Zuko entered the ball when it was in full-swing. He had donned what he considered his favorite outfit these days: black pants and a simple gray tunic layered beneath the dyed red leather overshirt with its high collar and shoulder guards trimmed in gold, followed by the matching bracers. Over that came a red sleeveless tunic robe that hung past his knees, with splits in the sides for mobility (one never knew when the need to run would arise, be it from an assassin or an overenthusiastic noblewoman—which had happened on occasion), and finally his black leather boots with gold embellishments and matching shin guards. His hair was still up in the formal topknot, secured with his fire emblem headpiece.

The room was packed with people: the visiting dignitaries, his own court, and his servants who bustled between tables offering food and drink. A band was set up in the corner, filling the room with melodic music. The open dance floor had a dozen couples dancing on it, but most people were deep in conversation. Social gatherings were not of the utmost importance to Zuko's rule, and so they rarely happened except on holidays.

The nobility of the Fire Nation were using this as an opportunity to forge alliances and further their standing. In a way, the dance of society was similar to a game of Pai Sho.

His eyes roamed the crowd, looking for the familiar shape of blue, but he did not see Katara anywhere. He hadn't seen her since the summit that morning. Her absence disheartened him, but Zuko told himself she would be there. He needed to thank her for her help at the summit, and he also owed her an apology for the ass he had made of himself the night before.

He saw Sokka, Aang, Suki, Toph, and Ty Lee off in one corner talking, but the waterbender was mysteriously absent. Aang caught his eye and Zuko offered a small smile and a nod of his head, but Aang only dipped his head in recognition as opposed to his typically cheerful grin. Zuko got the feeling that something was getting to Aang, and he had a suspicion it may have had something to do with what Katara had told him last night, but he was going to stay out of it. I have enough problems of my own.

"Would the Fire Lord care to dance?" a voice crooned at his elbow.

Zuko turned and looked down into the face of a beautiful girl in regal red and gold robes. Her hair was pulled back into a top knot, a gold dragon with glittering ruby eyes adorning it. When she had his attention, she curtsied. He vaguely recognized her.

"Lady Akemi, daughter of your esteemed General Yoshiro," the pretty girl introduced herself formally.

"Ah, yes," said Zuko, still recovering from her unexpected appearance. I hope I don't mess this up. As with all nobility, he had been well versed in chivalry, but he hadn't used it much since before his banishment, at least with the noble ladies. "Rusty" was an understatement. He frowned. "Where is your escort?"

She cast him a mischievous smile. "Oh, I managed to give him the slip."

He held his hand out to her, and she placed one dainty, fair-skinned hand into it. Bowing down, he brought her hand to his mouth and lightly pecked her knuckles. She smelled of jasmine. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Akemi."

"The pleasure is mine, your Grace," she said fluidly. She was blushing.

Zuko offered her his elbow. "Shall we?" She placed a small hand on his arm and he led her toward the dance floor.

So this is one of my potential brides, according to my court, he thought as he placed one of his hands on her slender waist and began to lead her through a moderately paced dance in time with the music. She was tiny, having to crane her neck to look him in the eye. She's beautiful and bold. She wasn't afraid to come right up to me.

"This is a lovely party," Akemi broke the silence. "I wasn't aware his Grace was into lavish balls and social gatherings."

"I'm usually not, but I thought I could make an exception," Zuko answered. "Today has been a good day."

She smiled. He couldn't help but notice the way she intently focused her eyes on the right side of his face. "Yes, so I heard. Your trade deal was approved by all the nation's leaders this morning, wasn't it?"

He arched his eyebrow. "News travels fast. Where did you hear that from?"

"The Water Tribe girl," Akemi replied lightly.

Zuko didn't care for the off-hand way she spoke of Katara. It was disrespectful. "Do you mean Princess Katara?" Zuko said pointedly, and he was satisfied when he saw her cheeks darken in admonishment.

She wouldn't quite meet his eye. "Yes, her."

"And where did you meet her?" Zuko felt her tense up beneath his hands. She doesn't like it when I talk about other girls, he observed. That's good to know.

