Hello! Not dead nor abandoning this story...just busy af!

Thank you to all of my reviewers: zutarawasrobbed, blueness28, Cacilie Tenofsky, GODISAWESOME, storyofanunknownfangirl, SlythindorRen, MissLux, PoeticMoonChild, thewhitelotus, PyschopathicAngel2, alias093001, cherokee96, sophiecambellbower, and samueladams17!

Lieutenant Lee met Zuko at the palace doors upon their arrival from Makapu.

"Your highness, your father said that he wanted to call a meeting as soon as you arrived."

"At this hour?" Zuko growled.

"Unfortunately."

"Look, our little family get-togethers can wait until tomorrow," Zuko said. "We're all exhausted. It's been a very long day of traveling, you see."

"No." Lee had a wild, fearful look in his eye. "A meeting for you and all the Contestants."

"Great." Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "His last 'group meeting' went over so well."

"That's what I'm afraid of, sir," Lee said with a long, exhausted sigh.

"And you have no idea what this might be?" Zuko asked. "The tournament's in what…" He counted off on his fingers. "Eight days? What could my father possibly have decided that will upend these girls again? And why am I just hearing about this?"

"Well, I think you're hearing about it now," Lee said, wincing.

"I...arg...that man," Zuko kicked the wall.

"Sir, are you okay? You seem more angry than usual."

"I'm fine," Zuko snapped, though he did have to admit he was angrier than usual. Not only was the tournament fast approaching (and Zuko had thoughts about that; mostly he hated his control about the future of his wife being so easily taken away, but he had considered this was the punishment for dragging his feet), but Katara seemed out to get under his skin. Well, she usually did, but before it had been with cute and sexy teasing things. Now, she just seemed like she was a thorn in his side. Whenever he thought he was making headway on her iciness towards him, something else would get her angry again.

"Stupid father, stupid tournament, stupid announcements…" Zuko grumbled as he shucked off his traveling clothes, throwing them in an untidy pile at his feet. "Lee, find my hand servant. How long before this 'meeting'?"

"Now that you're here, likely an hour to gather and sit everyone."

"Perfect. Have my hand servant draw a bath. Scalding. With any luck, I'll fry before I have to sit through whatever brilliant idea my father's about to announce."

He paused in the doorway, thinking of something suddenly.

"Yes, sir?" Lee said, seeing him stop.

"Is my cousin Kuzon back yet?" he asked, inhaling.

"Not yet, sir."

"Let me know when the second he's returned."

XXxxXX

Katara tried to hold back her fifth yawn, with little success. She covered her mouth, shuffling to the meeting space with the rest of the girls.

"Gee, Katara, why so tired?" Toph said, punching her shoulder, "Is it because you and the Prince were up to naughty, naughty things on your trip?"

"Ha, hardly," Katara said, blinking back her dreariness. "We'd have to actually be talking for that to happen."

"Ye-ouch." Toph raised her eyebrows. "That tone could cut steel, Sugar Queen."

"It's the truth. Try, rather, being shoved into a tiny, bouncy box for eight hours and being expected to get any sleep at all."

"So the trip sucked?" Toph surmised, scratching her ear, but she didn't sound surprised.

Katara gnawed her lip, thinking of Aunt Wu and her predictions. Of bloodbending and splitting her lip open. Of the feelings that swarmed her mind as she stitched Zuko's veins back together, how connected she felt delving inside of his body. Of the flower pressed between one of her books, a flower that she felt like a lovesick fool for holding on to.

"Yeah, it sort of did."

"A damn good reason to not want to travel," Toph said, crossing her arms.

"And here?" Katara asked. Toph made a 'neh' sound.

"Same old, same old."

"Don't undercut it, Toph," Suki said, coming up from behind and slinging her arms around the pair of girls' shoulders. "The reading room with all the plants and greenery got new curtains. That's something novel, wouldn't you say!"

