Here's some FYI's that you should read… just because I said so:

1. I try to make the story make sense with the avatar show on tv, so there's going to be references of things that happened in various episodes. If you have no idea what I'm talking about because you haven't seen that episode… then I'm sorry. But I'm still leaving them in here.

2. uh…oh yeah! I jacked the beginning of Zuko's speech from this speech the general zhao made in one of the episode… so… credit goes to whoever made avatar.

3. which reminds me… here's the disclaimer : I don't own anything. Except a computer which I'm currently typing on XD

Oh, and one last thing… this was the HARDEST chapter ever for me to write! I've rewritten it soooo many times… and yet, I'm still not all that satisfied.

CHAPTER NINE – THE CROWNING CEREMONY

A week rushed by and before she knew it, Katara was standing in front of millions of people, dressed in a stunning dark blue and white laced dress. There were baby blue ribbons running down the middle and the entire outfit was custom designed to fit Katara. Her hair was piled on her head with a few loose curls running across her chest.

Beside her stood Zuko, who was outfitted proudly in the traditional firelord costume. He stood in front of the crowd, more than ready to make his speech before accepting the crown from Iroh.

On the other side of Zuko was his sister, who fidgeted occasionally as she looked out at all the faces. She was wearing a long, elegant dress that complimented her petite frame. The red, velvety material matched her hair that was loosely piled down her back. She wore a faint smile on her face that held no trace of happiness.

Katara noticed the solemn girl and made a mental note to talk to her later. She knew how much Zula wanted the crown, but she had been born second. Katara knew this feeling; she had been second to Sokka.

The sound of a gong rang out from the back of the room, echoing until it reached the front. Immediately, the entire crowd went silent and even the slightest noises could be heard. Zuko stepped forward and took a deep breath.

"We are the sons and daughters of fire, the superior element. As a nation, we stand united and strong, but war has torn our country apart. I stand here, as the future fire lord, to announce an end to all fighting and suffering. During my time as an exile, I matured in both body and mind. I realized that the war my father started was for his own selfish purposes. He used propaganda to turn the fire nation against the rest of the world, making us believe everyone else to be inferior. This had been proven false to me, and will soon be proven false to you as well.

"Beside me stands a waterbender from the southern water tribe. She traveled with the avatar to the other side of the world while facing life threatening dangers. Today, she stands here, unguarded by her people. That is true courage; there is no other definition for the word. Would you say she is inferior because she isn't from the fire nation?"

The crowd responded a loud "no" and Zuko continued, satisfied with the reaction, "I know my father has put a lot into your minds, and it won't be easy to adjust to the new situation. As your new ruler, I ask of only one thing: do now see me as my father; I am not him".

The audience broke into cheers and yells of encouragement as Zuko stepped back so he was in line with Katara and his sister. He waited silently as Iroh came forward with the crown and placed it on the prince (or king)'s head. It was truly a Kodak moment… (except they didn't have cameras back then).

Katara broke into a big smile and she felt her heart flutter. Seeing Zuko smile a genuine smile brought her joy. After all, he rarely showed any emotions at all. They stood on the platform for a while more, watching the crowd slowly disperse. They all filed into a larger room next door where a big celebration feast would take place.

Katara, unsure of what to do, looked around for someone to give her orders. But no one did. No one was allowed to. During the past week, Zuko had made it painfully clear that Katara was now holding a pretty powerful position in the fire nation. He also reluctantly made sure Sokka was treated well, although he greatly disliked the water tribe warrior. Sokka's overprotective-ness of Katara caused many arguments and fights between him and Zuko. In the end, Katara always had to step in before someone got hurt.

Aang, on the other hand, had turned into a celebrity in the fire nation. Not only was he the avatar, but he had ended the war by getting rid of the firelord. This time thought, Aang managed to stay humble instead of losing his head (like that time… well, it was on tv).

