Suki pulled Katara into the room. On the table was a gossip rag, something Katara usually gave little to no attention to. They were always horribly inaccurate and usually were just making things up.

However, there was usually a kernel of truth within the words, even though often it was very minuscule. A broken clock was still right twice a day though, right?

What more? All the girls around her were reading it, fingers clutching the paper.

She felt her chest tighten and herd the sound of each footstep as she approached was like a drumbeat in her ear. She was terrified that it would be announcing Toph was alive or that someone knew where Aang or Ty Lee was. She was paralyzed with fear at the thought of it doing a nasty exposé on her brother. She didn't want to pick it up to see Iroh's good name smeared callously.

She should have seen how Suki looked at her, with such pity. At that moment she realized that Suki was not crying for herself...she was crying for Katara. Katara shouldn't have been worried for others, she should have been afraid of what it said about her.

"Former Choice Favorite Tells All in Journal Entries…" Katara read out loud, and she felt faint. Very much so. The world fuzzed above her as she realized why so many girls were looking at her with a sense of distrust or anger.

She spun to Suki, who just gave a hard-pressed frown.

"I understand we hardly knew each other. I'm not mad. Just…" She sighed. Just sad, Katara understood and frustrated about the entire circumstance of it.

"That's your handwriting, isn't it?" On Ji asked, pointing to the hand-drawn picture, "You wrote those things."

"I…." Katara remembered the seal leather-bound journal her mother had gifted her, brought here to feel close to home in those first few weeks. She recalled how she thought it would be a fantastic idea to write in it about her experiences here. She remembered the Equalist attack and how her room had been trashed and she'd never found the journal, assuming it had been burned or ripped or destroyed.

But someone had grabbed it.

And now, they were publishing it for all to see.

She was so caught off guard that she didn't even fathom the idea of pointing out that anyone could copy her handwriting, and could say what they wanted it to say. This came belatedly, but unfortunately, her aspirated vowel told the truth more than anything else could.

Everyone knew that yes, the journal that was being recreated was indeed Katara's.

The timing of it was...frustrating. No, not just frustrating, pointed. It was a clear attack. She was at her most vulnerable with Sokka's situation fueling such poor opinions of her that taking Katara down now just needed one good move.

This could possibly be the fuse that led to her leaving.

"All the Fire Nation girls feel haughtier and superior?" On Ji read quietly, and Katara winced, not recalling her exact wording, but something close. "They act like they're all already victors."

"You see, I'd only know you for a short time. Hardly anything," Katara said softly, hoping that she could smooth the hurt, but this was never meant to be seen by anyone other than her own people.

"You said that I was a spitfire but I don't know how to be quiet," Ratana said, touching the place where there was still a red mark on her face, "Guess that opinion hasn't changed." Her eyes burned with anger.

"Apparently, I'm the commoner version of Yue." On Ji said, eyes narrowed.

"That's a compliment," Katara blubbered, but immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say. She was glad Yue wasn't there...she did wish Zuko was here to oh... she didn't know, burn all the copies immediately? She hoped he would run into' Yue soon so he could be summoned to the Ladies' Room. Great Tui, Zuko was really going to have her head now.

"She basically insinuates Ty Lee is a stupid flirt!" Nadhari looks like she's having a grand old time reading. "Wonder what Ty Lee would think if she read that now, wherever she is. If she knew one of her friends thought she was tacky and had no tact with her giggling."

"Don't put words in Katara's mouth," Mai said sharply, though perhaps she was just defending Ty Lee.

"You read your bit yet, Mai?" Nadhari waved the paper, smiling, "Because she has a lot to say about you. Doesn't know why you're here at all, no semblance of a personality, will make a horrible mother, only pretty if you like ugly things like a rainy day...and here's the piece de resistance. Ahem, and I quote, 'If Zuko needs a personable wife, I can't think of a worse choice.' Word for word. No words in mouths." Nadhari seemed just as excited to read this as she was to tell the others how Katara has taken them down. Katara winced externally. Had she really had to go that rough on Mai?