"Ooh," Katara said, acting far more interested than the topic demanded, nodding dramatically. "Are they green again? The last curtains really looked awful with all the trees."

"No, no," Suki patted her heart. "They did us proud, Katara," she said, faking a sniffle, as though these curtains had brought a man back from the dead. "They're ...a light beige now!"

"You two are ridiculous," Toph said.

"You've got to enjoy the little things," Suki said, "or else we'd all go mad here."

"Who says we aren't already?" Toph shot back.

Katara tapped the side of her nose. "She's onto something, Suki."

"Oh, totally."

Katara's wide, genuine smile could not remain. As she stared at the pair of her friends, she realized that she wasn't sure anyone would win the upcoming tournament, and - for as good of warriors as these two were - there was still the small chance that they'd be leaving. Or that Katara would leave and they would remain here.

As much as they joked about the palace feeling droll each day here, at least it was consistent. There hadn't been a girl cut in weeks and things had fallen into a safe, familiar pattern. Katara would have never thought she'd be the one to like 'safe' things, but now...now she was beginning to find solace in the same people and the same things. Change meant saying goodbye to those she loved, one way or another.

If she were smarter, or if she were someone of more conviction, she would have never made these connections here. Not with Zuko, not with Aang, not with Aiga, not with the girls. She would have done what she came to do and would be back in her village losing no sleep over stupid, sexy princes.

But would that be better? Was it better to care so deeply for him than never at all? That was the question that she was still wrapping her mind around.

Zuko was already sitting, though Aang was not in attendance. Ozai's insufferable guard dog, Zhao, was still absent too, so Katara could only assume he was still off being a reprehensible person.

Zuko looked tired. If Katara had imagined him able to catch any wink of sleep, she was mistaken. It was late and all any of them wished to do was go to bed. Even the girls who had spent the last few days in the palace looked tired, with Jin stifling yawns like Katara was and Kilee halfway dozing off on Saoirse's shoulder.

"This cannot be good," Suki whispered. Even her joking tone had vanished, realizing that the Fire Lord didn't call a late-night, all-contestant meeting for no good reason.

"Ladies, why the tired faces?" Ozai purred, as though he didn't know it was nearly midnight. He and Azula were possibly the only ones who did not look absolutely knackered, though it wasn't by much.

No one had the courage to answer. Katara would have, had she been awake enough to think of a clever answer in reply. She would have delighted in seeing that look on Ozai's face like he'd just sucked on a lemon. The way she saw it, she was halfway out the door anyway.

Katara couldn't help but look at Zuko. She knew his tells well at this point. While to most girls, it may seem as though he was sitting dutifully, she could glean from the slight shift of his posture and the way his eyes stayed focused unflinchingly on Ozai that he had no idea what his father was about to say either. That did not bode well.

"As many of you are aware, the tournaments are in just a few short days," Ozai continued. This got everyone's attention, whether it was to send some girls into a moment of panic or to cause others to fall into a sad resignation. "And I couldn't help but feel as though we are not properly marking the occasion."

"What does he want? A commemorative plaque?" Toph muttered.

"It was brought to my attention that despite the pomp and circumstance we've been expressing, the matter of the situation seems to pale in comparison. And, it has been expressed that perhaps you all deserve a day of celebration too. With these tournaments, we will be one step closer to finding Prince Zuko a wife. However, many of you will probably be going home," he added, much to many girls' horror, "And yet, you are all very agreeable brides."

"Gee, now I feel like my life is complete, knowing that," Toph said. Katara shushed her, not because of her comments, but because she was close to bursting out laughing. The idea of Toph being an 'agreeable bride' at any time was preposterous.

"The day of the tournaments is the day after the Summer Solstice, which was not entirely unplanned. We usually have a small celebration for the spirits, but we have decided to make the celebration an event this year. The day before the tournament, we will hold a Masquerade ball in honor of the spirits! All will be invited; parents, family, other possible respectable matches...a thank you, to all of you, for doing your duty to your nation by being here."

