Rhythm of the Rain
Chapter Eighteen
By DamageCtrl

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


Ty Lee stood out on the deck, doing her morning stretches to keep herself flexible. Even if this was a mini vacation for her, she wouldn't slack on her work out. She would return right to work once she returned. And she wanted to perfect a new routine when she did. As she rested her weight on her arms, she stretched her body over her back and head until the tips of her toes touched the metal deck in front of her.

Behind her, some of the sailors who were still on duty cringed at the sight. They had heard about Ty Lee and her skill as a contortionist, but seeing her twisting her body in seemingly unnatural ways made them feel as if their own spine had been ripped out.

The whispering men and the acrobat was the sight that Iroh saw as he walked on deck, stretching his own sore muscles after a small rest. He looked around the deck to make sure that Mai was not in the vicinity. When he made certain she was not, he approached the pink clad young woman.

"Good morning, Ty Lee." he said cheerfully. The young woman looked up and smiled brightly.

"Good morning, General Iroh! You're up to stretch, too?" she asked curiously. The old man chuckled.

"Yes, however, not as much as you," he smiled. "When you are done, please feel free to join me for tea on the bow of the ship. Zuko always sleeps in whenever we're on the water."

Ty Lee nodded. "Okay!" She spent another fifteen minutes in her rigorous routine before she did her final and simplest stretches. She then padded over the long metal ship to the other end. Placed neatly on the deck were two large pillows to sit on and a low table. Two tea cups, three small trays of snacks, and a pot of tea warming on a small burner were placed on top of the table.

And her elder host was still in the middle of doing his own stretches. As he ended, he turned and smiled at her. "Good for old bones," he assured her. "When you are my age, you have to keep moving. If you stop, you might never move again."

Ty Lee laughed in her usual bubbly nature and skipped over to sit on one of the pillows. The old general sat across from her and poured her some tea. "Thank you for the tea, General Iroh."

"Not at all, Ty Lee," he assured her. "It is always much more pleasant with company," He said as he poured himself something to drink. He raised the cup to his lips and took a long sip. "Ah...this is a new tea, you know. Made of an artic plant. It's very rare and very expensive."

Ty Lee allowed the taste to move in her mouth and nodded. "I've never tasted it before. Where did you get it?"

"Kana of the Water Tribe brought me some," Iroh beamed. "Katara and Sokka's grandmother. She said it's what makes Water Tribe men resilient to the cold. I thought this would be the perfect time to test it out since we'll be crossing into the artic circle soon."

"Does it have any benefits for women?" Ty Lee asked.

"I'm not sure. But if anything happens, tell me." he told her. Ty Lee nodded and reached for a cookie.

"I've never been to the North Pole before. Or the South. I'm excited to see the ice palaces Mai was telling me about," Ty Lee said. "Is it true about the gondolas?"

Iroh nodded. "They are all privately owned and if you are not from the North Pole, you are lucky if you are allowed to ride one. But the city is magnificent. A tiered waterfall, fountains everywhere and then there is the Spirit Oasis."

"What's that?" Ty Lee asked, genuinely curious.

"It is the center of all spiritual activity and energy in the North Pole. Very few people are allowed inside. However, it is the only place in the city that is not covered with snow and ice. It is actually quite warm inside." Iroh told her.

"Wow..." Ty Lee looked immensely impressed. "This is going to be a great trip."

Iroh chuckled and nodded. "I hope so."

"General Iroh!" a voice shouted from the deck. The gray haired man turned as one of the soldiers jogged towards him, a small message in his hand. A hawk was seen perched on one other soldier's arm further down the ship. "I have a message confirming the shipping schedules to the North Pole. No other vessel from the Fire Nation will be leaving port until a day before our return."

"I see," Iroh said, giving the soldier a curt nod. "Thank you for checking up on that for me, Lieutenant."

The soldier bowed his head and handed Iroh the message before rushing off. Ty Lee looked at the paper in the old man's hand. Her fingers twisted the cloth of her pants nervously. "General Iroh...why did you need to confirm the schedules?"

"Ah..." Iroh said as he tucked the paper into his sleeve. It was time to tell her. He lifted his tea and smiled warmly at her. "Do you know why I like tea so much? It is calming...even during the most dangerous of times. I haven't told Zuko about it."

For a moment, he wondered if the young woman understood his subtle attempt telling her that he knew what was going on. She had a blank look on her face and seemed to be thinking over his words. After a minute, she looked down and bowed her head gratefully. In the most serious voice he'd ever heard from the girl, she spoke. "Thank you for the tea."


There was a knock on the door and Sokka rolled over, ignoring it and snuggling back into the warmth of his fur lined bed. Another knock, this time accompanied by a stern voice.

"Sokka," Hakoda said. "Sokka, get up. It's almost noon."

"I had a late night, dad..." Sokka groaned as he buried his face against something warm. "Give me a few more minutes!"

"Sokka, we just received a messenger hawk from Zuko's ship. They'll be arriving soon and we should meet them at the docks." Hakoda told him sternly.

Sokka groaned. Curse the messenger hawk. Curse Zuko's ship. Curse Zuko for coming in the middle of the day! "Fine!" he grumbled. "I'll be out there in a minute!"

"You have ten minutes," his father told him. "Then the gondola is leaving without you and you'll have to walk all the way down to the docks. That goes for you, too, Suki!"

A warm body moved against Sokka's and groaned. "I'm awake..." The man outside the door shook his head tiredly and walked away. In truth, they had an hour to spare, but if Suki had picked up any of his son's sleeping habits, it would take them that long to get ready.

"Suki...five more minutes..." Sokka pleaded as he held on to her waist tighter and pulled her against him.

