Katara closed the door to Zuko's bedroom quickly and fell back against it. She was out of breath but didn't know why, considering she hadn't actually run. She let out a sigh of exasperation and her breath slowed. What was wrong with her? She let her head fall back against the door and closed her eyes.

Argh, what had she just done? She'd wrapped up his wound and then what? She just stood there like an idiot. Katara knew what she'd secretly been hoping for by lingering close to him. She'd wanted him to kiss her. But why? Did she have any reason to think he might have wanted that? No! Of course not. Well…..maybe? Ugh. Was she imagining something that wasn't there? For a moment she thought she'd recognized the look he'd given her. It was the look Aang sometimes gave her. Often before he kissed her. Jet had given her that look to. A lot of times in fact.

Katara shook her head. No. She'd just imagined it. And she was glad she'd left. She'd stayed to help Zuko because he was her friend. Her friend who had saved her life. So there was no reason to stay longer. He probably wanted to be alone anyways. She couldn't imagine how he felt about everything that had happened with Azula. Yes. He definitely wanted to be alone.

She started walking down the hall absent mindedly. Aang. It was the first time since Zuko had been hit that she'd thought of Aang. She'd been so distracted! Would he have finished fighting the Fire Lord by now? What would happen after? Katara wondered about Sokka too. Was he ok? And Toph and Suki? Were they all still in the Earth Kingdom?

Katara had been so lost in her thoughts she nearly ran right into a wall. She gasped loudly and her feet skidded to a stop. She moved her head around to get a good look at where she was. This palace was so big and she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. It was eerily quiet too. Hardly any of the torches or lanterns were lit and she didn't see any guards or maids standing around. Katara wondered where the prison cells were and what Azula was doing right now.

She turned her head to the left and she saw a door a couple feet away from her. She pushed on the door and it gave, revealing a simple, small room with a bed and a dresser. On any other day, Katara would've loved to walk around and explore the palace. Maybe find the throne room or the library. But sleep tugged at her eyes. She was exhausted.

Katara walked in and sat on the bed. Sprits, it was comfortable. It couldn't hurt to have a rest. She'd find out about Aang and Sokka in the morning. She was sure that was alright. No reason to stay up worrying when she didn't even know if they would contact her. She slipped her shoes off, laid her head on the soft pillow, and was asleep in seconds.

…

Katara woke to bright sunshine filling her room. By the looks of it, it was already mid-morning. She must have slept late. She got up and stretched. Her body ached from everything that'd happened. Then all her worries came crashing back. What had happened? Had Aang already fought Ozai? She needed to find out.

She stretched for a little while longer, washed up, and walked out her door. An older maid nearly ran right into her. Katara apologized and the maid hurried away. It was amazing. The palace was alive. Maids, Fire Sages, older men who looked like they used to be war generals or advisors were all bustling about. They hurried around carrying things or talking with one another. No one seemed to notice her as she walked around. Most of them were smiling or laughing together. What did this mean? She didn't bother trying to talk to any of them. She needed to find Zuko.

Katara reached what seemed to be a large foyer, and vaguely remembered possibly walking through it last night. Eventually she came to a wing of the castle that seemed quieter and more grand. Ahh! That was his room. She ran up to it to knock but saw the door was open. It was empty. What? Where was he? Outside was probably a good bet, though the thought annoyed her because he needed to be resting.

She hurried back to the foyer and out the large front doors of the palace. The Fire Nation air was warm and felt nice on her skin. After a while of walking along the outside of the palace, she came across a path that led through a few trees. It seemed on the other side there was some sort of small, rectangular amphitheater. As she hurried down the path and through the trees, she heard the sound of fire bending blasts. Sure enough, there he was.

