The silence was deafening. It pressed against her on all sides until Katara felt like she could scarcely breathe. It felt as if there were cotton in her ears and the weight of the quiet pushed against her like it was a tangible thing she could grab with her hands and shove back. Nothing stirred in the stillness; she could not hear the call of birds, nor the chirp of insects. Even her own breathing, quick and harsh in her parched throat, was quiet.

Beneath her hands, Zuko's chest rose and fell in shallow jerks. But it was as if the distance between them was too great for her to hear his breaths.

The Garden of the Desert was an eerie place.

Katara pulled her hands away from Zuko's wounds. The one on his side was already scabbed over and was healing nicely. The one in his back was getting there, but it was a lot more work. If she hadn't been there, the wound would have surely been fatal.

Katara was certain that it was by dumb luck alone that Zuko was still alive, and for that, she thanked the spirits above. When she had been able to inspect him closer, she had found that the throwing knife had nicked the edge of his scabbard. That small piece of leather had been all that saved him from certain death. But the wound was still grievous: it had punctured his lung.

Sweat poured down her cheeks and bursts of bright color danced in her vision as she settled both of her hands over the wound again but Katara gritted her teeth and pushed through her exhaustion. She could feel inside of him, the tear in his lung that was closing up far too slowly. She had stopped the internal bleeding and had drawn the blood from his lung until he had coughed on it, his eyes rolling against his closed lids.

She had spoken what she had hoped were soothing words to him as she healed him. She wanted him to hold on. She needed him to fight. Healing was always easier when your patient wanted to live. She knew he would fight for his life, but she thought her gentle reminders might push him to fight harder. She just hoped she wasn't too late, that the damage wasn't too great.

Under her healing touch, she could feel the wound disappearing. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision of the spots of color. A shudder ran down her spine and Katara gagged on the rush of bile that rose up her throat. She forced herself to swallow it down.

Her left arm was aching fiercely. She had taken enough time to remove the sash from her waist and douse it with some of her remaining water. She had tied it around her wound and frozen it to slow the bleeding down again, but a stiffness was settling into the muscle. Every time she moved it, her stomach churned and her head swam. She tried to focus on taking deep breaths to clear her mind and focus. Katara had lost a lot of blood, but she needed all the water she could get for Zuko.

She had already made up her mind that if it came down to the two of them, she would pick Zuko every time. The world would go on fine without her, but what would become of everyone and everything if it lost him? He was the Fire Lord—he had sway that she couldn't even fully comprehend. Her title of princess was just that; a title. The world needed him more than it needed her.

"Just hold on, Zuko," Katara whispered to him. Her vision was blackening at the edges. She just needed a little more time to close up the tear...then she would stop and rest. "Just a little longer."

But there was nothing left in her. Her eyes slipped closed and Katara fell forward on top of him as a cold darkness rushed up to meet her.

The first thing Katara noticed when she came to was that she was cold. The second thing she noticed was that a bright blue light shone against her closed eyelids. The third was that her whole body ached down to her bones.

Slowly, Katara forced her eyes open. Up above, in the indigo blanket of the sky, a million stars twinkled down on her.

But that wasn't the source of the light. No, that was coming from some place on her right. Katara rotated her head toward the cool blue light, feeling her neck creak as she did so. What she saw took her breath away.

It was the Pond of Enlightenment. It had to be. The water glowed brilliantly, reflecting against the tall willow that stood on the far side of it, dancing against the fronds that swayed in the chilled breeze.

Slowly, and with a strained groan, Katara propped herself up on her right elbow. Her ears roared and pain lanced through her head as she did, but she gritted her teeth against the pain and finished pushing herself up into a sitting position. She let her head hang between her knees until the roaring subsided and her stomach had quit churning.

"You're awake."

Katara wanted to jerk her head upright to find the source of the voice. She wanted to draw water from the pond to use as a weapon. But the most she could muster was lifting her head enough that her eyes could scan her unfamiliar surroundings.

She was no longer under the cover of the skeletal forest. She was now in a small, open clearing that smelled of lemongrass and jasmine and something else too, something she couldn't quite name. She lay on crisp green grass. She saw flowering plants dotted the grass, filling the air with their pleasant aroma. Katara could faintly see the dark shadows of the emaciated trees ringing this little utopia, hidden in the desert.

