Yes. Well. All done. I'm debating if I should do this over... Hopefully you enjoy it for what it is, right now. As always, comments are welcome!


The Firelord had never been one for waiting.

But it seemed that was how he was doomed to spend the rest of his day. The next morning would bring the return of the Fire Navy ships stationed abroad, and with them, Katara. It had been six weeks since he had seen her last. He had tried to correspond with her while she was gone, but there had been no reply to any of his letters. The anxiety had built up as he obsessively counted the days until her return to the Fire Nation. Now he paced within his bedroom, the light almost completely gone from his eastward-facing windows. He needed something to do, something to occupy his thoughts, at least for a little while. Zuko felt like he was going mad.

I need some air, he decided. I need to get out of the palace.

But how? It wasn't as if he could just walk out of the compound. At least two of the guards would have to accompany him wherever he went. If he wanted time alone, away from his Firelord duties, he was going to have to find another way out. A way that would allow him to leave without being recognized.

Zuko paused in step, his last thought repeating in his mind. A way to escape, unrecognized…

The trunk that had held the firebender's most prized possessions from the time when he was in banishment sat, dark and glossy, at the foot of his bed. He stared at it as if trying to see through its heavy exterior to the valuables hidden within. It had sat, unopened, for a good two months, the Fire Nation emblem emblazoned across the front and embossed onto the golden latches.

He couldn't remember everything that he had placed in that trunk over the last three years, but there were a few that he recalled with sharp clarity: his armor, the Avatar's wanted poster, a picture of his mother…

And the Blue Spirit. The black clothing, the dual swords, and the iconic blue mask.

It had taken a long time and more than a few under-the-table deals for Zuko to recover the mask from the bottom of Lake Laogai. He had sworn it was for sentimental reasons only, and that he would never again take to the streets under the Blue Spirit alias...but the intrigue it held for him now was almost unbearable. The temptation to disappear into the capital city for the night without responsibilities…it was Zuko's perfect escape.

He unlatched the buckles and lifted the lid, the well-oiled hinges moving without a sound. The dual blades rested in their sheath, their red hilts worn dull where the Firelord's hands had grasped them. Further in, the blue demon grinned at Zuko, taunting him. He pulled it out from beneath his other belongings and stared at the face that had frightened Fire Nation sentries for over a year. The reasons for donning the persona had changed as Zuko questioned his morals. One motive had remained constant: the need for anonymity.

After a few moments of deliberation, the Firelord reached back inside the truck to gather the Dao swords. If he was going out alone, he would need some sort of protection.

The lights of the Fire Nation capital blazed out of its shallow crater and into the early evening sky above. The gates to Harbor City were visible in the gloom from where Katara stood, the waves lapping gently against the hull of the massive ship as it glided towards its destination. The breeze was chilly, and the waterbender tightened her parka, burying her nose in the warm fur around the collar. In less than an hour, she was going to have to come face-to-face with Zuko. And Mai.

Thinking about it still made her cringe. Though she had tried to move on with Aang, her mind was still consumed by constant thoughts about the Firelord. He had sent her a total of four letters across the span of six weeks, all of which she had read fervently before dropping into the arctic sea, each time disappointed. He had expressed his desire to remain friends, even though she had gone her own way. It frustrated her that he had failed to mention his life at all—his future with Mai, the current status of political reform, how Iroh was doing—nothing. The words had sounded so impersonal, so disconnected.

Now Katara was returning to his home, determined to keep a strictly professional relationship with the firebender.

When the small troop of landed in Harbor City, an elderly woman was waiting on the pier, her heavy red robes making her look even more small and shrunken than she already was. She raised her eyebrows as the waterbender stopped in front of her with the rest of the soldiers, but did not comment. "My name is Jia. I am one of Firelord Zuko's household executives. The capital city is not ready to house you, as we were expecting your arrival tomorrow. I'm afraid you will have to take up lodgings here for the night, and continue up in the morning." She finally looked up at Katara. "My apologies, Master Katara; I was not aware that this was your transport."

"It's no problem. I'm fine with sleeping wherever you need me to."

