Everything was dark.
Eyes fluttering open, Katara could not help but to groan, the pain ricocheting though her whole body; the room was dark, the curtains pulled over the windows, but she could see the night sky behind them. It was apparently very late; she blinked, realizing only in that very moment that she was not where she thought she was. She was back in her room at the palace! But how… How had she gotten there? Struggling upright, she heard the distinct sound of a groggy male voice, telling her she was not alone.
Zuko was draped across the foot of her bed, wakened by her movements; the moment his sleepy eyes fell upon her though, he was snapping up, his hands reaching out, as if he meant to take hold of her. "You're awake," he said, drawing his hands back, and instead drew his chair closer to the head of her bed. "How do you feel?"
"Like I fell off a cliff," she said, causing a small laugh to escape him, the somber look he held replaced by a smile. One that looked like it had been the first in days. "I can't believe I'm alive," she then said, sitting back against her pillows, reaching out to tug the blanket away from her. It wasn't worse than she had anticipated, considering she had been anticipating death. Both of her legs were heavily bandaged and her inability to move them told her they were broken. Her body, also bandaged, felt foreign to her; she could feel that at least two of her ribs were broken, if not more. Her right arm, badly burned like her abdomen, ached fiercely, and though not broken it certainly was sprained. Her head ached as well, as she had hit it on her way down the cliff more than once.
"Lady Chiyo said it was a miracle you lived at all," Zuko said, feeling his heart clench at the very thought. Just seeing her as she was then was hard enough; he had already buried one friend, he couldn't imagine having to bury Katara as well. At the mention of the woman, Katara lifted a brow, a silently posed question. "Oh, you don't remember anything at all do you?" He asked, to which she shook her head. "Lady Chiyo is an old woman in the village at the base of the volcano you fell from. She is the one who took care of you until I found you." He gestured about the room then, his eyes settling upon hers. "I looked for you for days, so did your men. We looked for you everyday. No one had any idea where you had been taken." She lifted a hand, inspecting it, flexing her fingers, a dark look passing over. "Are you okay…? Are you in a lot of pain?" He asked at once, moving a little closer, a hand reaching out to gently brush across her bruised temple.
Katara let out a breath, shaking her head; the pain was one thing, but remembering what she had done…? "I used blood bending." She admitted, hanging her head as if shamed by it. Zuko blinked, sitting back slightly, wondering for a moment if he had heard right. That's what she was so upset about?
"It saved your life, obviously," he replied, shaking his own head, looking at her with a soft gaze.
"I swore I would never do that again, not after…" She trailed off and they both knew what she was speaking of. The time almost six years ago, when Zuko had taken her to find the man who had killed her mother. Bloodbending made her feel ill, disgusted by the control it took over its victim. To be in total control over another, to bring them down… That wasn't who she was. She was not a blood bender, she was a waterbender.
"It doesn't matter what you swore," he spoke up, forcing her gaze back up and onto him. "You did what you had to, to survive. Not because it gave you pleasure or you wanted to do it. No one can fault you for protecting yourself. I never would." His words brought a wave of tears brimming in her sapphire eyes and she blinked against them, reaching out to take his hands with hers. "Don't think about it, don't ever doubt yourself because of it." He flashed her a smile and gently squeezed her hands. "Now, you really need to lay back and rest." She opened her mouth to protest but at once he was shaking his head, speaking before she even had a chance to. "No arguing, this is an order from the Fire Lord himself." His comment earned him a laugh, though she winced, the sudden movement causing her pain. "There's a healing woman from the Northern Water Tribe on the way." In truth, the woman would be there any day, as it had been over five since she had been sent for.
Looking over him, it was only then that Katara noticed the bandage over his right eye, the way he kept his one arm tucked against him. "You're hurt, aren't you?" She asked, suddenly sitting up, pinning him with her intense, somewhat angry gaze. "Did you even rest yourself?" Her blue eyes moved up and then down, inspecting him, looking for more injuries hidden from her. "I remember now…" She bit her lower lip, remembering the moment before she had been taken, when he had been lying motionless on the ground.
