A/N- This was one of the first ones I had an idea for. It plays off of the word momentous and moments. Also, the music that I listened to while writing was "All About Us" by He Is We ft. Owl City. And the song the characters dance to is "Kingdom Dance" from the movie Tangled. So listen if you want, but mostly enjoy!


The day the Southern Raiders attacked the Southern Water Tribe for the last time was the same day Firelord Azulon mysteriously died. Amid the chaos of this day, two children in particular grieved the loss of a mentor, a best friend, a mother. Neither could truly accept that they were gone and neither wanted to let go of them. But these children had something else in common: a dream.

That night, as they slept, though miles separated them, the spirits led these two young souls together. And, for one night, they grieved and laughed together.

The halls of the palace were strangely silent to the young prince's ears as he walked down them. That's when he knew he must be dreaming, the palace was never that quiet. As he continued walking, however, he heard small footsteps behind him. They sounded like the last person he wanted to see right now. "Azula?" he hesitantly called out, praying that his sister was not sneaking up on him again. But when he turned around, he was not met the cold, amber eyes of his sister, but rather two glowing, sapphire orbs. The girl must have been Azula's age, give or take a few years. Her clothes were blue and her hair was pulled back in a fashion Zuko had never seen before. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" the little girl countered. Though she was obviously scared, her eyes had a defiant glint to them.

"I asked you first."

"Katara," before Zuko could process how strange of a name that was or even mention his name, the girl, Katara, asked, "Are you Fire Nation?"

"Yes," Zuko responded, drawing himself up proudly.

"I hate you," the girl immediately responded. Great, Zuko thought, another person that hates me.

"Why?"

"Because the Fire Nation took my mom away," the girl answered, turning away from Zuko. Though he couldn't see her face, he could hear the tears in her eyes.

"They took mine too," Zuko commented. He put his hand out, hesitated, and then put it on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

She sniffled once, twice, and then turned and faced him, the tear tracks still marked on her face. "Why did they take your mom away?"

"I'm not sure. But I think it's because they- they wanted me dead." Zuko closed his eyes against the memories. Azula always lies.

"Me too." Then Zuko felt two small arms wrap around his neck in a surprise hug. He returned the hug. No one had hugged him since his mom left. He might never be hugged again. He pushed these thoughts away, focusing instead on the girl in front of him. He thought maybe they could be friends, somehow. She seemed nice enough, a little defiant, but in a good way.

He pulled away, but kept a hold of her hand. "Do you want to look around a bit? I can show you the best parts of the palace."

She seemed excited, but then withdrew her hand and looked around, frightened. "Will someone else see us?"

"No, I don't think so. I haven't seen or heard anyone else. But if we do, I'll protect you," he replied with pride, puffing out his chest.

"Okay," she responded, reaching out for his hand and grasping it tightly in hers.

Zuko showed her his favorite parts of the palace: the garden, the library, and, most importantly, the ballroom.

"Wow," Katara breathed, "this is beautiful. Do you guys have parties in here?" She ran out to the middle of the floor, twirling in a circle with her arms out, marveling at the red and gold around her. It was beautiful, the ballroom. The artwork and architecture looked exactly like something out of Gran Gran's stories.

"Not exactly. Grandfather wasn't one for parties. I don't think Father will be either," he said, looking at the ground. But then he looked up, smiling, "I would love to have some though. There would be no competition, no manipulation. Just dancing. Just… being free."

"Then let's dance!" Katara shouted, running out and grabbing Zuko's hands.

"But there's no music." And then, as if on cue, music filled the ballroom. It was an old Fire Nation song; Zuko's uncle had loved to play it. "Hey, I know this song!"

"And I know how to dance! C'mon!"

Together, they turned in a circle around the center of the room, twirling and laughing. Zuko added in some fire bending forms while Katara mixed in some of her tribe's dances. When the tempo increased, Zuko walked over to her and held his arm up, palm facing towards her. She mirrored his move, and together they ran around and around, following the other. They both laughed, enjoying the rush the dance gave. And when the music increased yet again, they twirled and danced close together, each hoping this moment would never end.

"That was great Katara!" Zuko exclaimed, panting for breath. "Let's do it ag-" but when he turned around to face her, she was gone.


"And to conclude, I would like to wish them the best of luck on this momentous occasion. Now, would the young couple please take their spots on the dance floor for the first dance," Iroh requested. "To my nephew, Firelord Zuko, and his wife, Fire Lady Katara!" The crowd clapped and cheered as the bride and groom took to the floor.

Their traditional Fire Nation wedding robes swished as they crossed the ground to the center. As the band started to play their song, Zuko and Katara became a blur of gold and red as they circled the dance floor.

Then a peculiar look came over Katara's face. "Zuko, have I heard this song before?"

"Not unless you usually listen to old Fire Nation music; Uncle picked it out." He paused before asking, "Why?"

"It just sounds familiar is all. Like from a childhood memory… or dream." When Zuko only raised his eyebrow, she elaborated, "Actually, it's not just the music, it's the room too," she said, looking around before her gaze landed back on her husband. "And you."

Suddenly, recognition dawned on Zuko's face. "A dream," he whispered. "Are you thinking of your mother?"

"Yes! You too?" Zuko nodded in response.

"Did we…?"

"Meet in a dream years and years ago?" Katara finished for him, "I think we did."

"Amazing," he breathed, gazing at her. "You were an amazing dancer, you know."

Katara laughed, "You were too."

"Thank you," Zuko said after a few moments of silence with a smile on his face.

"For what?"

"For making me laugh. All those years ago, I needed to be reminded how to laugh," he responded, pulling her in closer. "With my mother gone and uncle not yet home, the only family I had left was Father and Azula." He bowed his head and squeezed his hand tighter around hers. "You gave me hope. So thank you."

"Zuko," Katara whispered, leaning in until her forehead touched his bowed one, "I needed you then too. My mother was my best friend. Losing her was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. It was nice to just forget about that for a while. To remember that life could still be enjoyed, even with her gone. To remember that other people were hurting too and that I could help them. So thank you."

They danced close together for a few more moments, taking comfort in the other's presence.

"I love you," Zuko whispered.

"I love you too."

And as the last note rang out, Zuko leaned in and kissed his blushing bride.


Thoughts?

Thank you for reading! Happy Zutara Week!

-princessmelia