were full and her chin had pointed out. One of the only things that hadn't changed was her eyes; though they where more grown up looking, they were still the same cerulean and held the same stubbornness they had four years ago. Zuko continued to gape as he wondered why the fact that in reality, Katara was a woman, had never hit him until this moment.

Zuko glanced around him at the guards slowly moving toward Katara with their weapons raised. He was about to warn her when they all ran in at her at the same time; she was going to get skewered.

Zuko was about yell to Katara when she furrowed her brow and raised one hand. She waved it around in a circle, and then shot it straight up. Every guard in the room dropped their weapons, and became stiff as boards.

Katara breathed deeply and then took a wide step. One of her hands went in a slow circle around her, while the other one slowly came down.

Zuko watched as each one of the board stiff guards where brought lightly to the floor in a wave fashion.

Katara came back to a casual position except for the one hand that kept the guards pinned to the ground.

She grinned at Zuko and then let her eyes wonder over his men.

"Uh…" Zuko stuttered. "Stand down…?"

Katara glanced at him and then did the exact reverse of the last movement she had done, pulling all of his guards simultaneously into the standing position. When they were completely erect she let them go. Most of them swayed, while a few of them fell. Katara moved to help them, but they jumped up quickly before she could use another ounce of bending on them.

Katara's attention then turned to Zuko. Rather than use blood bending on him, she walked over and offered her hand. He took it, and she pulled him up, without even trying. Once he was up, she gathered the water from his pajamas and hair and then swirled it around her, before splitting it in two and leading it into her open dual water skin, on her back.

"Katara," Zuko bowed placing one hand above the other, now a fist, for a traditional fire nation bow. "It's so good to see you."

When he had bent back up, he noticed Katara's eyebrow was raised. He stood the rest of the way just in time for throw her arms around him in a strong embrace.

"It's been too long." Katara said as she slid from Zuko's still stiff form. She grinned and then glanced to see all of the guards she had single handedly taken down staring at her and Zuko. She blushed.

Zuko noticed the blush and followed where her gaze had been. He cleared his throat. "You are dismissed."

Zuko's men reluctantly retreated to the corners and hallways from which then had come. Once they were gone, Zuko continued the conversation.

"So how have you been? I haven't seen you since the comet." Zuko motioned for Katara to follow him. They started toward the kitchen just in case Katara was hungry.

"I've been O.K., you know considering the circumstances." Katara said nonchalantly. Zuko could sense something behind her words. He caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.

Katara chuckled. "Do you always think into things so much? I only meant the fact that after the war was over my friends all went their separate ways. It felt weird at first; Sokka and Suki going to Kyoshi Island, and then to the South Pole, Toph going back home, and you staying here. It was lonely."

"Yeah I guess it has been a little different." Zuko agreed. "When I finally assumed role as Fire Lord, I had so many things to do. It was like when I had first hunted for Aang, but it lacked adventure. There was all the hard work minus an obnoxious bald kid blowing air, a young but talented waterbender, and her dimwitted brother to complicate things. I almost miss the little goof ball."

Zuko saw Katara wince slightly. He was immediately sorry he had mentioned her brother, she must miss him dearly. She recovered quickly as if nothing had happened.

"So that's all that you've been up to? Work?" She snorted.

"Well, yes. I have many responsibilities as Fire Lord." Zuko was a bit miffed.

"So when's the last time you had any fun? Katara asked sheepishly. She raised an eyebrow at Zuko.

Zuko huffed and began to count on his fingers. Katara's face fell before Zuko grinned. She laughed and shoved him before taking off down the hall.

She got to the kitchen before he did, and was already rummaging through the cabinets and cupboards by the time he showed up. He leaned against the door frame and watched her climb on the counter to view onto the taller shelves in the tall cabinet.

Zuko began to walk toward Katara as she accidentally elbowed a porcelain pot off of the top shelve. Zuko dove and caught it right before it hit the floor.

"Good catch." Katara mumbled through the cloth bag in her mouth as she leaned down and reached out for Zuko to hand her the pot. He gingerly passed it to her, and she returned it to the shelf before jumping down to join him on the floor.

"Are you trying to wake the entire palace?" Zuko said as he watched Katara struggle with the bag's strings.

"Sorry. I wouldn't want to wake her highness."

"Who?" Zuko asked, puzzled.

She sat next to him and took a cookie from the bag and plopped it in her mouth. She offered the bag to Zuko. He reached in and removed a cookie and put it in his mouth.