"Yes, yes I did… My uncle wouldn't let me leave the bed for three days." He said with a laugh, forcing her lips to twitch with a small smile. "I'm fine though, really. Just a few bruised ribs, broken arm…" He waved his good hand, as if it were no big deal. But she gave a little gasp and reached for his injured arm, ignoring the protests that left his lips. "Katara, you don't-" but she had already begun; her nimble hands, battered as they were, began to weave the water from a pitcher on her nightstand. It flowed over her whole hand and it began to offer a steady glow, a glow much like that of the moon itself. Zuko felt warmth flooding from the spot she touched, all up and through his arm. In an instant, he felt everything shift and just like that, his arm was healed. Her hand then was extending, fingers gingerly pulling back the bandage across his temple. Her warm palm was rested across the injury and then, just like his arm, the wound healed up to leave behind not even a trace. "You don't have to…" His words trailed off, knowing it took a lot of her energy to do what she had done; but she was smiling as she lay back, inspecting instead her own fingers which had also been healed.
"I always have to," she replied with a shrug, feeling the weight of drowsiness falling over her entire body. "I'll never turn my back on someone who needs me." Zuko could not help but to smile as he watched her slink down, sleep catching her only moments after silence descended. His mind turned back, to the moment he had thought he'd lost her… Forever. It sent shivers down his spine. His hand clutched at hers, gently enough as not to wake her, and his mind turned to the prophecy spoken only a few days before. Katara was the last waterbender born to the Southern Water Tribe, she had been the target of the Fire Nation when she was a child… But her mother had sacrificed herself to save her, knowing Katara had a bright future to find. For a long while, no one had known the last waterbender had survived, not until the rumors began to fly that she was traveling with the Avatar. She was the only person the prophecy could have been speaking of. Leaning down, he lightly brushed his lips over hers, hovering for only a moment; and then he slipped from her rooms, to leave her to rest and to straighten out his raging thoughts.
[ x x x ]
Despite the best efforts of the healers, they could not stop Katara from rising from her bed a mere four days after their arrival. She waved them away, promising to sit often and keep herself hydrated, and assured them she knew her body's limits. Her bones had been healed and no trace was left of her many minor cuts, burns, and bruises. Though the awful burn she received the side still remained, it was partially healed and the pain didn't trouble her all that much. And while her head ached when she'd been up too long, it too was well on its way to being healed. The healers had been impressed by her ability to heal herself- a trait not all that common within the world of bending. The elder woman said it was because she was special, the last of the Southern Tribes; "You have a special place in this world- a place not yet discovered, one that will take you above being a war hero." She had said on the second day, when she was doing one of several daily healing sessions Katara's injuries required.
A special place in the world? She thought to herself, a sigh escaping her, blue eyes staring upwards at the ceiling, hands loosely clasped behind her back. Katara silently scoffed, turning the corner, heading towards the throne room corridor, which was still being rebuilt after the fire. She ran a hand through her hair, passing beneath the archway that lead into the room, which was nearly finished after it's second burning. "Lady Katara, how nice it is to see you," she was greeted from across the room and she turned to find Iroh coming towards her, his smile wide.
"What are you doing?" She inquired, gesturing towards the workers, whom Iroh had been speaking with upon her arrival.
"Oh, yes," he said, turning back to glance at the men at work. "Ling was kind enough to show me the plans for the rest of the rebuild, not to mention watching Earthbenders is quite amazing." The decision had been made to create the rebuild from stone, as opposed to its prior components. It was rumored that all of the palace would be done in stone eventually. "How are you?" He then asked, returning his gaze to her, his dark eyes surveying her face. "I had heard you left your bed, so unlike a waterbender, so willful and stubborn. The Fire Nation suits you like it suit's a Fire Blossom."
