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Just Friends

Chapter 2: Reality

The late afternoon sun was glinting off the waters of the bay. Chugging along about midway through was a ferry, its rotating paddles churning the water behind it. It was slowly making its way to the port of the Fire Nation capital; the very same port they had invaded on the Day of Black Sun.

Standing at the rail of the ferry looking at the now familiar statues that guarded the port, Katara couldn't help but remember the first time she laid eyes on them. Unheeded, scenes from the battle flashed before her eyes. The explosions. Her father's wounds. The surge of rage that had consumed her. The cries of victory…and the cries of pain. The moment she left behind her father, her people, and her friends. It was a day of death on both sides. Up until the moment when she held her father again at the Western Air Temple she had truly believed that she would never see him again.

Looking at the city slowly growing closer she suddenly flashed back to how it looked all those months ago fading into the distance. The smoke from their failed attack hid their escape. The waterbender let out a frustrated sigh, bothered by her own dark thoughts.

"What was that for?" asked the now familiar voice of Zuko as he came to stand next to her on the rail.

"I was just remembering the last time we came through this bay," she replied, and then softly added, "the invasion on the Day of Black Sun."

In her voice Zuko could hear the sadness and frustration those memories brought up but there was something else too that he couldn't quite put his finger on. For now he left it alone. She would talk about it when she was ready, or else he would just have to beat it out of her. A small smile came to his lips at the thought though he made sure Katara wouldn't see it.

"Well…these aren't exactly the same circumstances," he reassured her, "it's not like we're an invading army."

"We're not? You said it yourself Zuko – defeating Ozai was just the beginning. The Fire Nation has had a hundred years to shape their people's minds against the rest of the world. We've had two months," argued Katara, "I highly doubt they're going to be all smiles and welcome us with open arms."

"Well yeah but…" Zuko tried to cut in but Katara was ranting now.

"And don't forget about the other nations. They hate the Fire Nation just as much. Just getting them to talk to each other is another war!" Katara stopped to catch her breath.

"Fine! You're right, it is not going to be easy…but" the prince quickly replied before she could continue, "we have the Avatar and the White Lotus Society has agreed to take a more active role." He stopped to touch her shoulder to make sure she was looking at him, "We also have each other."

"So you're just… not worried?"

"Who says I'm not worried? I'm supposed to be the next Fire Lord for Agni's sake! I'm…scared."

"Then how…?"

"Guess I'm just learning to rely on…you know…people."

They were both quite for a moment contemplating the conversation. Heaving one last sigh Katara stood straight and squared her shoulders.

"You're right," she declared before her face took on a somewhat horrified expression and she continued, "Oh Spirit's! I was starting to sound like Mai wasn't I?"

Zuko cracked one of his rare grins.

"Yeah, that whole 'the world is doomed' thing is more her style," he agreed with a chuckle, "You're supposed to be the hopeful one. You know saying things like… 'Oh Aang, you're our only hope to save the world. You just make me so hopeful. I don't know what I would do without the hope that you give me,'" Zuko added, imitating the high pitched, girly voice of the woman who had played Katara in the theatre performance on Ember Island. He received a jab on the shoulder for his troubles.

"That is not how I talk," insisted the watertribe girl trying to keep a cross look on her face.

At that precise moment Sokka came from behind to stand between them, slinging his arms over each of their shoulders.

"Isn't it such a beautiful day!" enthused Sokka, oblivious to his sister's worries, "and to think, this time we can just walk right in! There's gonna be a parade or something right? With food?"

Suki and Ty Lee came up to the deck next. For once Ty Lee was actually walking but when the pair got closer to the rail she jumped up to walk along it in front of the other four. Suki came up behind Sokka to give him a hug and rest her chin on his shoulder.

"Just for once Sokka, can you think on something other than food," sighed the Kyoshi warrior.

"I don't know if there is going to be a parade Sokka," said Zuko, removing the over-enthusiastic young man's arm off him, "Uncle said we were going to be greeted by a small contingent."

"Which is why we'll be docking first thing in the morning before the port gets too busy," added Katara, "so enjoy your last night on board."

Iroh had been very specific about when and where he wanted them to dock. Unfortunately he had been extremely cryptic about everything else. The only thing they really knew was that their presence was needed to resolve some loose ends and calm down some of the more excitable members of the court. But above all else they were to arrive discreetly. It was actually quite frustrating for the young group.

"Aaawww…no party," pouted Ty Lee, currently walking on her hands along the railing, "I was looking forward to a ball and then there would be shows and we could all get dressed up and look pretty and – "

"I think we got the idea," said Katara waving off further comments.

"Yes, please. The last thing I feel like going to is a party," drawled Mai as she walked up silently to stand beside Zuko. Ty Lee promptly stuck her tongue out at her.

"Jeez Mai, you're always such a spoil sport," complained the young acrobat.

"Whatever. I just can't wait to get back to my old life. I'm sick of all this travelling."

"Oh yeah, you really had it rough travelling all over the Earth Kingdom with a royal contingent," snorted Suki, quickly annoyed with her attitude, "must have been horrible watching all those servants doing all the hard work for you."

