Rhythm of the Rain
Chapter Five
By DamageCtrl

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.


"What...what did you say?" Iroh gasped as he stared at Zuko wide eyed.

The young Fire Lord smiled slightly and began walking towards the pathway where his Uncle was standing. "I said that I approve the re-instatement of the system."

Iroh was speechless. Even though he knew Zuko would at least think it over, he never really believed that his nephew would agree to such a proposal. The old general thought for a moment before looked back at the Fire Lord standing in the garden before him.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" he asked carefully.

Zuko sighed. "You were right, Uncle. Even though the proposal was submitted with hopes of me marrying one of the participants, it still has merit that would be beneficial to the nation. I shouldn't let the over hanging shadow of possible marriage get in the way of the recovery and advancement of my country."

Iroh found himself nodding. "You're growing up, Fire Lord," he mused solemnly. "I must say, I am surprised at your decision. You were adamant on your position on marriage."

"This has nothing to do with marriage," Zuko insisted. He reached up and grabbed hold of the low wooden wall that edged the covered pathway and pulled himself over it. As he brushed off his robe, he continued. "We lost a lot of men during the war. Not all of them were career soldiers and unsuited for battle. Many artisans and teachers were also lost and with them the knowledge they held. After a long consideration, I decided that it would be best to bring in those that have the time and the leisure to learn dutifully. We would do well to find a way to educate our young."

Iroh studied the expression on Zuko's face. He seemed calm and assured of his decision. "Very well. Should I have the clerk prepare it on the agenda for next week's meeting?"

Zuko shook his head. "No, I want to get it started as soon as possible. The sooner they come, the sooner we can send them out."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

"Send the notices," Zuko repeated. He smiled, pleased with his actions, as he stepped around his Uncle and headed towards the royal quarters. "I'm going to get some sleep now, Uncle. It's been a long night."

Iroh nodded. "That you should, my nephew."

"Do I have any meetings today?"

"Just one with one of the generals that was stationed in the Earth Kingdom. I believe it is about the rebuilding that is taking place in one of our former territories."

Zuko nodded, his back to his Uncle. "Understood. After the meeting, send the clerk to me. I will personally dictate the notices that will be sent to the noble families."

"You?" Iroh asked, his voice slightly higher than he would've liked. His face looked slightly worried. "Just yourself?" He added, unsurely. Zuko chuckled.

"I will run the notices past you before they are sent out, Uncle." Iroh let out a breath of relief and nodded. Zuko walked through the doors to the royal quarters and Iroh called out to him one last time.

"Zuko!" The young Fire Lord stopped and looked over his shoulder. "How do you plan to deal with the nobles who want you to wed one of their daughters?"

"As far as I'm concerned, so long as I bring this system back, they will be content for a while."

Iroh raised an eyebrow. Ah...the truth comes out. You are using this to appease the nobles on the issue of marriage. He nodded solemnly, but frowned. "Then what will happen when they demand you wed for the purposes of an heir?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed and he turned his head away. "When I have to take a bride, I will. After all...it's just another duty I must fulfill as the Fire Lord."

His words were cold and struck a chord in the old general. He wanted Zuko to be happy. He saw the young man as his son and only wished him happiness, always. Whether as the Fire Lord or a poor wandering peasant. Now, the very thought of a political marriage seemed foreboding. Perhaps, before Zuko was exiled and before he experienced life outside the palace walls, he would not have carried about marriage to a stranger for the sake of his nation. But Zuko had tasted fruit forbidden to someone of his present station. It was something that would've made him happy, but was not allowed to have. Iroh lowered his eyes and gave a small nod.

"I understand..." Iroh replied quietly. "Your devotion to your nation is admirable, Zuko. You will truly become a great Fire Lord."

Zuko nodded his head. Silently, he continued into the royal quarters and disappeared inside. He walked back to his room and closed the doors behind him. Suddenly, he felt drained. He untied his robe, allowing it to fall to a puddle on the floor, and fell back into the soft comfort of his bed. His hand slipped inside the flap of his shirt and pulled out the little lacquer box.

He stared at it for a moment longer before closing his eyes and bringing the box back down against him. Her words repeated over and over in his head.

You are destined for greatness, Zuko. I know you will lead the Fire Nation well. That is what a great man does.


Giddy blue orbs eyed the piece of seal jerky with a look akin to a predator looking at a wounded animal ready for the pickings. He tore into the meat with an elated sigh and leaned back against one hand as he chewed it thoughtfully.

"You know," Sokka said as he chewed. Katara turned over to look at him as he looked up at the clear blue sky, as if contemplating the meaning of life. "The smoke really brings out the flavor of the seal meat. And those herbs and spices that Iroh sent with us really give it an extra kick. This jerky is finger licking good!"

"Glad to see you like it," Katara chuckled. She dug through the bag that had been sent over by Gran-Gran to the work site where the two siblings had been working. They were now sitting down on the ground, against the side of one of the half dozen fountains that were spread over the newly walled town. She frowned. "Sokka, you ate the last piece!"

He shrugged and shoved the rest in his mouth. "Hey, I can't help it if you're too slow."

Katara grumbled and picked out some bread wrapped in cloth. "I'm going to tell Gran-Gran," she retorted as she bit into some bread. She grinned and showed him the bun she held. A warm, steamy meat filled inside peeked from the surrounding bread. "Heh...but look what I got."