The mood shifted instantly, mostly to glee or excitement, sans a few. Toph gave a groan like she was dying, muttering something with a lot of swear words and finishing with 'another ball', Suki pulled back as though unsure on how to respond, and Katara instantly went into a panic. Or, her brain was kicked into overdrive.

She did not believe for a second that Ozai did anything 'nice' for anyone. Food, marriage prospects, fun, celebrating? There had to be a catch – other than distracting the girls the day before the tournament – something far more dastardly. She just did not know what yet.

"Shi will be around tomorrow to speak with each of you and find a spirit for you to masquerade as. She and your handmaids will be fashioning costumes and masks for all of you. I know that this competition has been weighing on everyone," Ozai said, with a look of sympathy (fake, Katara thought, obviously). "So, we wanted to alleviate this issue in other ways. We know the hour is late, but we thought it best to let you know immediately, to give you the night to sleep upon it. Tomorrow and the day after, you will be allowed to make a list of all whom you wish to invite as well as give Shi some ideas of what sort of costumes you may desire. Tomorrow, we will also be around to collect a list of your chosen weapons, but that is less important. I think we all can agree that we need this sort of break."

His eyes were like a wolf's: glittering gold, cold, and calculating.

"Goodnight, ladies."

XXxxXX

"Ty Lee," Zuko said, catching the girl's attention as she exited breakfast. He waved her over.

"Hello, Zuko," Ty Lee said, one of the few girls that could get away with publicly dropping his title, seeing as she'd lived in the palace for a long time and was more preferable than most of his family.

"It's, uh, been a while since we went on a date. You have any afternoon plans?"

Ty Lee scrunched up her nose, half in confusion. "No, I suppose not. Are you talking about right now?"

"If you'd be willing."

Ty Lee gave a short chuckle. "If the Prince is asking, I don't see why not."

Zuko resisted rolling his eyes at her minor cheek and offered her his arm. The girls that she'd been exiting with were whispering, no doubt trying to analyze this as they did everything else he did. Some of the girls were sending snooty glances at Ty Lee.

Zuko felt like guffawing. If only they knew.

"Where are we going today Zuko?" Ty Lee asked, tucking a strand of her bangs behind an ear. "Or is it a secret?"

"Just…" Zuko was reticent to speak too openly about where he was bringing her. Ty Lee seemed to understand and she quieted or at least switched to asking him non-probing questions. Things about how he was enjoying traveling or about his excitement for the upcoming ball, which he volleyed back in polite answers. He took the long way around, bringing them outside to the Royal Maze.

"Thought it might be fun to attempt it," Zuko said. It was a lie; they both knew their way in and out of the hedge maze, having memorized it in their younger years. However, it was a location without guards or followers or ears on them, something without fuss but still in secret.

They made a few wrong turns, dragging themselves deeper and deeper into the maze. They continued to talk about non-essentials until they were both content with how far they'd gone.

As they walked, though, Zuko turned to really look at Ty Lee.

When his father had told him, rather point-blank, that Mai and Ty Lee would be joining the competition for his hand, he'd been unsurprised. At that point, he and Mai hadn't had things to talk about in years, so a part of him had been cautiously excited to get to know Ty Lee better. You'd be a fool not to notice her kind nature, her gentle soul, and her amazing abilities. A part of Zuko had wondered if his love had been right under his nose his entire life and he'd just never known it.

Now, having seen sides of her he'd never considered before, he knew how wrong he was.

Ty Lee was like a sister to him, one he most fervently wanted to protect at all costs. It wasn't dissimilar to how he saw Aang, so perhaps it should not surprise him so about their connection.

He should be furious. Instead, he was just pleased they found one another.

Still, it made for an awkward situation here.

"Is Kuzon back yet?" Finally, Ty Lee could resist no longer. Her voice was timid, near afraid.

"He was meant to return last night." Zuko frowned. "Alas, Zhao had written ahead saying that they're chasing something down near the Earth Kingdom."