Katara blushed at his words, shyly adverting her gaze only a moment. "I'm well, really. It feels good to be up, especially after knowing how close I was to death." How could she lay in bed for days, if not weeks, when she had been almost over the threshold of death? "The rebuilding seems to be going well," she observed, turning to face the elaborate stone work surrounding them. "It is beautiful."
Beside her, Iroh chuckled, always amusing young people were. "Previous Fire Lords are probably rolling in their graves, but," he paused, turning to face the stonework as well. "Change is needed. After the war, after Ozai, it was time for a change." He shrugged then, turning back to her, to see her nod, her always intense gave falling upon his face. "You didn't just come here to admire the renovations," he said after a moment, amused by the blush that spread across her cheeks. Busted. "You might find him outside the Council's chamber- he was meeting with them this morning." At once, Katara folded her arms over her chest, turning her head, as if to say that's not what I'm doing here, but there was no fooling Iroh. "He was worried sick over you," Iroh said softly, causing her to look up, a brow arched ever so slightly. "I could only force him to stay in bed a few days before he was out looking for you. And he didn't stop until word came that a girl had been found in the village." Iroh smiled at the look that crossed her features, his hand reaching out to gently touch hers. "He cares for you unlike any other."
Listening to Iroh's words, she could not stop the smile from curving upon her lips; to hear the words spoken, that Zuko cared for her this much… Katara mutely nodded, unsure of what to say as a response. But luckily for her, Iroh always had a lot to say. "He's not so good at admitting his feelings, so I have to do it for him." His nephew was notorious for being a little "lacking" in the expressing of feelings department, so sometimes he had to help him along. "Well, go on then, go find him." He said with a laugh, waving her away. Taking a few steps back, Katara nodded again, before turning on her heel to walk from the room. She stopped only once, to turn back to Iroh and wave before she disappeared out the door.
Walking down the corridors, Katara took one turn, and then another, and found herself heading down the corridor that held the room where the Council met. And sure enough, they were dispersing, the Councilmen heading past her, each one offering a nod as they went by. She paused in the doorway, looking into the room where inside, Zuko sat at his desk looking over a parchment. At the sound of footsteps, he looked up, but upon seeing her his expression morphed from disdain to surprise and then happiness. He was on his feet at once, coming towards her, not even thinking about what he was doing; his arms came around her, gently as they could, and he was kissing her.
Zuko had not expected to see her standing there; she was thin, but she was glowing like the sun itself. He rose up, unable to stop himself from moving towards her. His arms were around her, embracing her gently, pulling her close to his chest. She fit perfectly. His lips found hers and he raised up a hand, weaving her dark locks between his fingers, wishing for the moment to never end. But then it hit him: if she was there, then she wasn't in bed. And if she wasn't in bed, she wasn't resting. His hands draped over her shoulders and he pushed her back, gently as he could, to hold her arms length. "You shouldn't be here, you should be in bed, resting." He admonished, his golden eyes widening as they looked into her blue ones. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room, you shouldn't have gotten up so soon! You nearly died Katara! You-"
"Zuko, Zuko please, just stop." Katara interrupted with a laugh, waving her hand dismissively. "That's why I have to be up! I almost died, I can't waste what I've been given." She continued, focusing her intent gaze upon his face, a somber look within their depths. A smile came next and she stepped closer to him, her shoulders lifting in the smallest of shrugs. "Besides, I feel fine." She did, in all actuality. It felt good to be up and to be moving and just to be alive. She knew from talking with the healers that she had come incredibly close to dying, so close it was nothing short of a miracle. Her mind clicked back to what the head healer had mentioned, about her having a special task she had not yet completed… "I wanted to ask you something." She then said, steering the conversation into another direction entirely. "Can you take me? To where I fell from? To where they found me? I'd like to meet Lady Chiyo as well."