"Zuko!" she called. She ran up to him and he stopped bending. Her words came out quickly. "Zuko, everyone in the palace seems so happy. What's going on? Do we know what happened to Aang and your father? Have they fought? What happened in Ba Sing Se? Has a letter come from Sokka? Did they stop the—"

"Katara, stop it's ok," he laughed. She looked at him in confusion and worry. He stared at her a second and then answered. "I just finished talking with one of my father's old advisors. A letter came early this morning from the Earth King. It was an official declaration announcing that Ozai has been defeated."

"What?!" she exclaimed in hope and excitement. "Really?!"

He smiled again. "Yes. Aang sent a letter along with it, though it didn't explain much. Apparently, he was there to meet the air fleet too. Along with Sokka, Toph and Suki. It sounds like him and my father battled it out right there."

Katara's felt tears of happiness stinging behind her eyes. It was over it was all over. Everything they'd done for the last year was for this. And it was over. The tears spilled out. "So Aang is ok? Sokka?"

Zuko nodded. "It sounds like they all made their way to Ba Sing Se together after the air ship was taken out. I guess they must have traveled through the night and gotten there this morning."

"So that must mean your uncle was successful! The White Lotus reconquered Ba Sing Se! The Earth King is back!" Her voice was high with excitement.

Zuko smiled and nodded again. "The war is over."

Katara let out a small squeal and threw her arms around his neck. Zuko let out a small grunt of pain and Katara immediately released him and looked into his eyes.

"Oh spirits, Zuko I'm sorry I forgot." She grabbed his hand and walked him over to the front row bench of the amphitheater and made fast work of untying his shirt and examining him. She gasped when she saw the bandages. They were soaked in the front with blood. Her eyes turned angrily back up to his. "What did you think you were doing! Coming out here to bend. You're supposed to be resting."

He let out a small chuckle as she turned him so she could get a better angle. "Hey, I always practice my bending in the morning. And I felt really good when I woke up. I didn't think this would happen."

Katara shook her head and smiled, already undoing the bandages. She quickly bent water from her pouch and placed her healing hands over the wound on his abdomen." He relaxed at the sensation.

She could honestly not believe it was all over. Everything they'd planned and trained and prepared for was over. They'd won. Katara couldn't help the joy that overwhelmed her.

"So," she started softly. "Did Aang…?" She couldn't finish her question. Had Aang killed Ozai?

"I don't know," he responded. Silence fell and Katara focused on her healing.

"I was worried when I saw everyone in the palace so happy this morning," she admitted as she worked. "I thought for a second it might've meant your father's air fleet was successful."

"I talked to my father's head advisor this morning first thing. Apparently very few of the people that work in the palace were truly loyal with my father. Those few that were haven't been seen at all today and the ones that weren't have already started planning."

"Planning what?"

"My coronation," he said as if he almost couldn't believe it himself. Katara's eyes and smile grew in amazement. Her hands stopped for a moment. "It sounds like a lot of them are on board and ready to support me."

"Zuko that's amazing!" She wanted to hug him again but stopped herself. This was how they would truly rebuild. With Aang and Zuko working together, the world could really, truly begin again. Rebuild. Unite. Heal. "You are going to be so great." Zuko shook his head slightly in modesty. She meant it though.

Katara continued to heal and they passed some time in silence, each imagining what the future would look like. Something still troubled her though. "If your advisors and generals never liked your father…why did they never speak out against him?" she questioned cautiously.

"It was too dangerous. He had too much power and would've ruined their lives. Most of them had been in the meeting where I did that, and all of them saw what had happened." Wait, what? Zuko looked as if he'd revealed something he now wished he hadn't.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked tenderly. But she knew. At least she knew it had something to do with his scar. Why would he not open up to her? She could help him. Katara could tell Zuko knew that she was already connecting the dots. He stayed quiet, a sad look on his face. "Zuko." She stopped healing and put a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me." A beat passed, and Katara could tell he was deciding whether or not to share. He took a deep breath. He didn't look at her face, but off the side as if remembering. She got the feeling he'd never told this story out loud to anyone before. "When I was 13, I attended my first war meeting. I sat next to my father and listened to a horrible plan where they were going to use a batch of new recruits as bait for earth kingdom soldiers before sending in the real troops. The young soldiers would die in the process."