"I'm sure you're not painted in a pretty light either," Suki said sourly to Nadhari.

"I expected that. I'm not hurt, sweetie," Nadhari said, looking directly at Katara. "I know I'm unlikeable. At least I own my personality, or at least, I'm not surprised when I make an enemy or two."

Well, Nadhari already hated her, so she wasn't missing out on anything there.

Luckily for Suki, Katara had only written, mostly, nice things. Suki's part was small and short, as it wasn't exciting that Katara didn't have some secret beef with her. At worst, she said Suki scared her a bit with her passion sometimes, but then again, Suki didn't seem offended. Yue's and Alcina's parts were both pretty general too if she remembered correctly. Safe would be the word for it now. Even in the rest of her journal, where she'd written about the process up until the attack, there had been a few comments and none were as bad as those first introductions.

But now, months later...she was kicking herself.

"You said I was a disgusting freak for taking a claim that I am distantly related to the bloodline," Caecillia said quietly. Katara snapped her head around.

"I never said that. Never wrote it, I mean. I…" Katara was at a loss, seizing the paper.

"But you already owned up to this whole little exposé," Nadhari pointed out, "So excuse us if some don't believe you."

"But why would she lie about that if she admitted to the rest?" Alcina questioned, setting down her paper. Okay, she for-sure still had Suki, Yue, and Alcina on her side. She could make it through with three friends.

Zuko strode into the room, fists clenching.

"Princess Katara, did you consent to this information being published?" he asked, voice probably formal to hide how much he wanted to hit his head against a wall right now.

"Of course not!" Katara said, angry he'd think otherwise. She wasn't suicidal! "Why would you think that?" Her tone was unkind. Zuko swallowed, blinking, as though trying to re-align himself at her harshness.

"Right. So, this is a very upsetting action against the throne and your Prince. So, if you please, we'll be collecting those," Zuko said and Katara wanted to just disappear. Of course, Zuko was on her side too. Why would she imagine he wasn't? However, she knew one of her bad qualities was, if she was already on the defense, acting like a hissing spider-cat and lashing out at those that were just trying to help.

"Information's already out there," Mai said but handed it over. "Can you really stop it?"

"I can pause it," Zuko said. "We will be exploring this. If I find out it was any of you…" Zuko's good eye roamed the room, "You will be sorry. And I would do the same if you tried to run a smear campaign against any member of the Choice, so you know," He added as Nadhari rolled her eyes at Katara and began to say something. "This is very clearly not just mere publishing of the journal contents, as we know there would be mundane things she wrote about too, but anti-Katara. Make no mistake in thinking this was done very pointedly."

He collected the papers, crisping them in his hand as he stomped away, cussing slightly under his breath.

"I dunno, and maybe Katara will think I should keep my fat mouth shut," Ratana said, "But I think whoever published this is a hero."

Katara turned away and luckily Suki saw her face and guided her away before Katara slapped Ratana...again.

XXXX

Zuko counted as Ru gave an eighth long sigh. No, he wasn't just counting, he was categorizing. He was watching his friend read with rapt attention, eyes completely focused.

The first sigh had been almost in amusement, as though to ask, 'oh, what has Zuko brought to me today?' After that, when he began reading, it had turned into much more frustrated sighs. Two sighs of frustration, sending an 'are you serious' look at Katara. One sigh of aggravation. Three sighs where he seemed like he really was regretting everything right about now. And one sigh, right at the very end, where he placed his head on the armrest and sighed loudly.

Zuko glanced at the smear paper against Katara, for sure the last paper in the Royal Palace, on the threat of being labeled a traitor. The papers had been handed back quickly after that. And, more surprisingly, it had been his mother who had given the announcement. His father was away for a day, 'arranging' something Zuko was not privy to, but he hoped that Ozai would have agreed.

Or not. Zuko could be honest with himself.

Either way, he was warmed by his mother's compassion and her stoniness in this regard. They'd sent guards to try to track down the person who penned this, to no luck. They'd brought back as many of the papers as they could find but he feared Mai was right. The lies, the twisting of Katara's words, the damage was out there.