"You're worried," Ty Lee observed. "Your aura is...full of it. That's near…" She trailed off, swallowing. Zuko nodded but would not say more of it. He could not allow so many people to be aware of the location of the airbenders, even someone like Ty Lee who would rather die than give it up.

"Oh, no," Ty Lee whispered softly, "That's horrible."

"Yes." Zuko agreed, unsure if any other words could convey the horror and anguish he felt about the murder of the airbenders and anyone who stood with them.

"I hope he's okay."

"He's probably better than before, having people that care about him," Zuko said. Ty Lee, trailing her fingers along the vines and leaves, hummed.

"This little group is good for him."

"You know that's not what I meant," Zuko coughed. Ty Lee turned.

"Will you have me...killed, Prince Zuko?"

There was true fear in her voice, something she couldn't mask if she tried. And, her fear was entirely justified. If he were a different ruler, a different man, a woman in the choice falling for someone else was a sign of a traitor. It was punishable by the deepest degree.

"Of course not," Zuko spat. "I'm happy for both of you. Honest. It does, however…" He scowled, "You'll probably win your fight, you know."

Ty Lee wrapped her arms around herself. "Do you think Azula would still wish me to remain here even if I were to leave the Choice? Then I could...foster this. With Kuzon, of course," she asked.

Zuko grimaced. "I don't know."

"I was thinking of throwing the fight(?) anyway," she admitted in a quiet, near-hurried whisper. "I'm sorry, Zuko, I just-"

She sniffled.

"Hey, hey," Zuko said, always unsure of how to deal with crying girls. "No, it's okay. I don't think we'd work as a couple anyway," he added with a laugh. "I could see you becoming a fair Fire Lady, of course, and a good partner."

"But there would be no spark," Ty Lee finished. She gave him a hug, tight around his waist. "I tried. I wanted to fall for you, however I…" She shrugged, shaking her head. "Fate had other plans, I suppose."

"Fate," Zuko snorted. "Azula may be upset. She was actually hoping I'd marry you, to be truthful."

"Me?" Ty Lee stepped back, frowning. "But what about...Mai? She spent so much of our childhood orchestrating the two of you that I was sure…"

"So was I," Zuko admitted. "However, last I talked to her, she didn't seem to think that Mai was the best choice anymore. I can't say. Who knows though?" Out of all the crazy things Azula was up to lately, her weird wishy-washy feelings about his bride were the least of his concerns.

"I hope I haven't given her any indication I liked you, other than what was expected of me," Ty Lee said, now seeming very concerned about it all. "Though, I guess, we haven't talked much lately."

"Look, I'll keep you on. I'll find something," Zuko said firmly. "One less girl would probably - never mind. He really likes you, you know?"

"I have a feeling, though it's difficult." Ty Lee rubbed her arms, as though catching a chill. "I've been careful. We haven't done or said anything that could...well, you know."

"Not even a chaste kiss?" Zuko said, deeply surprised. From how Aang looked at her, he would have been sure that they'd done at least this, but perhaps Ty Lee was more virtuous than he imagined.

"To be safe," Ty Lee said, "Honestly, I'll be glad to leave. It's suffocating at the worst of times. Until you get down on one knee, the girls will be ruthless and all. Well, some. Some I think have seen the writing on the wall. I've heard the talk a few will just opt out of the fight, as they doubt they'll win anyway."

"So I've heard." Zuko was not unaware of the cattiness of some of the contestants. "Ty Lee…?"

"Mhh?"

Zuko was deeply curious to ask about Katara, but he restrained himself. "Just, thanks. For being my friend."

Ty Lee put a hand on his arm."You're like family to me."

Zuko couldn't help but snort. "You might actually be soon enough."

Ty Lee's blush was something that he couldn't help but smile wider at. She hid her face, shaking her head, but found she had no words to speak anyway.

