Afterglow

Summary: Prince Zuko has come to marring age, and is to be selected a wife soon. His mother, the Fire Lady, notices the distaste that he has toward the other Nations, and seeks out a plan to change his detestation. She encourages her long time friend to allow her only daughter to be the betrothed of the testy young Fire Prince. But the one thing that the Fire Lady didn't expect was that this young Waterbender has a hatred for the Fire Prince that is as strong as the dislike he has for her. Will this marriage ever work out the way the Fire Lady had it planned out to be?

Rating: T

Author's Notes: This is an Avatar: the last airbender AU story. Zutara. The name for Zuko's mother is the correct one. The name for Katara's mother is my own creation. Enjoy!

And by the way, if you don't like the summary, don't read the story! I don't want to hear it if you want to complain about the story's plot line. (warning instigated for those close minded people who flame stories without even reading it.)

Disclaimer: I don't own A: TLA

Afterglow

Chapter One

The Fire Lady Ursa stared peacefully at a pond which was located in the Fire Palace. Her knees, which were concealed in flowing gold and red fabrics, were pulled up to her chest and her back was against a tree. This was one of the few times that she actually had a calm air to think in. Even in her own room she found distractions that kept her from her own thoughts. The feeling that the Fire Lord was watching her didn't go away until she was either out of the palace or sitting in front of the pond in the garden that she knew he despised so much. After all, she had it built herself.

A particular problem had crossed her mind earlier that day, and she found some free time to come to the pond and think about it. Her son, Prince Zuko, had become of marrying age not to long ago, and the pressing matter that he finds a fiancee soon was starting to surface. He had already shown dislike toward the girls that were courting him, and the Fire Lady wanted more than anything for her beloved son to be happy. But nothing seemed to make him happy lately. It seemed like he was more cooped up with an inside dilemma to even talk to his mother the way he used to.

Ursa sighed as her mind reviewed her son. He was a great son, she had to admit, but he was showing signs of hatred for the other Nations, and she didn't like the direction that he was headed down. His temper shown more in his stance and on his face and he didn't accept help from anybody anymore. His actions worried her to no extent. She realized that the hatred that he inhabited was more than likely formed from either her own husband, Ozai, or Azula, her daughter. Her son was a sweet boy, and she didn't want him to turn into a replica of his father. Her daughter was already in that spot. She could barely hide her disappointment.

She watched as a mother turtle-duck lead her babies across the pond. They quacked merrily without a care in the world. She couldn't help but wish that her life was as easy as the mother turtle-duck's. What was she going to do about Zuko? She didn't want to just let him fall for one of those girls that were courting him. Sure, they were pretty, but they were all essentially foul under their covers. She had to show him a girl he wouldn't expect . . . One that could show him things that he hadn't the time to notice before.

Her attention was caught by the final baby turtle-duck in the line. Another species of turtle-duck, one with a darker color, tugged at its tail playfully. The first turtle-duck quacked happily and chased after it teasingly. Suddenly, a plan began to form in the Fire Lady's mind. One that may cost a lot of planning to accomplish, but it would be worth it. A grin started to form on her face as her plan became better and better.

She rose from her seat, her mind in bliss from her winning plan. She took off at a happy trot toward her writing room, glad that for once she could do something that might help her son tremendously. She asked a guard in the hallway to call a messenger and make them meet her by her room as soon as possible. He did what he was told and kept his speculation about her giddy mood to himself.

Ursa sat herself onto a cushiony seat and pulled out a quill and one of her best parchments. She dipped the tip of her quill in the black ink and began to write.

My Dear Keirah–

"There's a message for you, dear." Said a tall man as he entered the hut that he called home. A lady, one that was probably in her early thirties, glanced up at him. She swept her brown locks away from her face and took the rolled up piece of parchment from her husband.

"Did you catch who brought it here, Koda?" She asked as she examined the message carefully before slowly opening it.

"No." Said the man, running a hand through his dark brown hair. He then scratched his beard as he thought to himself. "Bato gave it to me. Didn't say who gave it to him." He sat down on an animal pelt across from his wife and tugged on the front of his winter parka. The hut that they lived in was located in the South Pole, in the center of the Southern Water Tribe settlement. Koda, the man, was the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and he took many trips up to the Northern Water Tribe, thus becoming close friends with the Lord there. "Where are our children?" He asked aimlessly.