Cue Ru.

"You know, Zuko," Ru said, finally sitting up, taking a drink of dragon whisky (he apparently gave no shits about drinking on the job this time), "When you asked me to be the Choice's media liaison, I thought, oh cool! This would be my big break. I was honored. I thought I would be writing mostly fluff pieces, maybe get an award for 'bringing out the truth' of one of the girls, something like their dad told them to join with their dying breath. Drama. Gossip. Cattiness. And instead, you bring me this." He gesticulated all around, and Zuko knew this wasn't the first time he was calling Ru in on unorthodox articles. "You...you keep me on my toes, Prince Zuko. Never a dull moment."

"Ru-" Katara spoke up quietly.

"But damn do you make my job hard," Ru finished. "Whoever wanted to make Katara's life worse has done a really good job of it. It would be hard to swing it positive, even if I had it in my hands," he admitted.

"So you won't be able to?" Zuko asked, growling.

"No! It's going to be a challenge though," Ru rolled up his sleeves, "I hope you two have your schedules cleared. We need to dig deep. Reinvent Katara entirely. Change the narrative. We can't fix it now...we're far past that, but we can give them a different image than what this piece gave."

"I'll call for someone to bring us a meal," Zuko said after a moment, realizing the insurmountable task at hand. Ru raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Someone you trust. And the good stuff, Zuko. Need my brain to be properly fed." He tapped his head.

"Sounds like you just want a free fancy meal," Katara snorted.

"With what Zuko hopes I can do, it's the least he can offer," Ru said, but he didn't sound offended. Zuko gave a half-smile.

He called Atsushi. Now that Iroh was gone, his uncle's attendant had been given to him. He knew from the way Atsushi talked that he believed Iroh innocent, or in the right, and Zuko had a good sense that he wasn't just saying that. He'd agonized when he found out Iroh had been 'killed'. Zuko trusted him, one of the few people in the palace that currently did.

When Zuko and Atsushi returned, Ru and Katara were deep in discussion. They were going rapid-fire, back and forth, Katara answering questions as quickly as Ru asked them. They weren't easy ones either, but the real deep stuff, the things she'd need to reveal to raise her public image.

Usually, Zuko wouldn't give a shit about what the people thought, but the closer he was to taking the throne for real, the more he wanted his people to love their Fire Lady. They did not love Katara right now. If he married her – even if she agreed – there might be riots in the street.

Part of him wished Katara had told him about the journal. If he'd known it was coming, they could have done damage control way sooner. It seemed she'd forgotten about it entirely until it popped back up, so perhaps he couldn't blame her. Who imagined it would cause any trouble at all?

It was a long talk, mostly between Katara and Ru. Zuko couldn't add much but felt he should be there for moral support. Honestly, though, most of his time was spent in deep thought. His mind was like a web, so tangled with so many different ends to the thread that it was hard to keep track. To be frank, it was almost relaxing to have four hours to just sit and sift through his issues, trying to spread them out mentally, without being asked for something else.

Finally, when the food was done and Ru had no more paper, he started to pack up.

"Enough?" Zuko asked warily.

"I…" Ru hesitated, "I'll have to think about it. I mean, she gave me enough to write a biography, but it will take cunningness to twist it how we want…" He gnawed at his lip. "I hate to say it, but one of her biggest barriers isn't her...it's her brother," he said, glancing back at Katara, who locked her jaw.

"Thanks."

"I'm just being transparent. If you did something...something to better your image, I could write about that. I don't even know what though." He groaned. Zuko licked his lips, wincing. Katara caught it.

Ru flexed his fingers, not seeing the exchange. "If you think of an angle, send it my way. I'm going to go home, take a nap, and then tomorrow hope my dreams have given me an epiphany," he said dryly, knocking on the door for Atsushi to escort him out.

"What?" Katara demanded, "What was that face?"

"It might not work. The article," Zuko said quietly, "Without some...action. Ru's right."

"Because of Sokka," Katara hissed.