"I don't want to walk all the way to the docks. I want to ride the gondola." Suki insisted. Gondola rides officially became her favorite way of getting around the city. She wiggled out of his embrace and sat up. Her hair was sticking out in all directions and Sokka grinned as he looked up at her.

"You have bed hair." he mused.

She raised an eyebrow and looked down at him. "So do you," she retorted as she reached down and ruffled his unbound brown hair. "Come on...let's go."

He sighed and slowly sat up as Suki scooted off the bed. She slipped her feet into slippers and stretched out. Her warm sleeping clothes made him snicker. They were slightly oversized and hung off her body in a cute way. He stood up and put his feet on the rug covered floor. The fire to one part of the room had gone out in the middle of the night and he frowned.

"Should I start the fire up again?" he asked.

"Nah," Suki told him as she grabbed her parka that hung neatly on a hook by the door. "I'm going to my room. See you later."

Sokka walked towards her and reached for her hand. She tugged the parka over her head and smiled as he gently pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You should just bring your things in and move into my room."

"My room is nicer," she grinned. "The only thing going for your room is that you're here."

He sighed heavily. "I'll see you later then." She beamed him a smile and leaned up, brushing her lips over his before she left him alone in his room. Sokka sighed heavily and looked around his room. Even while wearing a thick warm set of pajamas, he still felt slightly colder now that Suki was no longer there.

"Fifteen minutes, Sokka!" Gran-Gran's voice shouted from behind the door.

He rolled his eyes. "I know!" Honestly, he would never understand why everyone thought all he did was sleep.


"The celebration starts tomorrow night, during the full moon," Iroh said as he stood on the deck with his nephew, his nephew's fiancée, and his nephew's fiancée's friend. He rubbed his hands together in an almost gleeful manner. "I can hardly wait for it!"

Beside him, the two young women were staring up at the awesome fortified wall of the Northern Water Tribe. The thick, sheer ice wall held the emblem of the Water Tribe shining above them. Banners decorated the top of the wall in numerous shades of blue.

"The escort has arrived!" a voice shouted behind them. Mai and Ty Lee peered over the sides of their ship to see elegantly carved boats come up beside them.

"Fire Lord Zuko, General Iroh, and honored guests! Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe!" one of the men on the boats shouted. Zuko gave them a bow of his head and watched with awe as the two boats that flanked them moved in front of them, without the use of sails, paddles, or an engine.

With careful movements of their bodies and arms, a large opening was created from the thick wall. Ty Lee clapped her hands excitedly. "Wow! Did you see that, Mai? They created a tunnel!"

Mai merely nodded her head, somewhat impressed. The ship was escorted in and they arrived at a corral of sheer ice walls. Waterbenders were on the walls, moving and directing the water through the channels and lochs. As the water level in their loch rose, the wall before them seemed to melt into the water, providing a clear path to the docks.

As the boat chugged in, Ty Lee was squealing with excitement and Mai's eyes were large. Beyond another set of sheer ice walls was the fabled ice city topped with a glorious palace and tiered with flowing water falls. It was like something out of a heavenly dream.

"It's beautiful..." Mai whispered. Azula was wrong. Their palaces were much more amazing than the ones in the Fire Nation. Where else could water flow through canals and waterways in such an elegant fashion? There were tall buildings, market places, open spaces and fountains. Pillars of snow shaped into the heads of animals and spirits. There were more shades of blue than they could ever have dreamed.

Mai glanced over at Zuko. He was standing beside her, his eyes focused on city before him, a stern look on his face. Her gray eyes rose to his. A wistful look graced his golden orbs, as if lost in a memory. "It's been so long..." he whispered. He couldn't help but think about her at a time like this. When everything around him reminded him of Katara.

This was where they had that fight. When he realized that she was a worthy opponent. Strong and capable. This was where he and his Uncle and fought against their own. Him for revenge against Zhao. His Uncle for the balance of the world. So many things happened in that city...and he couldn't shake off the feeling that it wasn't over yet.

The ship was lead and carefully docked along one of the ice piers. "Let's go!" Iroh said enthusiastically. Ty Lee, wrapped in a big pink coat and wearing a warm hat, let out an excited whoop and scrambled after the general.

Mai remained on deck as she watched the ship open up. Several Water Tribe members had arrived to greet them on the docks below. She looked at Zuko once more. He was dressed in thick royal robes and an even thicker red outer coat embroidered with gold dragons around the edges. His hair was up in the top knot. He looked every bit the Fire Lord.

She glanced down at her own dark red robes. Her hair had been pulled back into a single bun befitting the future Fire Lady. A thick outer coat was placed around her body, matching Zuko's. Her hands were encased in warm gloves. They all but screamed out 'royal couple', but they didn't feel like it.

"Zuko?" she said in a solemn voice.

His head perked up and he shook it. "Yes?" he asked, looking at her, distracted.

"We should head down now." she told him. He blinked and nodded.

"Yes...of course." He said. He turned way from the side of the ship and proceeded to go below deck. Mai followed silently behind him. They walked down a set of stairs and down a dark corridor before emerging in the open hull of the ship.

As they came out of the ship, the sailors and soldiers straightened up on either side of them and bowed deeply as they passed. Zuko let out a little cough and held his arm out. Mai took the hint and carefully placed her arm over his so that her hand rested over his.

With the learned elegance from a youth filled with rigid formality, the two descended the ramp to the ice dock. "Fire Lord Zuko and his fiancée Lady Mai!" a soldier shouted. The soldiers all raised their heads and saluted them once more before they headed back into the ship.

Iroh chuckled at the formality Captain Ji insisted upon. He stood beside Ty Lee as the last two members of their party arrived. Chief Arnook was the first to approach the Fire Lord and gave him a bow. "Welcome to the North Pole, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Thank you for inviting us, Chief Arnook," Zuko bowed back formally. "It is an honor to be welcomed at such an event."