Katara, whose eyes had been trained on his face as he spoke, looked down at her lap. "Oh no," she said softly.

"I couldn't stay quiet. It was a disgusting plan. So I called the general who had suggested it out. I honestly forget what I even said now." He still wasn't looking at her. "My father was furious. He said I'd disrespected the fire nation by saying what I said. He told me I would have to duel in an Agni Kai against the man I'd disrespected. So I went, fully prepared to battle the general. I remember feeling so hopeful. I was so sure I could win." Here he paused again. Had that general really burned him?

Katara looked up from her lap and back to his face. "When I turned around….it was my father." Katara gasped and her hand flew to cover her mouth. No. "Since he had been leading the meeting, he was the one I had disrespected. I tried to tell him how sorry I was and how devoted I was to him, but he just saw this as more cowardice and disobedience. He burned and banished me. Right here actually. I couldn't come back until I had captured the avatar."

"Here?"

"This amphitheater is used for most Agni Kai's."

Katara whipped her head to take in the stage. How could people have watched the Fire Lord do this to his son and then still feel loyal to him? "Oh, Zuko." It all made sense now. Everything. Why he had wanted to capture Aang so bad. Why he'd been so angry for so long. Why he was so conflicted for so long. Katara even thought she sort of understood why he'd sided with Azula in Ba Sing Se. It had been his chance to go home honorably in the eyes of his father. To be accepted back into his family and his country.

"That's why you didn't speak out against your father's plan for the comet."

Zuko didn't say anything to this. Maybe she shouldn't have said that, she thought.

"For so long, I thought my father was right to banish me!" Zuko was getting angry now. "I thought I deserved what I got. I was so blind! My father never loved me! I was never as good as Azula in his eyes. I was too soft, not talented….too weak."

Katara felt tears threatening behind her eyes. How could this have happened to him?

"I don't need your pity Katara," he said roughly.

"I know that," she said defensively. A beat passed. "It just makes me angry. That never should've happened to you." Katara put both her hands on his shoulders. "Look at me. You are not weak. You had more courage than anyone in that room to speak against such a horrible plan. Any honorable person would've. And you are going to be ten times the leader your father and grandfather and great-grandfather were. Because you were born for this. It's your destiny."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, but smiled. After another moment, he hopped up and gestured for Katara to follow. "Here I want to show you something."

"Wait, but—"

"I feel fine Katara, stop worrying." He walked out to the middle of the long amphitheater and took a fire bending stance. She stood to face him, completely confused.

"What, are you going to teach me how to fire bend or something?" she teased, her hand on her hip.

Zuko smiled slightly at her attitude. "No, of course not. This is actually a water bending move. You'll probably be really good at it." He was trying to coax her into actually doing this by leading with a compliment. Katara rolled her eyes but mimicked his stance.

Zuko showed her the move to redirect lightning and they practiced it together. After a few hours, Katara started to get annoyed. She'd indulged him to keep him from getting upset but this was ridiculous. She threw her arms down in annoyance and huffed, trying not to get mad at him.

"Zuko, we've been doing this forever. And you know as well as I do that I could probably never redirect lightning anyways," she said in forced calmness.

"You don't know that. This movement is all about the flow of energy. And that's basically what lightning is. And you're a gifted water bender. It fits." He continued the movements, but she rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Katara, can you at least try to learn?" he said gruffly. Then his demeanor changed and he walked closer to her. His hand came up to touch her face. For a split second he seemed almost surprised that he'd done this, but he let his hand linger anyway. "I don't want you to get hurt." Katara sighed in understanding but pulled away quickly. That had gotten way to intimate way too quick just now. She chuckled nervously, and Zuko smarted himself.

Just then, a messenger hawk that looked like it was from the Earth Kingdom landed close to them. Katara ran over in excitement. "It's from Sokka!" She opened the scroll and Zuko came over to hear what it had to say.