"Princess Ursa didn't tell you? She invited us all to tea this afternoon," Akemi answered, recovering her composure. She smiled flirtatiously at him. "Your mother is a lovely woman, my Lord And your sister is quite sweet."

"Mm-hm," he mused, distracted. Mom didn't tell me she was inviting Katara. Why would she do that?

As their dance came to an end, they parted and a second woman wearing a blood-red gown with gauzy sleeves approached them. Her hair was adorned with a gold headband studded with rubies, and a gold necklace lay against her collarbone. Mal-Chin was in tow, a prideful smile on his face.

"Lady Kemeko, your Grace," Mal-Chin introduced them with a flourishing bow.

The woman curtsied. "My lord." She offered her hand.

Zuko took it and kissed it lightly. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to dance, my lady?"

"Thank you, my lord," Kemeko purred.

She glared daggers at Akemi when she thought Zuko couldn't see, who returned the gaze. No love lost there, Zuko mused. He led Kemeko onto the dance floor. She was taller than Akemi. The top of her head came up to the end of his nose. Her waist beneath his hand was toned.

"So I hear you know my father, Admiral Jee." Kemeko did not frame it as a question.

"Yes, I do. Though he's never mentioned you," Zuko said, eyeing her curiously. He avoided bringing up exactly how he knew her father. "I'm surprised we never met."

"I grew up in the Shimashima colony. I attended an all-girls academy there," Kemeko explained. "Though it's an honor to meet his lordship now."

Zuko nodded, not really paying attention to her. He was still wondering where Katara was. And then he was wondering why he cared so much. He hadn't been able to get her off of his mind all day. It was distracting him.

"You're a wonderful dancer," Kemeko complimented him.

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself," Zuko said with a half-hearted smile. His heart wasn't in this.

She blushed and batted her eyelashes up at him. "Thank you, my lord." She smiled coyly before adding, "Though my idea of a good time usually involves a sword in my hand."

That was surprising. Zuko's eyebrow quirked. Now she had his attention. "Oh? What is your weapon of choice?"

"The katana." The coy smile was back. "When most little girls wanted to play with dolls and have tea parties, I wanted to have sword fights. There is something that is just so...satisfying with a blade in your hand."

He couldn't agree more.

Zuko and Kemeko twirled on the dancefloor and at that moment, he caught sight of the waterbender occupying his thoughts. His step faltered and Kemeko nearly stepped on his toes, but at the last moment she caught herself. She followed his gaze and when she saw what had captured his attention, she glowered.

Zuko realized he wouldn't have recognized Katara even if she had been in the ballroom when he'd first arrived: she was wearing Fire Nation red, a beautiful silk dress with golden dragons and fire lilies embroidered into the gown . Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, a topknot traditional of his homeland balanced on the top of her head. She still had her hair loops, and her mother's necklace was prominent against her slender throat. I forgot how great she looks in red.

"Excuse me," Zuko said to his dance partner, and promptly left her on the floor. Chivalry be damned, he thought.

He wove through the dancers and made his way to Katara, who had hesitated in the doorway. She looked overwhelmed by the crowd and the formal atmosphere. Her hands were twisting her fingers into knots at her waist as she sought out her friends. She hadn't yet spotted him, either.

"Katara, would you like to dance?" he asked, offering a hand.

She startled as she turned and spotted him. "Zuko! You startled me." She laughed and eyed the proffered hand before placing her own in it. "I didn't know you could dance."

"Of course I can dance. I'm royalty," Zuko said huffily. "I had to learn the steps just like everyone else did." He leaned in close so only she could hear, a sheepish smile on his face. "And I'm sorry to ask you this, but for tonight could you please address me with my title?"

Her eyes widened. Of course! How could she forget? Zuko may have been her friend first, but he was still Fire Lord and they were in his palace. How embarrassing. "Of course! I'm sorry. I didn't think—"

His wide smile cut off her rambling. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

She appraised him wryly. "Things are definitely different in the South Pole. There's no social class at all," Katara commented drily. "I'll give you this dance, Fire Lord, but you have to promise you won't get mad if I step on your toes."

Suspecting they were being watched, he brought her hand toward his face and held his lips just above her knuckles. His eyes met hers and he smiled crookedly. "I think you'll do just fine."

