A/N: Gahh I know, I know. I'm so so so sorry. My muse ditched me. And this chapter is shorter than the other 3, but still, a short update is better than none? BTW, the story isn't going as I planned.. I guess I'll just let my imagination take me down the road. Hoepfully we'll have some awesome chapters. :3 Now on to the story! -charges-

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA. Even though I wished I did.. Else we'd have Zutara and absolutely no Maiko or Kataang.

o0o0o0o0o

A Story of Consequences

o0o0o0o0o

The banquet was perfect. Laughter and wine flowed as easily as a waterfall did, sweeping them all away on a rush of joy and merry making. Hakoda was on his left and Katara on his right. He noticed how beautiful she was in the moonlight. Her skin took on a silvery glow that softened her features and bleached most of the colour from the world. The ice slivers in her hair shimmered gently in the moonlight. Her blue eyes were the only colour he could see. They were as blue as the sky, and as fathomless as the oceans.

"You're so very beautiful, Katara." Zuko whispered, echoing his earlier comment upon seeing her. That had been when she went to get him from his room before they visited Kara and Kyna. Kara had stared at her mother, admiration clear in her eyes. Zuko, on the other hand, had a look of someone been struck with fever.

She was wearing a robe that clung to every curve. On top of the robe, there was an equally fitting parka that in a pale blue colour. She had pulled her hair up into a twist, adding in small slivers of ice that glittered when they caught the light. She truly was beautiful.

The plates on the table were devoid of food. Everyone ate heartily and drank just as heartily. Zuko's throat burned from the alcohol content of the Water Tribe's special brew. According to Hakoda, it was fermented seaweed and elderberries. Zuko was surprised that any plant could survive in the frozen tundra, let alone bear fruit. And plenty of it, by the looks of the drinks every one was having.

Sokka was still stuffing his face with some fish. Suki looked on at him with distaste apparent on her face. Her swelling belly prevented her from sitting too close to the table. Zuko shook his head and sighed. He turned to face Katara again. A lock of hair had fallen onto her face. Gently, he reached out a hand and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled at him, a soft smile full of happiness but slightly tinged with sadness.

"Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, but inside of me, I feel really sad." She whispered, leaning against him. Another wave of loud, raucous laughter could be heard coming from the lower tier of the courtyard.

The higher tier of the courtyard was where the special guests and important people were seated. Yugoda, Master Pakku, Hakoda, Sokka, Suki, Katara and his most trusted advisors were seated in a row next to each other. Being an honoured guest, Zuko too had to sit here. After all, the banquet held was in his honour.

"Why are you so sad then, Katara?" He asked her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know." She replied after a long pause. "Maybe it's because of the emptiness, the pointlessness of all this ceremony." She said thoughtfully.

"Maybe." He agreed. He too felt the hollowness, the emptiness of the entire banquet. Somehow, this banquet felt too formal, too stuffy. It smacked the one thing Zuko did not like about being a royal. Etiquette. Etiquette got in the way of everything. He was not allowed to leave the palace with out the palanquin because it was etiquette. He had to get married by the time he was twenty-five because of etiquette.

"Stupid etiquette." He muttered under his breath. Katara shifted her head and looked at him.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing." Zuko stammered, covering up. "Want to go for a walk?" He asked, in an attempt to distract her.

"Okay, sure." She answered. Zuko got up hastily and offered her his hand. She took it with a smile and he helped her up. Linking her arm with his, Katara steered him out of the courtyard. Arm in arm, they wandered through the palace, talking about anything from badger moles to the right way to play a tsungi horn.

"You blow out air from your stomach, not your cheeks!" Zuko exclaimed, trying to prove his point to Katara.

"You can't suck air into your stomach!" She countered. Zuko sighed in exasperation.

"You can if you were smart enough too." He muttered. She glared at him.

"Are you saying that I'm stupid?" She asked him, a spark of fire in her eyes.

"What if I am?" He asked challengingly. Katara stopped walking. Her eyes burned with fire.