"He's…" Zuko didn't want to speak ill of her brother, and not of someone he still hoped he could be friends, even after what he'd done to him, "…not a well-liked person. I can't be seen being friendly with him, not yet, so…" This did bother him genuinely. He'd started to think of Sokka as part of his self-adopted family, and all he wanted was to go in there and let Sokka punch him in the face or the gut and then for the pair to clink their glasses of sake and be friends. But that, at least currently, was quite impossible.

"So, what?" Katara's voice was taut, "I should give up my family? Separate myself from those 'Water Tribe Savages'? Start acting like a 'true lady' and not the daughter of some 'unwashed beast'?" She stood, pacing. "Give a public address condemning them, basically disassociating myself with my blood?"

"No!" Zuko jumped, but when she gave him a hard look, he sighed, unwilling to speak.

"I know it." Katara flopped down. "It's all things I've thought of too. I can't get angry at you for being logical about it." She mumbled, "I'm selfish, Zuko. I don't want to."

"Then I won't ask you to."

"You should," Katara wiped the back of her eyes, and he noticed she was tearing up a bit. "Because my family will do something boneheaded – or I will – and we'll still be here. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. Maybe I'm not meant to be the Fire Lady," she said with a shrug.

"Bullshit." Zuko knelt down, touching her cheek. "Class and poise? Who needs those?" he said, catching a small smile from her. "Kindness. Love. The drive to do good. That's all the Fire Lady needs and you have it in droves."

"Zuko?" Katara said, kissing his hand, "Do you want to go out tomorrow night? As the Blue Spirit?" Her eyes were shimmering.

"Spirits, yes," Zuko groaned, "Please."

"It's a date." Katara kissed his cheek. "I'll see you then. I should go back to my room, before someone sees me touching a vase and writes a piece about how I defiled a thousand-year-old heirloom or something," she said, but there was a hint of humor to her voice.

"Are you okay?" He felt stupid for not asking before.

"I'm made of stronger stuff," Katara assured, "Or I'd be long gone."

XXX

As Katara walked back to her room, she nearly ran into a guard. She started to give an apology until she realized it was Tahoe. She relaxed until she saw that he was scowling at her.

"What?" she snapped, tired of people sending her dirty looks all throughout the palace, as though she'd murdered a favorite pet on the steps of the Throne Room. "Did I offend someone you care about in the article too?"

In fact, all day, people had been crawling out of nowhere to inform her what a horrible, selfish, cruel person she was. Because Ishwa had been their third cousin's favorite babysitter, or that Avizeh was the girl who had once smiled at them in a crowd of three-hundred, or because they had just simply liked Fidelia best. Because how dare Katara write private things about people in her private journal that these idiots had never meant to see in the first place?

"No, but I need you to tell me the truth," Tahoe said. He seemed bigger, almost imposing, as he stood over her. "Aiga's not gone on a vacation, is she? I went to her house and they're gone."

Embarrassment flooded Katara. Of course, it was about his girlfriend, who he was probably worried sick about, especially after seeing her house vacant. But...if Aiga hadn't told him her plans or where she was going...common sense told Katara to stay mum.

"I thought she was," Katara said, eyes wide and voice high with her lie, "I only found out today that she'd put in her leave notice."

"She didn't tell you?" Tahoe's face was colored with confusion. "She considered you a... sister…"

Katara's heart clenched. "I know."

"Do you think it was the airbenders?" Tahoe asked warily, genuinely looking frightened. "I've heard what Zhao says they're capable of...I'm just worried she got caught up in something...bigger than her."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know, she always just seemed...like she was watching over her shoulder. Always on the lookout." Tahoe inhaled sharply. "Katara, I'm freaking out. I'm going out of my mind with worry. If you know something...please, tell me," he begged. "She trusted you more than she did me. Anything could be important."

Katara felt for him. She opened her mouth, but then recalled how she had perhaps let some sensitive information on Aiga slip once, and knew she could not.