With that he brushed his lips across the back of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. The touch was electric; his gaze intense. Katara couldn't help but blush. Zuko smiled at her, and thought the crimson flush of her cheeks complimented her outfit perfectly.

She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and he led her into the crowd. Heads turned but he blocked them out. Zuko placed one hand on her slender waist, the other still holding hers. She settled her other hand lightly on his shoulder, leaving a generous amount of space between them.

Zuko eyed her briefly. "That's a nice dress, Katara. You really look like a princess now."

Her blush deepened and she dropped her gaze. There he goes with my title again. I don't know if I'll ever get used to that. "Thank you, my Lord."

"You're welcome." He smiled. Something about the way she called him Lord sent a flutter through him. He wasn't sure why, but he liked it. Zuko wanted to ask her about his mother inviting her to tea, but he wanted it to come up organically. He wondered if she would mention it. "And I also wanted to say thanks for your help at the summit today."

"Really? I thought if anything I almost ruined it." She let out a sharp laugh. "Aang is really the hero of the day," Katara said humbly. "General How was ready to walk out."

"I think you gave King Kuei the push he needed to speak up for himself," Zuko replied. "Aang might've helped it along, but it wouldn't have gone the way it did if you hadn't spoken out." He gave her a wry smile. "Besides, it was nice to see General How get put in his place."

All around them eyes had turned to watch the Fire Lord and the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe dance together. There was no mistaking that the two of them were enjoying themselves—the Fire Lord's rare smile was telling. Neither of them noticed Alasie watching them with reproachful eyes from where she stood with Chief Hakoda and the other members of the Southern Water Tribe. Nor did they see the Avatar observing them from where he stood amongst his friends.

She laughed. "Things are still tense between the two of you, I see."

"I don't think they will never not be. The Yu Dao conflict was...well, you know. You were there." He looked away. "It's definitely one of the darker moments in my tenure as Fire Lord."

She peered up at him. "We all make mistakes," she said gently. "But in the end you were right. If How can't see that, that's not on you."

The corner of his mouth quirked up a little bit. "Thanks, Katara. That means a lot."

"You're welcome," she said. She smirked at him. "I'm not gonna lie though: for a minute I thought you were going to miss the summit all together. Did you wake up with a hangover?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I had a bit of one. But that wasn't what kept me. My mother came to see me." Zuko watched her expression carefully, but she gave nothing away.

"Oh?" Katara quipped, intrigued. "And what did she want?"

He sighed exhaustively. "I guess my court has taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker. Three noble ladies are here to meet me," Zuko drawled. He was still watching her closely. "I was actually dancing with one of them when you came in."

"And what do you think of her?" Katara inquired. Her face was stoic.

He shrugged. "She's beautiful, and well-mannered, but I don't think we're a good pair," Zuko replied. "I have yet to meet the third one, but I thought I'd ask visiting royalty to a dance first." As he smiled down at her and turned her in time to the music he unconsciously drew her closer to him. For the first time in a long while, Zuko was actually enjoying himself.

Now with only breathing room between them, she suddenly found it hard to look him in the eye. What is he trying to do? "I'm really not much for royalty," Katara said humbly. "I'm barely more than a...peasant, I guess."

Zuko looked away with his tongue in his cheek and nodded his head. "That's cold, Katara," Zuko teased. What is she playing at?

She grinned. "Sorry, I couldn't resist, your Grace."

"Well, for a peasant, you dance like you were born in high society. You haven't stepped on my feet once." To make a point, a slippered foot found his toes. Zuko squinted at her. "Very funny."

Katara laughed. She was surprised to find she was enjoying this—perhaps a little too much. But when was the last time she had a good time? She couldn't remember, and decided not to let it bother her.

He removed his hand from her waist and guided her through a twirl. When she came back to him, her hand landed lightly on his chest. The blush flooded her cheeks again and she slid it back into place on his shoulder.

Zuko cleared his throat as he felt a blush creep up his neck. "I also wanted to apologize for last night. That was…" He trailed off, embarrassed. "Sorry."