Hearing her question, Zuko arched a brow, momentarily wondering if that was a good idea. But he knew better than to argue with her- if she said she felt fine, then he would have to step back and let her be. He didn't want to be overbearing, despite the fact he could not help but to worry over her. "I can. We can go tomorrow." He said, knowing that if he took her, he would have to tell her about the Lady Chiyo's spoken prophecy. "But, can I talk to you about something…?" It was his turn to question her and she at once nodded, blue eyes brightening at the thought of getting out of the palace. He opened his mouth, but found he could not find the words- how did he explain it all? However, before he had the chance to think about it, the door behind them swung open and in walked an advisor.
At once they both sprang apart, both flushing a little, a nervous smile teetering on Katara's face. The squire bowed to Zuko, but turned to Katara to speak. "My apologies for interrupting, but there is a visitor here for you, Lady Katara." Blinking, Katara shot Zuko a quick glance, wondering to herself just who would have come all this way just to see her. "They are waiting in the dining hall." Nodding, she offered Zuko a quick, respectful bow and then slipped out the door past the squire, well aware that Zuko was close behind her.
She walked along the main corridor and once out of sight, Zuko caught up to her, grabbing her hand to stop her from walking. "I really have to talk to you," he said, his tone forcing her to arch a brow in surprise. "Tonight, I'll come to you." She nodded and then he let her hand go, allowing her to enter the dining hall first, he following only moments later.
Katara entered the room and time came to a stand still; she blinked twice, a hand reaching up to rub at her eyes, certain she was hallucinating the sight before her. "Sokka!" She cried out a second later, her voice hitching with a sob as she ran towards her brother. She flew into his arms and felt his warmth, felt the strength behind them, and all at once she was a little girl again. "I can't believe you're here." She murmured, tears falling freely down her cheeks as Sokka pulled back, his hand reaching up to brush away a stray strand of hair. He then turned, brother and sister suddenly both remembering they were not alone. Sokka broke away to step up to Zuko, preparing to offer a bow to the reigning Fire Lord, but Zuko had other plans. He reached out, embracing the other quickly, truly happy to see the male. It had been far too long.
"I had been planning on coming, I was on my way, but I was moving slowly. Enjoying the countryside," Sokka replied, his voice only a little deeper than the last time Katara had spoken to him. He seemed to have grown inches though, Katara noted the height difference between them was much different than before. "I stumbled into a village at the base of that volcano on the western border…" His eyes darkened, his stomach tightening at the memory of what came next. "An old woman came right up to me and asked if I had spoken to you recently." His gaze swiveled to fall back upon his little sister, forcing himself not to reach out for her once more. He could not help but to stare for a moment, so caught up in the moment; he had not been certain what he would have found here, but here she was, seemingly in perfect health. Sokka also could not help but to notice the beauty that she had become; no longer the somewhat tomboyish girl, but an elegant woman with a face of perfection. "I told her I hadn't and she told me I needed to." Sokka blinked, remembering the terror that had gripped him when speaking to the woman. "She said you had fallen from a cliff. A cliff, Katara!" Now that he looked a little more closely, he could see that she favored her right side, telling him she was in fact injured in some way. Taking her hand, he lead her across the room to sit at the table, dropping into one chair beside her, Zuko taking the other. "Tell me what happened, tell me right now."
Over the next half hour, she and Zuko recanted to him what had been going on the last year she had been in the Fire Nation; they told him of the threats against Zuko's throne and Katara's squad of loyal men she lead. Then she told him what had happened the night the palace had been attacked. "I woke up at the top of the volcano," she replied, realizing that not even Zuko knew all the details of the moments before she had fallen. They had only just begun to come back to her the day before and it sickened her to remember the pain, the fear… But it was over, it was behind her. And she would find the man responsible and she would take him out. "The man who attacked the palace, his name is Roku." Both male's eyes widened at the familiar name.
