This chapter, man! Took me three tries to get this right. given where I'd stopped the last chapter, I had two ways to go. I could take a walk down the memory lane, or I could let Zuko and the readers discover the what and why of Katara's past. I decided to go the latter way. A quick update on Subterfuge, Zuko's being strangely OOC there. Dude! You just got kidnapped! Behave! Will update as soon as I get the unruly prince under control.

As usual, R&R.


Chapter 10

The Imperial Firebenders stomped on to the platform and arranged themselves into an X shape. A rousing music filled the air as the men and women put on an impressive display of Ornamental Firebending. The twelve of them moved in practiced synchronization, as fire moved around them in swirling waves that resembled the ocean. The fire split apart, revealing two people, one dressed as Zuko and another as Katara. The two actors gave a graceful bow to the Fire Lord and Fire Lady, as the Imperial Firebenders marched out amid deafening applause. The music changed to a soft love ballad, as the two actors turned to face each other.

The man enacting Zuko pulled out a pair of dual dao swords, a skill the Fire Lord was famous for, while the actress playing Katara mimicked Waterbending stances. The two of them danced around each other in a display that was both precise and sensuous. The two moved in unison, twirling and swirling, with a single strand of fire passing back and forth between them. As the music rose to a crescendo, the actors twirled the element into a ring of fire, which began to whirl in a steadily increasing speed until it broke off and turned into a dragon that let out a roar before dissipating into a colorful confetti.

Sitting on a throne-like chair next to him, Katara let out a delighted gasp, smiling with what Zuko knew was genuine glee. Seeing her enjoying the display, the tight band around his chest loosened slightly. He figured she had been troubled about the kiss. Not that he could blame her. He wasn't comfortable either. He had no desire to kiss a woman who was very clearly not interested in it. Relief made him smile and he turned to look at the performers. A troop was performing the traditional Fire Nation dance.

Beyond the dancers, Zuko met Bumi's eyes. He gave the boy a smile and a nod, surprised to find the boy nodding at him in. Zuko blinked and smiled wider. Next to Bumi sat Sokka. Meeting his eyes, Sokka grinned and flashed him a thumbs up. Sending his friend a smile, Zuko leaned back on his throne and took a moment to introspect.

Over the past twenty days, ever since he had married Katara in the North Pole, he had been noticing a pattern. Katara would cringe at every physical contact, unless it was with her prior consent or from her kids. Everyone else, even Sokka and Hakoda, elicited the flinch from her. The guards stationed outside her room had reported groans and moans that sounded like she was plagued with nightmares. In addition to it was the fact that she looked on the edge, and wary of almost everything. She would start at any unexpected noise. She almost obsessively checked on Bumi and Kya every day. Initially, he had attributed her behavior to the events in North Pole, but then, a stray remark from Jee had forced him to rethink.

Earlier in the day, as he was making his way to the venue of his marriage, the old lieutenant had approached him, beaming with pride. Having retired soon after Zuko had taken the mantle of the Fire Lord, the old man enjoyed his farm and stress-free life. Being one of the very few allies he had in those days, Jee had gone on to become a close friend. The man had engulfed Zuko into a bear hug, a remarkable feat as Zuko now stood a head taller and some inches broader than him.

"Oh, my dear boy," he said, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Jee," Zuko said with mock admonishment, "I'm thirty years old. Now, the father of three. Time to retire the word boy, don't you think?"

Jee responded with a chuckle, "You will forever boy for me. You have come a long way from being that scared and angry little boy who lashed out at everything, yes, but you're still a boy for me."

Zuko shook his head with a smile, "I wish you would… What did you just say?"

Jee frowned. "That you will always be a boy for me?"

"No, after that."

"You've come a long way from being the scared and angry boy who lashed at everything?"

"Right. That. You think I was scared and angry back then?"

Jee cocked his head to the side, "Of course. You were fourteen. Just burned and banished, tasked with what as an impossible mission then… of course you were scared and angry. You had suffered terribly, at the hands of your father no less. Wounds we receive from the ones we love run the deepest, after all."

Since then, Zuko had been lost in thoughts. Katara seemed skittish to say the least. That was something that he had never seen before. She seemed wary of even Sokka and Hakoda.