"I'm sorry," she said after a long moment, "She didn't tell me anything. Just that she and her family were going on vacation to Ember Island." She figured if anything, she should give false information. Aiga sure as hell wasn't there.

"Oh." Tahoe's shoulders dropped, and he sounded both disappointed and frustrated. "If you hear anything else, you'll let me know?" he asked. Katara smiled warmly, relieved he'd believed her. "Of course, Tahoe. Don't worry."

XXX

Breakfast the next morning was a weird affair, what with half of the girls looking at Katara like they wanted to stab her with their butter knives, a few girls protectively glaring at the rest of them, and Nadhari settling herself at the end of the table, grinning. She was smiling more lately than Katara had ever seen her. Figures that what made Nadhari truly happy was Katara being metaphorically stampeded with hatred.

Ursa tried to keep the conversation light. Azula had taken her breakfast in her room and Zuko was trying not to play favorites with anyone, especially not Katara currently, so he spent almost all of his meal staring at his plate. Lu Ten was absent. Shame; he would have at least kept the humor up and eased this tension.

Ozai showed up at the end, just before everyone was about to leave. Zuko glanced up, nostrils flaring for a moment, eyes narrowed.

"Dear, I thought you wouldn't be back yet," Ursa said. Ozai patted her shoulder, nodding to Zuko.

"Finished finalizing my details early," he said but revealed nothing else. "I have an announcement anyway."

Zuko looked at the ceiling, taking deep breaths.

"Dear spirits," Suki muttered to Katara, "I don't think I want another 'announcement'."

"As we draw closer to finding our future Fire Lady, and no doubt one of you will be my daughter-in-law soon enough, I thought it would be nice for us to have tea tomorrow. Ursa and I would appreciate the time to speak with you, get to know you. Learn your interests and give ourselves a sense of who we might see around here permanently."

Most of the girls took their attention away from Katara, giving smiles and nervous giggles to each other. Zuko was still looking suspicious but had apparently decided this was innocuous enough.

Katara felt her stomach flip-flop. She liked Ursa, but she could think of nothing worse than describing her interests to Ozai. He'd likely only be condescending anyway. Still, she had to try to make a better impression, or else...

"Please come an hour before dessert to the lounge on the first floor. We look forward to this evening, ladies!"

As all the girls were excused from their meal, the walk back to their quarters was filled with some girls fussing about what they would wear and others talking strategy about what to say to Ozai. At least there was something shiny and new and distracting.

Katara followed into the lounge since her room was being cleaned right now and she was forced to socialize.

"I wonder what the Fire Lord wants to know?" Cillia mused.

"Shoot! I've forgotten everything that Zhi taught us about poise and etiquette," On Ji moaned. "I'll probably trip in front of my face in front of him."

"I hope my maid has a good dress prepared. I don't want to wear what I wore for the ball," Nadhari broke in, a disgusted look on her face.

"Oh, none of the twelve?" Alcina responded sarcastically.

"It was only four," Nadhari snarked back at her. "I can't wear those though. I'm going to find her. She can be scatterbrained. What would she do without me?" Nadhari grumbled as she left.

"Maybe actually enjoy her job?" Cillia asked, garnering a few laughs.

"Do you think that he'd prefer white or blue?" Yue questioned. "I could wear either. I think that white has a good feeling, you know? But blue is soothing. Maybe I need to be soothed."

Katara zoned out of most of the conversation, knowing she'd probably grab something from the back of her closet. She almost wondered what makeup Aiga would set out for her until she remembered. She felt her throat close and blinked back tears.

"I'm...going to figure out what to wear," Katara mumbled a quick exit, so the others did not see her tears.

"Right." She heard Cillia click her tongue. "Still doesn't have a new maid."

XXX

Zhi escorted the girls to the lounge. Everyone was in a nervous, giddy mood. It was like they were drunk, despite none of the girls having any alcohol yet. Even Mai seemed off-focus.

Katara had decided she was going to give her best effort in front of Ozai. She'd been on the fence between being her usual impossibly stubborn Katara or if, for Zuko, she should try to be nice. Yeah, he hated his dad, but his dad had a lot of sway.

