AN- You should know that I tend to do a lot of dialogue. If it annoys anyone tell me and I will try to tone it down a little. Also, thanks so much for my 2 reviews! I was surprised I actually got any! I got one that asked me what this story is about, well it's post-war and Zuko is soon to get the throne from Iroh who has had it for a year, starting to sort out the worst of the mess and preparing Zuko. But first there is a week of negotiations so sit through, this goes pretty well except one party who they're not familiar with (its basically open house) seems determined to shoot down everything that Zuko says. At the coronation this same party makes a shocking revelation… dun dun Dun!!! I know the last sentence sounds like a soap but I do have a plan! Anyway, there is another long authors' note at the bottom of this chapter but these will be the longest I do, I promise!

Firefight

By lidjipop

Chapter 1

Fire-lilies and Fire Lords

It had been a year. One long year since she had been in the Fire Nation and Katara could hardly believe the changes. The palace had been the first thing to be restored, (at the urging of the people) and it had been finished within 2 months of their leaving. Although it had been hurried there was no air of incompleteness. It was magnificent and exquisite. As always it was all red and gold, but there was less black and no brooding greys. Also she was shocked to see, every now and then a splash of colour from another nation. A delicately drawn painting of an orange daisybird, a small fountain with a statue of a waterbending woman made of blue stone and crystal in the centre, a dark brown statuette of a badgermole nestled in a corner with its' emerald eyes flashing. Yes, much had changed.

"So my dear, how have you been, travelling the world? Still healing and peacekeeping? I hope you got my packets of tea." Iroh, no matter the power he now wielded as Regent was as genial as ever.

"Yes, they were delicious, Thankyou. They had an extra bonus because since Sokka doesn't like tea they were the only thing that he didn't monopolise."

"Hey!"

They continued in this fashion, joking and bantering until Iroh said the words that a tired waterbender had been waiting for, "…and this is your room Katara. I was going to put you in the west wing with your brother but Prince Zuko thought that perhaps you would appreciate the pool in the garden…and from the look on your face I see that he was indeed correct. Come, Sokka, Aang, let us leave her to settle in."

Katara murmured a 'thanks' but was truly transfixed by what she could see through the open doors. It was a beautiful garden. A small waterfall trickled down from one corner and widened into a small pond that was inhabited by turtleducks and long-tailed frogs that lounged on lily pads. What looked like a weeping willow but with red leaves draped lazily over the pool with the tips of its branches brushing the water just enough to make ripples. A breeze gently ruffled its' leaves. There weren't heaps of flowers so she wasn't smothered in their scent, but there was a lilac bush clinging to the far wall, honeysuckle crawling up beside her doors and, beside the pond were small delicate flowers of red that looked familiar… "Fire-lilies" she breathed.

"Yes, I remember you saying once that you liked them." A familiar voice penetrated her bubble of happiness and burst it. She turned around to see Prince Zuko standing beside her with a decidedly superior look on his face. "So I made sure there were some here."

"I don't actually like them that much." She replied with a disdainful sniff.

"Don't like them huh? Well you didn't see your face. You looked like a hummingbird that's been presented with a barrel of honey; blissful."

"Well, you don't have to be so smug about it. We all have our vices Mister I'm-gonna-die-if-I-don't-have-fireflakes-now."

"Hey! That was only once! I was craving them and-"

"Save it, Sparky." She used Toph's nickname for him, "Did you only come here to gloat or was there something important you had to say?"

"Gloating is important water-peasant, but I wanted to…um, well-"

"Spit it out."

Zuko shot her a glare and mumbled, "-welcome you to the palace." Katara was speechless. Prince Zuko-soon to be Fire Lord Zuko had wanted to personally welcome her? Did he actually do something nice? "Uncle made me say it!" Or perhaps not.

"Ugh! Get out of my room you overdressed excuse for a prince!"

"Fine, but Uncle wants you to be at an informal dinner tonight in the small dining room. I'll send a servant to take you there, you know with your sense of direction you'll probably get lost and find yourself in the men's' bathroom!"

"Hey, that only happened twice!"

"In the same building! And Katara…"

"I thought I told you to leave?"