Sokka snatched the bag and stuck his hand inside. His mouth dropped. "No way! You took the last bun!"

"Hey, I can't help it if you're too slow." she smirked. She took another bite of her bun, chewing it slowly and purposefully to annoy her brother.

The warrior pulled out a covered bowl and a spoon and put them on his lap. He carefully pulled back the cover so as not to spill its juicy contents and began digging in.

"Did you hear about those guys who are staying?"

"What guys?" Katara asked as she finished off her bun.

"Some of the waterbenders that had come after Master Pakku's first group have decided to stay here. I heard dad talking about it last night."

"Really?" Katara's eyes went wide. She didn't think any one who had grown up in the opulence of the North Pole would settle for the unfinished replica in the south. She reached into the bag for her own bowl of food. "What did dad say?"

"He said its fine so long as it's okay with Chief Arnook."

"I think that's good. We're still really small in population. A few more hands would help, even after the construction is complete."

Sokka swallowed a mouthful of stew. "Yeah, well, we won't be small for long. Bato's niece is going to have a kid."

"What? Since when?" Katara gasped.

"She hasn't announced it yet, but I found out because one of the guys in Hahn's group is the father. He's one of the men who have decided to stay."

"That's great!" Katara gushed. She smiled widely. "It's been so long since there was a baby born into the tribe..." The youngest of the village children was three, conceived before and born after her father had left for the war. Since the return of those lucky enough to have survived on the front lines, there had been no news of pregnancy.

Sokka nodded and glanced over at his sister. He saw the wishful look on her face and frowned. "Oh no...you are way too young to have a baby."

"What?" Katara gasped. She put her bowl down and snorted. "First of all, I don't plan on having a baby any time soon. And second, where did you get that idea?"

"The look on your face..." Sokka pointed out. "I've seen that look. It's the 'I want a baby of my own' look."

"It is not!"

"Personally, I don't think I want to be Uncle Sokka just yet." he asserted. Katara rolled her eyes.

"You worry too much," she grumbled as she picked up her bowl and lifted a spoon to her lips. "Besides, I'm not even of marriage age yet. And even then, I haven't exactly heard of anyone clamoring at dad for my hand."

Sokka paused with his spoon in his mouth. He could hear the slight tone of sadness coming from Katara's voice. His eyes softened and he pulled the spoon from his mouth. Katara's eyes were lowered and she had stopped eating. "Katara...?"

"This is...good stew..." she murmured. Sokka frowned sadly and looked down at his sister.

"Katara...if you need to talk...you know I'll listen, right?" Sokka offered. Silently he begged her to tell him the truth. Without a word, he promised her that he would try to understand this time.

Slowly, Katara nodded her head. She put on a smile and lifted her head. Her smile only served to deepen Sokka's concern. "Sure...but everything is fine, Sokka. Don't worry so much."

He stared at her, unsure if she realized just how much she had showed them that she was anything but fine. Sokka turned his head away for a moment and put a spoonful of stew in his mouth. Beside him, Katara had lapsed into silence. The only sound she was making was that of her spoon against her bowl. Sokka ate the last of his stew and stared down at the empty bowl. Aiding with the construction had been a good way for her to keep her mind off of the Fire Nation and what happened in its palace. However, in those times when Katara's mind wandered, he had caught the glimpse of regret and sadness in her face.

Perhaps pretending everything was okay wasn't the best idea. He shook his head, belittling himself for not being there when his sister needed him. Instead, he had walked away that rainy night when he should've stayed and assured her that somehow, things would work out. Even if the very idea of Zuko and his sister together made him want to jump off of Appa while in mid flight. He turned back to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Katara," Sokka said, in a serious voice. "About Zu-"

"Katara!" a voice shouted from one of the main streets leading to the fountain. "Sokka!"

Katara tilted her head to the side and downed her last spoonful of stew in a hurry. "Dad?" she gasped as she scrambled up. Hakoda was smiling and waving scroll in the air. Sokka's hand slipped off his sister's shoulder as he was momentarily forgotten. He stood up, brushing himself off as he did.

"Sokka, Katara, there you two are!" Hakoda beamed as he reached them. "A ship from the Earth Kingdom just arrived with some lumber and stone. The captain personally came by to drop this off, but you two were out here all day."

He held out a scroll and a little brown paper wrapped package. Sokka took the package and Katara took the scroll. "What is it?" Sokka asked, looking at the package suspiciously.

Katara quickly unsealed the scroll that was handed to her and unraveled it. Her eyes went with as a genuine smile graced her face. "It's from Aang!"

"Huh?" Sokka looked over her shoulder and glanced at the parchment. It was marked with happy faces and had a drawing of a flying bison at the bottom. "Ah...no kidding."

Katara ignored him as she read the letter. "Dear Katara and Sokka, happy face. I was just outside of Omashu the other day and ran into Suki and some of the Kyoshi Warriors. They say hi...happy face with toothy smile."