"You're going to regret saying it." She said threateningly. Zuko merely cocked an eyebrow at her.

Fuming, Katara raised her arms threateningly. Zuko gave her a what-do-you-think-you're-doing look and folded his arms.

"Going to challenge me to a bending battle here?" He asked her loftily. Katara gave him a glare and flicked her wrist. A water whip materialized behind Zuko and hit him on the back of his head. Katara bent the water back into the wall the water had come from. Grinning mischievously, she turned on her heel and started running. Momentarily stunned, Zuko rubbed the back of his head before taking off after Katara, as her loud laughter gave away her position.

Katara was breathless from running and laughing. Slipping out one of the doors to the small garden where a few elderberry bushes grew, Katara went to sit on the bench by the koi pond. A tree of ice stood guard over the bench. Katara sat there awhile, catching her breath as she watched the koi fish swim. Round and round, their orange and black speckled bodies moving sinuously. She was so absorbed in watching the koi that she did not notice Zuko had come up behind her.

He slipped his arms around her waist and held her tightly. "Caught you." He breathed into her ear. She giggled and motioned for him to sit next to her. He moved to sit next to her and she leaned against him. He was comfortingly solid and warm. He put his arms around her and held her closer.

"When I see koi fish, I remember that night at the oasis." She said softly. She turned her head to look at him. "How did we ever get from there to here?" She asked softly. "From enemies who attacked at first sight to almost lovers?" She inquired the last two words barely audible. Zuko looked at the sky thoughtfully, thinking carefully on his answer.

"I think with a lot of trust, blind faith and hard work." He finally said, enunciating each word slowly and carefully. "A lot of trouble, a lot of doubt and fear, a lot of bloodshed and hurt feelings, but I think we worked through all that." He cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. She smiled at him tremulously. Hesitating a little, he bent his head and kissed her gently.

When they broke apart, Zuko smiled at Katara encouragingly. "All that really matters is what is happening, not the past or the future. The here and now, not the before and afters. They just complicate matters." He whispered, his forehead touching hers, his eyes locked with hers. The luminescent gold eyes glowed with its own light, searching for an answer in the azure coloured eyes that were deeper than the oceans and just as full of mystery. They sat there together for what felt like an eternity or a few minutes. Finding an answer to his unspoken question in the depths of Katara's eyes, Zuko kissed her forehead.

"We should head back to the courtyard." He said softly, not wanting to break the magic of the moment. That one moment in time when everything was right. When everything was perfect. Katara sighed and drew back. The moment had been spoiled by reality.

Silently, they rose and walked back to the courtyard together. Both were lost in their own thoughts, lost in the depths of their minds, creating fantasies and dreams to weave into their lives. A companionable silence settled between them as they walked back.

The sky was clear and the moon shone brightly, giving everything a soft, luminescent glow. The air was still and nothing could be heard beyond the whispering of the wind in the icy trees and their leaves. The closer they got to the courtyard, the more noise could be heard. Loud laughter echoed, chattering could be heard, Hakoda's booming voice sounded in the stillness. They walked into the courtyard together, and slipped quietly into heir seats. Hakoda pretended not to notice their entrance or their absence and turned to talk to Sokka. After a while, he and Sokka appeared to have settled on something. Hitting his glass with a fork, Hakoda stood up.

"I would like to propose a toast!" He boomed. He turned to Zuko. "To the Fire Lord and the peace treaty we hope to have signed by the end of his visit. To peace all over the world and harmony between all the nations. To peace!" The attendants of the feast stood up and raised their glasses.

"To peace!" They said, in unison, their voices reflecting the hope and faith they had in the peace treaty. Together, they drank from their glasses and set them down. The crowd settled down and chatter filled the air once more. Hakoda turned his attention to Zuko.

"I sincerely hope that this peace treaty will do well and smooth the path between our nations." Hakoda said, smiling.