At once, Zuko knew who she spoke of. "Him?" He spoke through clenched teeth, a fist coming down atop the table in fury. Both siblings shot him a questioning glance and he shook his head, many memories flooding his thoughts. "He was the one to advocate my father disowning me. He was the one to convince him to duel me for disobedience." The man was cruel and an extremely skilled firebender, the proof being the results of his and Katara's duel. He shuddered, remembering the man clearly. To think that he had been the one behind it all… He should have known. Roku had been his father's best friend, or as close to one as Ozai could have had. He was as loyal as he was mad; it was more than likely that he was the push Ozai had needed to give into his own darkness.
"He meant to kill me," Katara continued after Zuko told her to go on, his golden eyes darkened by his memories. She turned to look at Sokka, who pursed his lips, listening closely to every word that fell from her lips. "He tried to strangle me, but he wanted to use his bending, that's what makes him feel so powerful." She could still remember how it felt to have his hands at her throat, closing off her air supply. "While he prepared to attack, I used blood bending and got away." She turned away, absently touching a hand to her side, which was beginning to ache. "But his men arrived and they took me down. I rolled off the edge of the cliff but I was able to grab a rock before I fell." She felt her stomach tighten, realizing she was about to admit something aloud she had never thought she would. "They were standing above me, seven of them… I couldn't fight back, I was too weak. It was let them take me out or let go…" She trailed off, her head bowed, eyes staring down at the top of the dining table. "So I let go."
Her words struck him and Zuko sat back slightly, all thoughts of Roku suddenly abandoned. She had let go?! So, she had not been thrown or knocked off, but had allowed herself to fall to what she had thought would be her own death. She would have rather had died then let those men take her out- and did he blame her? No, not in the slightest. He reached out a hand, putting it over hers, despite Sokka's presence, giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked up a moment later, offering him the smallest of smiles, one that did not reach her eyes. Who knew what those men would have done to her had they gotten their hands upon her and that thought alone filled him with more anger than he had ever felt before. He couldn't imagine what she had gone through that day- from the fight at the palace, to the second solo fight with Roku, to deciding to die on her own rather than by the hands of the enemy. Zuko silently vowed that he would take Roku down, with his own hands he would destroy him.
[ x x x ]
It was late.
Katara had only just parted ways with Sokka a short time ago, who after their long talk with Zuko, had returned her to her rooms to sit there, insisting she rest after one of her healers came inquiring about her. Her rooms were shrouded in shadow, the curtains parted to let in the moonlight; a soft knock on the door had her looking up, her voice calling out "come in" a moment before the door opened. Her lips curved into a smile and she beckoned him to come to her, his footsteps heavy on the stone floor. "I thought you weren't coming." She said as he closed the door behind him, a sly smile on his lips.
He turned back to look at her and was momentarily struck by her beauty; the moonlight pouring in through the window illuminated her like a goddess. Her long, dark hair fell in its soft waves about her face, those blue eyes of her sparkling in the white lunar glow. She arched a brow, pulling a face that spoke everything she was thinking. "You're beautiful," he said softly, coming forwards to sit beside her on the bed; and suddenly, just like that, he could see it. He could see them, in this same place, but in a different time. She was leaning back against her pillows, something soft and warm cradled in her arms. All at once he felt a range of emotions that he could not explain, but the one he knew… Joy. So much joy it was as if his heart might burst. And then the moment was gone and he was left to stare at her beautiful face, her arms empty, but her smile the same as it had been. "I wasn't sure if you would be asleep or not," he admitted a moment later, gesturing at the clock beside her bed. "It's late."
"Sokka only just left half an hour ago," she replied, scooting over to make a little extra room for him on the bed beside her. "He probably would have slept on the floor if I hadn't forced him out." She smiled, knowing her brother meant well- he had always been protective, had always wanted to do what was best for her. And she could only imagine how he felt, learning about her the way he had. She couldn't begin to think how she would have reacted if the roles had been reversed. "He wants me to go home." She said suddenly, a small chuckle escaping her, her head shaking. "Of course I told him no and that I wasn't going anywhere… Not permanently anyways." She sat up a little straighter, idly smoothing her hand over the blankets. "I like living here, to be honest. It's strange for a waterbender I know, but I really do like it here." She looked up then, meeting his gaze, seeing the smile that lit up his features.