Katara smirked. "It's okay. But I'll never let you live it down."

"That's fair."

The song came to an end and they stopped dancing. For a moment his hand lingered on her waist and hers remained on his shoulder. Their gazes were locked. Crimson bloomed in her cheeks. Too soon, she pulled back, her hands falling to her sides. Zuko stepped away, suddenly feeling awkward.

"I should probably go find Aang," Katara said, a tad breathlessly. "I'll see you later, Fire Lord." At the last moment she remembered her manners and offered him a short curtsy.

Before he could say anything, she disappeared into the crowd.

Katara stopped at a table filled with drinks. She grabbed the nearest one at hand and downed it before realizing it was fire spirits. She coughed on the burning taste of alcohol and set the cup down, eyes streaming. That's strong stuff, she thought.

She braced herself against the table, commanding her beating heart to slow down. What was that? That was...more than a dance. Or a different kind of dance, at least. It reminded Katara of Princess Ursa and the noble girls at tea that afternoon. They were saying one thing, but really meaning another. Had he been trying to see if Katara was jealous?

"Hey Katara, there you are!"

She turned and saw her friends coming toward her. The others seemed happy to see her, but Aang had a stormy expression on his face. Katara plastered on a smile she didn't quite feel, and met them halfway.

"We were getting worried that you'd gotten lost," Suki teased.

"I managed," Katara said brightly. "This is a nice party, huh?"

"You mean it was a nice dance with Zuko?" Toph deadpanned.

Katara flushed. "He asked me to dance. I can't exactly tell the Fire Lord no in front of all of his guests."

"I agree with Katara. The food is delicious," Sokka, oblivious, said. He was munching on a pastry. "I'm gonna convince Dad to bring home one of his cooks. These guys know how to make a meal!"

"Of course you're thinking about your stomach," Suki said, rolling her eyes. But she smiled at him good-naturedly as she slid an arm around him. "Maybe if I can pry you away from the buffet long enough we might even get a dance in."

"Don't be silly! Of course we'll dance. It'll make room in my stomach for more!" Sokka favored her with a goofy grin. "And how can I resist dancing with the prettiest girl in the room?"

"Sorry, Snoozles, but I don't dance," Toph quipped.

"Katara, can I talk to you?" Aang asked her suddenly. His grey eyes were turbulent.

A stab of anxiety pierced her gut. Katara cleared her throat "Sure, Aang."

The Avatar walked away, heading for the door. Katara looked at her friends for comfort, but Suki and Sokka had disappeared, leaving just Toph.

"Be careful, Katara," Toph said forebodingly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Katara frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Toph's sightless eyes stared at Katara. She pointed an accusing finger at her. "You know what I mean, Sugar Queen. I might be blind, but I'm not blind. You better go after Aang."

Shaken, Katara followed Aang out into the corridor.

Aang was standing beneath a tapestry that showed two entwined dragons above a bursting volcano. The dark tapestry clashed with his familiar orange and yellow monk's garb. His arms were crossed and his shoulders were set tensely. Katara approached him cautiously, nausea rolling through her. She wasn't sure if it was the fire spirits or something else.

She wiped the sweat from her palms on the skirt of her qipao and tried to sound casual. "What's up, Aang?"

"I think I should be asking you that, Katara. Ever since we've been in the Fire Nation, you've been acting weird. What's up with you?" He turned on her, his eyes steely and mad.

She blanched. "I don't know what you mean, Aang."

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed. Aang gestured back toward the ball room. "I feel like you've been avoiding me since we got here. Heck, probably even before that! You don't talk to me about anything anymore, Katara, and I don't know why." He sighed heavily. "Something's changed, but I don't know what it is. I just want to know what's happening." Dejected, he leaned against the wall.

"That's not true, Aang," Katara said, knowing she was lying. I'm not ready to have this conversation with him. I'm not. "I've just been busy, okay? I had the summit and then the tea party...I'm sorry if you felt like I was ignoring you. I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Aang snorted. "And then you show up to this stupid ball in that dress, and the first person you dance with is Zuko when it should've been me."

He's jealous, Katara realized. "It's not like that, Aang," Katara said, trying to placate him. "Zuko asked me to dance, not the other way around."