"I do too. With all my heart. All I really want is for this world to be a better place." Zuko answered, his sincerity reflected in his amber eyes.

"Very well. My advisors and I have been working on a treaty, and tomorrow we will meet at the main hall. It would please us very much if you and your advisors were to attend." Hakoda said, making the request sound like an order.

"I will be there." Zuko promised, nodding.

"And now, I think I would like to turn in. I am not half as young as I used to be. I'd suggest you don't stay up to late as well." He nodded, rising. "Be careful." Hakoda warned. "There are many who do not want the peace and are hoping to turn the tables against us." He turned heel and left, his warning ringing in Zuko's ears ominously.

Zuko tossed and turned the whole night restlessly. Amber gold eyes haunted his uneasy respite. He couldn't tell if they were his mother's or Kara's, as they were so mixed up in him. Family that was lost to him. When he awoke the next morning, he could feel a few teardrops drip down him cheeks. Brushing them aside angrily while cursing himself for his weakness, he washed his face and dressed himself. He opened the door and left his room quickly, heading towards the breakfast room. Sokka was already there, gorging his face. Suki, Katara, and Hakoda had yet to make an appearance. Zuko picked up a mango and a dragon fruit and left for the sparring grounds.

The ice crunched underneath his feet as he walked there, feeling emotions wash him over and overtake him. Pulling off most of his clothes, he let the emotions build up and released them. Fire blazed across the sparring grounds, lighting up everything. His emotions fueled the fire, making it burn brighter and stronger. He then began to bend the fire to form various shapes and shot numerous fireballs in random directions, going through several of the forms Iroh had taught him. A jet of water hit the fire, steam rising from the meeting point. Zuko retaliated quickly, shooting more fireballs and fiery darts. They evaporated the wall of water that was thrown up as a defense and ice daggers came from the steam. He dodged them as fire arced from his foot as he kicked.

A sizzle answered him and Katara appeared from the steam. He paused in his attack and watched as she began to walk to his side. She picked up his robes and handed it to him. "Come with me." She said. Zuko pulled on his robes and then followed her. She led him into a garden which had an atmosphere of peace and serenity in it. Bending some water, Katara formed a bench for them to sit on, and the she sat. Zuko followed suit and they sat there for a while, neither saying anything. Finally she looked at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, concern apparent in her voice. Her blue eyes reflected the love and concern she had for him. He sighed and said nothing.

Do you know there's a story of Agni and Tui in our legends?" He asked her. Mutely, she shook her head. He did not seem to have noticed but continued.

"They say that once, Agni had fallen in love with Tui. She was beautiful and kind, and it showed in everything she did. She cared for those beneath her, and always made sure that she did her best when she helped anyone with anything, be it giving, healing, sharing, or even just caring for someone else. It was all of this that pulled Agni to her." He paused for a minute.

"On the other hand, fire was everything that water was not. Where water was calm and soothing, fire was raging, always moving, inspiring fear in everyone. Fire always destroyed everything in its path. Nothing could stop it or hold it in, and the only thing you could do with fire was to consume it before it consumed you. The same way Agni's passion for Tui consumed him before he could consume it."

"As flattered as Tui was by Agni's attentions, her heart was La's forever and always. She did not encourage his advances, but neither did she discourage them. Inflamed by his passion for her, Agni became obsessed with winning her heart. Even though she was distant and aloof, that did no deter him. He pursued her and pleaded with her to leave La and come with him. As his passion consumed him further, he neglected his duties to chase after Tui."

"But she wouldn't. She was bound to La in more ways than one. Her heart was his, but if she left, his fury would consume the world and destroy it. The imbalance of yin against yang would consume the world and cause everything to fall apart. Her nature was the very reason she would not leave him, but her heart betrayed her and called her to go with him, for as time passed by, she was falling for him. He was handsome and magnificent, with a regal air that left her breathless in his presence. He was tender and kind, but his anger was all consuming and always had dire consequences. However, Tui could never provoke his anger, for she was too beautiful, too compassionate for him to be angry at. She was all that mattered to him."

