Firelord Zuko's one year coronation anniversary ball was decorated beautifully, and all attendees were dressed in new, elegant gowns and robes.
Katara was standing at towards the back of the ballroom with Zuko, Aang, Toph, Mai, and Ty lee.
With Zuko, Mai, and Ty lee in traditional fire nation formal robes, Toph in traditional earth nation masterbender robes, Aang in his formal master airbender robes, and Katara in a water nation color-schemed gown, the group looked to be a diverse elite clique. With masterbenders from all nations, including the firelord and avatar, they intimidated most of the attendees of the ball too much to be interrupted in their conversation.
Mai was as elegant as ever, her ever somber mood had matured from a childish pouty-ness to a certain attractive seriousness. She wore a formal black and gold robe over a burgundy dress that covered her neck and fell to the floor, the satiny fabric seemed to flow minutely at the slightest twitch of movement.
Aang had grown a bit taller, but was still fairly hyper and sometimes less mature than the avatar should be. His blood orange robe covered formal yellow and orange under robes and pants.
Toph hadn't grown any taller and suspected she had reached her permanent height, however, she was maturing and her body was beginning to fill out. Toph wore a beautifully detailed ensemble of assorted robes of varied shades of green, all secured with a single metal belt around Toph's waist. The robes were just long enough to reach the ground, which disguised the fact that Toph had no shoes on her feet.
Ty lee hadn't changed at all since the end if the war, she was just as happy-go-lucky and active. She had red, and black formal robes draped over her gorgeous, silky pink gown that clung to her figure just right and fell to her ankles, leaving her pedicured, sandaled feet visible.
Zuko donned his red, black, and gold official firelord robes, with his hair half up in a traditional topknot, held up with his golden fire crown.
Katara wore an icy blue gown with a plunging neckline that went off both shoulders. The fabric went far enough down her arms to leave only her fingers free from the thin material, but a small hole was built into the sleeve to allow her thumb mobility. The dress stuck to Katara enough to make her appear sensually slinky, but loose enough past her hips that it gave the appearance of modesty.
The clique was more or less constant, except when Zuko had to excuse himself to greet guests every now and then, or some nobleman's daughter built up the courage to approach the group and ask Aang to dance. Sometimes Sokka and Suki would take a break from drinking jovially and dancing to join them and have a brief conversation before one of them coaxed the other back to the dance floor or buffet.
"We should all take a celebratory trip to Ember Island!" Ty lee claps her hands excitedly.
"Celebrating what?" Toph smirked.
"I don't know..." Ty Lee tried to find something worth celebrating, "Zuko has been firelord for a year? We're all here together, alive and well? That's all I got."
"Perhaps that could be arranged, it sounds like it could be fun." Mai nods and looks at Zuko with a calm inquisitiveness.
"I could use some practice bending sand." Toph shrugs before taking a sip from her goblet of wine.
"I'm game if you all are." Katara looks back at the party, locating Sokka and Suki off to the side of the dance floor, ball dancing slowly as they spoke with each other. She hoped Sokka and Suki would come on the trip as well, though she had a feeling they definitely wouldn't miss a change to travel with the rest of the gaang once again since it rarely happens anymore.
"Sure." Aang nods, "I've been working a lot recently, I wouldn't mind a vacation."
Katara suddenly felt restless.
"I'll be back." She turned and walked into the crowd of socializing aristocrats.
As Katara weaved through the people she felt the burning sensation of being watched tickle her back.
She turned, curiously glancing over her shoulder, meeting meeting the eyes of none other than princess Azula, who was roughly 40 feet away.
Katara stared at the princess, whom she noticed was quietly hiding, it seemed, at a table off far to the side of the party.
Curiousity killed the squirrelcat, or so Katara had heard. She turned and walked with grace towards the woman that had tried to kill her and her own brother just over a year before.
Almost too soon Katara found herself standing in front of Azula with nothing to say and no reason to have sought out the princess.
Katara awkwardly attempted to spark a conversation, "So, you're here..." She internally cringed, Katara realized she seemed unfriendly, perhaps even upset, while she was neither. Katara had long overcome any grudges she held over Azula, and honestly hoped the two could at least be civil with one another in the future.