A few feet away, kneeling over Zuko's prone form, was the most beautiful woman Katara had ever seen. Her beauty was so ethereal she had to blink several times to see if she was truly there, or just a mirage. Her skin was the color of freshly-tilled dirt, but her hair, which hung in thick braids down her back, was as white as snow. Her eyes were the color of pearls. She was watching Katara and her hands were on Zuko's exposed chest. Katara watched this strange, unfamiliar woman for several long moments.

But then her eyes flickered to Zuko.

Under the pond's blue glow, his skin was ashen and white. He almost looked dead, and for a moment her heart lurched painfully as she thought of the worst. But then Katara saw the steady rise and fall of his chest, and she let out a silent breath of relief.

"Who are you?" Katara rasped out. Her throat was dry and her voice cracked painfully. She was dreadfully thirsty.

"I am Kahina," she answered. Her voice was light and gentle, like rain on a spring day. "I am the keeper of the Garden. Please, do not be afraid."

"I'm not," Katara replied, and she was surprised to find she really wasn't. Katara went to stand, but her head swam and she sank back onto the grass with a groan.

"I have not gotten to heal you yet, so please be still," Kahina told her softly. She nodded toward Zuko. "I am nearly finished with him, and then I will tend to you."

Katara watched her. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought the strange, beautiful woman was healing him. But that couldn't be; she had no water on her hands, and how would a waterbender have ended up here in the first place? But to Katara's great surprise, when Kahina slid her hand across Zuko's chest, something glittery and silver was left behind. Katara watched, amazed, as the silvery sheen evaporated from his skin like ash in the wind.

"Whoa." Katara couldn't stop the reverent noise that left her. Her eyes flickered back up to the woman's face. "Who are you? And how did you do that?"

"As I said, I am the keeper of the Garden," Kahina reiterated. She held her hands over Zuko, inches from his skin. Her mouth twisted in concentration for a moment, but then she rested her palms against her bare thighs, showing beneath the animal furs she wore. "But I am more than that. I am the Oracle of Destiny."

Katara gasped. "You...you gave the Grandmasters the prophecy?"

"No, no, not me." Kahina shook her head. Her braids swayed against her ebony skin. "The one who came before me, Alemayehu, foretold the prophecy you are speaking of."

"But you know of it."

Katara watched as Kahina rose to her feet. She was surprised by the lack of grace in the Oracle's movements...until she saw the round belly that protruded from the open animal-skin robe. The Oracle was pregnant. Katara tried not to stare, but it was difficult. She didn't know anything about Oracles, but it seemed strange that one could get pregnant.

Kahina rested her hand on her swollen stomach as she came to Katara. The waterbender kept her eyes trained on the Oracle as she approached her and knelt down before her.

"I will explain more, once both of you are healed and awake," Kahina murmured. She offered an animal skin of water. "Drink this, please."

Katara did so, gratefully. She sipped it slowly and felt it settle coldly in her belly.

Kahina held her hands out to Katara's wounds. "May I?"

"Yes, please."

Under normal circumstances, Katara would have said no and insisted on healing herself. But these weren't ordinary circumstances, and it was taking all of her strength to keep her upright. She laid back on the grass so that the Oracle could heal her.

Katara appraised the strange woman. "So, you can see the future, and you can heal. What else can you do?"

Kahina chuckled, a melodic sound that Katara seemed to feel all the way to her bones, as she unwrapped Katara's makeshift bandage and revealed the deep gash in her arm. Kahina laid the palm of her hand against the wound and a moment later Katara felt the penetrating warmth of her healing touch. It was peculiar but not unpleasant; it was just different from her own healing.

A sigh escaped her as the pain and stiffness began to ebb. Katara turned her eyes toward the Oracle, her mouth opening to ask a question.

"I know there is much you want to know, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." Pearly eyes met her own. "I promise I will answer what I can, in time. Though for now, you and your Fire Lord must rest. You have been through much, and you need to recover."

Heat rose in her cheeks as she looked over at Zuko. He was hers now, wasn't he? Katara swallowed hard. "Can I ask just one thing?"