"We have prepared rooms for you in the palace, as well as sleeping clothes. Inside our homes it is warmer than it is outside, however it is still more comfortable with warm bed wear." Arnook chuckled.

Zuko and Mai both bowed. "Thank you, Chief Arnook."

"Well, now that the formalities are out of the way," Iroh said as he stepped forward. "Where can an old man get some tea?"

"General Iroh, we've been expecting you as well," Arnook chuckled. "Come join us. We will take you to the palace."

"We're going to walk all the way there?" Ty Lee asked, looking up at the palace several tiers up.

It was Sokka's father to laugh. "No, we shall be taking a gondola. It will be your first time, but I assure you, it's quite fun."

"Yes, my grandson, Sokka, and Suki had a delightful time the other day," Gran-Gran agreed. She hadn't bothered getting out of the gondola she was on. It was Pakku's.

"Is Sokka here?" Ty Lee asked curiously.

"They were supposed to be here..." Pakku grumbled from the edge. "That boy..."

"Dad!" a young man's voice cut through the numerous conversations that were going on around the docks. Everyone turned to their right and saw a familiar young man running towards them, slightly out of breath. "I thought you said we had some more time!"

Suki was right beside him, her hand in his. She wasn't out of breath. "I told you to hurry up, but you wanted to eat breakfast!" she scolded.

Pakku grumbled and rolled his eyes. Hakoda sighed heavily and Chief Arnook chuckled. "You are right on time," the Chief told the couple. "Fire Lord Zuko and his party have arrived."

Sokka and Suki approached the group. Suki gave them a formal bow and smiled warmly while Sokka merely gave a small nodded of his head and shrugged. "Zuko." he greeted in a bored tone.

"Sokka." Zuko replied back, just as disinterested. Suki let out a sigh and shook her head. Men.

"Sokka!" Iroh said with a beaming smile. "Good to see you again, my boy! And young Suki, my you two have grown!" He said cheerfully. Suki smiled and gave him a hug. Sokka shook his hand congenially.

"Welcome back to the North Pole, sir!" Sokka said with a grin. He was sincerely happy to see the old man.

"Hi, Sokka!" Ty Lee piped cheerfully. Before she could give him a hug, Suki maneuvered her way between them and smiled dangerously.

"Hello, Ty Lee! Nice to see you again." she said behind gritted teeth.

Behind them, the older Tribe members smirked. "Your son is quite popular." Arnook whispered to Hakoda. The other man nodded proudly.

"Mai," Sokka said greeting the other girl. He didn't really know how to feel about the girl, knowing that if she married Zuko, his sister would have lost a part of her heart. Yet, at the same time, he had a distinct sense of pity for her. Zuko would never feel the same way about Mai as he did for Katara. He offered her a smile. "Welcome."

Mai merely bowed her head to them. Before any more words were spoken, they were ushered into the gondolas. Sokka and Suki sat beside Gran-Gran while Ty Lee sat across from them. Mai was seated next to her and kept her eyes on their surroundings. Partly because of her interest in the architecture and partly because she was still wary of her old friend's warnings.

Towards the front of the gondola, Chief Arnook sat amongst Zuko, Iroh, and Pakku. Hakoda sat beside Ty Lee and was explaining the architectural strong points of ice. The bubbly young acrobat was firing questions left and right, including asking what kind of animals resided there and if they had penguins.

"No, I'm afraid penguins are only in the South Pole," Hakoda told her. She looked somewhat disappointed. "You've come to the wrong place if you want to go penguin sledding."

Suki found herself grinning slightly. She'd discovered the joys of penguin sledding and suddenly felt lucky she had the chance to. A heavy arm fell around her and she looked up at Sokka. He was adding something to Hakoda's explanation of penguin sledding and not looking at her, but his arm had been placed securely around her shoulders, as if reassuring her.

She smiled slightly at his affection and snuggled closer to him. While she was certain that Ty Lee would never had a chance with Sokka, partly because he was still kind of scared of her, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous, and slightly flattered, that Ty lee thought her boyfriend was cute. Taken, but cute.

Mai watched the couple in front of her, hiding her envy well behind her stoic demeanor. Her eyes darted towards Zuko. He sat beside her, but their bodies were not touching. He was engrossed in a conversation about trade and all his attention was focused on the other men. Her hands clenched slightly as her eyes looked down at the wood they were sitting on.

"We would love to do an exchange program," Iroh's voice reached her ears. "Using waterbending for healing has always been amazing to watch. You know, we have just started institutions to teach healing arts all over the Fire Nation. It was Mai's idea."

She felt several pairs of eyes on her and she immediately sat up straight. She bowed her head calmly towards them, as if acknowledging the comment. Zuko nodded beside her. "It would be very well received for waterbenders who can heal to do a few lectures at the institutions and show their prowess in healing. Wouldn't you agree, Mai?"

"Yes, of course," Mai nodded. "The doctors I've spoken to have said nothing but great things about the healing they have seen at the hands of a waterbender."

Zuko shifted in his seat and Mai diverted his gaze. Was he uncomfortable with all the talk of waterbenders? It would be unavoidable in a way, considering where they were. She turned her attention to the other conversation on Ty Lee's end.

"And a few people have already arrived from the Earth Kingdom to come to the celebration," Suki was saying. "The other day we saw Jet and Haru."

"Jet?" the name perked up the interest of Iroh. The old man raised an eyebrow and scooted closer to the other end of the boat, abandoning the conversation on export and import. "The young man with the black hair the little band of tree top rebels?"

"That's him," Sokka snorted. "Can you believe that both he and Haru are here?"

"Sokka," Hakoda began. "Who is Jet?"

"No one to worry about, dad. Just some guy Katara froze to a tree."