"Yes.. I suppose I am." Azula looked down at her hands, which she had primly folded in her lap. If Katara didn't know any better she might think this was not even the real Azula, this girl was polite, quiet, even... timid? Though there still was a whisper of the Azula's old confidence and self-assurance
"I heard you underwent rehabilitation in an.. institution." Katara continued to strike a metaphoric match and hoped a fire could be started.
"Yes, I did. It was... enlightening." Azula seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
Katara took the seat beside Azula, "Want to talk about it?" She offered.
Azula was surprised, she had had few real conversations since her return. Those who had asked about the institution she had stayed at for a year simply asked either to be polite and would change the topic, or used it as a segue to talk about whatever they wanted to discuss with the princess.
"Alright." Azula looked up from her hands, meeting Katara's eyes for the first time since their slow burning conversation began.
So the two had a long conversation, Katara patiently and understandingly listening to Azula spill her heart.
For Katara it was an eye opening experience, during the war, Azula had been the 'bad guy', one enemy out of many, not a person. Certainly not a person who had their own issues. All things considered, Katara figured as far as someone raised almost solely by Ozai, Azula could have been much worse in their previous encounters.
Azula was no villain, she was only human, and humans can be hurt, broken and rebuilt. Which Ozai happened to excel at.
By the time the two realized they hadn't moved in hours, their rears were sore from their seats, their throats were a bit scratchy, and the ball had long since ended.
The servants were in the process of cleaning up the ballroom when the two women, who would now consider each other friends, realized it was very early morning and vacated the ballroom.
As the two walked the palace halls, Katara began to talk about herself, and it was Azula's turn to listen and occasionally comment thoughtfully.
Azula wore black, red, and gold masterbender robes. As the two women walked, Azula would peel off layers from the top half of her body since summer in the fire nation was scorching, apologizing halfheartedly with each layer, though it was excusable since even night was so humid it was sometimes unbearable. The layers Azula shed were held up by the black fabric belt loosely tied at her waist, until she was at the last layer before her under clothes. So she and Katara paraded the palace with Azula's robes folded over casually at her hips, it admittedly looked silly, but Katara thought it looked almost like a very voluminous and detailed skirt.
Now both Azula's and Katara's hair had been shaken out of their elaborate up dos, and their makeup was beginning to smudge from them absentmindedly rubbing their eyes every now and then.
Just as the sun rose Azula and Katara, who had been sitting in the private royal gardens, looked at the lightening sky and suddenly both felt fatigued.
"I suppose we ought to rest by now." Azula sighed, as if she couldn't bear to halt conversing with her new friend. "I must admit, I don't want to leave you. I haven't had a... friend to talk to in so very long. Ty lee and Mai talk to me now that I'm back, but I suspect there is a long road to regain their trust." She confided.
"I understand," Katara put her hand over Azula's, "I know it's been challenging for you. I've enjoyed our talk too."
"That makes me very happy to hear." Azula smiled genuinely, her golden eyes twinkled as the sun rose and she thanked her friend silently.
"I guess this is the time to go and finally sleep." Katara laughed as she let Azula's hand go and stood up, looking to Azula, "I'll walk you to your room."
Since Katara was invited by Zuko personally as a friend, she was accommodated in the palace, as were Toph, Sokka and Suki, and Aang. So after walking Azula to her room, Katara could go and sleep in her own.
"Why, thank you." Azula stood and looked at Katara with a serene and humble happiness that was painted on her face for the world to see.
As the two slowly glided down the palace halls to the residential wing, where the royal family and honored guests stayed, the two ran into Zuko.
"Good morning, Azula, Katara." Zuko nodded at each woman respectively as he said their names, "Up so early?" He said as he noticed the two women were wearing their ensembles from the night before.
"We forgot to sleep, would you believe?" Katara giggled nervously, for some reason she felt like a naughty child getting caught.
"Well, I'm glad you two are getting along." Zuko says, looking past the two girls as if he has somewhere to be. Katara notices this and side steps, "Don't let us stand in your way, I know his highness is very busy and in high demand." Katara teases.
"Thanks, Katara!" He walks by, "I'll see you two at lunch, or dinner, maybe."
Katara laughs and continues her walk down the hall, though she actually has no idea where Azula's room is. Azula trots to catch up since she got lost in thought which caused Katara to unknowingly leave her behind. Azula couldn't help noticing the close relationship between her brother and her new companion, she looked at Katara.