Katara,

We won! We won the war! You should have seen Aang. He destroyed that Fire Lord. I'm still kind of confused how (he's tried explaining), but he took away Ozai's bending! Is that not so EPIC! And you shoulda seen Toph and Suki and I. Not to brag but we kicked some serious fire nation butt too. That air fleet didn't stand a chance. Lost my space sword though which was sad.

Anyways. We're at Ba Sing Se with the White Lotus and the Earth king now. They are throwing us a feast tonight! Isn't that great? We'll stay here tomorrow to work some more things out with the Earth King, but should be able to get to the Fire Nation at the end of the week for Zuko's coronation. Coronation! Isn't that so wild. My man is becoming the Fire Lord. Anyways love you sis. Can't wait for team Avatar to be back together.

Sokka

Katara smiled. She could hear Sokka's voice as she read it. Spirits she missed him. And Aang. Oh Aang. She was so proud of him. She turned to Zuko, who'd been watching her with concern as she read it. "It sounds like they are going to be in Ba Sing Se for a few more days but will be here for your coronation!" she said excitedly.

"That's great!" Zuko replied in relief. He looked as though he'd been worried. Katara held the letter, re-reading it. She still couldn't believe this was all real. That they'd won. She sighed and closed her eyes, relief and happiness flooding her.

….

Katara spent most of the remainder of the day practicing her bending. She found another nice training area right outside her bedroom that had a large fountain of water close by. Practicing calmed her and was a good way to pass the time. Though she tried insisting that he needed to rest, Zuko spent most of the day in council meetings and with advisors. The path to rebuilding had already begun. She knew it would be long and difficult.

With a twist and jab of her arms, she sent three spikes of ice directly into a tree perfectly lined up with each other. She started to re-bend them into water, when a servant ran up to her.

"Master Katara. Prince Zuko sent me, dinner has been served in the royal dining hall." She smiled. 'Master Katara' sounded pretty good.

"Oh, uh, thank you."

"I can show you there if you would like." Katara nodded and he bowed. She followed him through a garden and passed a turtle duck pond to the large front doors of the palace. People were still bustling around inside, but some of the guards seemed to be in a different mood. They seemed worried as they hurried around. Concerned.

They reached a large open room with a table lower to the ground. The smell was heavenly. Different meats and Fire Nation dishes filled the table. Zuko was already there, kneeling at the head of the table.

"Katara," he said brightly. She flashed a bright smile and joined him at the table. They talked pleasantly about their days. Zuko was starting to look exhausted and Katara told him she could do another healing session later if he'd want it. She was so happy that it was becoming easier to talk small talk with him. Sometimes it felt like ever since he'd joined their group, whenever they talked alone with each other it was always about heavy stuff. Or they just sat in silence, she remembered. But dinner was so nice because all the heavy stuff was gone. The war was over, he'd opened up about his scar. They could be real, true, normal people now; no barriers. And it felt so nice. They laughed and talked together for a while after they finished eating. Zuko had said more people were coming to join them, but no one ever did.

Suddenly, a guard burst through the door to the dining room.

"Prince Zuko! Please come. You're needed at once. It's urgent." Katara looked at the face of the guard. He seemed frantic. Scared.

"What is it? What's happened?" Zuko said, standing up. The guard looked around nervously.

"You should come see for yourself, sir."

"Tell me." There was a pause while Zuko stared the guard down, not moving and remaining totally calm until there was a reason not to. The guard buckled under the pressure.

"It's princess Azula, sir. She's gone."

A/N Ahh yay! We're about to get into some of the good stuff! Also I'm so sorry. I go back and re-read what I post and get so annoyed with the typing and grammar mistakes I don't catch before posting. Aaaaggghhh I'm so sorry. Also! Please review if you can. It means so much. You can let me know if you like reading along with Zuko or with Katara more and I'll try and do more of whichever. Or let me know of any glaring mistakes you think I'm making lol. Thanks again guys!