"She froze someone to a tree?" Hakoda and Ty Lee chorused at the same time.

Iroh began to laugh and shook his head. "He seemed like quite the smooth talking young man."

"Smooth talking?" Hakoda frowned. He looked at Sokka. "We're going to have a talk later." The blue eyed young man nodded and sighed heavily.

Gran-Gran merely sat quietly, deciding that she would like to meet that Jet person. Another rival for my granddaughter's affections? She's more like me than I thought.


Katara wouldn't help but feel the excitement coursing through her as she leaned over the edge of Appa's saddle and peered over the crystal blue waters below them. The cold artic winds swept around them as Momo huddled beside her.

"Are we there yet?" Toph asked tiredly. She was currently seated by the back of the saddle; her body clad in a thick green coat, making her look like a shrub with eyes.

"Almost," Katara assured her. "I can see the glacier up ahead."

"Should we wait ahead to be escorted in like last time?" Aang asked.

"Nah, we know where it is now. Let's just fly over and surprise them!" Katara grinned.

"Sounds good!" Aang agreed.

Katara smiled widely. In just a few moments, she would see her family. She hadn't seen them in months and looked forward to seeing them. Even thought no one told her they would be there, she knew they would be. At least Sokka would. After all, it was a celebration for Yue. Suki would probably be there as well. Katara sighed, content.

She really needed this little break. They all did after all the work they had gone through in the southern Earth Kingdom. She suddenly felt like letting out a squeal of joy.

Suddenly, beside her, Momo started jumping and pointing. Katara followed his hands and allowed a wide smile to cross her face. "There it is! There's the Northern Water Tribe!" she shouted as she pointed directly ahead of them.

The gates stood out against the sheer cliffs that framed the city in a safe little enclave. "Okay, Appa, bring us in!" Aang told his friend.

The flying bison let out a snort and sped up. Katara rushed to the front of the saddle looked below them. "Toph! Toph! We're almost there!"

"I heard you the first time," the sarcastic little earthbender grumbled. "The sooner we get down, the sooner we can get inside a nice warm room!"

Katara chuckled. "No problem!" She remained looking over the edge as they began to descend. Appa swept over the top of the wall and Katara and Aang waved at the benders on guard duty as they passed. Below them, the people looked up and began to point. Shouts were heard and soon cheers echoed from the city below as they flew over.

"Looks like we're popular." Toph said as she crawled to the edge and leaned against the saddle. She couldn't see, but she waved none the less.

Aang and Katara waved down at the crowds that were busy decorating the glorious ice city. Shouts of welcome reached their ears and the two grinned at each other.

"We're back!"


Jet leaned against the side of the building, eyeing the gondola as it passed. He let out a distasteful snort as his sharp eyes glared at the male red robed figure with the scar. It had been a while since he'd seen the former banished prince. But it seemed that he had changed over that time period. So that's the guy Katara fell for...

"Is that him?" a voice asked beside him. Jet rolled his eyes and stood up straight. He didn't bother looking at the new comer to his left. He already knew who it was. Haru stood there, dressed in a drab blue parka he had bought specifically for the occasion. Jet was dressed in a darker blue parka rimmed with white around the neck.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't worry about it," Jet replied coolly. "See the girl in the red next to him?"

Haru followed the gondola with his eyes and nodded. "Yes."

"That's his fiancée," Jet told him. "The noblewoman."

Haru studied the pale faced young woman critically. Pretty in her own right, however looking eternally unexpressive, if not somewhat annoyed. "I see..."

Over the last few weeks since Sokka 'introduced' them, Haru had been following Jet around steadily. He kept asking Jet how he knew Katara and when he had last met her. By the end of the first day, Jet had yelled at him to leave him alone. But the next day, Haru was there again. A bit more subdued, but still tagging after Jet.

The former rebel assumed it was because he was trying to find out some sort of weakness or at least figure out what his intentions were with Katara. It didn't take a genius to realize that Haru was interested in making Katara his wife. Not that Jet thought he actually had a chance. As great a bender as the pretty haired boy might have been, he didn't think he would be able to take someone like Katara. A woman like her could knock a man off his feet. Literally. He would know.

In a way it had been a good thing. Jet learned one big thing that happened to Katara from Haru. During the period just after the end of the war, Katara had fallen in love with the Fire Lord. Not just a small crush, but a full fledged romance. Haru revealed that Katara had left Fire Lord Zuko for his sake.

He let out a long whistle. No wonder Katara had given him that second chance, despite every bone in her body probably telling her otherwise. She knew people deserved it and could turn out for the better. Jet ran his hand through his perpetually unkempt hair and started walking towards the palace.

"Later, earthbender."

"Where are you going?" Haru asked with a frown.

"I ran into the General and the Fire Lord back when they were still fugitives in the Earth Kingdom," Jet told him. He paused and smirked slightly. "I owe the old guy a cup of tea."

Haru nodded. He was curious about the Fire Lord. As unnerving as it was to be face to face with the man who over threw his own father for control of the most powerful nation in the world, Haru wanted to meet the man who Katara fell in love with. He began to follow Jet, looking straight ahead, when a dark shadow fell over the buildings in front of them.

The shadow flew across the building and his head shot up. His eyes widened. "Appa?" he gasped.

All around him, he began to hear cheering. Jet had stopped a few steps in front of him and looked around with a questioning look. The Water Tribe citizens were all looking towards the sky, the children jumping energetically, as shouts rang through the air.

"Mama! Look! It's a bird!" a little girl's voice shouted.

"No! It's a balloon!" her brother retorted proudly.

"You're both wrong," the middle aged woman standing between them said happily as she held their hands. "It's the Avatar!"

The two young men craned their heads to the sky. Sure enough, the creature that had cast the shadow as the Avatar's flying bison. Where there was a flying bison, there was the Avatar, and where there was the Avatar...