XXxxXX

"This has to be a trap! The ball, the masquerade, the whole thing!" Katara paced, throwing her hands up. "He just...it's...arg! Toph? Toph!"

"Huh?"

"It's a trap, right?"

Toph was absent-minded. Katara could tell that much. It was so unlike her to be staring out windows with a misty expression, yet here she was. Admittedly, she was staring straight at a wall, but the comparison is still apt. Wherever she was, her mind had just been a thousand miles away. Katara loved her friend, but she doubted Toph would ever offer up what was clearly getting to her.

"Maybe Ozai just likes balls. He seems to throw a lot of them," Toph offered, scrunching up her nose. "Maybe, it's been his lifelong dream to be a party planner but boo-hoo, he had to be the Fire Lord."

"Toph, be serious!" Katara snapped, spinning around.

"I am."

"Hardly," she said, "Aren't you concerned, like, at all?"

Toph didn't answer. She was staring off again.

"Toph." Katara snapped her fingers to get her attention. "Tui, what is up with you?" she demanded.

"I just have a lot of shit going on, Sugar Queen," Toph said, crossing her arms sourly.

"Like your family?" Katara sighed, looking at her still-unpacked bags and checking the sun. Soon, someone would be collecting Toph on her trip to Gaoling with the Prince and a few other girls, the second-to-last travel destination before the ball and the tournament.

"Yes, my family, what else would it be?" Toph was quick to fire back, her tone touchier than usual.

"Sorry, geez...I'm only trying to figure out a madman's plans, but fine," Katara said.

"You're in a mood too! Didja ever think that Ole Mr. Sparks is just doing it to actually be nice? He has to know a lot are going to leave and it's not exactly a nice exit."

"No, I don't think he has a genuine bone in his body. Maybe he's planning on distracting us the night before. Or...or poisoning the food and drink so we perform worse! Or-"

"And yeah?" Toph said, closing her trunk with a snap, foregoing any more effort on sealing it nicely. "Okay, so maybe he is. What are you gonna be able to do about it?"

Katara opened and closed her mouth, unable to reply. Toph grumbled, stuffing her clothes into her bags without an effort to fold or preserve them.

"Unless it's something you can fight, you're SOL, sister. You can't very well go around the ball karate-chopping shrimp cocktails out of people's hands," Toph said, lugging the bags off her bed. "C'mon. Let's just walk downstairs anyway."

Katara helped Toph bring her things down to the area where the carriage was waiting to take the girls on their trip. Since Toph was blind, Katara was allowed to remain with her, though they both knew Toph needed zero help. Katara's mood was sour, mostly because she knew Toph was right. She couldn't do anything, other than tell people. The worst of it was that this probably was some big trick and there was nothing she could do. No more than she could do about the tournament, which was blatantly dangerous, but hardly anyone but her seemed to care!

"Ah, there you two are!" Shi popped her head into the waiting area. "Mind if I catch you before you leave, Lady Bei Fong? I need to get some ideas for your masquerade ball costume and about your fighting preferences."

"Might as well," Toph sighed, obvious she'd been attempting to avoid her. "I imagine my family wouldn't be happy if I did anything less than my family's crest, or something to that approximation."

"The winged boar?" Shi said, scribbling something. "There's a myth about a princess, isn't there?"

"Yep. Prissy and pathetic and all. But it will look good for a mask. Not as though I'll see anyone anyway."

Shi seemed to pointedly ignore Toph and turned to Katara.

She had been thinking about this a lot. A part of her wanted to dress as the Painted Lady, as she'd taken it on as a symbol, a personal connection to her soul. She felt like she understood this spirit in a way unlike anything else.

Still, three things kept her from immediately speaking this.

One; she feared someone making a connection with the town's Painted Lady and getting caught because of this.

Two; it was sort of her and Zuko's thing and she wasn't sure she and Zuko were a thing anymore.

Three; on that note, if Katara was going to be gone because of this damned tournament, she wasn't going to go around as a Fire Nation spirit, appeasing Ozai. She wanted to be as obviously and obnoxiously Southern Water Tribe as possible.