Wounds we receive from the ones we love run the deepest.

Was it possible, and he felt sickened to even entertain the idea, that her pain and terror stemmed from Aang?

No! What are you thinking, Zuko? Aang loved Katara. He would never hurt her.

As if to mock him, a half-forgotten memory rose through the fog in his mind.


Upon receiving the news of Kya's birth, Zuko hastened to the Eastern Air Temple to congratulate his friends personally. Being overcome with his work and his duties as a father, he had not taken a break in years. This was a time he was looking forward to. Spending time with his friends and a new baby was quite possibly the best way to enjoy a well-earned respite. When the warplane lowered on the balcony, he was greeted by the familiar figure of his favorite Earthbender grinning up at him.

"So good to see you Sparky," Toph said, punching him on his arm.

"Good to see you too, Champ," he said, "You grow stronger by the day."

"Yes, I know. I'm awesome."

Zuko gave a small chuckle and began to walk inside, when she grabbed his shirt.

"Just a heads up, Sparky, something is different."

"Huh?"

"Aang and Katara… something is going on there. Some sort of tension."

"Toph, the birth of a new child is a big change," Zuko explained with a smile. "It takes time for a couple to find their groove after that. Mai and I were practically biting each other's heads off the first couple of months."

"I know, I was there. You were both stressed and that's why you were reacting the way you did. But that's not what's going on here. It's different, but… well, I'll defer to your experience."

"Each couple has a different dynamic. Maybe whatever you're sensing is their way of dealing with stress?"

"Maybe. I hope you're right and I'm needlessly worried. Come, I'll take you to them."

The Eastern Air Temple once housed Guru Pathik. Once Aang had defeated Ozai, the Guru believed that his work was done and passed on to the spirit world. Under the guidance of Haru, Earthbenders had since done a fantastic job in rebuilding the temple. It looked nothing like the dilapidated ruins of the past. Today, it was bustling complex with many Air Acolytes. Toph led him through a series of vast and airy corridors to the inner sanctum of the temple, close to the heart of the structure, where Aang and Katara lived. Upon reaching the door, Zuko could hear voices, annoyed and snappy. They were obviously in the middle of an argument. Toph gave him a look that seemed to say, I told you so. Before Zuko could stop her, though, she rapped on the door. The voices halted immediately.

"Come," Aang sounded brusque.

The door opened and Toph said, "Look what the wind brought in."

"Zuko!" Katara cried, holding out her hand to beckon him. In her lap, little Kya slept blissfully. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

He had already schooled his features to hide his embarrassment at almost walking in on them fighting. At her words, he gave a small chuckle and said, "You must be seeing some terrible things if I am a sight for sore eyes."

"Evidently," Aang said before Katara could respond. Not sure of what to make of the Avatar's words, Zuko stepped inside. He sat on the bed next to her and touched the soft matt of baby hair on the infant's head.

"She's so beautiful," he said, smiling. At his voice, the infant opened her startling blue eyes and fixed him with a stare before breaking into a toothless smile.

Katara smiled, "She likes you."

Behind him, Aang let out an annoyed huff. "Of course she does! That's what I'd expect."

Zuko saw Katara's face turn into an annoyed scowl for a brief second but then she decided to ignore it and continued talking with him and Toph. But that meeting had set the tone for the rest of his brief stay. Every time Katara said something, Aang would interject with a bitter comment that set Zuko's teeth on edge. Realizing that he was unwelcome and that he had probably interrupted something, he left the next day.


The wedding feast was a sight to behold. Nobles and dignitaries from all over the world were in attendance. The Northern Water Tribe dignitaries were conspicuous in their absence. The Southern Water Tribe had more than made up for their sister tribe's absence, their shades of blue dotting the red and gold of Fire Nation nobilities and the brown and green of that of the Earth Kingdom's.

Zuko addressed the attendees, thanking them for coming and welcoming them. He raised a toast to their good health, the attendees wished the newlyweds a long and happy married life.

The formalities done, the guests intermingled. The children had retired earlier but not before Bumi had muttered a sullen "thank you" to him. Zuko was not entirely sure what the boy had thanked him for, but since it had been the first thing the boy had said to him, he would take it.