"The Fire Nation suits you," he said, repeating the words many others had spoken to her over the last year, happy to hear that she liked it here. He had always wondered if she secretly wished to go home- wondered if she longed for the snow and cold of the Southern Water Tribe. "But… My advisors have been telling me to take a trip, to visit other nations. Perhaps you would go with me? We could visit your home and your grandmother." He watched as her face lit up, an excited look flashing into her eyes. "You've done so much for me… I want to do something for you too." He continued, fishing into his pocket suddenly, pulling out something she had not expected to see.
"My necklace!" She cried, reaching out to take it from his hands. Tears filled her eyes as she ran her fingertip over the engraving; the necklace had been given to her grandmother, who then had given it to her daughter, Kya, Katara's own mother. After her death, the necklace became Katara's, and she had very rarely taken it off. It was the constant reminder of who she was. "You found it?" She asked, looking up at him, her eyes misty, her lips wobbling as she tried to find the words to speak.
Nodding, Zuko reached out to take the necklace back, gesturing for her to turn around; he fastened it around her neck, his hand tingling as her hair tumbled over his hands. "One of your men brought it to me. It must have broken during your fight and fallen when Roku took you. They found it just outside the palace gates." He explained as she turned back around, her blue eyes holding a look he had never seen before. "I wanted to give it back to you right away, but with everything that's happened since then, I just didn't have the moment."
Katara reached out, embracing him tenderly, her tears still flowing freely. "Thank you, Zuko… Thank you so much." She whispered, so thankful to have the one thing of her mother's returned to her. It was the only thing she had left of her and to have thought it was gone forever had hurt more than any physical pain. Pulling back, she wiped at her eyes, a shaky laugh escaping her. So many good things had happened in such a short amount of time, it was almost unreal. But after all that had happened… she supposed she deserved a good turn of events. "Tell me… What did you want to talk about?" She recalled him saying so earlier in the day, that being the whole reason for this late night meeting.
For a moment, Zuko was silent; how was he supposed to explain to her what had been said? More so, how did he admit to her his own interpretations of the prophecy? "It's…" He already was fumbling, unsure of what words to use, of how to tell her what she needed to know. She had to know. He couldn't imagine how he might feel if the roles were opposite, he would want to know, and so would she. "The woman who saved you, Lady Chiyo… She's a prophet they say." He began and at once he saw the look that passed over her face. "You remember what Sokka said, don't you?" He asked then and she thought back, remembering then exactly what Zuko was speaking of. "He knew he was your brother before they had exchanged even one word. And she knew he didn't know what had happened to you."
"Yes but… What does that have to do with anything?" She asked, blinking as she sat back, legs crossed, her side aching somewhat. She could tell he was struggling to say something and she remembered what Iroh had said, that sometimes he needed help explaining himself and his feelings. "Just tell me Zuko. You can tell me anything." She said with a nod, hoping her words of encouragement would help him along.
A heavy sigh was heaved and Zuko knew he had to just come right out and say it, or else he never would be able to. "She spoke a prophecy the day I came to the village and found you." He pinned her with his gaze, forcing himself to look her in the eyes as he told her. "One that I think is talking about you… And me." He watched her face closely, as she first looked surprised and then a look of wonder passed and her blue eyes became inquisitive, rather than anything else. Say it, her voice broke into his thoughts and he realized she had spoken them aloud. "The prophecy?" He asked and of course she nodded, because what else would she have meant? A deep breath came next and then he parroted back the words he had long since memorized: "From the ashes of war rise a phoenix, a phoenix born to wear the mighty crown. The daughter of the moon, the last of her kind, born to unite two nations. The first child born to the phoenix and the moon will rise up as the Avatar, to protect this world from darkness and to keep the peace."