After the room had been cleared of the audience, Zuko took Katara's hand, leading her into the feast room. Iroh followed merrily, making sure Zula wasn't left behind. They all joined the party, mixing in with everyone else. Zuko had refused to sit at a higher table like his father would have done. He didn't fell it was necessary to boast his power.

As Katara walked through the crowd, politely greeting anyone who greeted her, she noticed Zula leaving the room. Slightly worried, she followed the girl until they were both alone in a hallway. Katara caught up to her and took this chance to confront her.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Zula shook her head and continued walking, quickening her pace as well.

"Wait! You can't just run off like that!" Katara called out, hurrying after Zula. She caught up with the girl just as they stopped in front of a pair of large doors. Katara followed Zula inside and realized this was the princess's private quarters. It was beautifully decorated, but something was wrong. The room was almost empty; not empty as in no one moved it, but empty as in no one planned to use it anymore. All the usual furniture rested in its place and the walls were still decorated with scrolls. The bed had pillows and blankets and there were useable candles sitting on a table. But there was definitely something wrong. The closet door sat open; half the clothes taken and piled into a traveling trunk. Armor and weapons lay in a pile, ready to be moved out.

"You're leaving?" Katara asked, looking around.

"Yes", Zula sighed.

"Why?"

"I have no life here. I used to live on the fantasy that I would one day rule the country, but that's obviously not going to happen. My father taught me not to be bitter and to make the best out of any situation. He should have followed his own advice, huh?" Zula remarked with a dry laugh.

"But, where are you going? Aren't you coming back?" Katara asked.

"I want to see the world. And don't worry; of course I'll come back. I'm still a princess here, you know? Besides, Zuko's seen the world, it's my turn".

"Zuko was banished! He had no choice! Traveling is dangerous. Do you think he wanted to be out there?" Katara protested.

"Don't worry about me; the war is over and my uncle is coming too. I'm a trained firebender, remember? As for Zuko, I'm sure he doesn't regret his banishment. He did meet you", Zula pointed out smugly, receiving a small smile from Katara.

"Iroh's going too?"

"Yes, apparently, he wants to shop in every port of the world and try different types of tea", Zula grinned. Katara smiled sadly and gave the girl a hug, wishing her a safe trip.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Back at the celebration feast, Zuko had lost track of Katara and was growing anxious as the time passed by. Where the hell did she go? He wandered through the crowds, searching almost frantically for her. A few minutes later, he noticed his sister was also missing and conclusions began forming in his mind.

He quickly left the room and hurried down a corridor, making his way to Zula's room. The door was slightly ajar and two distinct feminine voices flowed into the hall. Zuko breathed a sigh of relief and entered the room to see Katara and Zula, the two most influential females in his life, giving each other what looked like a good-bye hug.

Zula, who was facing the door, caught her brother's eye and looked at him disappointedly. She let go of Katara and pointed out that they now had an intruder.

"You looked worried", Katara noticed, stepping over to Zuko.

"Of course I was worried! You just disappeared!" he scolded.

"What? Do I have to be seen by you every second of my life?"" Katara challenged. Zula laughed at this comment, reminding the couple they were not alone. Zuko shot his sister a glare and dragged Katara out of the room and into the hallway. He forcefully ushered her into the nearest empty room and locked the door behind him.

"What's wrong with you?" Katara demanded.

"You", Zuko almost whispered as he sandwiched Katara between the wall and his own body.

"Excuse me?" Katara wasn't sure she heard right.

"I said 'you'. Do you know what I was going through when I saw you unconscious a week ago? I was thinking, 'If something happens to her, I'll never forgive myself'", Zuko replied as he gently wrapped his arms around Katara, crushing her soft body against his hard, muscular one.

"Why didn't you tell me? I've spent an entire week here and we haven't really talked", Katara whispered back.

