Author's notes: Read on…:D
Disclaimer: How sad is the life without "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and its characters…
It's been five years since I have seen Toph and the others. My brother and I have decided to go back to our tribe in the South Pole. Aang chose to stay in the eastern air temple and Toph went back to the Bei Fong household. We're back again into living in the cold, icy world filled with turtle-penguins and seal-bears.
Life at home sure is boring… with nothing to do and Sokka sometimes, well, most of the times in Kyoshi Island. Living alone and not to mention, a bit depressed isn't doing me much good. The only thing to do is go back to my peasant life. Well, and help our people and the tribesmen.
"Ouch, ouch! Careful Katara…"a tribesman exclaimed.
"Oh… I'm sorry Nipaku. I'll be careful." She replied.
"You know, for a girl with healing abilities, you're pretty harsh."
"Don't tell me that." She said, using her waterbending to heal the bruise.
"There. You're all set." She said, wiping the excess blood from the skin.
"Thanks Katara." He replied.
Katara stood up, patted her dress and went back home. Where I belong… She thought. She walked slowly and surely against the slippery ice. Her eyes were fixed on the cloudy sky, thinking about what she would do when she got home. After a few minutes, she was there. She ducked inside her tent and sat down. Grabbing a piece of animal skin and a quill, she wrote down a few names that she was missing…
Mom…
Dad…
Sokka…
Aang…
Toph…
Jet…?
Haru…
Appa and momo… I guess they count…
Uncle Iroh…
Suki…
Princess Yue…
Aunt Wu…
Hmm…
Who else…
Who else… She took a deep breath and sighed…
Zuko…
Blood rushed to her face as she looked at the last name she wrote… How could I miss him? He's never leaving my mind…! She crumpled the animal skin and threw it aside… she lied down and smiled…
I guess I do really miss him…
"Your Majesty, General Iroh has called upon your presence."
"Uncle? Why?"
"Well…" The messenger stammered. "His Highness told me, he has something very important to tell you…" He continued on…
"I see…" The fire lord stood up, his footsteps could be heard across the deserted room of fire and gold.
"Your m-majesty…" The messenger spoke nervously…
"What is it?" The royalty replied with impatience…
"The general wants your highness to be in traveler's attire…" he added…
"Uncle," Fire Lord Zuko spoke, his voice filled with wisdom and maturity, his stature of great respect and his face of pure royalty. "You summoned me."
"Yes, I have my good nephew." Iroh spoke in a whisper, his voice barely audible because of age. His body, bed-ridden…
"What is it, uncle?" Zuko asked,
"You have ruled our nation for half a year already, and I must admit that you have done a great job. But being on your own is a great risk, especially with me, because I'm old…" He paused, the fire lord chuckled…
"What I want to impart to you is that, I don't want you to be lonely when I'm gone… but of course you will be lonely, but I don't want you to suffer. That will affect your leadership and capabilities in handling this nation."
Silence swallowed them for a moment, but Iroh continued…
"I want you to personally send invitations to a ball that will be held in our nation. Every young lady must have an invitation and you must give invitations to all the three nations, to the fire nation, the earth kingdom and to the water tribes…" He added…
"But why do you want to hold a ball?" He asked again…
"To find you, a wife…"
"Katara! Katara! Come!" someone shouted… Katara rushed outside unto the freezing cold. Her eyes turned into slits as she looked out into the sea…
"I think they're fire nation ships…" Maki cried…
"They've come back…" Katara whispered…
Titanic ships of steel gray docked along the shores of ice. Men in red and gold rushed and formed an organized line. Each of them saluting as their majesty walked gracefully into the open ice.
Katara stepped forward, ready to attack if necessary. She found herself in front of the spectators, waiting for her 'fire nation' guest to step into the ice.
The fog cleared and silence dwelled. When the guest of honor broke it.
"Nice to see you again, peasant…"
Her heart jumped and her face turned red. Are her eyes fooling her? That long black hair, golden round orbs, that pale face… and that scar…
"ZUKO?!" She shouted. The latter smirked.
"Isn't that supposed to be 'Your Majesty'?" he said, his smirk widened.
"Why have you come to our land? To wreck havoc again? To start a war?" She cried, her body taking a stance…
"No." the fire lord replied calmly…
"Then what is your purpose?!"
He hesitated for a while, but chose to speak…
"I have come to give an invitation…"
"An invitation…?"
"Yes." He smiled, his eyes feeding upon the image of a lady in front of him.
"It's an invitation to a ball… My uncle has sent me to every nation to personally give invitations…"
"Then I suppose only the upper classmen are invited?"
"No. Young ladies are."
"What makes this gathering of such importance that the fire lord was sent to give the invitations personally…?" she smirked, she wanted to humiliate that smug look on his face… His face… huh? Why am I looking at his face anyway?!
Zuko reached in his coat. His hand took a red card of gold trimmings and the royal seal of the fire nation. He smirked wider and pushed the card into Katara's hands.
"Just take it." He said and he walked away, he stopped and chuckled… "Oh, that reminds me, since you're the only young lady of the fire nation tribe. Be sure you wear you're best… I don't want any peasants lingering around my palace…" and he walked away…
Zuko walked proudly back into the ship, his crew following behind him. He walked back to his cabin, there he laid down on his queen size bed. He sighed and touched his scar.
She's so… Indescribably… Beautiful…
He closed his eyes, her image seems to be etched onto his eyelids…
I guess I looked at her too much…
Katara walked slowly back to her tent. The invitation clutched in her right hand. She closed her eyes, his image seemed to be etched onto her eyelids…
I can't forget that smug look on his face, which look amazingly handsome!!!
She suppressed her feelings and stopped herself from screaming loudly. She clutched her hand on her chest. Her heart raced like a rabbaroo… If Toph was here, she would be obvious… She lied down her bed and hugged the invitation close to her chest…
She imagined herself dancing smoothly across the floor, held closely to Zuko. Their eyes locked into a deep loving stare, her dress flowing and brushing against the marble and gold…
…
Dress…
OMG!!! A DRESS!!! I DON'T HAVE A DRESS!!!!!!
…
Author's notes: Yeah… I know… Cliff-hanger, huh? You'll find out in the next chapter what will happen… I thinking of making this a 3-chapter fic… I'm just so full of inspiration… Anyways, I've got this fic all planned… so next chapter might be a little shorter (or longer) than this…
Oh, I own "Nipaku" and "Maki"… Mike and Bryan gave to me…Xd
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