A/N: I think that this is going to be a sad story. I don't know yet. This is only my second Avatar: Last Airbender story. Please read and review.
I love reviews. I really do!
Memories
Zuko stood at the edge of the courtyard that he had spent his childhood in. it was his mother's private garden. He had fond memories of running around and getting dirty. She would always laugh and he would smile. He did anything to make her laugh. But, those days were over.
He sighed and sat down on a bench that was located under one of the huge willow trees. He put his hands on his forehead and rubbed his forehead against his palms. He was swamped with work, and the only alone time he would get was when he escaped into this garden.
"You shouldn't be out here," Mai called out in her monotone. Zuko laughed silently and groaned silently at the same time. All she did was be monotone. She never got angry or happy. She was emotionless, even in bed. But, he had proposed, so he was obligated to marry her. He didn't want to some days, but his people would want him too. His mother had once told him that he would understand why she easily bent to the will of the people. She said that once he took the throne, he would understand.
Boy did he ever.
Katara sat on a beach overlooking the ocean. She was on one of the islands with Aang because he was approaching some of the smaller villages to rile them up for something. He was doing Avatar work more than anything else. She moved her hand and some of the water started dancing. She laughed to herself.
Everything had changed in the last year. Sokka had his heart broken by Suki. She left him for a Fire Nation soldier. So, Sokka returned to the North Pole. He had needed time to think, he'd said. That had been six months ago. Today, he only sent letters. He was in one of his isolating moods. He just closed up. Katara sighed and wondered what Zuko was up too. He was busy with Fire Lord duties, and he hadn't written either. Well, their last meeting hadn't gone well.
"So, you're going with him," he said with a frown. Katara had looked at him and nodded.
"He needs me, Zuko," she said. Zuko shook his head and just looked out into the city. He suddenly got a grin.
"You're not leaving until tomorrow, right?" he asked her. Katara nodded. He smiled and took her hand. He pulled her all the way to the lower parts of the city. They entered a dimly lit restaurant.
"Uncle and I always came here when we didn't have work," he said. He brought her to a table and sat her down. He helped himself to some menus and began humming.
"Zuko, what are we doing here?" Katara asked him. He grinned.
"We are forgetting about reality and just having this moment. This moment is ours, no one else's," he said with determination.
"Zuko, we would never work," Katara said. He shook his head.
"We're only going to have this night because it is all we have," he said solemnly. He gazed around the restaurant. Tables were scattered everywhere. A waitress was coming up to them from the kitchen in the back. She had long brown hair and swaying hips. She was looking for a man tonight.
"What can I get you?" she asked. Zuko ordered a salad and Katara ordered a fish dish. The waitress nodded and gave Zuko a long and penetrating look. He returned it with one of his glares. She got the message and left in a hurry.
"Poor girl," Katara said. Zuko laughed at her. They didn't talk again until they had paid for the check.
"Where to now?" Katara asked. It was getting later in the night, and sunrise was right around the corner. Zuko held his hand out to her. She placed hers in his without a second thought. He led her to a courtyard and she sat down. He lies down and put his head on her lap. She started playing with his hair.
"It's like baby's hair," she said. Zuko laughed and his chest shook from the silent chuckles. Katara grew serious. "When we were in that prison cell, this was all I thought about."
"What I thought about was something you would never forget," Zuko retorted. Katara playfully slapped him. He grinned up at her. "You know, I think I started to fall in love with you when I had your grandmother's necklace. You became an obsession. I started thinking about you more than I did Aang. You were one of the biggest reasons why I had such a conflict within myself… you were one of the reasons that made me continue to follow the avatar.
"With my father, it was always getting my honor back. With you, it was always to earn your respect. You never looked at me the way you did with Aang until I helped you track down your mother's murderer. Even then, I felt like shit because I had to go and do things I normally didn't do to get your attention. After that, your attention was always on Aang," he said in a jealous tone. She snorted.
"When you two were working out, I was looking at you," she said blushing. He laughed. They stayed there the rest of the night and just talked.
When the sunrise came, neither of them said a word and went back to their own worlds. They never looked back.
Katara sighed. She started fettling with a large leather wristband on her right wrist. She was thinking about that night a lot now. It was the perfect night. They hadn't kissed, or anything, but it was an intimate night. Nothing had ever worked out so well. He had given her the one thing that she had needed. When they got back to everyone, his face never showed a thing. He had turned back into the king that he had been raised to be. She had turned back into the diplomat that she had learned to be. Everything had gone back in place.
They'd parted ways the following day. He had smiled and nodded his head. He hadn't looked back at her.
One tear escaped down Katara's cheek. She had promised herself to never think of that night again, but here she was, thinking about it.
Zuko sighed as he went into the council room. All the councilors do is argue over who got the most land. None of them understood that the land belonged to the citizens of the Fire Nation. Now that they had a say, the council thought that they had all the power. What a bunch of ninnies.
But, he had other things to worry about than a group of greedy old timers. He was getting married within a month. Everything was coming in together. He hummed to himself as he felt a necklace that he always kept in his pocket.
"Keep it with you… I'll keep this with me," Katara had said as she took the leather band that he always kept around his right wrist. She put it on her right wrist and tied her necklace around his finger. She tied it so tightly that it looked like a ring. He smiled and hugged her.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," she whispered back.
But, they hadn't stayed together. When morning had come, they had separated ways. Now, he was days away from marrying his fiancée. Nothing could stop that, or so he thought.
They were in the private chapel, three days later. They were about to exchange wedding vows when someone shouted from the back, "Stop this now!"
Zuko's mouth stopped forming the words. He turned his head to see who had entered the chapel. A man who looked like a hermit came up to them, but that annoying voice was the same.
Sokka had grown both his beard and hair out. His hair was down to about his shoulders and his beard was near mid-chest. He had raggy clothes and had dirt on him from head to toe. He wasn't wearing any shoes and had a walking stick.
"Who is this?" Mai asked in her usual monotone. Zuko sighed and stepped down from the platform. He went to Sokka. Sokka just stood there with his arms crossed. Zuko put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go and talk about this," he said. Mai called out to him. He turned and just smiled. "We can always get married another day."
"Or not at all," Sokka muttered under his breath. Zuko led him out of the chapel. They went down a long hallway and got to Zuko's private chambers. Zuko sighed and sat down in one of the chairs near the balcony.
"What brings you here, Sokka?" he asked.
A/N: well, that's the end of the first chapter. I had originally wanted to make this a one-shot, but I want to have fun with this piece. Review and tell me what you think so far. All reviews are welcome and much appreciated.
Until next time!