"No, no, it is not proper for you to…ah…'bunk up' with the men," Jia insisted. "I'm sure that we can prepare your suite in an hour or so, if we depart for the Caldera immediately." The old woman ushered for the girl to follow her to a covered platform with footmen stationed in front and behind. Katara was wary of the men as she sat in one of the two chairs located inside the gazebo-type structure.

Jia joined her with a heavy sigh. "Relax, my dear. We shall be there soon." She snapped her fingers, and the men bent to clutch wooden poles that had originally gone unnoticed by the waterbender. The ground suddenly became unstable beneath Katara's feet and she yelped in surprise. Having lifted the small platform, the footmen began walking in the direction of the jagged, zig-zagging path to the top of the crater.

"Ah, Jia…," she started worriedly. "I really don't feel comfortable being carried—"

"Master Katara, if I may," Jia interrupted, "the culture of the Fire Nation is really quite different from that in the Water Tribe. Would you deny the honor of serving the Firelord and his guests?" She turned her gaze to the girl, her gray eyes sharp.

The waterbender swallowed and tightened her grip on the cushioned seat, but bit her tongue. She continued to eye the men guiltily as they carried the women up the steep trail.

The pair sat in awkward silence until they passed over the lip of the crater and the capital city was finally spread out before them. Jia finally spoke again. "Firelord Zuko will be most upset that we did not properly arrange for your arrival."

Katara blinked. "He's been talking about it?"

"Of course. He has been very specific that we show his dear friend everything the Fire Nation has to offer."

This new bit of information startled her. If he was so concerned for his dear friend, why hadn't he written anything of importance in his letters? Why did she feel so betrayed and rejected?

"Will he be meeting us?" she asked nervously.

"Not tonight," Jia replied coolly. "He has retired to his suite for the evening."

Katara frowned. "Retired? It's hardly late."

Jia's eyes blazed for a moment. "You may ask the Firelord about his sleeping habits in the morning. But for now—" The platform was lowered, and the small woman rose up languidly. She smiled, and continued, "—if you'll come with me, I will show you to your rooms."

The foyer was much darker now as Katara hurried to follow the lady. They twisted through hall after hall until eventually reaching a pair of ornate wooden doors.

"This is your suite," Jia told her. "Your bags have already been taken care of. All rooms on this floor belong to ambassadors and personal friends of the Firelord. His quarters are also here, down the hall. Goodnight, Master Katara." She gave the waterbender a shallow bow before making an abrupt about-face and walking back in the direction she had come.

Katara stood at the entrance to her rooms for a few moments before taking off down the hall. She was going to talk to Zuko, whether he wanted to or not. She needed to clear the air, and be debriefed on the happenings in the throne room. She wandered down the wide hallway until she came to a familiar intersection. She turned right and found the room where she had seen Mai and Zuko a month and a half ago.

She knocked and waited.

And waited.

This is taking too long, the waterbender thought. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door aside, stalking into the room. "Listen, Zuko, I—"

She stopped. The room was empty. And the window was wide open.

The moon was just beginning to rise above Caldera as Zuko climbed out his window and onto the roof, black cloth covering his body and the demon mask secured firmly on his head. He slid down the red clay shingles to the eaves, determined to make as little noise as possible. He dropped a level, landing of the eave of the lower floor. A loose shingle broke off and shattered under his foot, falling onto the pavilion below. The patrol, usually half-asleep at this hour, suddenly jerked into awareness, his eyes falling on the broken piece of clay and then drifting upwards towards the roof.

But the Blue Spirit was already gone.

The streets of the capital were relatively empty, a fact that surprised the Firelord. He walked in the shadows, just in case, but for the most part, he was alone. It had rained that morning, and the alleys were littered with puddles of dark water. The air was damp and made Zuko's shirt stick to the back of his neck.

It felt exciting to be back under the mask, under the cover of secrecy. The heaviness of the dual Dao blades felt right against his back, as though they had never been gone. He pulled them out of their sheaths, weighed them in his grip. He slowly began to move them, thrusting through the air and parrying invisible blows. The movements became faster and faster until Zuko was madly swinging the swords in a strange dance of unseen battle.

He stopped suddenly, his breath coming hard and fast through his nose. He was more in practice than he thought he would be; a pleasant revelation. Using the blades for protection would conceal the man's firebending nicely if he was ever in a position to defend himself.