"La, on the other hand, was the ocean. He was unpredictable, ever changing, and never constant, he could take things in his stride, just as he could explode and let everything out. But there was one thing that was constant for him, and that was his unending love for Tui. His love for her was as vast as the ocean, and as deep as the deepest abyss within its depths. He loved her as only the ocean could, with all he was. He was unaware of Agni's attempts to woo Tui, as he was focused on his duties to watch over the mighty seas and the vast oceans."

"One day, Agni came to Tui, and as he pleaded with her to come with him, she gave in. She ran away with him on his dragon, and as they soared into the heavens, La came to look for Tui. His anger and sorrow at Tui overwhelmed him as he watched them fly into the heavens. Later that night, he looked up to the sky as he saw her appear. He reached out to her, the waters of the oceans reaching towards the moon. But she would not look at him, for she was now another's."

"Agni returned to his duties as the sun, but La pined for Tui. He neglected everything and lived for the nights where he could see Tui. Tui was happy with Agni for a while, but to see La pining for her every night while Agni rested hurt her. Slowly, she began to see the effect her actions had on the world, fro without La to look after the oceans and the seas, savage whirlpools destroyed ships and killed people, tsunamis ravaged the coastal cities, and flooding happened near the shores of the sea."

"The people cried out to La to save them from the merciless waters, but their pleas fell on deaf ears, for now all that mattered to him was Tui. Tui heard their cries and her heart ached for them, and yet, she loved Agni too much to leave him. He was all that she had ever wanted and more. He was slowly consuming her just as his love for her consumed him. So she decided to plead with La instead. She begged him to take up his duties again as the Ocean Spirit and watch over it, but he refused. 'Come back to me,' he would plead her, falling on his knees. She wept when he did so, for she could not bear the thought of leaving Agni. But day after day, the people cried out and begged for release from the unforgiving waters of the ocean."

"Finally, Tui could bear it no more. She left Agni and went to La. La was overjoyed, and for a while, there was peace. But Agni grew lonely without Tui, and he sought to bring her back to him. This time, she was truly torn between them both. Both had the power to destroy the world and break her heart. One held her heart, the other held her spirit, her nature against her. What could she do? Nothing. So she fled. She left them both and went high into the heavens, higher than Agni could reach. She wept for her two lovers and her tears became the stars. Each night, she would come out to shine until daybreak, for in the darkness, she could not see Agni or La."

"It hurt her too much to love them both, and until now, she has not stopped crying, nor has she chosen one of them. Each night she is there, sad but kind, beautiful but sorrowful. It comforted her to know that when neither could have her, they would resume their duties, and she would glimpse one of them occasionally, but they would always be able to see her, even though she was too far away for them to reach." Zuko ended the tale. His voice was full of sadness and sorrow. However, his face was blank as a piece of new paper. It showed nothing, even though his eyes were full of emotions. Katara said nothing, thinking of the story she had just heard. It was an amazing one, and very improbable, but every legend had a grain of truth in it.

"And?" She asked. She could sense that there was something else he wanted to say, but he wasn't ready to say it.

"Maybe Agni shouldn't have pursued her, maybe he should have controlled himself." Zuko said. Katara had not expected him to reply, and she had the feeling he was talking about them, and not about Agni and Tui.

Spirits, help me! Tui, you know I love him and I care for him. Please don't let him hurt us both with his decisions. Katara prayed inwardly. For now, that was all she could do. Pray and try to talk to him. She had a feeling that he was facing a lot of pressure and uncertainties with their relationship. She took his and in hers and squeezed it.

"I'm here for you no matter what." She whispered softly. He smiled at her but it didn't reach his eyes. He stared ahead, a distant expression on his face.

Good enough? I hope so. xD I let my imagination run a bit too wild I think. Anyways, leave a review and hopefully that will keep my muse with me to finish this up. I promise I'll try to update, but heck, I'm getting super busy..

~ewagan