"Just ignore all the happy faces!" Sokka exclaimed. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Fine...We were eating with King Bumi when I realized that we've all spent some time together in the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi and even the Fire Nation, but it's been a while since we were all together in the South Pole. I've heard great things about it from some of the men who were there bringing supplies from the Earth Kingdom so I want to see it. And go penguin sledding again," There was a strange black blob that was supposed to resemble a penguin draw beneath the paragraph. "I'm going to go pick up Toph in a few days and talk her into coming. I'll tell her to bring shoes. We should be arriving at the poles a few days after you get this letter! We'll see you soon!

"They're coming from Omashu? Why didn't they tell us earlier! I could've asked them to pick up some stuff!" Sokka said, exasperated.

Katara let out a frustrated growl. "Is food all you think about?"

"I'm just saying there are some tasty things there that we can't get on this floating chunk of ice!" Sokka retorted defensively. Katara just stared at him.

"And you're not the least bit excited to see Aang and Toph?" Katara asked questioningly. Sokka let out a mock gasp of surprise.

"Of course I am! Aang and Toph? My good buddies? Of course I'm excited! Look at me!" he said as he waved his arms in the air. "I'm excited!"

"Don't let his attitude bring you down, Katara," Hakoda sighed. "We all know he's excited."

Sokka was lost in his own little world. "Really...they could've told us sooner...I mean...there are so many places on the way here that they could stop to pick up some snacks..."

Their father shook his head and looked over at Katara. "So Aang and Toph are coming? I will tell the tribe to prepare for their arrival soon. And a place for Appa to rest," he sighed tiredly. "The lemur isn't a housing issue, but where do we keep a ten ton bison...?"

"Actually, make that a lemur, a bison, and three people," Katara said. She turned the scroll around and pointed to the note at the bottom. "P.S. We're bringing someone along and it's a surprise...but we included a hint!"

"Hint?" Hakoda asked, confused.

Katara's eyes went wide and she looked at Sokka. "The package!"

Sokka tilted his head to the side, confused. "What package?"

"Ugh!" Katara groaned. She grabbed his hand and lifted up the narrow, paper wrapped package tied with string that was still in his hand. "The one you're holding!"

"Oh!" Sokka grinned. "Right...See, I knew that."

Katara ran a hand down her face. "Just open it..." Her brother nodded as his face lit up.

"Oh! Maybe it's jerky!" Sokka tore open the package, letting the pieces of paper fall to the ground without remorse. As the last strip of paper was pulled off, Sokka lifted up a glistening metal object in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, it opened.

"A metal fan...?" Katara mumbled. Her eyes widened and she and Sokka looked at each other.

"SUKI!" they chorused. Katara smiled widely and took the fan from Sokka, examining it. Sure enough, Suki's name was marked at the bottom of the fan.

"Three people then," Hakoda laughed as he walked off. "I will tell the others."

Katara nodded. "Thanks, dad!"

"Suki's coming...Suki's coming..." Katara turned her head and jumped back as she saw Sokka smiling like an idiot while chanting and performing a little celebratory dance in a small circle. Katara sighed and shook her head. She gave him a tired smile and she handed him Suki's fan.

"Then you might want to return this to her," Katara said. "Besides, it's not like you'll have any use for it."

"Hey!" Sokka said as he proudly snatched the fan back. He opened it up and posed in the first stance of the Kyoshi Warrior's training regiment. "I did train with them. This fan, like my entire body, is a deadly weapon." He began moving the fan forward, as if fighting an imaginary opponent. Katara shook her head.

Katara grinned. "In your hands, anything can be a deadly weapon...however; who it's deadly to is questionable."

"Haha..." Sokka grumbled. He lowered the fan and slipped it into his pocket as he knelt down with Katara to gather their now empty lunch cases and put them back into the bag. As he looked up, he noticed something missing from his sister's neck. "Katara...where's your necklace?"

"Hmm?" Unconsciously her hand rose to her neck. "Oh...um...the clasp broke the other day. Gran-Gran said she'd take it to Master Pakku since he knows how to fix it."

"Oh..." Sokka mumbled, noticing how her eyes diverted to the ground. "For a second, I thought you stopped wearing it."

"Stop wearing it?" Katara asked quietly. Her eyes rose and met his, confused. "Why would I do that?"

Sokka shook his head. "Never mind...forget I said anything." He turned back to the task at hand as Katara tugged the collar of her heavy outer coat around her neck, as if covering up the empty spot.

"I'm not trying to show everyone that I'm not betrothed in hopes of attracting a man, Sokka...don't worry." she assured him, trying to sound like it was a joke. However, both she and her brother noticed how pathetic it sounded. Sokka stopped what he was doing and looked back at her.

"About what I was going to say earlier." he began, remembering how he was cut off by their father's visit. Katara's eyes darted away.

"Sokka, I told you before, it's fine," she repeated. "It was nothing. I'm okay now. I know you're worried, but really...it's fine."

Sokka frowned. "Katara, I'm sorry about how I reacted-"

"I've been sitting here too long!" she suddenly exclaimed. Katara shot up from her kneeling position, pasting a bright smile across her face as she brushed the excess ice and snow off her shoulders. "I have to get back to work. Do you mind bringing the bag back to Gran-Gran?"

"Katara-" Sokka stood up.

"I'll see you at dinner!" She was already walking away, rushing back as quickly as she could to her work site before Sokka could stop her. The blue eyed Water Tribe warrior watched her dive back into her work and clenched the bag tightly in one hand.