"And I wonder why he did that?" Aang sneered sarcastically. He cast her an accusing glare.

"What does that mean?" Katara demanded to know as she planted her hands on her hips, her anger mounting. Her will to diffuse the situation dissipated.

Aang's hands balled into fists. "I don't know! Why don't you tell me?"

"I don't have time for this." Katara shook her head and turned from him.

"You're just going to walk away?" Aang was incredulous.

She wheeled back on him, her anger bubbling over. "What else am I supposed to do, Aang? All we ever do is fight anymore! And if we're not fighting, we're just avoiding the big fat elephant tiger in the room. You can keep pretending like things are fine, but we both know they're not."

"I'm not pretending about anything! You're the one who won't talk to me," Aang shot back hotly.

It was as if a dam had broken within her, and the words poured freely from her mouth. "I'm not happy, Aang! I feel like our whole relationship, our whole life, is about you! And it always has been. My feelings, my wants, my needs have never even been considered. We just do what you have to do or want to do. You say you love me, but you've got a funny way of showing it!" Katara stood, chest heaving. She glared at him, daring him to contradict her.

But instead he just looked sad and defeated. That only made her angrier. She didn't want an apology. She wanted him to admit it. "Katara, I do love you," Aang said, his voice small. "But I have duties to my past. My people."

"And we always come back to this." She threw her hands up in the air with an incredulous laugh that warped into a sob. Katara looked at him and shook her head. "I can't do this anymore, Aang."

Aang's eyes widened. Hurt flashed across his face. "Katara, what are you saying?"

Katara took a shaky breath. "I'm saying...that I can't be with you anymore, Aang. I need...I need to figure things out for myself. I need to figure out who I am. I…it's over. I'm sorry."

Katara turned from him and stormed away. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and they made her even angrier. She didn't look back to see if Aang had followed her. She didn't need to. She knew he wouldn't. Aang had never dealt with confrontation well. He'll go off somewhere to meditate, to seek divine wisdom on how to deal with his problems—or not deal with them.

Her heart was broken, and yet she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and that only confused her more.

The Princess of the Southern Water Tribe stalked through the empty halls of the Royal Palace. Inside, her emotions were a confusing maelstrom. Things had finally come to a head with Aang. Where it would go from here, she didn't know. She had broken up with him. And while Katara felt profound loss and sadness, she also felt a sense of relief. She had spoken her mind honestly, more than she had done in a long time. Katara had always watched what she said carefully. She didn't want to hurt him, to offend him. Aang took it all too personally. He still has a lot of growing up to do.

Somehow she found herself out in Princess Ursa's garden again. This time Katara strode past the railing and went directly to the pond. She threw herself to the ground by the waterside and drew her knees to her chest, finally giving herself into her tears. Hiccuping sobs left her; she muffled the sound against her arms. Katara cried out years of anger, frustration, loneliness, and sadness beside the still pond beneath the light of the nearly-full moon.

As her emotions were released, Katara began to feel something else, something that had been buried deep inside of her. She thought of Zuko. She remembered gazing into golden eyes and feeling like he was able to truly see her. And no matter how much she wanted to deny it, there was a sense of longing there, nearly as powerful as the moon's pull on her. She wasn't sure what it meant, but the feeling was there nonetheless.

Spent, Katara leaned back against the trunk of the great cherry blossom tree and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Katara turned her eyes up to the moon. "Oh Yue, what am I supposed to do? I feel so, so lost."

The moon didn't answer.

She saw the children sitting beside the water. She could hear their muffled laughter, a high-pitched and innocent sound that was sweeter than anything she had ever heard before. Katara walked toward them. She wanted to see their faces. She needed to see their faces.

Katara looked around, hoping to see where she was, but her surroundings were bathed in silver fog, obscuring her vision. All she could see were the children, and the pond. But on a breeze she didn't feel she could smell cherry blossoms.

"Hey, can you hear me?" she called out to the kids. The laughter twinkled in the air but the kids didn't respond to her.