An unexpected flicker of red flashed from the corner of his eye. He whirled, weapons raised, but there was nothing.

Zuko was suddenly guarded. Was someone following him? Was it just his imagination? He crept toward the end of the passage, where the figure had supposedly disappeared around the corner. He paused at the turn, poking his head around the edge of the building to see down the next alley.

There was a woman at the far end. She wore a hat and veil, but was looking up, and the moon outlined her profile in such a way that she looked almost like a spirit.

The Painted Lady.

Zuko had only heard rumors about the mysterious spirit, her unusual methods of protecting the river she lived from. He had no idea why she would have appeared so far from her home, or why she was staring at the stars with such intensity, standing stock still in the middle of the street.

The second thing he noticed was the dark figure concealed in the shadows of the storefront a few yards away. He made it out to be a man. He was slowly making his way toward the lady, making sure his movements went undetected. Zuko's mouth tightened beneath the mask, and he turned the corner, following the man with his blades drawn.

They were almost to the woman when she turned, her arms coming up defensively. The assailant, realizing the element of surprise was lost to him, stepped forward aggressively, reaching out to pin her arms against her sides and press her into the wall opposite him.

At the same moment Zuko broke into a run toward them, water exploded into the alley and amassed around the struggling girl and her attacker. Water whips pulled the man away, sending him crashing into the ground. Ice froze him to the cobblestones.

The Firelord stopped. Only one person he knew could command the element so completely, and she wasn't scheduled to arrive until tomorrow.

The woman collected herself and turned to the Blue Spirit, ready to take him down. He shook his head, replaced the Dao swords in their sheaths and raised his hands in surrender.

"What? Too scared?" Katara's voice came to him, dark and taunting, from beneath the veil. "Are you afraid, after what I did to your buddy?"

He shook his head more vigorously this time. His voice died in his throat, so he jabbed his finger in the direction of the unconscious man and tried to show his disassociation with him.

She caught his meaning. "A masked hero, huh? Well, I don't need your help, as you can see."

He stepped closer, hoping to see her face through the hazy fabric. It was impossible to believe she was really here. Was it his imagination? She didn't look like an illusion. She didn't look like a spirit.

In response to his advance, she backed away. "You're not the only one who wants to keep their identity a secret," she warned him.

No, he decided, she was very much real, and very much here. His eyes wandered again to the goon trapped against the stone alleyway, and the gravity of their situation suddenly hit. If Katara hadn't been paying attention—if Zuko had been a few moments later—

The waterbender sighed. "I should just go home. I don't know why I thought I'd be able to find Zuko out here…" She paused. "Pretend you didn't hear that."

Behind his mask, Zuko frowned, confused, but he couldn't disagree with her. She belonged in the palace, safe. He nodded and moved sideways, leaving the alley open for her. She began to walk away, but whirled on him when he began to follow. "Don't tag along. I don't want to see you again, got it?"

He realized she wasn't going to let him just walk along beside her. Instead, he pointed to her, then to him, and then beckoned her to come with him.

"You're not going to say a word to me, are you?" she grumbled. "Alright. Where are we going?"

The mysterious man led her down several random-seeming turns, until she had lost all sense of direction. Instead of focusing on their destination, Katara began to focus on the masked stranger. She was beginning to think he wasn't a stranger at all.

It was the way he moved that first alerted her. He was cautious, but never unsure when he stepped forward, the swords glinting in his hands, prepared for anything.

The next was how he had kept a strict vow of silence the entire time. Did he not want her to know it was him? Why?

They made a final turn and suddenly they were in front of the palace, the plaza opening up before them.

That was the final straw. She crossed her arms and faced the boy. "I know it's you."

"I figured." His voice, slightly muffled by the mask, broke through to her, the words throwing her off guard. He ripped off the disguise, exposing his scarred face, twisted in anger. "Katara, what are you doing here?"

"My ship came in early."

"It's not safe for you to be out here alone."

Irritation began to rise up inside her. "You're out here alone."

"That's different."

"Oh, really?" She rolled her eyes and yanked the hat off her head. "How?"