He ignored her and leaned toward her with a slight smile, "I know I said informal but perhaps without half the garden in your hair?" He reached out and plucked a couple of small feathery red leaves from her hair.

Katara blushed, "How did they get there?"

Zuko grinned and leaned over her shoulder and blew the leaves back out into the garden, "I suspect, the wind." And with that he walked out.

Katara's breathing was slightly faster than normal and there was a slight pink tinge on her cheeks. She didn't know why but whenever she spoke to Zuko, especially when they argued, the same thing happened. It's because he annoys me so much she thought to herself and she started to unpack.

--------------

Sokka waited in the dining room for the others to arrive. Surprisingly enough he had thought to memorise the route when he was last at the palace. He looked at the covered platters of food, already salivating-perhaps not so surprising after all.

As there was nothing better to do but wait for the others, he sat down and thought about why they were here. Back in the Fire Nation. Iroh's reign was coming to an end. It would end in 3 weeks exactly actually, and he would pass the throne to his nephew. Zuko… I wonder how it feels to know that soon you will be the ruler of an entire nation before you're even twenty. Sokka blinked and smiled. He knew that throughout the last year Zuko had been watching and learning as Iroh started to clean up the mess that was his nation, but there was so much work to do. The economy was in tatters and the Fire Nation was in general still treated with distrust and suspicion, which was why they were hosting a week-long peace summit in celebration of the end of the war, the culmination of which would be Zuko's ascension to the throne. Who'd've thunk? Sparky…on a throne… ah it still kills me every time.

"And what are you sniggering at?" Speak of the devil!

"I was just thinking of you…on a throne!" the last word was a cross between normal speech and a snort as laughter bubbled up once more. Sokka couldn't figure out why but every time he thought of the person who was his one-time enemy and now in his close circle of good friends ruling a nation…he got the giggles, and he got em' bad.

"Shut-up! It's not til 3 weeks yet and we still have a week of boring negotiations to sit through…"

"Nephew, do not let those coming specifically for those negotiations hear you call them boring."

"They came for the negotiations?" Zuko said sarcastically, "I thought they were coming to eat all our food and have a good gawk at the next Fire Lord."

Well, that is exactly why some of them are coming…but it's not like I'm telling you that Zuko. "Let's not talk about the summit yet, let us eat first. Where are our last 2 dining partners?"

As though he had been waiting for his cue, Aang burst into the dining room window with a swift breeze following him.

Zuko sighed wearily as he tried to straighten his ruffled robes, "D'you always have to do that?"

"Do what?" Aang asked with an innocent smile. Zuko just sat in his chair as Aang and Sokka high-fived behind his back.

"Awesome!"

"I know! I wonder when he'll realise that I do this just to annoy him and that no-one else's robes get messed up."

"What are you two whispering about?" the third and final member of their party walked in after thanking her escort. She had changed into clean clothes, washed the smell of fish from her hair (hey, weeks of travel on a ship that trades in fish at every port is murder on the whole sweet-smelling front) and had tucked a fire-lily behind her ear.

As they sat down and began to eat Zuko smirked, "I would have thought that even you would've been able to get the plant life out of your hair but it seems I was mistaken."

"That's supposed to be there, genius!" Katara retorted. As Zuko quickly retorted hotly the other three simultaneously rolled their eyes and thought the exact same thing, there they go again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN- Hi, sorry about this, I was gonna make this longer but I kinda liked ending it there. The next chapter will pick up right where I left off, with dinner. I hope you liked the ZxK interaction. You know this is a Zutara but it won't be one where they fall in love instantly. They have chemistry and they annoy the hell out of each other but that's all there is yet.

I should probably warn you that I will update as soon as I finish writing and editing a chapter. I won't hold back before I get a certain amount of reviews, (although I will shamelessly hint in my authors' notes) and I also won't hold back so that the spaces between chapters are more even. This will sometimes mean that you get 2 within 1 week, like today but I'm afraid that sometimes you may not even get 2 within a month if I get a block. Just so you know.

Anyways, enough talk, on with the reviewing! Erm…please?

P.S. Sorry but the first few chapters will be a little slow on the action front but things do hot up! I promise! Anyway, I like the slowness, it gives me time to bite my nails and worry about writing action and fight scenes.