She moved closer to them, but the closer she got, the less…there they seemed to be. Their forms evaporated like steam until they were gone, only the sound of their joy echoing in the air. Katara fell to her knees by the pond. When she looked at the water, she saw Tui and La locked in their eternal dance of push and pull.

"What am I supposed to do?" Katara asked the spirits of the moon and ocean. "I'm so lost."

"You've got to go."

Katara turned, and found herself staring into violet eyes. "Who are you?"

"It's time." The eyes belonged to the most beautiful woman Katara had ever seen. A black cat sat perched on her shoulders. A sword was at her waist. "You must protect him, no matter the cost."

"Who?" Katara demanded to know. "Who do I need to protect?"

The girl waved her hand, and suddenly the children were there again. Katara still couldn't see their faces. "The Spirits call out in dreams, Katara. A foretelling of destiny untold. You hold your future in your hands; you just have to take hold."

"I don't understand what that means."

"You will, I promise," the woman said. "You've got to go, Katara. You've got to go."

Katara opened her eyes, disoriented and confused. The moon smiled down at her and it took her a moment to get her bearings. She had fallen asleep in the garden, leaning against the trunk of the cherry blossom tree. Something tugged at her memory, but she couldn't recall it. All she could focus on from her dream were those intense violet eyes. Who was she?

She had no way of knowing how long she had been asleep. She realized that at some point her foot had slipped into the pond water. Katara took off her soggy slipper and bended the water from it.

"Hopefully I didn't ruin it," she muttered to herself.

Katara knew she should go inside and find Aang, or at least find her friends. Now that the anger had subsided, she was feeling guilty. No! Why should I feel guilty? Everything I said to him was true.

She assumed the party was still going, and Aang must have told the others something had happened or else they would have come looking for her by now. But for some reason she stayed at the pond's edge, feeling tethered there.

She gazed into the dark water, almost expecting to see Tui and La. Of course they were at the Spirit Oasis, and the only thing she saw was her own reflection mirror in the black, glass-like surface. A single petal fell from the tree above. The pale pink blossom landed on the water and caused the reflection to ripple. Katara watched her face contort. Soon it began to change.

Katara gasped as the spirit of the moon's form replaced her own. "Yue!"

"Hello, Katara, it's good to see you," she said. Her voice sounded far away.

"Yue, I don't know what to do. I feel so lost and confused and—"

"Don't worry, Katara. It will all be clear very soon. I promise you. But right now you need to go inside," Yue told her softly.

"Why?"

"Someone is waiting for you. This can not wait. It is of the utmost importance," Yue said. "Go now, Katara. We will meet again soon."

The moon spirit faded away and the pond was still and black again. Katara sat for a moment, staring at where Yue had been just seconds ago. Am I still dreaming?

Katara climbed to her feet, kicking off her other slipper. She padded across the dewy grass and back toward the royal palace. She headed back for the ballroom, wondering if Aang was still there. But she found she didn't really care if he was or not. Something else was driving her forward, something she couldn't explain. I have to be dreaming.

"Katara, there you are!" His husky voice cut into her thoughts. Katara looked up into familiar golden eyes.

"Zuko," Katara said. She didn't know why she felt so relieved that he had been the one to find her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I've been looking for you. You disappeared," he answered. He took in her appearance. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so." She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. Have you seen Aang?"

Zuko shook his head. "No. No one's seen him since you guys left the party. Did you guys have a fight?"

"Yeah, we did." Katara looked down at her bare feet. She wasn't ready to tell him-or anyone-the truth. She needed more time to wrap her head around it herself. "It was a pretty bad one."

His expression softened. "Come on. Let's get you to your room. You look dead on your feet."

She stifled a yawn. Suddenly she felt as if she were made of lead. The toil of her emotions and dreams pressed heavily on her and Katara felt like she might collapse under their weight. Zuko seemed to sense her weakness because he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned to guide her into the palace.

"I was hoping I would find the two of you here," a gravelly voice spoke through the darkness.

Katara and Zuko both turned, and found themselves face to face with the Dragon of the West.

A/N: Things are finally starting to get interesting, huh? I hope you all enjoy that little Zutara action. This was one of my favorite chapters to write, so I hope you all like it as much as I do!