"I never said it was hard. I'm just sick of it," she replied coldly, her blank gaze focused on the blade she kept twirling between her fingers. Zuko was even looking ticked off, bothered by his girlfriend's seemingly endless apathy. Noticing the little twitch by Zuko's eye that came out when he was angry Katara quietly gestured to Sokka and Ty Lee. Sokka grabbed Suki's hand, who looked like she was about to pop a vein.

"Hey babe, could you show me that…that… move you were practicing earlier?" said the watertribe boy, trying to come up with an excuse for dragging her away.

"What move?" she retorted, anger edging a voice that was already annoyed. Sokka just continued to pull her along, "Sokka? Sokka!" Her cries faded off. Katara shot Zuko a sympathetic look over her shoulder before she disappeared from sight. Zuko acknowledged her with a small nod before turning to Mai. They were now alone on the deck.

For a few moments they were silent; Mai, because she had nothing to say and Zuko, because he was thinking on how to confront her. She leaned her back on the rail, blade still twirling idly between her fingers. Zuko stood straight, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her face.

"Things aren't going to go back to the way they were Mai," he finally said, opting for the direct approach.

"Well duh. There's not going to be any more war now that the Avatar is here," she agreed casually, eyes still focused on the blade.

"Not that. Us. The way we live. We aren't heading back to the Fire Nation just to lounge around in our mansions and be waited on hand and foot. We need to be setting the example for the rest of the nation."

"Please. That's the Avatar's job. We did our part."

"What part Mai?! What have you done to help Aang?" asked Zuko, his voice rising.

"I have spent the last few months rotting in a jail cell because of you! Because I love you!" she responded in turn, finally whirling to face him, "You and your friends got away! What more do you want from me?"

"How about some compassion!" he replied, yelling now, "Stop thinking about you've gone through for a couple months and think about what they've been going through for years," he gestured to where the rest of the group drifted off.

"They hated me! What have they ever done for me to make me care?" Mai replied, her voice deadpanning.

"They saved my life. I would be dead if not for them. Or does that not mean anything to you?" Zuko answered back, "Why do you have to be so cold towards them?" he concluded, his voice dropping off.

Mau gave a sigh and resumed her place on the rail.

"Why do you care so much about how I treat them? You never cared before," she grumbled.

"Well I guess I'm just not the same person as before."

"Was before really that bad Zuko? Weren't we happy?" she asked softly, "those months together after you returned from exile, were they so horrible? What's so wrong about wanting to go back to that?"

"Mai, if you can't figure that out I'm not going to tell you," Zuko replied after a short pause. He walked away for a step before turning around a moment. "Just think about it Mai because no matter how much you may want it, things aren't going back to the way they were."

Zuko walked off for good leaving Mai on the rail to think, blade twirling. He headed towards his rooms thinking about their conversation as well. Why can't she see how messed up everything was? Didn't she notice that something was wrong? Zuko thought as he navigated the hallways below deck. Shaking his head in an effort to clear his mind he paced back and forth in his room for a couple minutes. After trying unsuccessfully to mediate he finally grabbed his Dao swords and went up to practice on deck thinking he could at least burn off some energy.

The sun was completely down by the time he had tired himself out enough. The moon was waxing half-full in the skies overhead. He set his swords to the side and sat down, leaning on one of the supply crates strapped to the deck and closing his eyes, letting his body relax. He opened them as he heard soft footsteps coming his way. Katara stood in front of him, offering him a water skin in her outstretched hand. Zuko gave her a grateful smile before taking it and sucking down a long swallow while Katara sat down across from him.

"So how did it go," she asked when he had finished drinking.

"Well…" he replied and gestured meaningfully to his swords and sweaty appearance.

"That bad huh? At least you got a good work out from it," she responded with a grin, earning a chuckle from the Fire prince.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said lightly, before his expression darkened, "Why doesn't she understand Katara? She travelled in the Earth Kingdom. Didn't she see how bad things were? Can't she see why I want to change that?"

"Yeah, but Zuko look at how long it took you to see that. You were a real jerk in the beginning," she reasoned, "Give her a little time."

"You're going a lot easier on her than you did on me in the beginning," he snorted. Katara had the grace to look uncomfortable for a moment.

"Well, that was personal. Not that I have a whole lot of love for Mai," she added, "but hey, if we're going to change the world we have to start somewhere, right? I figure if I get to like her, getting to love the rest of the Fire Nation should be easy."

"Can't argue with that," said Zuko, knowing first hand how difficult it could be to like Mai. Love and like were definitely two different things. At the moment, he did love her, but he just didn't like her.

"She just needs to get used to a new way of doing things," continued Katara, "I mean she was one of Azula's best friends. Betraying her couldn't have been easy even if it was the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do is never the easy thing," agreed Zuko, "but that's over. Its time to face reality." He gave a deep sigh and adjusted his back against the crates. "Thanks for listening Katara. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime Zuko," she replied, giving his knee a friendly pat, "that's what friends are for."

They sat quietly for a bit longer, comfortable in each other's presence before finally heading to their quarter's to prepare for docking. Dawn was only a few hours away. Reality awaited them.

~CelestialWonder