Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 55 of Sparks Ignite! How is everyone holding up? I know the entire world can be a scary place right now so I hope this story can be a chance to ease your mind off of everything going on in the world. We will get through this together! As always, I do not own avatar or its characters. Onto the story!

Fate and Destiny are a funny thing. They are so permanent, but yet can be changed by the smallest thing. It can cause the moon and the sun to collide. Or the most opposite Sparks to Ignite.

Chapter 55: The Plot

Zuko wanted to see Katara.

He wanted to hold her and tell everything was going to be okay. That he was going to figure it all out. He stood up, his Uncle watching him carefully.

"I have to go see her…" he told him. Iroh sighed, and smiled, "I know my nephew…" he said, knowing how I felt, because he had felt it once too.

Zuko speed walked to her room, not stopping as he passed by servants and officials. They all watched him carefully, making sure his rage at his advisors didn't turn on them. But there was also a look of pity in their eyes. Everyone knew the affection he held for the water bender, and she for him as well. They held sparkles in their eyes when they looked at each other. It drove some of the servants to tears to see them ripped away from each other.

He ripped open her bedroom door but when he expected to see her sitting on her bed, she wasn't there. He looked around the room, expecting her to be in the bath or just around the corner.

Zuko walked to her balcony and looked over, and there she was, standing knee deep in the pond, bending the water around her.

He raced down the stairs to the garden. But when he got there, he didn't go up to her right away. Instead he kept his distance and watched her. He watched how she concentrated on the movement of the water, pushing and pulling it around her.

After a moment, she let the water drop and she looked into her reflection, "I know you're standing there…"

Zuko took a few steps forward, "I didn't want to disturb you…"

Katara didn't move her eyes from her reflection. The moon was high into the sky now, radiating down on them. It cast a glow into the darkness of the night. It radiated through her veins. It actually made her feel something.

"I… don't really know what to say…" Zuko spoke, quietly, almost to himself. But Katara looked up at him and shook her head, "There is nothing to say… She won. She's the Fire Lady. She will be your wife"

Zuko watched her for a moment, "You of all people know that it wasn't my decision…" he told her.

Katara cut him off, "You're the Fire Lord! You rule over all these people and can make decisions about so many things! Yet a couple old men tell you who you get to marry?!"

Anger rose up to her throat, making her choke on her words, or maybe it was the tears that begged to come forth. Zuko watched her and tried his best not to let his anger show in his words, "This is how things have worked for centuries. If the Fire Lord had all the power, the war probably would've been ten times worse than it already was."

"Yes Zuko, but there is a difference between not letting someone destroy an entire nation and deciding who they marry!" Katara spat back at him.

Zuko could feel himself turning red with anger. He understood her anger, but it was the same anger he was feeling.

"You're taking this out on me when this is not my fault! I will not stand here and let you speak as if this is my decision!" he told her, clenching his fists where he stood. Katara looked down at her reflection again, "It should have been your decision… This was something that should have never been left up to the advisors…"

He took a deep breath, "I'm going to do everything I can to make this right…" he took a step towards her, but didn't bridge the gap that they both desperately wanted to.

Katara looked back at him, "I just don't understand… This wasn't supposed to go like this…" tears started to come forth from her eyes, but she bit her lip, trying to keep them in. She had cried so much already.

Zuko sighed, "I know… The advisors… they think with their pockets more than their brains. They're desperate for money and wealth, so much so that it gets to their head. I don't know if somebody bought them out or… what but…"

She cocked her head to the side slightly, "You think somebody may have paid them off?" Katara asked him.

"I think it's possible… Judging by some of their faces, they were disappointed by their decision… I don't know if Chen or some of the others paid them off or threatened them… I'm going to do a full investigation… under the table that is. If any of them find out I'm investigating their claims, they might try to go after me… I've kept them under tabs so far… especially after the poison…"

She looked away from him and back at her reflection, "I did everything… I did everything to make sure we could be together… And yet a group of people are telling me all of that wasn't good enough…"

Zuko walked to her slowly, "I know… I did too but…" he trailed off, not wanting to say it wasn't good enough. He didn't want to believe that it wasn't, "And I'm going to do everything I can to fix this…" he paused for a moment, "You're right… I am the Fire Lord… They aren't going to have this power over me…"

Katara looked up at him, their faces dangerously close. But she looked down and away, taking a step back. Until she could be with him fully, she couldn't hold onto stolen kisses in the shadows. She had to face the situation head on, and couldn't live for the stolen moments.

She looked back at him and graced him with a small smile before walking back into the palace.

On the other side of the capital, two men met in a secret cave in the side of the mountain. It was dark inside, with only a small candle to light the room. The wax from the candle dripped down the sides and onto the table, leaving little dots of hardened wax as it cooled.

The walls were lined with maps, photos, newspaper articles. All centered around one man.

"It's done sir" one man spoke. The other man turned to look at him, a familiar mask covering half of his face, "Wonderful… and their reaction?"

"Quite priceless if I do say so myself…" he paused for a minute, recalling the moment, "The girl was frozen in place, as if she never expected to lose… And the Fire Lord went particularly mad with rage… Quite amusing actually"

The masked man let out a low chuckle, "So step one of our plan is complete… The girl intends to stay close correct?"

The other man stuttered for a moment, "It is not quite clear yet… The two were dragged off before the speech was even done…"

"Well that is information we shall need… Only then can we decide our next form of attack… Offering her a concubine position is sure to rile her up enough to react" the masked man spoke, letting out a low chuckle underneath an evil grin "Keep me informed…"

The man bowed, "Yes sir…" he spoke, before whisking himself away into the dark night. But once he stepped out of the cave, he looked up at the moon as he so often did, taking a deep breath before continuing on into the night.

Dun DUN DUUUNNNN! I know this wasn't the longest chapter, but it was important to build up the next couple chapters because things are going to get crazy! So stay tuned to find out! Until next time!