It'll be okay, Katara... he thought as he turned around and headed back to their house. I'll do whatever I can do to make you smile for real. I promise.


He pressed his seal against the parchment and lifted up the stamp. His eyes ran through the document once more before moving it over to the pile to his left. His hand then reached back to the taller stack by his right and brought down the next set of documents.

Request for monetary aid for a village in the southern region... Zuko rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes tiredly. It was sunset and he had been in his study all day reviewing paper work asking for aid, extensions, or some sort of permission to do something. For a moment he allowed himself to wonder if his father had even bothered to look over the papers before he died as when he had taken control, there were already mountains of documents waiting to be reviewed.

Iroh had assured him that having that amount of paper work was a commonality. After all, as the head of a nation, nearly everything had to go through him. On days like this, where he hadn't left his study for hours and his eyes were beginning to see double, he wondered if it was worth all the trouble. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he had to eat if he expected to survive the mountains of paper work. Golden eyes traveled back to the stack.

No, he had too much to do. He could eat when he was done. He'd get the cook to whip up something later that night or make himself a quick snack. After all, he was the Fire Lord. He could do that.

As he settled back into reading the document, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps rushing across the hall outside. Considering that the footsteps were not slowing down as they reached the study's doors, Zuko came to the conclusion that it could only be one person. The doors burst open.

"Zuko!" A flurry of papers showered around the room in a hail of white parchment as Iroh rushed into the room. His arms were filled with scrolls and disorganized sheets of paper. A blushing smile was on his face as behind him, the clerk struggled to gather all the falling papers.

Zuko mentally groaned. He let out a frustrated breath as he put his document down and looked up. "Yes, Uncle Iroh?"

"Do you know what today is?" Iroh asked, rather loudly. Zuko could feel a headache coming.

He let out another heavy breath. "No, Uncle...I do not know what today is."

Iroh grinned from ear to ear. "Today was the deadline for the applications for the ladyship system!"

Oh...yay... Without any enthusiasm, Zuko looked back at the paper in front of him. "That's nice, Uncle."

Iroh gushed and hugged the scrolls and papers against him. "Ah...if only I were young again..." he sighed wistfully. He looked down at the armload of applications he held. "Look at all of these applications! It is unfortunate that we have only twenty-five spots. It hurts me just knowing that we won't be able to accept all these wonderful young ladies!" He lamented, almost dancing on air as he hugged the applications.

The Fire Lord rolled his eyes. "Twenty-five is a good number."

"Still," Iroh insisted. "It's going to break so many of their hearts when they find out that they were rejected."

"It happens."

"Zuko! How could you be so cold?" Iroh gasped, as if personally insulted. "For some of these girls, it is their dream to study at the palace!"

"Unfortunately, we do not have enough spaces...Wait..." Zuko's voice trailed off as he lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. "There are twenty five noble families we contacted and twenty five spots. Just enough for one person per family. Why do we have so many applications?" He paused and clenched his hands. He took a deep breath to try to calm down. "And why do we have applications in the first place? I had specifically instructed for each family to choose one girl to send here!"

"Ah...about that..." Iroh said. He smiled, obviously pleased. "When you sent me the draft to finalize and send out to the noble families, I took the liberty to removing that instruction."

Zuko's eyes widened and his gritted his teeth. "WHY."

"I do not think that the families should pick who to send. I thought it would be better if they filled out an application with their interests, skills, education and such and then you would pick from them." Iroh continued to smile as Zuko stared at him with disbelief.

"Uncle, are you insane?" Zuko shouted, steam coming out of his nose. "Do you know how much time it will take me to go through every single application? I don't have time for that!"

Calmly Iroh looked over his shoulder. "Clerk, leave us for a moment and start arranging your pile of applications. I will come get them for my nephew later."

The clerk nodded. "Yes, sir. My Lord." He bowed his head and quickly scurried out into the hall. The door closed behind him and Iroh looked back at his nephew.

"But Zuko, think about it like this," Iroh explained. "If we had let the families choose their representative in the system, they each would have sent the girl who they thought would be your 'ideal' wife. It would become one big competition for your attention. I changed the instruction to have them fill out an application for every eligible young woman within the ages of 14 to 18 so that you could go through the applications and choose the young women you feel would be most beneficial to the system."

Zuko lifted his hand and rubbed his forehead. His Uncle made a valid point, as usual. However, he was already back logged with work. "I understand your efforts, Uncle," Zuko sighed. "But I already have more than enough to review-"

"I'm not asking that you look it all over in one day," Iroh assured him. "You can go as fast as you wish. But keep in mind that you did want to re-instate this as soon as possible."

Mentally, the young Fire Lord cursed his Uncle's far too perfect memory. "How many applications are there?" he asked.

"Three hundred twenty-one."

"No."

"Zuko," Iroh bemoaned. "It is for a good cause! And it's not all reading, look," He shifted the papers in his arms and managed to fish out one. "Some of them came with pictures."

Zuko nearly screamed. "Why are there pictures? How they look like doesn't matter!"

"Don't yell at me about it," Iroh said defensively. "I didn't ask for the pictures. The noble families sent them in."

"Wonderful..."

"If you want, we can go through them together. I am an excellent judge of character, if I say so myself." Zuko rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really didn't need this.