"Is my brother courting you?" Azula bluntly asked.
Katara stopped walking and began laughing with so much momentum that she fell right over, and continued her fit of laughter from the marble floor of the fire palace.
Once Katara caught her breath she wiped a mascara-laced tear from laughing, and sighed, "No, Zuko is not courting me." She chuckled a bit, "I'm actually pretty sure he's considering getting back together with Mai, their friendship is pretty stable and they're actually a well matched couple."
"Oh.." Azula hummed as she helped Katara to her feet, "I wouldn't know, he's so busy that we don't really talk much. And on top of that, I think he still doesn't like me much." Azula admitted.
"Hey, hey." Katara scolded, "Don't say that! If Zuko didn't like you, he would've had no problem leaving you in the mental institution. He cares about you, you two just haven't had the time to get to be siblings again. The teasing and talking and that. You'll see." Katara assured Azula, rubbing her back briefly.
"Thanks. Well, this is me." Azula looked at the large double doors that lead to her antechamber, en suite bathroom, and bedroom.
"What a coincidence, this is my suite!" Katara pointed to the double doors across the hall.
"Oh, then I'll have to pay you a visit." Azula smiled.
"Of course!" Katara agreed. "Well, good night. Or morning?" Katara shrugged as she waved to Azula, who had already opened her doors.
"Good morning, Katara." Azula nodded, smiling peacefully before disappearing behind her doors.
Katara slipped into her own rooms, stripping off her shoes and dress and under garments to run a hot bath to quickly wash up just so she didn't bring dirt into her huge, fluffy bed.
After washing her hair and scrubbing her skin, Katara rose from the hot water and pulled the plug at the bottom of the tub. She waterbent the water from her hair and skin before pouring some perfumed moisturizing oils from the small table beside the tub into her palms and applied them to her skin and hair.
Katara re-entered her bedroom and slipped on a simple sleeping robe before running a comb through her hair quickly before braiding it neatly.
Katara closed the curtains to the obscenely tall windows to block out the sunlight before climbing into the softest bed money could buy.
Katara woke up uneventfully in the mid afternoon, changing into her usual leggings and long blue tunic, Katara prepared to face what was left of the day. She brushed her hair and decided to leave it out before exiting her room, letting her eyes linger on Azula's doors as she wondered if the princess had awoken yet.
Katara wandered to the kitchens, requesting a light snack to hold down her appetite until dinner. After eating, Katara found a servant walking down a hall and pulled him over, "Excuse me, do you know where Sokka and Suki are?"
"I'm sure, Sir Sokka and Lady Suki are in the gardens, I saw them there an hour ago." The man bowed before excusing himself and continuing on to his destination.
"Everyone's a busybody around here.." Katara mumbled as she continued on her own way.
Sokka and Suki were, in fact, not in the private gardens, Katara would know, she had double and triple checked.
She sighed and took a seat on an elaborately welded bench.
"What is a girl to do." Katara sighed once again, she wasn't sure how to spend her time until dinner, she definitely didn't want to spend the day in solitude.
Katara stood and made her way back to her room, resigned to relax and read in the small library each suite had.
As Katara pushed open the door to her quarters, Azula's doors opened, and she exited in her military formals. Azula almost looked like she had in the war, except she had grown taller, her face had become a bit more defined, and her hair was longer. Azula wore her hair down, Katara thought it looked nice, her long hair made her look... handsome.
"Good afternoon." Katara stopped in her doorway.
"Morning." Azula said in casual speech.
"How did you sleep?" Katara politely inquired.
"I slept well. But you don't have to speak so formally with me, not all the time, maybe just in public, but between us, we don't really have to talk with so much formality." Azula waved her hand dismissively as she continued to smile.
"Oh, good. I feel like formal speech is so impersonal." Katara relaxes and decides to close her door and take a few steps towards Azula so they aren't having a conversation from different sides of the hallway.
"I agree." Azula mocked the way fire and earth nation upperclassmen spoke, even though she was raised to speak in that manner, she found it was easier to speak casually, since there're less rules on what to say and how to say it.
Katara laughed amiably and the two went on their way. Azula led, since Katara had no plans of her own and decided to just accompany her friend.