The years had passed and things had changed.

For one thing, they had all grown. Gone were the children they had used to be and left in their place were the adults that they had become. Sokka had traveled, seeing the sights of the world in a way he had not seen them when traveling with Aang and fighting for his life. Zuko had maintained his grip on his crown, only to wonder how long his grasp would last. Toph had returned to her home, to begin instructing Earthbending and metalbending. And Katara… She had done nothing. For five years, she had remained at home, taking care of her aging grandmother and making the occasional visit to the other tribes along the South Pole.

However, things were soon going to change.

It was early morning when Katara woke, jolted from her sleep by yet another strange dream. Like always, the haunting image slipped away as she fully woke, but the feeling of guilt, of sorrow she simply could not shake. Rising up, she dressed in the dark, careful to avoid waking her grandmother; pulling the hood of her cloak up, she stepped out of the igloo, only to find it had began to snow. Turning her gaze to the north, it was then that she noticed the large ship heading into the direction of her tribe. She blinked, trying to focus her gaze upon the ship, realizing a moment later that it was not one of theirs. "The Fire Nation?" She murmured, surprise filling her up, replacing the odd feelings of the dream. Walking down the main path of the tribe, she crossed between the two head huts, where the Chief and his family stayed, and stepped up onto the bank of the icy cold sea. The ship was smaller than the warships, but it was still magnificent. Katara watched as it made its way inland, towards the exact spot that she stood. It took only a few moments for the ship to make its way onto the land; at once, a plank dropped down from the side of the ship and a man, well dressed in Fire Nation garb, stepped out and made his way down to the icy bank.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?" The man asked, his voice deep and rumbling; by now, others from the village had began to gather around, the ship the obvious cause of their intrigue. She nodded silently, pulling her hood down, allowing the strong wind to catch her dark hair. "The Fire Lord requests your presence. As soon as possible." The man continued, casting a quick glance over her head to the group gathering around. Zuko? She questioned silently, her mind straying to him for only a second. Despite it all, despite the years that had passed… No, it didn't matter. If he needed her, then she would be there.

"Then let's go."

[ x x x ]

The first thing Katara noticed was the increased amount of guards surrounding the palace and its various entryways. If she recalled correctly, there was double the amount of guards at each post. Though her gaze was inquisitive, she remained silent, choosing to ask Zuko himself, rather than one of his men. The second thing that Katara noticed were the people who bowed as she went past, as if she were royalty herself. This was another thing she kept to herself… But, though her appearance had changed these last five years, her personality certainly had not.

"They bow because they honor you. Because you are a warrior who fought for peace alongside the Avatar. You are beloved in this realm, though it may surprise you to know." She turned at the sound of the man's voice, her brow arched in surprise at this man. He laughed at the expression upon her face and reached out to gently clasp her shoulder, like a doting old man might to his grandchild. "I see your shock every time someone bows to you. You shouldn't be so shocked- you are a heroine of the war, a well respected waterbender." Katara turned away, feeling the blush rise into her cheeks. "Ah, here we are…" The old admiral, a man who went by Locke, gestured towards a doorway off to the left. "Lord Zuko's throne room is… Ah, well, under maintenance. He will see you in his chambers instead." He held open the door, allowing her entry to the room which she found to be empty. "He will join you shortly." Locke explained, backing out of the room, leaving her alone within Zuko's presence chamber.

Crossing the room, she stood beside his grand desk, her hand reaching out to take hold of a drawing, framed and on display for everyone to see. To her delight, it was one that Sokka had done, not long before the final battle had occurred- it had all of them in it. Zuko, Toph, Suki, Sokka, and of course she as well. And… Aang. A soft sigh escaped her as she set the frame back in its spot. "I look at that everyday." At the voice, Katara gave a gasp, turning around so fast that her hair went flying about her face. And there he stood, leaning onto the doorframe, his typically messy hair tamed into place at the back of his head. His amber eyes rose to meet hers and she could not suppress the excited cry that left her lips. Without warning, she shot across the room, happily throwing her arms around him.

Zuko could not help but to stare; he had not seen her in five years, five years, and it seemed that she had changed. she had morphed into a creature of beauty, so otherworldly that he would have sworn her to only be a dream. He watched as she picked up the frame on his desk, her fingertips brushing across the glass, her blue eyes intently staring at the picture within. It seemed almost a crime to interrupt her, but he could not help it. "I look at that everyday." He said as she set it back down, his voice catching her off guard. She spun around, those intense blue eyes falling instead upon him, and at once she was smiling. Before he knew what had happened, she was throwing her arms around him, embracing him tightly. He froze, for only a moment, until he returned the embrace, holding her tightly for several long seconds. But then she was pulling back, tears brimming in her eyes, though she was smiling brightly. He could only hope that she didn't notice the heat rising into his cheeks. "Hi," he said with an awkward little laugh as she stepped back, reaching up to run a hand through her tousled raven locks

"Hi," she replied, her smile wide, her hand reaching up to wipe away her tears. For the first time in quite some time, her tears were for happiness and not sorrow. "It's… It's been too long." She shifted from one foot to the other, knowing this was her fault, and now wished she had not said it. She half expected him to say the very same thing to her, but instead he was smiling at her. "I guess I should bow, huh?"

