Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. The first bit is directly from the Avatar, Book 3, Episode 17: The Ember Island Players.

The Path of Fire Royalty

by: firewingz

"Why, he's like a little brother to me. I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about this?" The actress Katara said to the actor Zuko, as they embraced on stage.

Aang couldn't get it out of his mind and kept hearing that voice, that conversation infiltrate his thoughts. They were all back from the play, but Aang just couldn't seem to concentrate on what the others were saying around the fire they created beside the beach house.

"Zuko," Aang called to him, he had waited long enough. He needed to know the answers before he exploded. "I need to talk to you."

Zuko immediately looked up from his conversation with Toph, and nodded his consent before following the Avatar to another section of the beach. "I...uh..." Aang stammered. Now that he had Zuko's full attention and they were alone, he suddenly got really nervous. "...just wanted to...uh...ask you about...Katara," Aang said slowly but deliberately.

"What?" Zuko asked confused, before it dawned on him that Aang was asking about their relationship.

"I just wanted to know. Do you...you know...like her?" Aang looked down to the ground, unable to face Zuko's facial expression.

Zuko was so shocked that Aang would even confront him over such a bad characterization of both himself and Katara that he stood shell-shocked for a few seconds before recomposing himself. "Aang, what ever gave you that impression?" Zuko asked, frowning.

"It's just that...well, I know that you really care about how she thinks of you, and I...uh...need to know," Aang asked timidly, but his face was still facing the ground, too embarassed to even look Zuko in the eyes.

Zuko's frown deepened, but he suddenly understood that this was what had been bothering the Avatar since they left the opera house. "We're friends," Zuko stated, "Just that, friends. But shouldn't you be asking Katara about this, and not me?"

Aang smiled shyly, blushing furiously while rubbing the back of his head nervously, realizing that he was concerned over nothing.

Zuko looked away from the obviously embarrassed twelve-year-old and looked at the dancing waves illuminated by the glow of the full moon. "Besides," Zuko said softly, almost too softly to be heard, "I miss Mai. Katara is nice," Zuko said louder as he faced Aang again, "but I like a woman that isn't quite so mothering as she is."

With that, Zuko walked away and back into his beach house with a small smile playing on his lips. Aang finally lifted his face up to see Zuko's retreating form and heaved a sigh of relief. 'Wait! Mothering!' Aang shook his head and laughed aloud. 'I don't think she's mothering!' Aang shook his head and couldn't fathom why Zuko preferred Mai over Katara, but found that he didn't care and followed Zuko's lead as he entered the beach house. 'I guess Zuko likes girls that exhibit a quiet strength about them.'

But neither Zuko nor Aang realized that Katara was standing a few paces away from them, protected from sight by the bushes, and heard the entire conversation. With watery eyes and a heavy heart, she looked back out at the sea towards the Fire Nation, 'Mai,' Katara thought, 'I hope you know how lucky you are to have Zuko.' Katara sighed and looked down at her feet as she contemplated, "But do I still have a chance to change his heart?'

You really think that Aang won't question Zuko about his relationship with Katara after he saw the play? Especially after Katara said she was confused? What do you think?