"Probably with Gran-Gran. I'm not entirely sure. They can't have gone far, the South Pole isn't that large." The woman replied. She unrolled the parchment entirely and eyed the elegant script. "My dear Keirah." She read out loud. "Oh dear, Ursa is mailing me again."

"Is that a bad thing?" Koda asked when he heard his wife sigh.

"No, no. But it doesn't always mean good things. Ursa always had a tendency to come up with some crazy ideas, no matter how sweet she was." Keirah replied. She continued to sweep her sapphire colored eyes over the letter. Her brow began to wrinkle as she got toward the center of it, and when she finished it, she had a slightly confused, yet understanding, expression upon her features.

"What did it say?" Koda inquired her. She sighed and passed the letter to her husband. He read it quickly, and glanced up at his wife when he finished. "What are you going to do about this?" He asked her. She looked at him with confusion.

"What am I going to do about it? Shouldn't it be the other way around? You're the chief, and this is a serious problem." Keirah exclaimed.

"Yes, I am the chief, but this doesn't have to do with the Water Tribe, it has to do with us . . . And our daughter. What are you going to do about it?" Koda repeated. His wife bit her bottom lip and averted her gaze. She sighed reluctantly after a moment of thought.

"Call Katara, please." She whispered. Koda let out a small smile and patted his wife on the back as he stood up.

"That took a lot of courage, my dear. Let's hope that Katara will show the same courage that you did." He said as he approached the icy door of their hut. He paused as his hand reached the handle. "Do you want me to call Sokka as well? He's going to hear eventually." Keirah made a face that said that she didn't want him to hear, but nodded anyway. Koda nodded again, and left out the door. Keirah sighed reluctantly and brought her hands up to her arms in a gesture that looked like she was trying to warm up herself up.

"Ursa... What have you done?" She whispered.

"Mom? What is this?" Katara asked as she looked up over the letter she had just finished reading. Her brother sat next to her, on an animal pelt, trying to read over her shoulder.

Keirah sighed and braced herself not only to tell her daughter about the plans, but to accept the decision she made herself. "This is a letter from my friend Ursa, the Fire Lady. She's having trouble with finding her son, the crown Prince, a fiancee." She told her.

Katara felt her stomach sink considerably. She had read those words off the paper, but to have them confirmed from her mother? This was just far too much. "Mom, please tell me that you have a hidden daughter somewhere that you didn't tell us about." She said in a light tone, though the issue was anything but light.

Keirah barely smiled at her daughter's joke. Katara understood the letter, that much was obvious in her voice. But her face showed that she didn't like the situation.

"Katara– let me read it!" Sokka said as he reached for the letter. She stood up and out of his reach before he could get it. He growled in annoyance, crossed his arms and pouted slightly. "Nobody lets me in on the conversations . . . " he grumbled to himself.

"This has got to be a joke . . . Right?" Katara asked just to make sure that she hadn't been tricked in anyway. She just couldn't see it . . . Her, a Water Tribe peasant, the fiancee of the Fire Prince? No. Not even in her wildest dreams.

"I'm sorry, Katara. This isn't a joke. It's either you accept, and help my friend and her people, or you decline and disappoint them to a strong extent." Keirah replied, almost upset that she was using this tone with her daughter. She wanted her to try something new for once. To see that life wasn't just about the Water Tribe. She wanted her daughter to have an adventure of some sort. She didn't have to worry about her son. Koda was planning on taking him to the Northern Water Tribe on his next trip up there.

"Mom." Katara said, her voice slowly reaching a level of sternness . . . Or franticness. "I can't do this. It's . . . Impossible! I'm a Water Tribe peasant! It doesn't happen like this! I have to refuse this offer."

"Katara." Keirah sighed. She didn't want to resort to this. "You are going to accept this offer whether you like it or not." A look of pure horror crossed her daughter's face for a moment. She didn't want to be the wife of some firebender! She didn't even want anything to do with the Fire Nation. Not to mention the Prince of that Nation. It was too much for her to handle. She was only fifteen! What were they expecting of her?