"Fine...just...just let me get these done."

"Excellent!" Iroh gushed. "May I make a few suggestions?"

"No." Zuko grumbled as he looked back at his documents.

"I was thinking that we start with a list of qualifications, just to narrow the fields a bit. Say...we only pick out those who have experience with the arts and a respectable education."

Zuko had begun ignoring him. "That's nice, Uncle." he mumbled, carelessly.

"Do you know that nobleman Chao's daughter places the erhu and various flutes? And nobleman Xiao Wen's granddaughter makes the most renowned pork buns in their entire region!" Iroh chattered on. He chuckled to himself. "Although, I don't know if you'd count that as an art."

"Interesting..."

"I've taken the liberty of skimming the piles. There are many girls who have a background in poetry. That might be useful in the memorization of the Fire Nation epic poem that describes our ancient rise to greatness."

"Astounding. Really."

Iroh stopped before Zuko's desk and frowned. Instead of looking up at him with interest and excitement, Zuko was hunched over his desk, writing something on a piece of paper. The old general raised an eyebrow. "Nobleman Ten's niece is a master potter and juggles."

"Great."

Iroh frowned. One more test..."And Azula herself has applied. She composes music so heavenly that the gods themselves weep at the beauty of her melody."

"Wonderful."

Without further adieu, Iroh loomed over Zuko's desk and released his cargo. A pile of scrolls and sheets were suddenly dumped over the neatly organized desk and Zuko jumped back. His work was now buried beneath the pile and he snapped his head up. "Uncle, what are you doing?" Zuko growled as he shot up from his chair. "I was working!"

"You have been working all day! You need a break." Iroh insisted.

Zuko scowled as he glared at his Uncle. "I don't have time for a 'break'. As you can see, I have enough work to keep me busy for a while and it has to get done!"

"And it will get done, Zuko!" Iroh assured him. "But not if you're too tired to do them. You need to take a break."

"I have taken breaks."

"Going to relieve yourself once every few hours is not a break," Iroh said. "You haven't even eaten lunch yet and from the look of your desk, you also plan on skipping dinner."

Zuko looked away, deciding to dig through the piles of paper in search of his buried document. "I was going to eat after I finished."

"From the looks of it, you will starve first," Iroh pointed out. Zuko scowled more so and tugged his paper out. "Dead men do no work."

Zuko let out a low growl and slammed his hand on the desk. "Fine! I'll go and eat!"

Iroh sighed tiredly. "I've never seen a man so angry when he was offered food."

Zuko threw his arms in the air, frustrated. "If I go eat, you will go through the applications."

"Oh, no, I'm afraid I can't do that. You see-"

"No, buts!" Zuko insisted as he rounded his desk and headed towards the door. "It's your fault I now have three hundred twenty applications to-"

"Three hundred twenty-one." Iroh corrected. Zuko seethed with annoyance.

"Three hundred twenty-one applications to go through," he hissed behind gritted teeth. "I don't have time for them and won't be able to do them fast enough to get the system started soon!"

"Hmm..." Iroh thought for a moment and rubbed his chin. "How about a deal?"

"What do you suggest?"

"What do you suggest, Fire Lord?" Iroh asked. Zuko narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment.

"From now on, I'll eat at least twice a day, even if I'm in here working. If I do, you will go through the applications and select twenty-five girls you see as the most promising for the system. Once they're selected, I will approval for the twenty-five girls based on their applications."

Iroh narrowed his eyes and mulled over the proposition. Zuko waited with slight anticipation. Twenty-five was much less than three hundred twenty-one. And he would still end up with the final decision... "And tea."

"Fine, I'll buy you some tea-"

"No," Iroh said. "That would be nice. But with the two meals a day, I would like you to join me for tea in the afternoon as well."

Zuko's expression softened slightly. "Agreed."

"Wonderful!" Iroh said as he followed Zuko and patted his back proudly. "You made an excellent compromise, my nephew." He added affectionately.

Zuko smiled slightly, unseen by his Uncle. As they walked into the hall, Zuko lifted his head and frowned. Iroh forced him into a compromise. He didn't get everything he wanted, but he did get a good deal while still appeasing his Uncle. It was a lesson. He smirked and glanced down at the smiling old man. "Thank you, Uncle."


"Okay, okay," Sokka said for the millionth time as he paced the packed snow of the dock. "What do you think she'd like to see first? The lodge or the canals? Or should we just go straight to penguin sledding."

Katara grinned. "I don't know, Sokka...isn't penguin sledding a little immature?" In truth, she didn't mean it. So what if it was created for little children? She would penguin sled until either she or the penguin was no longer physically able. She looked up behind her from where she was sitting on a crate, playing with a ball of water in her hands.

Sokka had paled considerably. "Oh no," he froze. "You're right. I can't take her penguin sledding! She probably doesn't even like snow!" He raised his hands and clutched his head. "Ugh! What was I thinking?"

Katara snickered and moved the ball of water around in front of her. Aang, Toph, and their surprise guest, Suki, were scheduled to come in that day, around mid afternoon. Katara had calculated the time while taking into consideration Appa's flying speed. She had just spent the entire morning running around their house, cleaning out and preparing two guest rooms. One for Aang and one for Toph and Suki to share. Provided they were willing to share. She was excited, trying to make sure that everything was perfect for their friends.