Because she cared about Zuko and cared about her own position far more than she'd realized, she needed to be serious.

Ozai and Ursa were waiting, with Zuko in the corner. As soon as everyone was sitting, they explained that the ladies would be free to partake in tea and dessert, and they'd come to each of them to talk. Otherwise, the ladies should enjoy the presentation and the tea, from one of the best tea-makers in the nation.

If Toph were there, Katara was sure she would have huffed and said, "No one makes better tea than Iroh."

Katara took a long time picking her food and her tea. By the time that she sat back down, Suki plopped down next to her.

"That was unexpected."

"They already talked to you?" Katara wondered how long she'd been staring at that chocolate cake. Embarrassingly long, she supposed. Her nerves were wild right now.

"It was sort of...fun? He seemed like a normal guy for once. I mean, we know he's not, but it was weird. I think there were parts that were genuine." Suki seemed extremely thoughtful.

"What did he want to know? Was it like a firing squad?"

"Hardly. He actually was really interested in my culture. Seriously, I'll add. Very conversational. I think he's being a bit honest. I mean, one of us will be related to him," Suki pulled a face at that, and half-gagged. "I made him laugh."

"Oh spirits," Katara spurted out some of her tea, "I didn't think he was capable."

"You and me both! He seems to be in a good mood. Whatever he was planning is apparently going to go off without a hitch, or so he told Ursa. Maybe you can push that in your favor?"

"Tui, I hope," Katara agreed, sitting up straighter. Maybe she could turn this around?

Zuko apologized and excused himself, saying he had to get to some paperwork, and just wanted to see the ladies. He caught Katara's eye and smiled slightly before he left. Suki coughed, shaking her head a bit.

"Starry-eyed…" she said.

"Sorry. Right. No. Ozai," Katara pointed at Suki, meaning for her to continue.

"I just think that maybe Ozai wears different hats. It's hard to be a leader, I know," Suki considered, "I mean, Ursa said she loved him at one point. He had to have been entertaining or funny or something. I think maybe I'd like to believe there's a personality under there."

Katara was not so sure she agreed. It was easier to hate him if he was a black-and-white monster.

Katara watched as he moved from girl to girl. Eventually, Alcina joined Katara and Suki, and the three of them watched with one eye as Ozai and Ursa talked to each girl. On Ji looked at the couple adoringly. It was refreshing, in a sense, that she was so easily enchanted. Besu looked put-out, and it didn't seem like their conversation went well. When Ozai moved to Nadhari, she gave a seductive smile.

"Yuck!" Alcina shuddered, "Where does one draw the line?"

"Hey, maybe if she isn't chosen and Ursa vanishes, she could become Zuko's new mom," Suki teased.

"Excuse me while I vomit," Katara gagged, and Alcina was torn between laughing and making disgusted faces.

Katara watched as Ozai talked to every girl. Except for Katara. Even those that were sitting with other girls, he talked to. Why save her for last?

There was a point where Ursa tugged on his cloak, her feet pointed as though she was poised to head toward Katara next, but he ignored her. He just stood. "Oh, ladies, the time has gotten away from us! We need to retire for the night. I enjoyed talking with all of you."

There were some goodbyes, but mostly, the attention was back to Katara. It was so obvious he'd talked to everyone but her.

And she knew he hadn't simply 'forgotten.' No, this was calculated. He was making a statement. It didn't matter how Zuko felt or how Katara felt. It didn't matter that Ursa seemed to like Katara. It didn't matter that at one point, everyone had loved her.

With such a simple action, he'd put his disdain on display. The Fire Lord thought she was so unfit and so unworthy he didn't even bother speaking with her.

Katara wanted to scream.

She was grateful that she and Zuko would be going out tonight. She needed to punch a burglar and let off some pent-up frustrations. She dug her Painted Lady clothes out of her closet, ignoring the tingling feeling in her mind as she held up the outfit.

She put on her makeup and waited.

And waited...and waited...and waited.

But Zuko never showed.