"Please think of the positive things this marriage can do for us. Not only would you be set for life, it would unite two Nations, and bring about the beginning of world peace. You could be a part of that, Katara." Keirah tried to reason.

"Not to mention that I would be completely miserable for my entire life." Her daughter growled. She crossed her arms defiantly and turned her head away.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up a second." Sokka said, rising from his place on the ground. "Marriage? Katara's going to get married? And not only that, two Nations? Who in the world is she marrying, Mom?"

This was the situation that Keirah wanted to avoid. She knew how much her son disliked the Fire Nation, and she was just going to spark that hatred with a simple sentence. She sent her husband a look of help. He nodded at her, getting ready to step in when necessary. "The Prince of the Fire Nation."

Sokka was quiet for a second, soaking in her words. Then suddenly, it clicked. The Fire Nation Prince marrying his sister? Not a chance in hell. "What?" He shouted. "The Fire Nation? Why in the world do they want a Water Tribe girl to marry their Prince? And why the hell did it have to be my sister?"

"Sokka!" Keirah scolded. He donned a look of shame for a moment, but it dissipated soon after with his worry for losing his younger sister to Fire Nation scum. "My friend called on me for help, and that's what I'm going to do. Help her. Now, this is not the time to be going around shouting your dislike for the Fire Nation, do you hear me young man?" Sokka nodded regretfully, but kept the angered look on his face.

"Now Katara. Please understand. This is for the good of both Nations. Keep that in mind, and there won't be a problem. Ursa said that she would care for you just as I do. And I trust her honor in her words. Honor is a big thing for a firebender, and I expect nothing less from her." Keirah told her daughter, recalling her past times with her old friend. "Please Katara."

Katara's eyes shifted to the floor. Her mother was practically begging her to accept this offer. And no matter how much she didn't want to do it, no matter how much she hated the Fire Nation, she would do this for her mother because she loved her so much. She'd step into enemy territory to show her mother that she too, could be strong. "I'll accept it." She said in a quiet voice.

Sokka's jaw dropped for a second. He thought he just heard his sister accept this crazy offer. He must have eaten too much whale meat stew earlier. "Katara?" He asked in confusion. She didn't look at him. All she did was turn away and take off in the direction of her room. The letter, that was until recently in her grasp, fluttered to the ground in her wake.

Sokka's shoulders shook with suppressed anger, and he stormed out the front door, slamming the door on his way. Keirah sighed regretfully, then she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

"You did the right thing. No matter how wrong it feels right now. You did the right thing, Keirah." Koda told his wife. She nodded and crossed her arms. And to think that all this was just because of a simple little letter.

My Dear Keirah–

It has been a long time since I have seen you, has it not? I hope that life in the Water Tribe is treating you well. I can tell you that hanging around with my bastard of a husband is not. But tough love.

I have a situation that is on my hands right now, that I would hope that you could help me with. My son, Zuko– I believe you've met him, has just become of marrying age, and is in need of a fiancee. Sadly, the choices that have been laid before he is poor and lack quality and originality. Hopefully, you can agree with me that it would be a better plan that we let him have the chance to experience a more irrelevant person. Your daughter should be of age as well. I think that they should be betrothed and see how far that takes us. Hopefully, this can change my son's strong dislike for the other Nations if he's engaged to one from one of those Nations. Of course, your daughter would relish in this experience as well. I will treat her as if she were my own. Firebender's promise. I hope you can see the opportunity in this plan as I have.

Much love,

Ursa

"My Lady, a letter for you." A messenger said, bowing to the Fire Lady as he handed her a piece of rolled parchment.

"Why thank you, Tai-lee." She said, taking the parchment from him. He bowed again, and left just as quick as he arrived. Ursa scanned the letter quickly, and a small smile graced her lips. "Well, it seems that my plan is going to begin after all, Iroh." She voiced.

A man of sixty smiled at her statement as he reached out and shifted a tile on the Pai-Tao game in front of them. "Why, that is very nice, my dear." He said with a jolly smile. "I'm sure that Prince Zuko will be very pleased to hear that you have selected him a fiancee." There was a detectable sarcasm in his voice, but it faded away just as quickly as he spoke it. "At least it's better than my brother selecting someone for him."

"I agree." Ursa stated, moving a tile of her own. "But the only obstacle left . . . is telling Zuko about it."