"I know… I should have reached out to you sooner, I just thought…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. You're here now, that's what matters." He gestured for her to take a seat, as he himself made his way towards the seat behind his desk. He sat, his own eyes momentarily lingering upon the framed artwork, but then they were drawn back to Katara. Her eyes were staring right at him, as if they could read into his very soul- he had never forgotten what it was like to be on the receiving end of her frightening gaze. I guess I should bow, huh? Her question, though followed by a laugh, was posed as if she were actually uncertain of the answer. "No, you never bow to me, we are equals still." He said to her with a warm smile, speaking the words he felt true. She was his friend, that always came first.

"So, why am I here?" She asked, sticking him with her gaze as she sat down in one of the empty chairs before his desk. "It seemed awfully urgent."

At her words, Zuko sighed heavily, and at once Katara could see that something weighed heavily upon him. He closed his eyes, falling into thought, trying to find the right words to use to explain everything to her. "There has been an uprising." He finally said, turning his amber eyes onto her, the words eliciting a soft gasp from her lips. "I was able to squash the rebellion, but many of the leaders are still out there. They threaten my crown, they want to put my father back on the throne." He nearly spit the words out, his temper flaring at the mere thought of all he had dealt with over the last two years. "They are men loyal to him still, despite the war and despite him no longer being able to bend." He did not bother to mention what they said of him- that he was a bastard, that he was weak-willed, unable to run a kingdom. His eyes closed once more, clenching into fists atop his desk. A few beats of silence and then he felt her warm, small hand enclose around his, offering him comfort. He opened his eyes, looking into her eyes, warmed by her touch.

"Zuko, that's awful! What are you going to do?" She asked, pulling her hand back a moment later, yet again feeling her cheeks flush with color. "And what do you need me here for? What can I do?"

"Help me. Help me put a stop to the rebellions before they begin to pop up all across my kingdom." He spoke passionately, his urge to reach out and take her hands strong. "I will give you the power to arrest and take down these rebel leaders. Help me make my crown safe." He looked upon her, his tone borderline pleading. "To be honest… You're the only one I can trust to do it for me. I feel like I can't trust anyone- they were all my father's advisors before becoming mine," Zuko could see the look spreading across her face and he knew, before she even spoke, what her answer would be.

"Of course… Of course I'll help you, Zuko."

[ x x x ]

Smoke was rising all around, the fire hot and spreading across the land. Frightened blue eyes stared out, feeling the heat from the fire as it licked at her limbs. Stepping back, she made to run, but the flat ground disappeared and instead she stood at the edge, nearly tumbling over. Turning back, she was breathing hard, unable to do anything but watch the fire inch closer, so much closer… She looked back over her shoulder- did she risk falling to her death? Or die from the flames? It didn't seem like much of a choice.

"Katara…"

Her name was carried along the breeze, the familiar voice filling her ears, momentarily distracting her from her peril. "Wh-who's there?" She called out, unable to believe the voice belonged to whom she thought it did. A soft laugh was her response and in an instant, the flames were gone, leaving her standing alone in the center of nothingness. She turned around and around, eyes frantically searching for any sign of movement, of the voice. "Aang?" His name left her lips before she could stop herself; but that was impossible. There was no way it was Aang calling to her. She turned back around, and gasped, finding herself face-to-face with… "Aang!"

The solemn-faced Avatar instantly broke into a cheesy grin, his gray eyes flashing. "Katara, you have to find the new Avatar. They're waiting on you." Aang said in a singsong, his words irritatingly vague. She opened her mouth to respond but he went on speaking his riddles. "You and Zuko, you're the only ones who can find the new Avatar. But you must do it soon… Before the world loses hope in the Avatar once more." Katara felt her heart turn over, her head spinning; the new Avatar? Her and Zuko? It was all too much to take in, and it was hard to focus, with Aang standing right there before her eyes. But, she had no chance to speak, because a moment later, he had vanished from her sight.

One hand reached out, as if her fingers still might take hold of him, but her fingers grasped nothing. Nothing at all…

Waking with a jolt, Katara nearly tumbled from her bed; panting, she ran a hand over her forehead, pushing stray strands of hair from her eyes. That dream again… It had been haunting her since her arrival in the Fire Nation. Aang's words mystified her. Just what did he mean? he had said the new Avatar was lost… Lost where? Perhaps they did not even know they were the Avatar? Surely this Avatar was not slumbering beneath the ice as Aang had been? Katara wrestled with the thought of talking to Zuko about it, but she found she could not. Not yet at least. Besides, she wasn't even sure the dreams meant anything at all. For all she knew, it was only a trick of her mind due to being back in the Fire Nation. Being here stirred up so many memories, so many thoughts and feelings… No, until she had any reason to, she would not speak up.

Rising from her bed, she changed quickly, donning a simple robe of crimson silk- courtesy of Zuko. It had been inside of a trunk, one full of clothes that had been delivered to her room on the evening of her arrival. Brushing out her long, dark locks, she left them loose about her face before escaping the confines of her bedchamber.