XXX

Zuko was walking through a field he did not recognize. Swamp may be the better word, but it wasn't like Aang's swamps. The grass above him was tall and seemed to shimmer, but there was also water up to his ankles, although he wasn't getting wet.

He waded for a long time, the shadow of the moon his companion on this eerie night. Everything around him seemed paused; there was no sound. Nothing. The trees seemed to change shape every time he shifted his gaze, morphing weirdly with their shadows casting long lines of black across the crystal clear water.

There were two figures up ahead.

"Hey! Hey, where am I?" Zuko called, and he ran, but there were no splashes in the water as he came toward them. In fact, he seemed to be making no distance at all, but rather the foreground was brought to him, as though someone was pulling the grass on a string.

He paused, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

The figures seemed not to notice him, despite being only a few feet away. It was the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady...holding hands. The Blue Spirit whispered something and the Painted Lady laughed. They seemed happy, content.

"Hey! What's going on?" Zuko waved his arms to no avail. It was like he was a ghost here.

There was a din growing in the back of his mind. The longer he stood there, the louder it was. He couldn't figure out what the noise was. He knew it, though his brain was hiding that answer...and he felt like he should panic. As his brain scrambled to figure it out, the Blue Spirit turned toward Zuko, as though noticing him for the first time. Through the mask, their eyes met.

He might have been out of it, but he could have sworn they were golden eyes.

Then, the Blue Spirit spoke, but it was Zuko's own voice that echoed in his ears.

"You need to wake up now."

Zuko jolted awake.

"Zuko! Wake up, now!"

Zuko wiped his eyes and nearly had a heart attack, falling halfway off his chair. Before him was the Painted Lady, her clothes billowing behind her, her skin glowing. Part of him thought he was dead, that his time was up. It was a gothic, sublime vision that stopped his heart all at once.

It took a few seconds for his brain to wake up and realize it was Katara. Her costume was blowing due to the patio door open and her skin was aglow due to the reflection of the full moon. There was no frightening sound. It was just the crickets of the night.

Why was she wearing...oh frick.

"We were supposed to go out tonight," he groaned, dragging his hands down his face, "I must've fallen asleep. I was trying to get these papers together for Aang on the Equalists. It's all so scattered and weird and I knew a shipment was going out in two days and-"

"Hey, woah," Katara touched his shoulders, "Calm down, Zuko. It's fine."

"No, it's not! I made an agreement with you." Zuko started hiding his work from prying eyes like Azula or Ozai. "I'm so, so sorry."

"At least I know it was for a good reason. I thought you'd just ignored me. Like your fa…" Katara's fists clenched. "Like others have."

"Did something happen?" Zuko asked, still a bit groggy.

"I'm okay." He'd realize only later she hadn't really answered. "I'm just on an emotional high. Full moon and all." She pointed. "Hey, you should sleep. We can do this another time. I have my answer."

"No, wait for a second," Zuko argued, "It would do me good. I need to get out, really. Give me just a few moments. I'll get dressed."

"Are you sure? You and sleep haven't been…"

"Haven't been what?" Zuko called from his changing room, tugging on his black ensemble. Compared to Katara's, his outfit was quick to gather and put on.

"Haven't been friends. Don't think we don't see how tired you are," she said, concerned.

"Would you be able to sleep if you were the Prince in my position?" Zuko asked, coming out and tugging his mask on tightly. "I won't hear it. Let's go, Kat."

Katara seemed ready to disagree, but she was itching to run the roofs as much as he was.

"Let's do some good tonight," he said, "And make some lives better."

XXX

Their night was what Zuko would certainly call a success. They managed to bag two thieves, one that he knew had been evading the Fire Guard for quite a bit. They gave food to a family that blessed the ground they left it on. They talked a kid down from running away, and he did believe it was a spiritual intervention. Katara seemed a bit proud but equally put-off by that comment, and he made a note to question that later. They rescued a cat from a tree for a little old lady who said it was nice to see 'young couples out doing blessed things.' Weird, but thanks? They saved a woman who was choking on a grape, and this was when he learned that Katara knew how to save someone who wasn't breathing. They helped a lost child find her way home.

