His Dark Desire
Chapter 2 "A Performance"

That night the Mid-Winter festival began and the whole city was alight with paper lamps and people from all over the world came to join the Fire Nation in its biggest party of the year. I talked with Toph and her parents, who had accompanied her here one week ago. Benders from the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom and of course from the Fire Nation showed their talents.
Before I left to the stands where the earth king, the Water tribe king, Aang and I would preside over the celebrations, I stopped at Mai's room and led her onto the platform. She was resplendent in a deep gold robe with intricate red flowers embroidered on the hems and down her arms and legs, and had red roses in her black satin hair.

"You look beautiful tonight." I kissed her lightly.

"I should, seeing as I spent four hours getting ready." Mai laughed a smokey laugh and wrapped my arms around her slim waist. "She is the woman I have always dreamed of." I smiled, I had not let my mind get away from me by wondering what Katara looked like tonight. I soon found out.

In front of and below the Royal stands were many seats for all of the spectators of tonight's show. Every day of the festival had a theme, tonight's was Brilliance. The stage was lit with large flickering candles and made the first dancers shimmer.

They were waterbenders and all female. Five were making ice flowers fall around and were then swooped up by the two other blue-women. They in turn used a little of the water to make a mist on the back of the stage so it looked like a wintery night was snowing. They used the rest of the water to push and pull all around in large circles, all the while in beat with the music that was stirring and felt like the song would blow away in the wind. At the climax of the song the women came together and formed a tight circle waving the water in designs above their heads. Then a drum was pounded and the water designs froze midair. They had formed a huge snowflake in the air. The waterbenders formed a line and let the water fall into vases set around the stage.

I stood up as so did others and applauded the amazing women. It was then that I realized that the lead waterbender was Katara. I did not recognize her at first because all over her hair was pulled into a low bun at the nape of her neck and had glittering makeup on her eyes.

I heard Mai stifle a yawn and I frowned. Only she could find that performance boring. Next were earthbenders and their performance was nothing like the delicate dance of water. It pounded and vibrated with a sturdy beat that made your heart shake and bounce. The men turned the rocks they had brought on stage hollow and beat them like they were drums. It made the entire city echo when they were finished.

After that a firebending group went on. They called themselves the Red Demons and were a mixed group of non- benders and benders. I found myself looking at Aang's date during the entire performance. Instead of any normal blue she chose an extremely light blue gown. So light that it appeared white. It had blue flowers on the color and a large blue iris was in Katara's bun. When she was on the stage, I hadn't seen the tiny jewels that lined just above her eyelashes, but now her eyes sparkled with the reflections coming from the dancer's flames.

The performance ended and I came back to my senses. Dancing would continue during the rest of the night and would not end until dawn. I wrapped my arms around Mai and kissed her on her luscious, red lips.

"What was that for?" She asked, her eyes half closed.

"I guess I just couldn't resist your beauty." Mai smiled and put her hand in the crook of my arm and let me lead her to the dance floor.

The first dance was one where the women stand in a large circle and the men step in a larger circle around them. As the men walk they clap their hands then switch directions, clap again and walk towards their partner. The lady holds out her hand and the men clasp it and then switch sides. Then the women are on the outside and they all hold hands and walk in an complicate step. Sometime during the dance you switch partners and the next lady in line is your new one. Katara was three above me and I felt a pang of jealousy towards the man who was now taking her hand so he could lead her through the dance sequence.

The dance ended and Mai and I wandered toward a group of Mai's close friends, which meant the Firelord in the middle of a bunch of giggling girls. I watched Katara walk with Aang towards Toph and a man I didn't know.

"My Lord," A certain Lady Diao began, returning my attention the women who I should have been listening to. "My Lord, do you know what the Avatar's friend's name is?" She pointed toward Katara.

"Of course, that is the Water Tribe Ambassador Katara," I lifted my one eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Diao exchanged smirks with Ty Lee "Because," She took me by the arm and let me away from the group of young women. "You have been staring at her the whole night" I jumped.

"Lady Diao, what do you mean? I wasn't, and besides why can't the Firelord look at one of his old friends?" I glared at her and she stared right back, an icy feeling crawled up my spine.

"One, the Firelord has a wonderful girlfriend, and two, that Katara woman is the Avatar's girl" She raised one of her brows and gave a saucy tilt of the head. "Remember that you may be the Firelord, but that boy," Diao pointed at Aang, who was entertaining a group of children with some airbending tricks. "Has more power than you could dream of. Think about that." She flipped around and lightly strolled back to her friends.

Mai looked up at me in question and I shook my head. I left, it had been a long night. When I reached my bedroom I pulled off my crown and set it carefully on the bedside table. I knew I should have called for a servant but I didn't want to be bothered. "Lady Diao was right, I need to forget what ever I was thinking about Katara and look more to Mai and what future we might hold." With that I fell on my bed and was asleep in five minutes.

I was suddenly walking in a white expanse. I realized it was snow, and I must be in one of the Water Tribes. I heard a voice "Zuko, what are you doing here?" I turned and Katara was standing in the white robe that I had seen her in that evening. Once again I thought that she looked like a bride, "You are amazing," I said and looked down and saw I was in wedding robes as well. She looked up and her eyes were suddenly reflecting lightning. A bolt hit her and I turned to see Azula laughing maniacally "Your turn soon, brother!" Katara was bleeding, red staining the pure white of her gown. There was nothing I could do to help and I could feel something inside of me breaking.
Then I woke up.