"She lights up every room like holy fire."

-Peter Bradley Adams

The Earth Kingdom's server uniform was made up of an uncomfortable stiff and gilded vest, and loose pants that came down to the mid-calve. Zuko could deal with the clothes, but the gaudy round hat, embossed in gold, was just too much. He stood in the small, sparsely furnished apartment he shared with his uncle and scowled at his reflection.

Uncle Iroh came up behind him, dressed in a much wider version of the same outfit, and placed his hands on his nephew's shoulders. "You look ready to serve tea to the king. If only we could do something about that expression."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous. Who ever heard of a plain bear? And who throws a party for it?"

Uncle Iroh chuckled and patted Zuko's shoulders. "Now, Zuko, our tea has been recognized as the best in Ba Sing Se. It is a great honor to be asked to serve it at such an extravagant event."

"It's your tea, Uncle."

"Those who help to serve the tea also play a part in its creation," the old man stated wisely. He took a large tin, filled with his special blend of tea, from the table and placed it in his travel bag. "I certainly hope this will be enough."

With a sigh, Zuko held the door open so his uncle could pass through. "Let's get this over with."

The palace kitchen was bustling with servers hastily refilling trays with appetizers, cooks pulling trays from large ovens, and bartenders quickly filling glasses to be passed around. Uncle Iroh and Zuko were hustled into a corner, where a large kettle was already blowing hot steam through its spout.

Uncle Iroh lifted the lid and peered inside to check the water. He nodded in satisfaction and motioned for Zuko to begin arranging cups on a tray. After five minutes of carefully timed steeping, each cup was filled with the amber liquid. The pleasing, earthy aroma of the blend permeated the kitchen, and a few of the other servers snuck away from their stations to quietly ask for a sample of the tea. Uncle Iroh was, of course, happy to oblige.

With the sheer number of party guests, there were no servers to spare to help pass out the tea, and Uncle Iroh and Zuko were left to handle the task alone. Armed with heavy trays, they used their backs to open the large, intricate double doors that separated the kitchen from the reception area and dispersed.

Zuko kept his head low, focusing on the tea as he struggled to balance the tray and keep it from sloshing over the sides of the cups as he walked. He shuffled around the room, the awkward burden quickly growing lighter as guests, enticed by the wonderful scent, enthusiastically took a cup. Finally, he felt comfortable enough to lift his head and get a good look around the room.

At the head of a long table, the bear sat, gorging itself on whatever was placed near it. The guests lucky enough to get a seat close to the animal grimaced and shifted in their chairs. Zuko noticed that the bear wore an outfit embarrassingly similar to his, and he turned away with reddened cheeks.

That's when he saw her.

The Water Tribe girl – Katara – and her companion were speaking sheepishly with a nobleman. The robe she wore was designed with subtle cloud details. The elaborate hairpiece sat perfectly atop her head. Rouge tinged her cheeks and her makeup was dewy and fresh.

Zuko, so enthralled by her transformation, did not at first think about what might happen if she recognized him. His clothes and his hair may have changed, but the scar on his face could not be disguised. She flicked her fan delicately in the air, and he quickly snapped out his trance. He turned his back to her, sucking in a deep breath to calm his galloping heart.

Why, he wondered, would the sight of her make him react that way? She was the enemy. She traveled with the avatar. She stood between him and his honor. And if she was there, then that meant the avatar couldn't be far.

A plan began to weave itself together in the back of his mind. He would follow her, unseen. She would unknowingly lead him right to the avatar. The party provided a perfect atmosphere to keep tabs on her. She stood out. Like holy fire, she radiated the air around her.

Zuko swallowed thickly.

Where had that thought come from?

He dared to cast a glance over his shoulder and his half-baked plan fled from his mind. What was honor anyway? What was destiny? Wasn't Uncle constantly telling him to create his own? To carve out his own path? And recently, hadn't he been wondering what honor truly meant for him?

Was any of this worth it?

A portion of the crowd dispersed and there she was again. She held her fan over the lower portion of her face to hide a giggle, but the crinkles at the corner of her eyes gave it away. She and her companion looked so poised, yet he knew she didn't belong here. He wondered what could have possibly brought her to this strange party.

He could offer her a cup of tea. He could pretend to be nothing more than a humble server, passing out delectable tea at a party for a strange animal no one had ever heard of. But she would recognize him instantly. Of course she would. And he didn't want to think about what kind of scene she might cause once she did. He and Uncle would be exposed for sure.

He inched his way back towards the kitchen with his almost empty tray, careful not to draw attention to himself. His eyes remained glued on her, and for a moment he feared she would sense someone watching her, but she appeared preoccupied with something. She looked nervous beneath her makeup and a part of him ached to approach her and find out why.

But he ducked into the kitchen, the door safely separating them. She was also in Ba Sing Se, and that meant they could run into each other at any time. What would the encounter be like when she finally realized he was within her presence?

Uncle was standing by the kettle, taking his time in brewing a new batch of tea. He gave his nephew a gentle smile as he approached. "Ah, there you are. It seems the demand for our tea is greater than I expected."

Zuko swallowed hard and set his tray aside. "I have to leave, Uncle."

He blinked in surprise. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I-I don't feel well."

The lie was so obvious it was embarrassing, but Uncle Iroh nodded in understanding. "I see. Go home and rest, then. I can handle this." He gave his nephew a knowing look. "I suppose we will talk later?"

"I suppose we will," Zuko replied with a shallow nod.

He stepped out the back door into the cool night. With one last glance over his shoulder as the door closed, he saw her again through the open double doors. Laughing, but slightly uncomfortable. The dangling jewelry on her hairpiece swayed with her movements. He saw a peek of her glossed lips over the top of her fan, and his heart leapt his throat. Then the door closed, and she was gone.

Slumped against the back wall, heart pounding, he wondered how many times they crossed paths in the behemoth city. How close had they come to discovering one another? And more importantly, why was he reacting this way? She was just the little Water Tribe girl travelling with the avatar.

He pushed himself off from the cold stone wall and sighed. Fate continued to cross their paths, and in a way, wasn't fate intertwined with destiny? What was destiny anyway?

He pondered these things as he walked back to the small apartment, the stupid hat dangling from his fingers by its string, and tried to shake the Water Tribe girl from his mind.