Zuko hadn't felt so satisfied with anything he'd done in months!

The old lady they'd helped had given them some sweet rice cakes, and they found a high roof to sit and eat their spoils.

"Sometimes I wish I could just vanish. Leave. Do this forever," he said. "I want to be the Fire Lord to help people, but sometimes it's hard to see the bigger picture. And I want to help everyone. I'm not sure if I can do that as the Fire Lord. I think it's a contradiction."

"That's what I like about my tribe," Katara agreed with a knowing nod, "Every action I do directly helps someone. We see those changes immediately."

"I just want to know that I'm doing the right things. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it." He grimaced and waved his hand. "Like the Choice. For some, it's a game. Something they can bet money on and read about in the news and make their own opinions about. I know I'm doing it to take time to pick the best future wife for my Nation, but I get so tired of the drama. Not the stuff you-all go through – I mean, the environment manufactures fights – but the bureaucracy of it," Zuko rambled, "Why should it be anyone's choice but mine who I marry?"

"It shouldn't, but we don't live that way. Either of us," Katara said, "It's the price we pay by wanting to do good on the large-scale, eh?"

Zuko charted her, frowning. He'd never considered where she'd be or who she'd be with if two advisors on a Fire Nation vessel hadn't led her here. In a terrible life, maybe they would have only met as enemies at an All-Nations meeting. He didn't like that life either.

He wasn't sure where he should be, or what he should do, or how to fix anything that was happening. It was enough to...to…

Zuko picked up a cherry blossom that had fallen on the roof from a large tree in this house's backyard, picking off the petals and letting the breeze dance them away. "Sometimes I wonder...if we just...rode away with the wind...what it would be like."

Katara was quiet. He wondered if she would be furious for suggesting, even in theory, that he should abandon his people. Instead, she gave a sad smile.

"It's tempting."

He leaned over and kissed her. He meant it to be just a show of companionship, something gentle, but she deepened it. Just as he was getting into it, she pulled back.

"Sorry, sorry! The moon...uhm, emotions...yeah." She winced, her face reddening to the color of her war paint.

"The moon makes you want to kiss me?"

"Among other things," she admitted nervously. "It makes me feel like I'm at the top of the world. Like I could do anything, take whatever I want."

"So, me?" Zuko asked with a self-satisfied grin. Katara hit his arm.

"Whatever, yes, you! I'm not interested in any other guys," she huffed.

"Kat." He pulled her close. "Katara. Kiss me again. Please?"

"If that's a Royal Decree?" she teased.

"I'll put it in writing," he said as their mouths connected.

It was nothing more than what it was. They were enjoying the warmth of the night, the way their arms rose with goosebumps. Neither had any intention to take it farther, but to be able to kiss the girl he liked without interruption was a luxury even the Prince did not have. They could have stayed forever on that roof, no expectations of what it meant or didn't mean. They were just two people, blowing off their steam, capturing a moment selfishly for themselves.

When both pulled back, they were satisfied.

"Nearly dawn," Zuko commented, "We have...maybe three more hours. Wanna keep going?"

"No! You need sleep," Katara commanded. "I think it's only fair."

"You take good care of me," Zuko groaned, unwilling to admit that without her nagging, he wouldn't have slept that night.

"Someone needs to."

As they hopped back through the roofs, there was a sound that grew closer with each house they passed. It was the sound from his dream, but now he could place it. In his dream, it had been muffled and distorted. It wasn't now.

It was the emergency call, the alarm bell.

"The palace is in trouble!" Zuko called, noticing how the guards in the city were swarming toward his house.

"What sort of trouble?" Katara yelled after him, her short legs struggling to keep up with the long, worried strides he was taking.

Zuko paused, heart racing and his breath short. "Fire, burglary, a rabid ostrich horse on the loose...but what would you guess?"

Katara's eyes darkened. "Equalists?"

Zuko inhaled hard. "We need to get back. Right now."