KATARA POV:

Sokkas party was fun and crazy and it involved a lot of the women he had files on. Zuko and Azula did a dance of fire together, her blue fire took on the part of the water tribe and it showed that Zuko and the rest of the Fire Nation were allies and friends.

Zuko had to leave for a meeting before my birthday came around but Azula was plenty helpful since she decided to stick around. We worked together on the small things like the centerpieces for all the tables, the feast, the place settings.

Zuko would be sitting beside me and my father on the other end and Sokka on the other side of my dad. Beside Zuko would be Ozai and then finally Azula. She wasn't happy with how far she had to be, but she understood that after the formal dinner she could get up and sit with me outside where the dancing would be, and we could dance together, dance with Zuko and Sokka and our fathers.

She brought up a good point after we were talking about how I couldn't believe I was already a year older. "You know that means it won't be two years like the Avatar insisted. If Zuko and you do fall in love you just have to wait a year, maybe plan for as long as you have left." She told me and smiled softly as she watched my reaction. I had kind of paused and thought about it hard. It was true, at 20 I would be marrying age in the Fire Nation and not just the South Pole. We could get married in less than a year.

"Do you think your brother knows this?" I asked her and she shrugged and looked at me.

"Probably thought about it, he thinks everything through for hours, that is usually what he does when he's on the ships. He sits in his room, not that he is under my uncles teaching he meditates and things like that. Zuko doesn't do anything without thinking about the good outcomes." Azula told me and touched my shoulder before smiling at me softly. I nodded at her words and walked with her to the next room, the outside room where we had cleared the ice and snow for the dancefloor.

It was being put in now and the black against the white floor was partly the theme of the entire party. I watched as the workers did their job and before too long I realized that Azula had been called away for something to do with her rooms and I watched the snow fall gently beyond the party room.

I walked out and let the snow soak my clothes and when I was far enough away I started to bend. I went through the motions, each ones I learned, raising the water from the snow, making it harden into ice, slicing disks off, I did everything that I could and when it came down to the end of all my training, I was soaking wet, my hair was slightly frozen from being wet and in the wind.

I walked around the palace some more, feeling my element all around me and when I got into the palace I saw Sokka and Azula talking quietly so I stood behind a pillar and tried to stay out of the way. Hoping I could get some sort of advantage on what Zuko had planned for our trip or his present to me on my birthday. But what I heard was not what I was expecting.

"You're too young Azula. You're not even of age in my tribe yet." Sokka told her, his voice raised a bit and I heard the nerves leaking out and I bit my lip and waited.

"You said you loved me... are you toying with me? Playing me?" Azula was crying, and I wanted to do something, make them think I was coming but I wanted to know what was happening. I knew Sokka wasn't a one woman show unless he was serious, but for him to say he loved Azula he meant it.

"I do love you Azula. I love you a lot, but you're not of age. I can't ask this of you when you could find someone so much better for you. I am here, I have to be here, and you hate it here. You hate the snow, the cold, the ice that makes you slip 10 times a day." He laughed lightly at the end of his little speech and I heard a kiss happening and he groaned loudly. "Azula... I love you. But this has to stop. Wait until you're older. Wait until you know what you want and like." I heard him beg her for time, tell her that he had a meeting to get to, and when they parted ways it was more than a miracle that neither of them walked my way.

I walked away from the scene of the discussion with thoughts of them together now. They had danced a lot at his party, and while Zuko had brought him a 'girl' to meet, he didn't seem that interested in getting to know her. Zuko said that the Kyoshi Warrior was the best non bender fighter he knew, and when the Avatar met with her, they went through the motions that Avatar Kyoshi had taught the warriors when she was still alive.

Suki had been nice, reserved and neat. She had given him a show as well and it was impressive, but not so impressive that Sokka was intrigued to know the girl beneath all the makeup. Maybe Azula was why.

Would she talk to me about this? I kept thinking and hoping she would, but the only thing holding me back was the fact that I didn't know how to bring it up. If she hadn't let on until I found out, she probably didn't want me to know at all.

I walked to my rooms, wondering how and what I should do about all this information. If they married Zuko and I wouldn't have to, and they were already in love. Sure Azula wasn't of age in either country, but if they loved each other...

But Zuko and I promised to try. We had plans, we had fun, he made me laugh and smile and I loved just being in his arms, being next to him, holding his arm like the proud girlfriend I am.

Scar or not... Zuko was still the most handsome guy I knew. He was the one who knew me, who asked me about things other than my favorite color. He was basically perfect for me.