"I'd like to fashion mine as my tribe's ancestral woman, The Cougar Daughter, Nukilik." Katara said, knowing that there was no one she'd rather be associated with right now, and also bringing forth her given 'Mark of the Brave' titles. "I could meet with you later today to go over the myth. If you make the base of the dress, I'll sew all the beads onto it. I'd like the monotonous activity, honestly."

"But, Princess," Shi frowned. "Wouldn't you rather a different inspiration? We have a whole host of beautiful goddesses and spirits! Whole books that-"

"No," Katara replied curtly. "I would very much like it to be her."

Shi sighed, nodding, realizing there would be no budging her. The other girls from the Water Tribe may try to assimilate to the nation they hoped to marry into, choosing spirits of Earth or Fire, but Katara was going to go out as she came in: a controversy.

"Onto the weapons," Shi said, shifting her papers to pull out a second sheet. "So, just because a few other ladies have been asking...you are allowed three weapons. Firebending counts as just one, a type of bending that is different counts as another-"

"You can just say earthbending and metalbending," Toph grumped.

"Or, like that," Shi said, acting as though the rule wasn't made specifically for Toph. "You will get a list tomorrow of what the Royal Family will be using, but they will not get a list of what you have chosen, just to try to give you an edge, as these are seasoned fighters. On the day of the tournament, the Fire Sages will draw random names as a match up. They will schedule the matches so the Royal Family members get a reprieve between their fights, but no one will know who faces who until you both walk out to meet each other. They will line up the three girls in a queue behind the scenes, but otherwise, you will be allowed to watch. All of the Royal Family participating - Fire Lord Ozai, Prince Zuko, General Iroh, Prince Lu Ten, Princess Azula, and Guardsman Kuzon - will be behind the scenes the entire time, as so not to see who we are calling out, and to take breaks between rounds."

"Yada-yada, lots of boring stuff," Toph said, yawning.

"It may come in handy for you to know this," Shi said, slightly miffed.

"Whatever. I'm using metal-bending and earth-bending."

"And a third?"

Toph gave a wicked grin. "I won't need one."

"Princess Katara?"

Katara hesitated, scowling hard. She stared down at her hands, seeing the veins on the arms pumping blood. Did she write down bloodbending? Did she dare? Was she competent enough?

"Waterbending, sword, and…" Katara inhaled hard, "A small dagger."

She couldn't risk it. She might not be as well trained in daggers, but in a pinch, she could throw it across the area and hopefully hit a target. She could not rely on her bloodbending to work in the most perfect, controlled conditions...ignoring completely the fact that it would be the opposite of desired environments.

"Thank you, ladies. Princess Katara, shall we meet for lunch tomorrow to speak more upon your dress?"

After confirming this, Shi left. Toph opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of footsteps quieted her. Zuko walked past the entrance of the room, as though about to enter. He saw Katara sitting, turned red, and swiftly continued walking, snapping his eyes forward.

"Ouch. Do you want some ice for that burn?" Toph asked.

"You can't see Toph," Katara sputtered, "How do you know what happened?"

"'Cuz I can hear. His footsteps and his direction. Plus, I could just feel it. A mixture of anger, confusion, hurt, and lots - I mean lots - of unresolved sexual tension."

"Thanks," Katara growled. She had half a mind to run after him and ask what the hell that had just been about, but before she could, another set of footsteps turned the corner. Within a second, Nadhari turned into the room, about five bags being dragged by her handmaid and a few other servants behind, as though she were traveling for years, not a handful of days.

"That's my cue," Katara said, hitting her legs as she stood. "Nadhari," she said in a forced tone. Nadhari just narrowed her eyes at Katara, offering no such niceties.

Katara wanted to evacuate the area in general anyway before she had another awkward run-in with Zuko.

She ran nearly smack-dab into Sokka.

"Where are you headed?" she asked.