Sokka, on the other hand, had been meticulously planning a guided tour of the new city. He spent the night before wracking his brain to come up with activities that would be enjoyable to Toph and Suki. He already knew Aang would be happy with just about anything, even if it was just penguin sledding all day.

"How about ice fishing? You can't go wrong with ice fishing." Katara suggested. Sokka's eyes widened, as if he had an epiphany.

"Ice fishing..." he repeated with awe."Of course."

"Of course...Toph will get bored with the waiting and Suki might not even like the ice." Katara watched as her brother's arms flailed in the air as he let out a frustrated scream. She had been doing that to him for the last few hours. It was still entertaining. As Sokka fell to his knees and looked up to the heavens, Katara raised an eyebrow in question.

"Why?" Sokka cried out, dramatically. "Why must it be so hard to find something to do?"

Katara saw some of the workers around them staring at them strangely and blushed, embarrassed. "Sokka! I'm sure it'll be fine!" Katara assured him. "Get up! I'm sure they'll have fun no matter what!"

Sokka sniffled and looked at her unsurely. "You think so?"

"I'm positive," Katara sighed. "Now get up, people are starting to think you're weirder than usual!"

Sokka got up and opened his mouth to reply to her 'weird' comment when Katara shot up from her seat. Her ball of water fell to the ground, on to Sokka's shoes. "Hey!"

"It's them!" Katara squealed as she pointed into the sky. She jumped up and down and threw her arms in the air ecstatically as Sokka turned around. He followed her gaze to the sky and smiled as he saw the ten ton bison soaring towards them.

"Hey!" Sokka waved his arms in the air.

A chorus of excited voices shouted from the back of the bison. They could see three bodies moving around, waving their arms in the air. Toph was shouting, Aang was waving one hand while holding on to Appa's reins with the other, and Suki, once again void of make-up, had her arms up and was shouting excitedly.

"Down here!" Katara yelled. She pointed to the large area behind her and waved for them to land. Aang carefully maneuvered the massive beast down on to the sturdy ice dock and quickly jumped off.

"Katara! Sokka!" Aang shouted. Toph jumped off the back of the bison and nearly screamed as her bare feet touched the ice and snow covered ground.

"It's cold! It's cold!" Toph screamed. Aang air bended her up to keep her from touching the ground as Katara laughed.

"I told you to wear shoes!" Aang told her, exasperated.

"I got them!" Suki jumped down, holding a pair of black shoes for Toph.

"I didn't think it was going to be this cold!" Toph complained. Suki quickly helped Toph put her shoes on before Aang let her down.

"Well, it is ice. You can't get much colder than that." Sokka grinned.

"Stuff it, Snoozeles," Toph retorted as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I've never been in any of the poles before!"

Katara chuckled as she hugged Toph. "Don't worry. We'll get you guys some thick clothes to wear."

"Yeah," Sokka assured them. "Before you know it, you'll be more at home here than Appa is in the air. Isn't that right, old buddy?" Sokka said as he walked up to Appa's head. The bison let out a snort and licked Sokka.

"Guess it is right." Katara said. Aang had rushed in front of them, standing before the gates of the city.

"Whoa...it's so different from what I remember..." Aang said with awe. "It's so much...bigger!"

"Well, we're making room for an expanding population," Katara told him. "Some of the men who came down to help with the reconstruction have decided to stay. One couple is even expecting a baby."

"Katara..." Toph said as she tugged on Katara's sleeve. "I want a parka, too! I'm going to freeze if I stay out here any longer!"

"Okay, okay," Katara said. She took Toph's hand, unsure of how and even if, Toph could feel the vibrations in the icy ground. "Let's head to our place and put your stuff away. I have some extra clothes for you guys to wear," She looked over her shoulder and beamed a smile at Suki. "Come on, Suki! I want to show you guys our new house before we go on a tour!"

Suki smiled and nodded. Appa followed behind them as she walked behind Toph, Katara, and Aang. Footsteps fell along side of hers and she looked over at Sokka. "So...this is the South Pole, huh?"

"Yep...you've actually come at a pretty good time," Sokka told her. "We just finished rebuilding. Wait until you see the communal lodge. It's great! There's a pool of water inside and it opens up to the sky when we pull back the roof."

"Sounds great," Suki smiled shyly. "I'm really glad I could come."

"Yeah..." Sokka said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "So am I," His eyes widened as he looked over at her. "I mean... I'm glad that all of you could come. Yeah...that's it."

Suki giggled and nodded. "Well, I always wanted to see your home town. I didn't know what to expect...but this sure is amazing..." Sokka felt his face heating up and he looked away.

"Oh, yeah...I almost forgot," He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a metal fan. Suki smiled broadly as he handed it to her. "It's yours, right?"

"Yep," Suki said. With learned ease and grace, she opened the fan up and held it out to inspect it. She gave Sokka a sidelong glance. "So...you still remember how to use it?"

Sokka scoffed and gave her a confident look. "Do I?" he almost laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised if I could beat you."

Suki raised an eyebrow. "Is that so...?"


"Ah!" Sokka was flipped over Suki's head for the tenth time in the row. Toph laughed once again. Around her, a dozen or so little children were pointing at the self proclaimed 'greatest warrior' of their village, joining Toph in rounds of laughter.