"Katara..." the two breathed out.

They watched as the bison flew over head and then slowly turned back to look at each other. Eyes locked and glares were exchanged. A split second later, the two youths bolted from their spots and raced up the tiered city to the palace. Other than the docking area, the flat area in front of the palace is the only other place they would land. That and the stables, but they doubted they'd land there.


Suki had been leaning back against Sokka's arm, her eyes fixed on the clear sky above them, when she saw it. Or more specifically; him. Her eyes widened as she shot up from her seat. "Oh my gods! Sokka, look!" she shouted as she grabbed his arm with one hand and pointed to the sky with the other.

Confused, Sokka lifted his head and his eyes went wide. "Appa? Katara! Aang! Toph! Momo!" He stood up on the gondola and waved his hands in the air just as the boat began to go underneath one of the bridges.

"Hi!" Katara's voice echoed through the frozen city, tinged with excitement, as Appa flew above them.

"They're heading towards the palace!" Suki shouted.

Sokka looked around frantically, as if looking for a paddle of his own to speed up the trip. "Isn't there a way to get this thing to move faster?" he gasped, frustrated.

Pakku smirked. "Faster you say?" he asked coolly. "Well, have a seat." Suki immediately sat down and Pakku stood up. Sokka remained standing and looked at him with a curious look as the old master raised his hands.

"What are you-AH!"

Sokka was nearly thrown off the boat as the gondola jerked forward and suddenly began to speed up. Suki and Ty Lee both began to laugh as Sokka rolled around on the floor in front of them. Hakoda and Gran-Gran chuckled.

In front of him, Pakku was bending the water at rather fast speeds, bringing them closer to the palace faster than the gondolier ever could. From his side of the boat, Iroh remarked about how nice the wind felt through his hair and Arnook explained that the technique was something Katara had once mentioned. Something about swamp people.

Zuko felt the corner of his lip curl up as he watched Sokka struggle to regain his footing, but instead was tossed around and looked like a fish out of water. Suddenly, he felt a hand clasp his and he turned his head towards the young woman sitting beside him.

Mai's eyes were locked on the floor, her body tense and her mouth set in a line. Her hand was gripping his tightly. Your fiancée... his mind reminded him.

Suddenly, everything had changed. The trip was no longer a simple journey to celebrate with their new allies. With Katara's unexpected appearance, tensions suddenly rose. As they neared the palace, Zuko knew that everyone on the boat, expect perhaps Sokka who was still on the floor, knew what this meant.

It would be the first meeting for Zuko and Katara since she left.

He felt his own body grow tense. Just the sound of her voice had made him completely forget that his fiancée was seated right beside him. What more when he saw her again? Zuko suddenly wanted to roast Sokka for insisting the boat to move faster. That meant that he'd have to see Katara soon. And he was not prepared to see her again.

Mai, despite keeping her face emotionless, felt her heart racing beneath her chest. Katara was there. Visions of her most recent dreams returned to her. Katara was there. Visions of her fiancée leaving her for Katara. And it wasn't as if she could blame either one of them. Her hands were shaking underneath the long sleeves of her robes and she silently hoped that no one would see them.

Zuko's hands grasped her tightly. He understood why she felt so anxious all of a sudden. At the same time, Mai understood that he was unprepared to deal with the woman who left him. What would they say? What would they do?

"What a surprise," Iroh said amiably, trying to remove the attention from his nephew and his fiancée. "They were able to make it after all!"

"They probably wanted to surprise us," Suki added. "I haven't seen them in months! I can't wait to see them again!"

"Well, you will you have your chance, young Suki." Pakku said. With the skills of a Master Waterbender, he raised the boat up to the closest tier and before the steps that lead to the palace. Above them, Appa slowly circled the area on to his final descent on to the flat plateau just up the stairs.

As soon as the boat stopped, Sokka grabbed Suki's arm and charged out of the boat. "Katara!" he cried out.

Hakoda chuckled. "He's been so worried about his little sister since she left," he said calmly as the group carefully exited the gondola. As they stood on the edge, Pakku carefully bended the water down to its normal level. "I haven't seen my daughter for months..." Hakoda added sadly. "She is sixteen now."

"Ah...of marrying age," Arnook replied as he walked ahead of the group, along side the other man. "Any suitors?"

"Plenty, but don't tell them that." Hakoda chuckled. Zuko gritted his teeth, pretending he didn't hear that.

Behind Arnook and Hakoda, Gran-Gran, Pakku, and Iroh followed, with Ty Lee just a few steps behind them. And trailing at the back, Mai and Zuko.

"Are you fairing well, Mai?" Zuko asked carefully. The young woman nodded her head.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "We should hurry and greet the Avatar and the others." she stated determinedly. Zuko merely nodded.

"Of course. We should greet our...old friends." As he said it, his heart pounded against his chest. He couldn't stop the nervousness that poured into his consciousness. He knew it would be awkward, but he knew that they would each try to make it as comfortable for the other as possible. Katara would not make it worse. At least not willingly. He still was afraid that he would do something that he would regret; that he would run to Katara and lose everything they had both been working towards since she left. And yet, another part was curious. Had she changed? Had she moved on...?

They climbed up the stairs. With each step, it seemed as if the stair way had gotten taller. The two Fire Nation people seemed to slow down as they reached the top of the steps. Hesitant to actually reach their destination. Just above them, they heard the shouts of excitement and the warm greetings. A tangle of voices spread across the area. Mai and Zuko kept their eyes focused on the snow white ground below their robes. As they reached the last set, Zuko took a deep breath and lifted his head.