The Oracle's pink mouth turned up in a smile. "I believe you already have, but ask me just one more thing."

"Do you see everything?" Katara asked.

"Yes and no," Kahina answered. "Very little is etched into stone permanently. Much of the future is ever-shifting, much like the ocean. Fixed divination, like a fixed prophecy, is rare."

"How does that work?"

Kahina's eyes twinkled. "You asked your question, Katara. Let me heal you, so you can rest. When your Fire Lord awakens, I will explain more."

Katara couldn't help but smile softly when she called Zuko her Fire Lord again, a pleasant warmth creeping into her cheeks.

After that the two of them were silent. She watched Kahina work for a while, feeling her strength return with the Oracle's strange healing power. She was truly gorgeous, with flawless dark skin, full lips, and a broad nose set in her wide cheekbones. Her silvery brows knit in concentration as she worked. Her white eyelashes were thick and reminded Katara of fresh, powdery snow.

She turned her eyes to Zuko once again. He remained lying still on the bank of the pond, illuminated by its iridescent glow. Kahina had finished cutting away his shirt, and Katara wondered if he was cold. The temperature in the Garden was a stark contrast to the heat of the desert. Katara wondered how that could be. It was as if the garden were its own little world.

Kahina pulled her hand away at last. Katara looked down. The shimmery texture covered her skin like gossamer. She watched as it lifted from her arm and floated on the breeze before it was carried out of sight. She dropped her eyes back to her arm. All that remained of the gash was a long white scar.

"I'm sorry that it left a mark. If I had been able to heal it sooner, there would be no trace at all." Katara looked up to see Kahina frowning.

"It's okay. It's not the only one I have." Katara offered her a kind smile. Then her eyes drifted back to Zuko. "What about him? Is he going to be okay?"

Kahina nodded. "Yes. You did great work on him before you lost consciousness. There was barely anything left for me to do." She smiled warmly. "His love for you is like the ocean's depths, Katara. And I know you feel the same."

Katara blushed again as her heartbeat quickened. If she hadn't been so dehydrated, she was sure tears would have filled her eyes too. It was like Kahina had peeled back her skin and looked inside of her. It made her feel naked. Katara wasn't sure if she liked it or not. She looked at Zuko again.

"I always wondered if he felt the same way, but I wasn't sure," she murmured. "And I do feel that way. I just wish it hadn't taken us so long to realize it." I wish I would have gone with him at the end of the war, Katara thought solemnly. We could have been together all this time.

Kahina rested her hand on Katara's arm. The Oracle's skin was warm and smooth. "It was meant to be this way, Katara. It was foretold long ago."

Katara frowned, turning her gaze back to the Oracle. "What do you mean by that?"

"The prophecy," Kahina said simply, as if that explained it all. When she saw the blank look on Katara's face, it was her turn to frown. "You mean, you haven't figured that out yet?"

"Figured what out?"

Kahina's smile was so wide Katara could see her perfect, milk-white teeth. "The prophecy predicted your union, Katara. Your love was written in the stars before the birth of your grandparents." She squeezed Katara's arm gently. "This is all part of what the Oracle who came before me, Alemayehu, saw in her lifetime."

Katara's eyebrows shot up. She lifted her head and let her gaze drift back to Zuko. If this was in the prophecy, did Iroh know? At that moment, Katara believed he did, or thought he at least suspected it. It explained a lot about what the Grandmaster had said that night at the palace.

The knowledge that she and Zuko were meant to be together was cathartic. As the relief washed over her, she let her eyes drift close for a moment and soaked in that fact. It explained why she had never felt complete with Aang. She had been right all along. The love she and Aang had shared was nothing like the kind of love she shared with Zuko.

But then she frowned as a darker thought crossed her mind: did that mean that her and Zuko's love was a farce? Katara wasn't sure she liked the thought of her fate being set in stone before she had even been born.

"Do the finer details truly matter, Katara?" Kahina asked, as though she could read her thoughts.

The Oracle reached up to cup Katara's cheek in one hand. If it had been anyone else, she was certain she would have pulled away at the touch, but the gesture was so tender...so motherly...Katara found comfort in it. She felt like she could trust Kahina.