"That's ten out of ten, Snoozeles!" she announced as she kept her feet planted over the ground. She learned that much of the city was built on frozen tundra. Only the canals and docks were built directly over the water and ice, without any earth beneath. She was able to feel a vibration, but it would take some time to get used to. That was how she knew that Suki was showing Sokka just how good of a warrior she was. "She's kicking your butt!"

"She is not kicking my butt! I'm merely testing her skills!" Sokka shouted back defensively as he got up. His back cracked and he winced.

Suki put a hand on her hip and sighed. "Well, you've been testing my skills for the past thirty minutes. Are you going to actually show me yours or are you going to keep falling in the snow?"

Sokka lifted up the fan and snapped in closed. He brought himself into a ready defensive position. "Bring it on!"

A few seconds later, a thump followed a yelp of surprise. Katara sighed and stood by one of the buildings. They were out in an open area by the lodge. Suki and Sokka were doing their 'demonstration' as the children looked on. Some adults even stopped to watch the young warrior woman whip their home town boy's behind. They had finished giving the group a tour, although Toph complained it was pointless to her. Aang had wanted to go penguin sledding immediately after, but Sokka proclaimed he and Suki had plans.

Their plans resulted in the amusement for the whole village as Sokka tried to show off his less than perfect movements in comparison to Suki. Toph, however, found it hilarious.

Katara sat by the edge of the fountain in the distance and watched fondly. "Hey." a voice said beside her.

She didn't have to look over to know who it was. "Hey, yourself," Katara said as Aang sat down beside her. "Sokka's been trying to figure out some way for the girls to enjoy themselves while they're here. I guess he found it."

Aang smiled and nodded. "So...how are you holding up?"

"Huh?" Katara looked down at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Aang tilted his head to the side, curiously. "You leaving the Fire Nation...I could tell you didn't want to leave."

For a couple of seconds, Katara was speechless. Her mouth opened a bit, words trapped in her throat as she turned her head away. "What are you talking about? Of course I wanted to leave. I missed home."

The young Avatar looked down at his feet. "You don't have to hide it, Katara. I know about you and Zuko," Her head flew up. "It's okay, you know. I think it's great. I mean, Zuko's a really good guy-"

Her hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "Aang," she said in a low voice, carefully to keep it quiet enough so that no one else heard. "How did you know?"

He was caught. "I...um..." he stammered nervously. He quickly put on a wide, uneasy smile. "Um...how about penguin sledding?"

"Aang..." Katara frowned.

"All right, all right!" Aang sighed. Katara released him and looked down at his hands twisting themselves on his lap. "I saw you two at the pond..."

Katara closed her eyes and mentally swore. She leaned back against one arm and rubbed her forehead. "It was nothing..."

"No, it wasn't," Aang insisted. "That's the first time I've ever seen Zuko so close to someone other than his Uncle. I figured you were really special to him."

Yeah...were...

"So that's why I didn't get it when you said you were leaving," Aang admitted. Katara shook her head. "Don't you love him?"

Love him? Her heart twisted in her chest. "Aang, it's nothing. We're just friends...confidants if anything," Katara insisted. She gave him a pleading look. "I'd really rather not talk about it."

Aang looked at her sadly. He could see the emotions swirling in her eyes and nodded, resigned. "Does Sokka at least know? He is your brother."

Katara let out a heavy, reluctant breath. "Yeah...I think he knows," Aang searched for something else to say, but before he could find any words, Bato's voice ran from the lodge, announcing that it was time for dinner. The children scampered up, running to their parents as everyone started to head into the lodge. "Let's not think about that now," Katara insisted. She smiled fondly at him. "Our friends are here...let's focus on that."

Aang gave her a determined nod and followed her into the lodge. They were seated along the walls as food and drink were served. They sat on warm, cushioned seats on tables that were low to the ground. A pool of water was bubbling at either end of the lodge and in the center was a pit of fire that kept the room warm. Panels in the ceiling were opened up to the cold night air, allowing the villagers and their guests to look up at the moon and the stars above.

Katara sat between Aang and Suki while Toph sat on Aang's other side and Sokka on Suki's. The group chattered amongst themselves as food was placed in front of them. Katara occasionally took time out of her meal to coax Toph into eating whatever Toph proclaimed 'smelled funny'. Suki was a bit more daring and speared a stewed sea prune before popping it to her mouth.

"Attention, people of my tribe and honored guests," Hakoda said as he stood up. "I would like to welcome the Avatar and, most importantly, good friend to my children and honorary member of our tribe - Avatar Aang!" The villagers clapped as Aang smiled widely and waved. "We also have with us trusted allies and beloved friends of my children - Toph, the current champion of the Earth Kingdom's professional earthbender wrestling tournament," Toph grinned. "And famed leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki!"

Suki blushed and gave a slight wave as Toph leaned towards Katara. "I like your dad. He's good with descriptions."

Katara laughed as her father continued. "I am pleased to announce that in a month's time, the major construction of our meager village will be complete. And as such, Chief Arnook of our sister tribe in the North Pole will be gracing us with his visit," Applause went around the room. "And I have been informed that the Kyoshi Warriors will also be visiting us and will honor us with a performance in the form of an exhibition of their fighting style."