There she was, standing on the back of the bison. Her hair was down, no longer in the classic braid she had always worn, but let loose in glorious brown waves around her heart shaped face. Two blue clips still kept those two loops framing her face. And she was taller. He could tell immediately. Dressed in a flattering blue coat embroidered with silver and edged with soft white fur, she somehow looked even more beautiful than she did at his birthday celebration.

Zuko suddenly realized it was difficult to breath.

Katara yelled as she slid down the creature's massive tail, arms wide open as her beloved older brother caught her in his arms. "Sokka!" she cried. She hugged him tightly and Zuko couldn't help but feel the envy he had of them so many times before. Such a good relationship between siblings. They could always count on each other.

Zuko eyed Sokka once more. He had grown as well; his face had matured and lost the baby fat. No doubt that if he wore his war paint now, he would look fierce instead of comical. Yet as he hugged his sisters, Zuko could still see them as the spunky little water brats he had first encountered. Katara released her brother and quickly engulfed the Kyoshi Warrior standing beside him. The two then gathered Toph into their hug and the three of them jumped up and down for a bit.

The Fire Lord swallowed nervously. She had...grown in other places as well. Suki and Toph released her and Katara ran into the welcoming arms of her grandmother. The older woman kissed Katara's cheeks softly and then pulled back. Her gloved hands held her granddaughter's face and studied her carefully. She said something and Katara blushed sheepishly.

The waterbender then went to her father and gave him a warm hug. She laughed at something he said and turned around to show off her jacket. Then she respectfully greeted the other two Water Tribe elders. Zuko tried to quell the beating of his heart. Why, Agni, why? Why did she have to grow even more breathtaking? Was he being punished for something?

Another voice cut through the happy reunion and Katara stepped back from greeting her Waterbending Master. "Katara!" a male voice shouted.

Zuko's blood froze in his veins and he snapped his head over to the sound of the voice. Two young men, Earth Kingdom from the looks of it, were running towards the group. He immediately recognized one of them as that rebel looking for a second chance - Jet. He couldn't figure out who the other one was.

"Katara!" they shouted.

His golden eyes flashed to the young woman in question. Her beautiful blue eyes widened as a wide smile took over her face. "Haru? Jet?" she gasped.

She laughed as she ran forward to greet them. The black haired man reached her first with extended arms. As they collided, his hands wrapped around her slender waist and lifted her into the air. Her hands immediately went to Jet's shoulders to brace herself as he spun her in a circle. The entire time, Katara's head was tilted back in fits of laughter at her friend's greeting.

Mai felt her hand being squeezed tightly and she turned to look at Zuko. She paled at the dark look on his face. Golden eyes were narrowed with jealousy as the muscles in his jaw locked. Her heart was sinking fast.

"Good to see you again!" Jet laughed as he finally put her down. Katara's hand shot and grabbed on to his arm to steady herself as she stumbled back. "I see you left your hair down this time." He winked.

Katara chuckled and patted his shoulder amiably. "It's good to see you, too, Jet. Glad to see you could make it," she grinned. Her eyes then focused on the other young man who had stopped a few paces from her, a small, shy smile on his face. She cracked a smile and put her one hand on her hip. "Haru, what are you doing here?" she chuckled.

He shrugged. "Traveling?" he offered. She suddenly beamed him a warm welcoming smile and stepped forward with her arms open. Haru smiled back and wrapped his arms around the newcomer.

Zuko's glare intensified as he watched the young man, Haru, hug Katara. He was looking at her with that certain look. The same look he gave Katara. And he knew what it meant. "Zuko," Mai gasped beside him suddenly. His emotions came to a crashing stop. "Zuko..." Mai whispered in a low voice. "Your hand..." His eyes widened and suddenly he dropped her hand as if he had burned her.

Apologetic gold eyes looked at Mai. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "I didn't mean to-"

"Its fine," Mai said, keeping her trembling voice at bay. She brought her hand into her other one and began rubbing it under her sleeves. A second longer and she was afraid he would break her. Her eyes were downcast, shielding him from the pain she felt. "It's fine."

"Mai..." Zuko whispered sadly. He was angry at himself. How could he forget she was there? She was holding his hand for Agni's sake! Furiously, Zuko turned his head away and willed himself not to loose control.

"Iroh, how are you?" Katara's voice was filled with joy, probably from seeing her family and friends once more. "Did you get the tea set I sent?"

"Yes, yes, it was lovely!" Iroh chuckled. "Katara, you look absolutely gorgeous. I thought you were at your peek at Zuko's birthday celebration, but I stand corrected! You only grew even more beautiful."

"Aww..." Katara blushed and hugged the old general once more. "See...and you wonder why I always send you tea," He laughed once more and Katara pulled away. She moved on to Ty Lee, who bounded over to greet them. "Ty Lee, you were able to come, too? This is great!"

"Mai invited me!" Ty Lee beamed as she gave Katara a quick hug. She moved to the side to reveal the last two Fire Nation visitors.

"Mai, Zuko," Katara's eyes softened slightly and she approached them cautiously. Behind her, everyone held their breaths. "I'm glad you both could make it."

"Katara..." Mai began solemnly. She wanted to hate the woman before her. To hate her for having Zuko's heart. But she couldn't. Katara was a good, honest person. Her love for Zuko was just as pure, if not more so, than her. Her hand unconsciously fell to her side and brushed against Zuko's gloved ones. Without changing the expression on her face, her hand grasped his and pulled him closer to her. Just a moment ago, his hand was squeezing her so hard, it was painful. Now, it was her only source of strength. "It is good to see you again."

Blue eyes flickered down to their hands clasped together and Katara felt a small part of herself die. Katara smiled as warmly as she could, envious of the woman who would have Zuko for the rest of her life. "I hope your journey went well." She bowed her head and took a deep breath. Her chest had begun to ache.