Katara listened intently to the words that he was speaking, her heart hammering hard within her chest. "The daughter of the moon… The last of her kind…"Katara repeated the words he had just said, her stomach turning over. "That is talking about me." There was no doubt really, who the prophecy spoke of. She was the last waterbender born from the Southern Water Tribe, the last of her kind. Waterbenders gained their power from the moon itself, so one could indeed say they were born of the moon. She felt a strange feeling creeping up as she recalled the old woman healer yet again, telling her she was born to do something special. Could this… could this be it? Her eyes locked onto Zuko's as her mouth opened to speak, but no words could come out. It was clear that the phoenix referred to him; he had been the firstborn, the one who was born to wear the crown of the Fire Nation. Rising up from the ashes of a war, he had been crowned only days after the war had ended. "The first child… Will be the Avatar…?" Her mind was racing. "Is that… Is that why the Avatar has not yet been reborn?" She looked into his eyes and saw the answer already there. Everyone had always said, always assumed that Aang had merely died within the Avatar state, which would have ended the cycle… But she had always thought differently. Was this perhaps the proof of that?
Zuko slowly nodded, though from the look upon her face, Katara had already answered her own question. It all just fit together too well to ignore. "That's not all," he said suddenly, deciding on impulse to tell her everything else. "I've been dreaming about Aang." Katara tilted her head to the side in thought, wondering what his dreams were about. If they were the same as her own. "It's never the same, but always similar… He always repeats one thing though… 'They're waiting for you…' I never really understood until the last one I had." He lowered his gaze, remembering the dream clear as day. "He told me the prophecy would soon be told, and that he was ready to cross over. That he can't until the next Avatar is born." Zuko looked up then, meeting her gaze that was steady and strong.
"I've had similar dreams," she admitted after several moments of silence, a sigh escaping her slightly parted lips. "He always told me that you and I have to find the new Avatar, that only we could do it." She turned away, only to rise up from the bed, her hand lightly pressed to her aching side. Zuko stood up as well, his concern evident, but she waved him away with a small smile. "I never thought… I always assumed…" She shook her head, trailing off as she turned to the window, peering out into the darkness, the moon covered by clouds. She had always thought it was her mind's way of dealing with the grief of losing Aang. But now… Now she had to wonder if those had not been dreams at all, but Aang coming to her in the only way he could. "Where do we stand?" She asked, her fingers clutching at the windowsill. "We've never talked about it, never spoken about it… You're the Fire Lord, I'm a peasant from the South Pole… We've hidden whatever it is we are from the world because we know what they would say." Turning back around to face Zuko, she fell silent, merely staring at him, so many thoughts crossing her mind.
In an instant he was coming towards her, enveloping her into his arms. "I only want you, Katara," he said softly, looking down into her face, her blue eyes shining. The clouds passed by and the moon began to glow once more, its soft light wrapping around both of them, bathing them in it. "No matter what anyone says about your birth or about mine. Why do you think I've put off my marriage for so long? Why I've denied all the women paraded in front of me by my advisors? Because there is no one but you."
"This can't be the only reason we're together," she whispered, so softly that for a moment, Zuko wasn't so sure she had even spoken aloud. He leaned down, tipping his forehead against hers, his palms cupping either side of her face.
"I wanted you before the prophecy. I'd want you even if the woman said she made it all up and we came to realize the dreams were nothing." He heard her soft laugh and he brought his lips to meet hers, his hands moving up to entangle themselves into her hair. "Katara, you're everything to me…" He said simply, his words whispered, words he had wished he'd said months ago. She replied by kissing him herself, with as much passion as she could muster. Enough to make him weak in the knees.
He took her hand and guided her back to the bed, climbing into it beside her; he cradled her against him, his face nestled in her sweet smelling hair, one arm draped across her hip. She was silent, but he knew she was still awake, even as the minutes ticked by and an hour had passed. "Zuko?" She spoke up, pulling him from his own thoughts. "You're everything to me, too."