"The love between you is genuine. The hands of fate had little to do with it. They only knew that you would be together, and it would be a love that would unite the world."

"This is...a lot to take in," Katara murmured. She withdrew from Kahina, her eyes falling on Zuko once again. "Will he wake up soon?"

"Yes, soon," Kahina answered, looking back over her shoulder at Zuko. "He has a particular strength about him. He is resilient. He has been through so much in his life, and yet he stands, as rooted and unyielding as a willow tree."

"I think he might be more stubborn than I am." Katara smiled softly. "That's one of the many things I love about him though."

Kahina rose in her slow, strained way, one hand cupping her belly as she did so. "I'll return shortly with some food and more water. I suspect by that time the Fire Lord will be awake. The two of you must be famished."

As if her words were a reminder, Katara's stomach rumbled. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Had it been just a day ago? It felt longer than that. But then again, she hadn't asked Kahina how long she had been unconscious for either.

"You could say that," Katara answered with a grimace.

"I'll be quick to remedy that, then."

The Oracle walked into the skeletal trees beyond the willow and disappeared into the darkness. When she had gone, Katara slowly climbed to her feet. Her body ached all over, and her head still swam with a combination of heat and exhaustion. But she needed to go to Zuko, to be near him.

Katara staggered over the soft grass before she dropped to her knees beside him. She could see the easy rise and fall of his chest. His eyelashes, thick and dark, twitched against the hollow of his good eye. He no longer looked so peaked, but Katara's fears wouldn't be laid to rest until he opened his eyes.

She brought her hand up to trace the edge of his scar. Its ridged surface was warm and familiar beneath her fingertips and Katara marveled at him in the quiet solitude of the Pond's soft blue glow. He was so pure, so good, and he was all hers. Katara almost couldn't believe it.

It was also strange to know that this was the same man who had once broken through their small ice wall at the South Pole all those years ago. But he had been a boy then, and she was just a girl, and back then she never would have believed she would fall so in love with him.

She found that Kahina's admission—that she and Zuko's relationship was a matter of destiny—didn't bother her as much as she thought it would have. Perhaps a few weeks ago, it would have unsettled her. But in light of everything they had been through for the last several weeks, Katara instead found that detail to be rather inconsequential. She loved him and he loved her. Did it really have to be more complicated than that? She didn't think so. Things would be challenging enough when they returned.

Katara hadn't thought much about that, what it meant for them to be together. She recalled the conversations she and Zuko had shared in their dark, warm tent, or sitting beside the low cook-fire under the blanket of stars in the desert. Katara knew that she was willing to do whatever it took to be with him. She would gladly marry him and bear his children one day. That part was easy. But the rest of it—the opinions of her friends, the reaction of their nations—was harder.

What would her father say? What would Sokka think? How would her tribe react? Katara didn't know if they would be pleased or disappointed. Her marriage to Zuko would be a powerful political union. It would further ingratiate the Southern Water Tribe with the Fire Nation as well as improve their standing with the rest of the world. They could flourish with the industrial power of the Fire Nation and become a more civilized society. But what would the Fire Nation's own people, and the rest of the world, think? Commoners married outside of their own nationality. But as far as Katara knew, no royalty in the history of the world had done that.

Would his people accept her as readily as he did? She thought of what he had said of his court, and her stomach curdled. He had told her that his reign was tenuous. Katara wasn't sure she was quite ready to consider how that might change once they returned and he announced that he was courting the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe.

But as she watched Zuko's sleeping face, free of the responsibility and stress that came from being the Fire Lord, she was reminded, and not for the first time in these past few weeks, of the boy she had first known, the one who was deeply honorable and loyal, who was trying so desperately to forge his own destiny, not the one that had been forced upon him. Beneath the bravado and regality of the Fire Lord, that boy was still there.

Now that Katara was certain of his feelings for her, she knew that he would never let the sway of his court stop him from marrying her. He would do whatever it took to ensure their happiness. And Katara knew she would do the same.

Beneath her hand, he stirred, his eyelids creasing as he pinched them shut tighter for a moment. A grunt rose up from deep in his chest, and a moment later, Zuko opened his eyes and found her face. Tui and La, she would never grow weary of seeing his golden gaze fixed on her. She could stare into those eyes forever.