The firebender flushed, her sarcasm hitting home. Mumbling, he managed to say, "I can take care of myself."

"And I can't?" She glared indignantly at him. "I'm just as capable as you!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ugh. I know that. I'm sorry. I'm just confused. You aren't…I thought you were coming in the morning. I'm just surprised, is all." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's good to finally see you."

She blushed, embarrassed, but continued her accusations. "I went to go talk to you when I got here, but you were gone. And what are you doing out here? Wearing that?" She jabbed her finger at the demon mask, smiling impishly from between his fingers.

The Firelord's face turned even redder. "I—I needed to clear my head."

"So you dress like some sort of—thief and escape through your window?"

He frowned. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. This—" he lifted the mask so that she could see the grinning face for clearly "—is a lot more than a costume I put on from time to time."

"That's the mask of the Blue Spirit, isn't it?" she asked, her voice low. He didn't answer her. "Don't think Aang never told me about what happened in that fortress with Zhao. I've seen that mask on Fire Nation wanted posters."

Zuko was silent for a minute. "That was the first time I ever used it. My uncle and I… We had each gone our own way at that point. When I saw the posters…" His eyes met hers, swimming with regret. "I was more lost at that point in my life than I had ever been before, or since. Betraying my own country, so that I could restore my honor? It was backwards and twisted and underhanded, but in my gut I knew what I was doing was right. My motives may have been shallow at the time, but I know now that if I hadn't rescued the Avatar, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Katara was at first rendered speechless. She had known Zuko had struggled with right and wrong before, but never had she thought it had gone so far. "…So, what made you put it on tonight?"

His brow puckered. "It's difficult to describe. I—" He cut off abruptly and started over, looking over toward the looming façade of his home. Stiffly, he told her, "It's against regulation for the Firelord to go unescorted outside the palace."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Zuko sighed. "I know. But I can't—not now. There's too much…unresolved between us."

The statement hung in the air between them. They regarded each other, his gaze questioning, hers condemning. Neither said a word for a time.

"How is Mai?" she whispered.

The Firelord glowered. "I haven't heard much from her since the coronation… Why do you ask?"

Katara scoffed. "You want to know why I ask? Zuko, I know about the two of you. I've known the whole time."

"Known what the whole time?"

He's going to make me say it, isn't he? she thought bitterly. She swallowed, preparing herself. "I saw you two kissing before the ceremony."

She couldn't look him in the eye. How could she? They were getting into dangerous territory now, so she decided to continue on before he could speak. "You have no idea how I felt, Zuko. I thought, when you told me you'd wait… I thought you meant forever—or until I decided, at least. So when you—" she stopped, the words choking off in her throat. "I gave Aang his chance. But I haven't seen him in weeks, and when I do see him, it's like he's constantly distracted. I know he's the Avatar, but—"

"Katara."

Her voice faded as she noticed the strange sparkle in his eye. "What?" she asked nervously.

He shook his head disbelievingly. "Katara, what you saw was a misunderstanding. Mai and I both realized we didn't want to be together. She was saying goodbye."

She sniffed. "That's not what I heard."

He rubbed the back of his neck again, and Katara wondered in the back of her mind if it was a nervous tic. "Well, you didn't really get to hear that part. It sort of came after the kiss." He smiled hesitantly at her. "So…I guess I thought I was still waiting."

The waterbender rubbed her temples. "I should have just talked to you about it."

"You didn't respond to my letters," he said suddenly.

The guilt came back easily, almost an instinctive thing now. "I know. And it was stupid and immature for me to hold a grudge, but I just couldn't imagine writing like everything was fine between us; not after what you—what I thought you did. I'm sorry."

He nodded, his thoughts distracting him for a minute as they eased into silence. Internally, Katara was relieved that he had never really betrayed her. At the same time, she felt ridiculous for being so stubborn and not working things out between Zuko. He was the one person who she could trust completely and speak her mind to. He didn't judge her for her feelings, and instead helped her channel the emotions that tore at her. Resolving their differences made her feel almost…complete, somehow.

"Let's get inside," the firebender suggested with a smile. "It's getting late, and you still need to be updated on the Fire Nation's state of affairs."

Katara returned the smile willingly. "Sounds like a great idea."


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