"We haven't gotten the chance to do anything. Apparently, you found my sister a lot more interesting", Zuko mocked jealousy. Katara laughed openly in his arms and leaned her head on his shoulder, shivering slightly when she felt his hot breath against her sensitive neck.

"Well, we have plenty of time now", she murmured suggestively, surprised at her own boldness. Zuko smirked and leaned forward, giving her the most passionate kiss Katara had ever experienced. She responded eagerly, battling her tongue against his.

When they finally broke apart for air, Katara's face was flushed from excitement and she could feel the ecstasy rising in her body. Apparently, so could Zuko, for as soon as they broke apart, they were kissing again.

"I have an idea", Zuko suddenly said as he pulled Katara out of the room.

"Wait! You're supposed to tell me! You can't just drag me around – mmph" Katara's protests were broken off when she rammed into something. Zuko had been going too fast and the couple had no time to stop before crashing into an obstacle; Sokka.

"What do you want?" Zuko asked impatiently.

"I want to know what you were planning to do to my sister", Sokka replied firmly.

"We were just going to try on a dress someone had given her", Zuko rolled his eyes, acting as if running around with Katara was the most normal thing in the world.

"What? Oh, no. No, no, no", Katara argued when she realized what Zuko was talking about. That dress; the one that tall lady had given her. No, she was not going to wear it. Maybe if she ever got married, but definitely not now.

"See? She doesn't want to", Sokka said smugly.

"You just have to mess up everyone's life, don't you?" Zuko sneered.

"Me? My sister and I were living a perfectly fine life until you tried to kills us!" Sokka yelled back.

"I'd still like to kill you", Zuko muttered under his breath.

"I heard that! And I'd like to see you try!" Sokka challenged, knowing he wouldn't really be attacked. Sensing a fight about to begin, Katara pushed apart the two males and stepped in between them.

"You guys! Stop it! Look, Zuko, maybe Sokka and I should have a little talk. I'll see you later, ok?" she tried to sound reasonable. Zuko grudgingly agreed and walked away stiffly, pausing every few steps to turn and look at Katara again. When he had completely disappeared from view, Katara turned to Sokka with a glare.

"I don't know what you see in him", Sokka shrugged.

"Sokka, I don't need this right now. I don't need your sarcastic comments and cruel jokes. I just need you to be sensitive and supportive", Katara sighed.

"Fine. I'll be serious. Honestly, I still don't know what you see in him. Think about it, Katara. He's tried to kill us many, many times!"

"Can't you put the past behind? He didn't mean it! Why can't you just accept the fact that I like him and he likes me?" Katara asked, frustrated.

"It's just so weird!" Sokka frowned.

"Sokka, listen. The war is over. We are all just people. Zuko isn't too different fro you, you know that?" Katara said calmly, trying to talk some sense into her brother.

"Fine. But if he ever hurts you -"

"I'll let you know", Katara finished. Sokka, seemingly satisfied, gave his sister a hug and walked away, searching for more food even though he just ate lunch.

Katara smiled to herself, proud at how she had handled the situation. With nothing better to do, she went in search of Zuko. The waterbender set off for the celebration feast, hoping Zuko had returned to the festivities. And indeed, he was there, sitting at a table among several other firebenders. Katara could see that by now, only half the people remained. The rest had gone home or back to work. She made her way over to Zuko and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, what'd you say to you brother?" he greeted her.

"Just to… give us a chance", Katara told him as they both started walking away from the table.

"Oh", Zuko fell into an awkward silence. He had ever been in a relationship and everything was completely new. As of how, he hated not knowing what to do or say. It would have made him feel better to know that Katara was going through the same thing, but he didn't know.

The couple walked silently, side by side, until they reached the front of the palace. The gates were let down and there seemed to be a lot of activity going on.

"What's happening?" Zuko asked, glancing around. Katara, too, was wondering what was going on, but she soon got her answer. She recognized Zula and Iroh walking several paces in front of them, preparing to board a rhino. A second rhino behind the first was already loaded with traveling necessities. Katara pointed this out to Zuko, who promptly grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards his sister.

