Not quite an AU more like a reincarnation fic set way in the future, I trust you can all figure out who is who.


History


Tori kicked at the sandy floor with her bare feet, she was bored. Really bored.

"Hey," the husky voice of her companion called to her softly, his fingers snagging the collar of her shirt pulling her closer. "Tour 's almost over, just wait a bit alright?" Tori pouted in what she assumed was Zachary's direction, his smiled slightly, Tori was in fact pouting at a pillar right next to him. With a slight tug Zachary pulled the blind twelve year old even closer, she wrapped her arms around his waist and waited. She'd been really excited when he's mentioned his History class's trip to see the old Fire Nation capitol now she was just bored and waiting for the previously promised ice cream for non destructive behaviour. Zachary turned his attention back to the tourguide's speech taking down notes.

"It was during this year that the second major alteration of the Fire Nation's government occurred, when the newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko married his companion the Master Waterbender and Healer Katara.

"Documentation proves that several royals from the Earth Kingdom and both Polar Tribes were in attendance as well as the Avatar. The marriage between the two was one of the turning points in the healing process and allowed for better internation realtions after the Sozin's War.

"This hall was the same one the wedding ceremony was held in-"

Zachary's attention slipped when a soft body careened into his, he dropped his pen, one hand going to steady Tori as he adjusted his stance to keep his balance, the other to stop the person shaped projectile from falling on her ass.

"Sorry Zachary, Tori." Zachary froze and turned slowly, a few steps away Jason and his band of hooligans were snickering. But more importantly right in front of him was her. He stared in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" Tori asked frowning.

"Just Jason being an ass," Zachary replied still staring at her.

"I'm really sorry about bumping into you two." Tori snorted, muttering about the definition of 'bumping' into Zachary's hip. "Um... Zachary you can let go now." He immediately released his grip on her. "Are you okay? You're kind of staring at me weird."

Her words shocked him into speech, he wished they hadn't. "You know my name."

"yeah, we have several classes together, history included," she made a vague gesture to the ancient hall they were standing in with her notepad. "And Tori hangs out with my friend Angel sometimes."

"Twinkletoes," Tori snorted, "he has the girliest name ever."

"I know, I just didn't... I mean I thought... I..." Zachary stuttered

"What Sparky's trying to say," Tori interrupted "is: Katarine, you can bump into me any time; I've had serious feelings of the emotional variety - concerning you - for quite some time, Tori and I are going to get ice cream once this majorly boring tour is done would you like to go with us..."

Zachary wanted to crawl in a hole and die, he was also adding this to his very long and highly confidential 'list of reasons he was never taking his second cousin thrice removed any where with people ever again,' the same one he would totally ignore next time she asked him to take her somewhere.

"Actually, I added the 'majorly boring' part, Zachary is really into this history stuff."

"Ice cream sounds nice, if you really don't mind I'd like to join you." Katarine smiled at him.

"Okay great."

"Thank you Tori, you're the greatest cousin ever and I owe you lots and lots." Tori said in a slightly patronising tone, Katarine quirked an eyebrow as Zachary repeated the young girl word for word. Smiling Katarine turned back to the tour-guide, the history teacher had promised a quiz on the reign of Fire Lord when the class returned form their trip so she was determined to make sure her notes were thorough.

"Of course there are rumours that both Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Katara would never have gotten together if not for the intervention of Master Earthbender, who also happened to be the first Metalbender, Toph Bei Fong..."