It had already been a week since she had arrived in the Fire Nation, since she had accepted Zuko's proposal of becoming the chief of his Military Police Squad. Overnight, her role in the Fire Nation had greatly changed. The people, as Locke had told her, certainly seemed to respect her, even more so now but she had seen it from the moment she had returned. She had been nervous, being nothing more than a twenty-year-old peasant girl, that controlling those in the Squad would be difficult. But, quite the contrary, the six men in the Squad were quite accepting of her and her authority.

Walking down one corridor, she took a left, placing herself into the main corridor. As she passed the door to the main throne room, she paused, seeing that the door was cracked open. Blinking, she glanced left and then right, but there was nobody around. Shrugging, she pushed the door open and entered, allowing the door to close behind her. To her surprise, the room was not empty. Zuko stood in the middle of it, his hands hanging at his sides; at first he did not notice her, didn't hear her come in, but she gave a little cough and he turned around, his features cloudy, his eyes a sunset of colors and emotion. Though he probably had no idea, he was very easy to read. However, she knew him well enough to not speak of his anger, unless he brought it up himself. "It looks nice," she said, stepping up, her blue eyes looking all around at the room, taking in all the new sights. It looked completely different from the way it had before.

At her words, Zuko could not help but to scoff. "I didn't want to change it," he said sullenly, sounding more like a boy than a king. His eyes followed her as she strolled around the room, her hands clasped behind her back, dark hair swinging with her every movement. When she turned around, his anger fell away and a sigh was all he could muster. Her brow arched in a silent question, one he could hear without her speaking it. "The rebellion, the one I was able to stop… They tried to set fire to the palace. It started in here." He gestured around and Katara's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in shock. "That's why I had to see you in my chambers, why I have not held any meetings with the public. I put one of the men behind bars, but only one. All the others escaped. And who knows how many more are out there." Real fear clutched at him, but not for himself… But for his people, for his kingdom. He had sworn he would make peace and protect them all. He feared he would lose his crown and his people would be thrust back beneath the tyrannical rule of his father- or even his mad sister. He could not let that happen. He would never let that happen.

"And that's when you sent for me," Katara observed, to which Zuko nodded, falling onto his throne, running a hand through his hair. He lifted his gaze, focusing it upon her face as she came closer, hands clasped at her chest. "Don't worry, I'm going to do my best to stop those men and quell the rebellions completely." She offered him a bright smile, but his response was weak, telling her that there was more on his mind than just the rebellion. "That's not all, is it?"

Damn her, being so perceptive, Zuko thought, lifting his face towards her yet again. Here was his chance, to finally come clean to someone about the pressures of ruling a kingdom. To tell someone about his fears of not being good enough. And how his advisors spoke incessantly of marriage. To strengthen our bonds with the rest of the world, they said, to unite the Fire Nation with another for years to come. They had pranced Earth Kingdom noblewomen before him, had sent him portraits of various Northern Water Tribe women, including the Princess that had come after Yue. "I didn't sleep well, that's all," he said finally, which that wasn't a lie, but it wasn't what she had meant when she'd asked him what else was wrong. But, he couldn't burden her with all of that, she didn't need to trouble herself with all of his issues.

"Neither did I," she said, ignoring the fact that he had just lied to her. She knew there was something more bothering him, but in time, he would come clean. "Bad dreams?" She guessed, tilting her head to the side, her smile flashing. Zuko blinked in surprise, sitting up a little straighter, nodding mutely. "Me too," she confessed, her eyes darkening for a split second, so quickly that Zuko couldn't even be sure he'd really seen it. "I've had them ever since…" She trailed off, shrugging slightly, as if it didn't matter much. She had been having the nightmares for years, but only since she had returned here did they become clearer.

Zuko watched her as she drifted off into her own world; she seemed to be caught up in a memory of some kind. He took the moment to return to his own mind, haunted still by the voice… by the image of the woman within the flames. The Avatar… The Avatar is waiting… The woman had cried in his dream, her long hair flowing in the wind, the flames rising up all around her. And then he would wake. He had dreamed of Aang many times as well, his laughter floating along the wind, his oh-so familiar voice speaking in riddles. The new Avatar is waiting for you… For both of you… He had said to him only the night before, rising even more confusion for the young Fire Lord. Blinking, Zuko looked up, realizing he had lapsed into silence, leaving her to sit there, looking only somewhat uncomfortable. "I dream about Aang," he finally spoke up, watching the look that crossed her face- as if she had not heard the name in all these years. "You do too, don't you?" He asked, realizing then that it only made sense. Her shoulders slumped a little and she leaned forward, beautifully haunting in her sadness; it was a moment later that she gave a silent nod. Without thinking, Zuko reached out, putting his hand over hers; at once, Katara was looking up, unaccustomed to such a gesture, but it was not unwelcome, that was for certain. "I'm really glad you're here, Katara."

A smile spread across her features and she sat up, not removing her hand from his grasp. "So am I."