Sokka looked surprised as Katara reached over and jumped in her seat with Suki, excitedly. "You're going to be performing...HERE?" Sokka asked.

"Surprise!" Suki grinned. She elbowed him and smirked. "You want to join us? You know...show everyone how much you've learned?"

Katara chuckled and cut in before Sokka could reply. "Please, spare us. I think we've gotten a good show from his performance outside."

"Hey," Sokka countered. "I'm just a tad bit rusty."

"Although, it is too bad, Sokka," Aang said. He grinned from ear to ear. "You did look pretty in that dress."

"It's not a dress!" Sokka exclaimed. "It's a warrior's uniform!"

Suki laughed and turned to Katara. "We have surprise for you, too, Katara."

"Me?" the waterbender asked, surprised. "What is it?"

"Can't tell you, it's a surprise," Suki beamed. "But the girls and I were thinking...you're definitely a warrior. So we wanted to show you that we think you're a good friend. We kind of think of you as a sister in arms, so we have a nice little surprise for you."

No way...they're going to make me an honorary Kyoshi Warrior? That has to be it! Katara's eyes widened. Her mind immediately went off to how she would look with white and red make up and a green Kyoshi Warrior's uniform. She smiled widely and looked at Suki. "I can't wait!"


"I don't want to do this."

"You have to. It is part of the job."

"I'm the Fire Lord. Can't I just assign someone to do this for me?" Zuko asked incredulously. In front of him, Iroh sighed.

A servant moved around Zuko as the young Fire Lord stood up on a stool, holding his arms out. The servant was doing the final touches to the formal ceremonial robe that Zuko was supposed to wear. He hated wearing the damn thing. It was heavy and with all its layers, it was hot. The last time he had worn it, it had been during his coronation.

"There are some things you just cannot avoid," Iroh told him calmly. "And meeting the participants of the ladyship system in this entrance ceremony is one of them."

Zuko growled in a low voice. In the last few weeks, he had followed through with the compromise he made with his Uncle. And the week before, he had finalized the twenty-five participants based on application alone. Their names and noble family backgrounds were withheld to keep the judging free of any unconscious bias. However, Zuko had agreed with all the girls his Uncle chose.

They were all extremely well qualified. Each could play music, do art, had excellent educational backgrounds, including a few girls who were students and graduates at the Royal Fire Academy For Girls. After he dictated the acceptance letters himself, the messages were sent out to the noble families.

Iroh had taken it upon himself to organize the formal event that would introduce each girl to the court, their peers, and their Fire Lord. Zuko believed he had done it because it meant he had to go shopping for decorations, musicians, and taste test all the food.

In the end, it proved to be worth it. Zuko was given a walk through the banquet hall to get a look at the set up and was impressed with his Uncle's choices. The food looked delicious. The music he heard was pleasant, and the decorations were not as horrible as he expected. All that work had also taken up much of Iroh's time, meaning fewer disturbances for his nephew.

"You are all done, Fire Lord Zuko." the servant said as he bowed his head and moved to the side.

"About time..." Zuko mumbled. He stepped off the stool and walked to the nearest mirror to access himself. He made sure his hair was perfectly in place and unconsciously smoothened out his robes. "All right, Uncle. Let's get this over with."

Iroh smiled. "You look very dashing, Zuko. You remind me of a young me. You will have to fight them off with a stick."

Zuko rolled his eyes as he walked out of the royal quarters with his Uncle behind him. They could hear the music coming down the hall as they approached. Iroh went in first and Zuko waited behind the doors. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come. He heard his name announced and the doors were opened.

The Fire Lord entered, head held high as he subtly greeted the nobleman as he passed. He headed for his seat at the front of the hall. Iroh was waiting for him, along with the first girl. Zuko slipped into an automatic reaction.

"This is so and so's daughter..." Iroh would introduce as the young woman, dressed just as elaborately as he, would bow before him and try to catch his eyes. Zuko would then give her a small bow of his head to acknowledge her and give her a few words of encouragement and thanks before she was lead aside.

He lost count of how many girls had been introduced. All their faces blurred into one and he could no longer tell them apart. Dark hair...pale skin...red robes.

"Our last participant is a graduate of the Royal Fire Academy For Girls. She had one of the top scores in all her classes, is accomplished in poetry, and plays three instruments," Iroh said. Zuko nodded, having heard it all before. "This is nobleman Sun's daughter, Mai."

Gold eyes focused on the familiar, solemn looking face of one of his sister's best friends and nearly set his chair on fire. Before he could demand why she was there, he remembered his place in the room. Hundreds of eyes were watching him, including the heads of the noble families and military officials of whom he needed support from. His eyes narrowed into slits as he gritted his teeth and gave her a nod of his head.

Zuko met her slightly nervous gaze with his and spoke as calmly as he could. "Mai...welcome to the Fire Palace."


A.N. - It's been a long filler chapter, but Mai has finally been introduced. Special thanks to Rashaka for pointing out something in Chapter 4. I fixed it and hopefully it makes sense now. Please feel free to PM me with any questions you guys may have. I'll try to address it as best as I can. I know you all are waiting for the Zutara goodness...but not just yet. In the meantime, thank you all for reading!