Across from her, Zuko's eyes glazed over. Beside him, his fiancé. In front of him, the love of his life. As he looked down at the back of Katara's head as she gave them a low, respectful bow, he felt Mai's shaking hand in his. He took a deep breath. "Ambassador Katara, it is also good to see you."

A collective release of breaths escaped the lips of the group behind them and Katara stood up straight. She gave them both a sad smile, as if apologizing for making everything awkward for them. "I'm glad to see you both here. Really."

"And we are honored to see you here, as well," Mai said. Her shaking hand squeezed Zuko's. "I wanted to invite you to the wedding." She stated daringly. Zuko didn't flinch.

The corner of her lip twitched. "Wedding?" Katara asked, her voice suddenly weakening. Of course...they were engaged.

"Yes," Zuko stated his voice emotionless and his eyes focused on something other than Katara's expressive face. "It has been decided that in a few months time, Mai and I will officially become Fire Lord and Fire Lady."

Oh, gods...her stomach was hurting. Katara smiled brightly and nodded. "That's wonderful! I'm even happier that I made it. I mean, I never would've gotten an invitation traveling all over the place like I do. You'll never believe the places that we've been to recently. But really, enough about me, how have you two been?"

The waterbender began to ramble on and Sokka frowned. Katara rambled on when she was hiding something. In this case, she was hiding how she felt. Suki's arm tightened around his with worry and Sokka took a step forward, ready to pull his sister away.

"Katara, slow down a minute!" Jet grinned as he wandered up to her and casually put his arm around the ambassador's shoulders. "You just arrived and so did the Fire Lord and his fiancée. Why don't we all go inside and settle in first?"

"Yes!" Ty Lee agreed, jumping on the suggestion. "I'm kind of hungry myself. Mai, Zuko, can we go inside now? Wait, I should ask the Chief!" Smiling disarmingly, she bounded over to the Water Tribe chieftain and gave him a small, respectful bow. "May we go inside now?"

"You know, these kids make a good, point," Iroh nodded, silently thanking the gods that the two had butted in to ease the moment. "My old bones aren't doing so well in the cold."

"Then what are waiting for?" Arnook smiled. "Let us all go inside. The servants have prepared a midday snack for the Fire Lord's arrival!"

"Come on, Katara." Jet smiled as he smoothly turned her around and lead her towards the group. He glanced at the male earthbender and gave a nod of his head to get him to follow.

"The guards will bring Appa to the stables," Pakku told them. "I'm sure they'll have some food waiting for him." The massive beast let out a groan of gratitude and Gran-Gran patted his head as she passed. The group walked the rest of the way up the steps to the palace. Toph held on to Aang's hand as he led her up the steps to make sure she didn't trip on the ice steps.

The Avatar glanced over his shoulder. Ty Lee was trying her hardest to get the Fire Nation couple to relax and Aang looked back down. It was obvious that they did not know that Katara was going to be there. While everyone was watching Katara and even Toph greet everyone, Aang had been watching Zuko and Mai. He saw the look on Zuko's face when he saw Katara. Not that he could blame him. And Mai...as bored as she tried to make herself look, he could see the pain flash over her face. The jealousy and the hurt, knowing that Zuko still felt something for Katara.

He let out a heavy breath and led Toph into the ice palace. It was going to be the longest celebration of his life.


"You okay?" He tossed a red fruit at the figure seated on the edge of one of the city walls. Before them, the sun was setting in the horizon and the sky was darkening. A cold breeze swept over them as they rested alone on top of the wall. Katara brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and looked up at him. She smiled slightly and gave him a nod.

"Yeah...I'm fine," she said as she caught the fruit. She bit into it and chewed on it thoughtfully. "Thanks, Jet."

"No problem. You didn't look like you were eating much at the meal." he told her as he sat down beside her. One leg curled up next to him while the other hung over the edge, as Katara's did.

"No, not just about this," Katara said, holding up the piece of fruit. "About earlier. You have pretty good timing to be able to cut through the tension like that."

Jet grinned. "Comes with being a former rebel," he mused. He glanced down at her as he bit into his own fruit. "Don't worry about it, Katara. That's what friends do."

The crunch of the fruit could be heard as the two ate in silence. "Was it really bad?" Katara asked. "The tension?"

"Yep," he nodded. "You could cut through it with a knife."

"So how'd you know?" Katara asked. She looked over at him. "Let me guess...you've heard rumors in the city?"

"I've heard rumors, but Haru told me," Jet swallowed a piece of fruit. "I don't really know what you see in the guy, though. Just because he's rich, powerful, and apparently a very honorable guy."

Katara laughed slightly and shook her head. She focused her eyes back on the setting sun. "What about you and Haru? I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We didn't," Jet smirked. "I met him here. Sokka just happened to be the person we both knew. He introduced us."

Katara rolled her eyes. She could only imagine what her idiot brother had done and made a mental note to talk to him later. "Haru's a nice guy."

"Yeah," Jet shrugged. "The guy really likes you, you know. I can tell."

"How? Is it a guy thing?" Katara chuckled.

"Let's just say I once felt like that for a certain blue eyed waterbender I'm currently sitting with. And I know the symptoms..." Jet smirked and gave her a side long glance, noticing the embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "But I've come to realize that I'm not for you."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "That's true. I thought you said we're just friends, after all."

"And we are, it seems," Jet replied coolly. He always held some hope, but the reality of her romance with Zuko kind of killed any hope he had. Seeing her reaction to him and his fiancée only solidified his feelings on the issue. "Looking back on it, you did freeze me to a tree. That can turn any guy off," She laughed once more, never being happier to have his company. "Haru's a good guy...but if you want my opinion, which I'm sure you don't, I don't think he's the right guy for you."

She swallowed the last of her fruit. "Why not?"