"Where are you going?" Zuko demanded when he was within earshot of Zula.

"I'm going wherever you went", came the nonchalant reply.

"What?" Zuko narrowed his eyes. Zula sighed and pulled her brother aside for a private chat, leaving Katara alone with Iroh.

"Do you know when you'll be returning?" Katara asked him anxiously.

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't worry about it", Iroh chuckled.

"Well, I hope you have a safe journey", Katara wished him luck. Iroh smiled back at the girl just as Zula returned with her brother walking slowly behind her, apparently deep in thought.

"C'mon, let's go", she ordered, climbing on the rhino. Iroh nodded and pulled on the reins.

"Hey, wanna ride one?" Zuko asked Katara, who nodded enthusiastically. She was helped onto the nearest one and Zuko climbed up behind her, wrapping the girl safely in his arms. They took the same path as the rhinos before them, following Zula and Iroh down towards the ship.

The train of rhinos arrived at a wooden dock; the same one Zula had set out on over two weeks ago. It was amazing how so much could take place in so little time. As she boarded the ship, the princess looked back at her homeland. She could see the palace standing tall and proud even after part of it had been wrecked by the duel a week ago. This was the place she'd grown up in, even if it wasn't exactly a pleasant childhood she had experienced.

And now, she was leaving. She certainly planned on returning one day, but knew it wouldn't be soon.

A trail of smoke appeared from the top of the ship, signaling that it was now in motion. Zula walked into the cabins after Iroh, not wanting to see her home grow smaller as it faded into the distance.

Back on shore, Zuko and Katara had gotten off the rhino. They stood, fingers laced, watching the large ship sail away. Zuko unconsciously tightened his grip as his sister's words fame flooding back at him. The more he thought about it, the truer her words seemed. Man, when did his sister become a philosopher? But, there was no doubt that her words were worth considering.

And so, with pieces of Zula's advice and suggestions as well as his own feelings swirling around in his head, Zuko made up his mind. He wasn't going to pass up this chance.

"I won't let the same thing happen to me", he thought aloud.

"What?" Katara turned and gave Zuko a quizzical look.

"I - " Zuko paused, did he accidentally blurt that out?

"What is it?" Katara seemed slightly concerned.

"Nothing, it's nothing, ok?" Zuko wasn't ready to say anything yet, so he tried to end the conversation by sounding annoyed.

"If there's something wrong, why can't you tell me?" Katara asked.

"Because it concerns you. And me. And… us",

"Which is why it's so important that we have real talks. I like you a lot, but I'm not a mind reader, so how can I help make this relationship work if I have no clue what you're thinking?"

"I think I'm hopelessly in love with you but am afraid to admit it for fear of rejection", Zuko mumbled, slurring his words together. But, it was clear enough for Katara to understand. It took a second for the words to register and when they did, Katara's mouth fell into a round "o". Was he serious?

"I was feeling the same way", she admitted.

"No. You don't understand. I really, really mean it. I want you to never leave here. Stay. Forever. You see what happened to Zula? She left because she had nothing left here. If you leave, I'll have nothing left. Not even all the honor in the world could replace you".

"Is that what she was talking to you about?" Katara asked. Zuko nodded.

"I would never leave. I love you as much as you love me, understand?" she asked, giving his hand a tight squeeze. He nodded again and pulled her into a hug in one swift motion. Oh, he understood alright.

"You're mine from now on", he murmured. And as much as Katara hated to be thought of as a possession someone could own, she was glad she belonged to Zuko. For even thought he had become firelord, the talented firebender in front of her would be her prince forever.

El Fin

A/N : this was seriously the hardest chapter I've ever written. I've rewritten it over and over and I took out parts and added new parts. I'm so glad its done. So, anyways, there's going to be an epilogue just to wrap everything up. Bye bye for now!