Zuko stood in one corner, a glass of wine in his hand and a troubling thought plaguing his mind. A thought he did not dare put to words because that would be tantamount to sacrilege.

"What's bothering you?" Uncle's voice cut through his troubled musings.

"Uncle," he said, staring at Katara, who was talking to King Kuei. Rather, Kuei was talking, Katara was looking at him with a small, fake smile plastered on her face. "Avatars usually live a long life, don't they? Kiyoshi lived for two hundred years."

From his peripheral vision, he saw Iroh give him a sharp look. "Yes, they do."

"But Aang died at twenty-four."

"Are you suspecting foul play?"

Zuko bit the corner of his thumbnail, considering the words. "I don't know what I'm thinking."

After a pregnant pause, Iroh said, "Often, history provides the answers to the questions that plague us. Our problems are not as unique as we would like to think. Someone somewhere has suffered it before. Your particular problem has the advantage of being related to the Avatar. That history is recorded extensively."

"That it has, yes."

"Aang isn't the only Avatar who died young. Read up on Avatar Mayung. An Earth Avatar. He died at twenty seven."

"Avatar Mayung... the name doesn't ring a bell."

"He was not a very well known one," Iroh admitted. "But he is the closest to Aang's age when he died."

"Alright, I will do it."

"His is not a long story," Iroh said. "You can be back before anyone realizes you're gone. If asked, we can always say the Fire Lord is addressing an urgent matter and would be back soon."

Zuko smiled. Iroh read him like an open book. Downing the wine in one swig, he cast one final look at Katara, who was now talking to Toph and Suki. Their eyes met and he gave her a small nod, hoping to convey his thoughts to her. She smiled, returned his nod and resumed talking to her friends.

Seeing that he would not be missed in the gathering, he took his uncle's advice and slipped out of the dining hall. Running in the formal robes of the Fire Lord was an arduous task, something he actively avoided. He had long since learned to take long, quick steps to make up for that. He came to a halt in front of a stone panel. A figurine was carved on the stone, depicting a fire bender in a mid-stance. He cast a look over his shoulders to make sure no one was watching or following, and pressed his heated palm against the palm of the stone fire bender. The stone palm retreated and the panel swung inward, revealing a dark tunnel. With one last look behind him, he slipped into the tunnel, the panel sliding closed behind him.
Lighting a fire in his palm, he hurried down the secret tunnel. This was a part of the intricate network of tunnels that ran through the palace, known only to the Royal family. Vaguely he realized that now, that would include Katara, Bumi and Kya.

The uncomfortable thought gnawing him scratched within him again, spurring him on. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the corridor that would open up in the library. The Fire Nation was nothing of not meticulous in its record keeping. He pushed the panel open and walked into the library, startling the old fire sage who was responsible for the library.

"Milord!" The man dropped a scroll he had been carrying. "I wasn't expecting you. I thought you would be at the feast! I don't have any documents ready for your perusal, Sir."

Zuko held up a hand, making the man flinch. Having served under both Azulon and Ozai, he never really got used to Zuko's milder personality. "Relax. My visit here was unplanned. I could use your help, though."
"Anything you ask, milord."
"Could you procure the scrolls pertaining to Avatar Mayung?"
The man looked puzzled but bowed and retreated. Zuko lowered himself on a reading chair, wondering what he was hoping to learn. A little while later, the Fire Sage was back with a couple of scrolls.

"That's it? That's all we have about Avatar Mayung?"

The sage lowered his head, "He wasn't a very popular Avatar, milord. In fact, he was... rather despised by his people."

Zuko frowned, wondering why his uncle wanted him to look into Avatar Mayung's life. Aang was nothing like this man. Aang was loved by the people, and was possibly the most popular Avatar of all times, having been the one who ended the Hundred Years War. Apart from their early deaths, there was nothing in common between the two Avatars. But Iroh had chosen his name, among the hundreds of Avatars that lived and died, Iroh had chosen this man. One thing Zuko had learned was to not question Iroh's judgement. If he wanted Zuko to read about Mayung, he would do so without question. He thanked the Fire Sage and opened the scrolls.