"Let's just say he can't handle you," Jet winked. He finished up the rest of his fruit and stood up. He wiped his hands together and looked down at her. "I'm going to get some rest. We should do an activity or whatever tomorrow. As friends, of course."

"Sure," Katara nodded. "Goodnight, Jet!"

He waved his hand as he walked off. Katara returned to the sunset. The last glowing part of the sun sank below the horizon and she sighed. She leaned back against her arms. You'll be fine if you just steer clear of them as much as possible... her mind told her. No need to start anything...

"Katara?" She tilted her head back and smiled warmly at Haru behind her.

"Hey," she said. Jet's words rang in her ears, but it wasn't a surprise to her. She already knew how Haru felt. And she knew why he was there. "Taking a walk?"

"Kind of," he said. "Can I join you?"

"It's a free wall," she grinned. She looked back at the sky as Haru took a seat beside her. "So," she began calmly. "What's the real reason you're her?"

"Real reason?" Haru asked, suddenly even more nervous.

Katara sighed heavily and looked back at him. "You know what I'm talking about, Haru. I thought you were fine with being friends."

His eyes widened and his tan cheeks burned with a blush. His eyes lowered and a defeated look graced his face. "How did you know?" he asked quietly.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, Haru," Katara sighed. "And Jet told me. So spill."

He inhaled a heavy breath. "I came to ask Master Pakku for permission to see you."

Katara shook her head slightly. "You didn't have to."

"I know that now," Haru explained. "I asked your father, also. They both said the same thing. It is, and always will be, your choice."

The waterbender couldn't help but smile at the sound of that. "Haru...you already know how I feel."

Immediately, he lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said solemnly. "I know you wanted to just be friends, Katara, but...I can't help how I feel." Katara closed her eyes tightly.

"I know exactly how you feel," Katara answered softly. Her eyes opened. "But..." she trailed off and seemed hesitant.

"I know about Zuko," Haru offered, knowing that's where her train of thought was leading to. "I heard about what happened and...I thought maybe I had a chance. It's ridiculous...I know that now. After seeing how he looked at you when you were greeting," Haru tilted his head up and looked at the sky wistfully. "I don't think I could ever look at you like he did..."

But it doesn't matter...we can't be together... Katara nodded sadly. "I'm sorry...I can't...I just can't. Not right now." she murmured. Haru looked down at the ice below them and nodded.

"It's too soon...I know..." Haru said softly. "I don't know if you'll ever feel anything for me other than friendship...it's just that...I just...I'm in love with you, Katara. I can't help that," he admitted, his eyes turned away, knowing he couldn't look at her. "I'm sorry if I'm making this difficult for you."

"It's not your fault, Haru," Katara whispered. "Maybe if I never met him..." She trailed off. Maybe if I never met him, I wouldn't have fallen so pathetically in love with him... Silence drifted between the two and soon, the sky had turned into an inky blue color dotted with glittering stars in the distance.

"Here," Haru dug into his pocket and fished something out. "I made you something...you don't have to wear it, but I made it for you." Katara turned her head and her eyes widened. Glimmering in front of her was a jade stone carved with the waterbender insignia.

"Haru..." she mumbled stupidly, recognizing the style of a betrothal necklace with ease."That's a..."

"Think of it as a belated birthday present," Haru told her sadly. He slid the stone pendant from the blue choker it was attached to and held it the pendant in his hand. "I can't see anyone else with it."

Katara bit her lip. How horrid was life when someone was in love with you and you couldn't love them back because you loved someone else you knew you couldn't have? Tears rimmed her eyes as she nodded her head slowly. "Thank you for the birthday present..." she said in a soft, raspy voice. Haru smiled sadly.

"You changed my life..." he said as her warm hand slid over his cold one and picked up the pendant."I'll always be grateful for that."

Katara merely nodded and looked at the pendant in her hand. "One day, Haru...one day, someone who deserves you will come along...you'll see."

He chuckled sadly. "You always seem to give me hope..." Katara gave him one last smile and put the pendant in her pocket. "I really had wished to give it to you as what it was meant to be."

"And part of me wishes you could, too..." Katara said softly.

"I can always hope..." The two slipped into silence once more and turned away from each other.

"Sokka wanted to see me," Katara whispered as she wiped the corners of her eye. "I should get going. You should come hang out with us tomorrow. Jet and I are going to do an activity. As friends." She added with a slight grin.

Haru nodded. "I'd like that." She gave him a curt bow of her head and began to walk away. Haru watched as Katara raised her hands and created a snow staircase for her. She began to climb down, her brown hair whipping around her body as she did. He really did hope this time...but when he saw how she looked at Zuko and how he reacted to her, he realized he didn't stand a fire ball's chance in the snow covered city. Even if she had said yes, he knew that she'd never love him. Not like she loved Zuko.

He looked out at the dark horizon. It was better this way. It wouldn't be fair to him or Katara. He'd always be second in her heart while she would be stuck with a man she didn't love. When he heard about Zuko and Katara, he had hoped that she would get over him. That maybe now he had a chance. But when he saw them...Haru closed his eyes tightly to keep from crying. As much as he tried to persuade himself that it wasn't mean to be, his heart still hurt.

"It's not fair, is it?" a voice coiled around his being and Haru sat up straight. He looked around and saw a dark robed figure standing a few paces from him, also watching the horizon. A hood fell over their face, shielding their identity. "I have a friend just like you."

Haru didn't seem to question how much the figure heard. From their voice, he assumed they were female. "How did they take it?"

"They're marrying the person they love," the figure sighed tiredly. "But he doesn't love her back."

"That's horrible..." Haru whispered. "To be in a loveless marriage."

"Yes...it would be so much better if her fiancée didn't exist."


A.N. - Okay, I'm sorry for the lame Superman joke. All questions have been answered on my profile to save space here. :) Thank you all for reading!