"Katara?" He looked disoriented and groggy, but he really was okay. Katara felt relief wash over her. The corners of his lips turned up into a smile, and then his hand reached out to cup her cheek. "Hey."

Katara let out a happy giggle. He had nearly died, and the first thing he said was "hey". There was something amusing about it, despite their current situation.

"Hey yourself," she said with a returning smile. "We made it to the Garden."

Zuko propped himself up on one elbow and winced again as his eyes combed their surroundings. His other hand touched his hip, where her healing skills had stitched the gash together and left it scabbed. Kahina had clearly worked on it more, as it was a little more than a pale pink line on his side now.

"Who—?" Zuko began, his eyes searching Katara's face. "What did I miss? I remember a woman…" His brows knit together as he struggled to remember.

"Her name is Kahina. She's an Oracle of Destiny." Katara looped her arm around his shoulders and helped him sit up the rest of the way. She took advantage of her position, and his lack of shirt, to inspect the wound on his back. Kahina had healed it well. All that remained on him as well was a thin, pink scar. Katara brushed her hand across it, marveling at the fresh new skin. "She saved us. She healed us."

"Where is she now?" Zuko asked, his voice filled with curiosity. He made as though he was going to stand, but Katara held him back with a hand on his shoulder. She could sense his excitement and his urgency at the new surroundings, but she knew he probably felt even worse than she did.

"She'll be back," Katara told him gently. "For now, we should get some more rest. She said she'll answer our questions once we've gotten some food in our bellies."

Zuko let out a resigned sigh. He scrubbed his hand down his face before he looked up and really seemed to see the Garden for the first time. Katara watched as wide-eyed wonder passed over his face. His golden eyes shimmered in the reflected light.

"Wow," was all he managed to say.

"This has got to be the most beautiful place I've ever seen, and all you can say is 'wow'?" Katara teased with a chuckle.

It really was amazing, even ringed by the dead trees. There was something about this place that was just...peaceful. She settled down on the grass beside him.

Zuko snaked his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. His hair, no longer bound, now fell loosely around his shoulders and fluttered in the cool breeze.

"I think fighting those assassins rattled my brain, because I'm pretty sure you said the same thing about the Sacred Isle." He looked down at her with a soft smile. "Though I'm pretty sure that you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Katara flushed pleasantly, turning her face into the crook of his neck. She pressed her mouth against the pulse she found there, grateful to feel it thrumming under her lips. How close had she come to losing him today? Katara didn't want to think about it.

"You're too sweet," she murmured against his neck. She slipped her arms around him to hug him close. She let out a content sigh. "I love you."

Katara wanted to say it again, to see if he would say it back. They had said it when they had been sure they were going to die. Now that those three words had been spoken, they couldn't be taken back. And she didn't want to take them back. She meant it. She wanted him to know that.

Zuko squeezed her tighter and pressed his lips to her hair. "I love you too." A smile laid across his mouth. He never wanted to let her go again.

The sound of rustling pulled their attention away from each other's warm embrace.

Katara saw Kahina emerging from the tree line bearing a tray with two bowls and two cups on it. She smiled when she saw that Zuko was awake. As she neared, she bowed to him, balancing the tray.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Kahina greeted. "I am pleased to see you have recovered."

Katara looked at Zuko from the corner of her eye. He was just as stunned as she was. He was a mere man; this exotic woman before them was an Oracle of Destiny, whatever that truly meant. Katara then realized that she didn't know much about these Oracles at all. Were they human? Were they spirits? Were they some kind of hybrid? Iroh had never said, and Katara hadn't had much time to dwell on it.

"Thank you for healing me," Zuko said, his voice gruff with surprise. "Princess Katara and I are forever in your debt."

"It was my honor, and my duty." Kahina knelt beside the pair and set the tray down between them. She met Zuko's gaze. "Please, eat. You need to regain your strength. I know why you are here, and I must warn you: the task that lies ahead of you won't be easy."

"You sound as though I'm the only one who'll be drinking from the Pond." His eyes flitted to the glowing water. "Why is that?"