"Mai." Katara said after she swallowed. "Didn't she move in after the war was over?"

Zuko took another cookie but hesitated. He wasn't really in the mood for answering any questions about Mai, and so he wanted his tone to be clear when he said his next words.

"We're not together anymore."

Katara glanced at Zuko and understanding the tone of his voice, and the distant pained look in his eyes, she said nothing.

They sat there for some time, the only sound being the chewing of the still crunchy cookies.

"So how has Aang been?" Zuko questioned lightly, trying to break the silence.

Katara finished chewing as if she hadn't heard Zuko say anything at all. She then reached deep into the bag and fished out the final cookie. She held it in front of her face, and her eyes, looking past the cookie, narrowed as they focused on something Zuko could not see.

"Kata—?" Zuko began.

Katara snapped out of the gaze, and glanced at Zuko, eyes once again full of mischief.

"Last cookie." She said holding it dauntingly in front of him.

"As it would seem." Zuko said, still bewildered about Katara's trance.

"I'll dual you for it." Katara said playfully, grinning at Zuko.

Zuko didn't move. "We could split it."

Zuko watched as anger flared in Katara's eyes. She struggled to keep her patience.

"Well? Do you want it or not?"

"Katara—" Zuko began.

"You can't have it both ways O.K.? You can either have the cookie or not. So pick!"

Zuko was a bit taken aback. "Alright, alright, I don't want it."

Katara stood and then glared at Zuko. She shoved the cookie back in the bag and threw it in Zuko's lap. "Why not?"

Zuko was about to say something when Katara walked toward the door, and out into the hallway. Zuko listen to her footsteps until they stopped. When they picked up again, they were coming toward him. She reappeared in the doorway, with a bed roll, and some other bags. Zuko narrowed his eyes.

Katara smiled, and then stretched and yawned. "I'm going to bed. I'll just stay in the same room I did after the comet, O.K.?"

Zuko, with a look of confusion still plastered across his face, nodded, and listened to her footsteps, now heavier and uneven from the baggage, retreat down the hall. He heard her open the door to her suite and then shut it quietly.

Zuko sat a few more minutes in the kitchen, pondering Katara's actions.

Why had she failed to answer the question about Aang? As far as Zuko had heard, they had been living a good life, traveling as was accustom to Nomads, wherever the wind could take them. When he had mentioned her brother and the Avatar earlier, had the word of her brother upset her? Or, had she really been hurt by the mentioning of who Zuko thought was the love of her life? Was something wrong with Aang? What was Katara not telling him?

Zuko pulled himself up and walked the length of the hall toward his room. When he walked past Katara's room, he heard the shower running. He thought nothing of it, and continued down the hall, reaching his room in no less than twenty steps.

Zuko closed his door behind him and climbed into bed. He sighed deeply.

Katara was not telling him something. Her visit alone had been a surprise, especially so late at night. Now, she had eluded two conversations about her best friend and current love and apparently she was staying.

Zuko flipped onto his side and vowed to get more out of her tomorrow. Katara was his friend, and so was Aang. Zuko believed he had a right to know what was going on, no matter what it was.

After Katara said goodnight to Zuko, she made her way down the hall to her old room. She pushed the door open and was happy to find the room had been well kept and stocked. The bed had clean sheets and there were towels hanging in the bathroom.

Katara dropped her bags, to fatigued to unpack.

She fell onto the bed with her hands on her temples. She had to be more careful about what she did. She had attacked Zuko, though he had done nothing. She shook her head. Why did Aang have to be so stupid? Katara thought irately.

Katara could feel the tears coming. She couldn't let Zuko hear her crying. If he did, he would suspect something, though she had already given more than enough ground for suspicion.

Katara slid out of bed and tread lightly into the bathroom. She turned on the hot water. She slipped out of her clothes and into the steaming stream. She used the available soap to wash her hair and body, but she could feel the water slowly washing away her toughest layers. Finally she broke down completely and found the ground.

She sat for a couple of minutes and had a good cry. After she had let it all out she turned off the water and dried herself off. She climbed into a pair of pajamas, and then got into bed.

She lay for hours without sleep. She did not sleep until the sun rose. Her last thought before sleep finally took her was of how Aang would be waking soon to find her gone, having slipped away in the night, without a trace or trail of where she had gone.

So what do you think? You gonna stick around? Chill? Well O.K. I need sleep now, if I am ever planning on graduating college. GOOD NIGHT!

SheDevil