"The convoy, has it left yet?"

"Ah, plucked to be Iroh's assistant again?" Katara asked.

"Uhm, well, I was actually hoping to get on the trip," Sokka admitted.

"You fought tooth and nail to get off the last trip and now you're trying to hop onto this one?" Kara asked highly suspicious. Agni, she was in a cynical mood today, she considered with an inward snort.

"I've seen the error of my ways."

"Huh."

Sokka sighed, pulling Katara into a room near them, unused and empty.

"Look," Sokka said, "Zuko was going to try to get me there to connect with Kuzon. We've only heard through Zhao, who knows how Kuz is doing or what the sitch is? He wasn't sure if there would be room, or if he really needed me at all, but still…"

"And then you would, what?" Katara nearly choked. "Going to go off into the woods looking for them? They may not even be near Gaoling!"

"Yeah, but we got to help him, don't we?" Sokka asked, eyebrows knitting. "He can't be handling this all well. Especially if they do find any...any well, you know," Sokka said, showing a maturity beyond his years that Katara so rarely saw.

"They haven't left yet. You might be able to catch them," Katara said. "I hope you can help."

Sokka blinked. When he spoke, it was as though his words were far deeper than Katara understood, though she couldn't decide in relation to what. "If there's something I can do, I have to do it."

XXxxXX

The next night, Katara found herself in her room with a carton of beads and an impressive collection of disconnected dress pieces strewn about. Next to her sat Aiga, who couldn't make clean hemlines to save her life, but could sew beads in a line, if given a direction and a pattern.

Katara wondered what would happen to Aiga when she left. Would she continue working in the palace as a general servant? As the competition continued on, would she be assigned to another girl in a team of handmaids? Would she be out of a job, forced to find another way to make money…

If that were to be the case, Katara would take her with her. She'd offer for Aiga to come to the South. She wasn't sure the petite girl would enjoy the snow and ice, but she'd be loved and cared for as family there. Katara was tempted to offer this anyway, as she couldn't imagine leaving her behind.

"You're staring at me," Aiga said, using her teeth to bite off a line of thread.

"Sorry, I just…" Katara frowned. "Just considering the future."

"That's what most are doing these days. I think you'll make it," Aiga said. "There's not a fiercer warrior around."

"You're too kind. And even so…" she shrugged. "Zuko may be done with me anyway."

"Stop being ridiculous, Katara," Aiga said. "That boy is stupidly in love with you."

"He has a weird way of showing it," Katara muttered. She shook her head. She was tired of re-hashing her feelings about Zuko currently. "How's Tahoe?"

Aiga ducked her head, blushing. "Perfect. Of course. Sometimes, I think he's too good to be real."

"Oh, now who's being silly?" Katara laughed out loud. "You're fantastic, Aiga! Why wouldn't any boy want you?"

Aiga shrugged, clearly not believing Katara, her cheek still splattered with the hint of redness. "He's just...well, everything I wanted. It's like someone made him for me. I'm ever so lucky to have found him."

"You deserve it," Katara kicked her foot softly, "Honestly."

Aiga licked her lips, a small smile on her face as she went back to the stitching. There would be enough beads on this dress to cover it, basically, and create a representation of a cougar. It was ambitious, surely, but the time was better spent than Katara staring out windows and wondering about Zuko, about her future, about everything. It was far easier in many ways to numb her mind with the methodical patterning of this dress.

There was someone running in the halls. Katara frowned; who was up at this hour, making such a ruckus? She stood to see if everything was fine (she prayed they weren't under siege again), and as she opened her door, she came face-to-face with a red-faced guard, about to knock on her own door.

"Princess Katara," he said, greeting her as only to get it out of the way before he pushed into the room. "Aiga! There you are!"

"Is everything all right?" Katara asked, worry clenching deep in her stomach.

"Your family," he said, still only focusing on Aiga, wiping his forehead, as his whole body shook. "They've been attacked!"