Kahina offered him a tight smile. "The Pond is...special. Its powers are strong and compelling. There is truly no reason for both of you to drink from it. I recommend only one of you do it."

"Not that I have anything against Zuko doing it, but...why him?" Katara demanded to know, her brow furrowing. "Why couldn't it be me?" She trusted Kahina, and knew that it really didn't matter who did it, but that didn't mean curiosity didn't nip at her.

Kahina turned her pearly eyes on Katara. "He has reached levels of enlightenment you haven't. He will be able to comprehend what the Pond will tell him easier than one who has not been enlightened will. I know time is pressing, and unless you want to spend time trying to decipher what the Pond shows you, then I recommend that the Fire Lord be the one to undertake this task."

Katara looked over at Zuko, wanting him to interject. Both of them had fought tooth and nail to be here. They had been through so much. She had earned the right to do this, too. But Zuko wasn't looking at her, or Kahina. His eyes were trained on the blue water, an uneasy scowl on his face.

"Zuko?" Katara prompted.

He didn't look at her when he spoke. "Let's talk about this after we eat, alright? You need to eat. You…" Finally, he looked at her, his expression softening. "You've had a long day." The corners of his lips turned up. "Saving my life again and all."

She pushed his shoulder as she scowled at him, half-serious and half-playful. "And don't you even think about making it a habit!"

Zuko let out a puff of air. "I swear, I'm not trying to."

"And you're telling me I need to eat? What about you? You nearly died!"

"Yes, you're right. Both of us need to eat. Then we'll discuss what comes next."

Zuko grabbed one of the bowls and passed it to her. Katara took it, almost reluctantly, until the pleasant aroma of jasmine rice reached her nose and her stomach complained loudly.

The Oracle remained silent while the two of them ate quickly. She wasn't looking at them, but at the water, her fingers tracing patterns over her pregnant belly. Katara stole glances at her. To her, it seemed as though Kahina was deep in troubled thought. Katara didn't know what that could mean.

When they had finished, Kahina cleared the dishes away and set the tray aside. Then she looked at both of them with her opalescent eyes. Her expression had become neutral.

"The Pond of Enlightenment is a spiritual entity," Kahina began in a low voice. "It is kept here, secluded from the rest of the world, because the power it gives is intoxicating to humans. It is best for it to remain hidden, otherwise men who thirst for power and glory would take advantage of it. Humans seeking it to use for their own greed is not the Pond's purpose. It should rarely, if ever, be used."

"Was it wrong of us to come here, then?" Katara asked. "We were told to come here by the Conduit. She told us we had to subvert the prophecy."

"It was not wrong of you," the Oracle said slowly. "I knew you would come, before you knew you would."

"How does that work, exactly?" Zuko inquired. "This divination stuff is...a little beyond me. It sounds complicated."

"It is and it isn't," Kahina answered with a small smile. "It's not complicated to me because I was born to do it. It is my destiny. But divination is a complex art. As I explained to Katara, the future is rarely set in stone. It changes and alters itself as often as the moon changes faces. But some things...some things are meant to happen, and it is nearly impossible to alter such things."

"So will we be able to change the prophecy, or has this been a waste of time?" Katara asked, worrying her lip between her teeth. If coming here had been pointless, they had lost valuable time.

"Only time will tell," Kahina said distantly. "I cannot divulge to you what all I know. There are some things that are meant to be revealed in time. This is one of those things." She frowned then. "But I will tell you this: the prophecy has been a crystal clear vision for myself and the Oracle who came before me, Alemayehu. But recently...recently...it has become...foggy. Unclear."

"Unclear?" Katara grasped at that. "What do you mean by that, Kahina?"

"I'm not sure. It used to be that I could see how this would end but...now I'm not so sure." Kahina tilted her head as she studied Katara in that way that made her feel like Kahina could see right through her. "The path you take from here, and the paths your friends take, will be the ultimate decision of how this ends."

Katara felt a chill run down her spine and she resisted the urge to shiver.

Zuko spoke up. "So, we can change the prophecy, is what you're saying."

"In essence, yes." Kahina got slowly to her feet. "Now...it is time for the Fire Lord to drink from the Pond of Enlightenment. It will show you the path."