"Evermore"

As soon go kindle fire with snow

As seek to quench the fire of love with words.

~ William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, II, vii

They met at the top of the main stairway.

Zuko's usually wild hair was pulled up into a neat topknot. He was wearing formal robes, almost like a uniform, mostly red and black in color.

Katara was wearing a light green gown, with sleeves that flared out slightly at her wrists. She had retained her usual bun and hair loopies, but the rest of her hair was down, the long brown locks falling down her back in waves. As usual, she had refrained from wearing any makeup, despite many offers and suggestions from Suki, Yue, and Meng on this night.

You look beautiful, Zuko thought, but he didn't say it, not wanting to put Katara in the awkward position of returning the compliment that they both knew would not be true.

They bowed to each other, both of them smiling, almost beaming. Then Zuko offered his arm, and the two of them descended the stairs together. Momo the footstool chittered and ran up the stairs between Katara and Zuko, but they easily sidestepped him.

They ate in the dining room first. Yue and Aang were lucky enough to be part of the table setting. They saw the smiles that the two humans exchanged. When the conversation lagged, the silence between them was companionable.

In fact, it was not silence. Music had begun to play. Ty Lee produced a dark, rich melody, occasionally punctuated by the tinkling of chopsticks on teacups, each filled with a different amount of water. Iroh had had to improvise for instruments, but the end result was actually quite charming.

"That sounds beautiful," Katara said. She waited until Zuko, too, had finished his food; then she stood up quickly and went over to him. She wanted to dance before this song ended. "Come on!"

Katara pulled Zuko along, into the ballroom where they had held the New Year party just a month ago. Aunt Wu and the Kyoshi Warriors had cleaned it earlier in the day. Iroh had lit every candle in the chandelier, casting light onto the shining marble floor. The tall windows showed a lovely night sky.

"Are you sure?" Zuko asked. "I don't really dance."

Katara just smiled. "If you're coordinated enough to fight well, you can dance well."

They both had some vague idea of what to do: Katara held Zuko's left hand in her right, and rested her other hand on his arm, while he put one hand around her waist.

"I think I might prefer sparring," Zuko murmured, glancing down at their feet.

Yue, Aang, and Meng watched from a wheeled cart as Zuko and Katara started to dance, turning around on the floor, trying to keep an even pace with the music.

"Would you look at them?" Yue sighed, wishing she were human again so she could dance. For some reason she thought of Sokka, Katara's brother.

Aang turned to the doll beside him, and pretended to bow formally. "May I have this dance?"

Meng giggled. "I thought you'd never ask." She bent over, wrapped her arms around the cup, and swept him off his porcelain base.

Katara and Zuko moved gracefully, distant yet intimate. They did not acknowledge and hardly even felt the absence of other dancers; had there been any, the two would not have noticed anyone besides each other.

Katara giggled. "I feel like a princess," she whispered.

Zuko's face melted into a smile. "You are one to me," he said softly, pulling her close. Katara was slightly surprised, but then she leaned into his warmth.

You could be a princess, if … No, he wouldn't bring up marriage. Not tonight. He didn't want to bring back that apprehension she had shown.

Katara was just a generally loving person. Zuko had seen that in her interactions with the enchanted objects, in her actions regarding her brother, and even when she talked about that other boy—it was clear that she had cared about him, in some way, to some extent. She gave love to everyone she met.

Zuko just wished he could have that for himself.

As they turned on the marble floor, Katara rested her head on his chest, still following his lead in the dance. Zuko moved his hand higher on her back, thinking that right now, this was enough. She was here, with him—his, for all intents and purposes.

Iroh signaled for the candles to dim their light as the music slowed down. It was just one song, one dance; but it had felt so long to everyone; and yet it seemed to end too soon for Katara and Zuko, who were left standing stationary in each other's arms.

Finally Zuko smiled at her. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"This. Everything."

"Well … happy birthday," Katara said, squeezing his arm before letting her arms slide down. But Zuko still held on to her hand.

The door at the end of the hall was open, leading out to the gardens. Most of the snow had melted, but the bushes and flowers had yet to bloom back into life.

Chief Arnook was set up on a large tripod stand on the patio. Through him they looked at the stars and planets. There were some dark clouds in the sky, occasionally obscuring sections of stars. "It looks like it could rain later in the night," Katara said, drawing away from the telescope. Zuko made a sound of agreement, but he didn't really care, because it was so nice out now.

They sat on the stone bench in the garden, holding hands again. Katara found herself studying the swirling scars on his hand, rubbing her thumb softly over them. Then she looked up shyly at Zuko. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all."

Katara traced her fingers over the scars on his hand. Then he squeezed her hand; he was gentle but strong, and actually showing affection. How had he come so far that he was comfortable doing that? Had he always been like this, or had he changed since she came to the castle? Katara put her other hand over his; Zuko smiled and put his other hand on the top.

It may be now or never.

"Katara … are you happy here with me?"

She hesitated, something Zuko did not fail to notice. But then she said, "Yes." She looked off into the distance, avoiding his gaze.

"What is it?"

Katara looked at him with an expression of desperation. "I just … I wish I could see Sokka again. I miss him so much."

Zuko looked disappointed. But then his eyes lit up with something almost like excitement. "There is a way."

Katara blinked at him. He took her hand and led her back into the castle. She followed him downstairs, all the way to the entrance to the Dragon Bone Catacombs. Katara hesitated here; she still remembered the first time she had come into this forbidden place.

"It's okay," Zuko assured her. "You have my full permission to come in." He pushed open the door and led her into the shadowy red interior, over to the table with the fire lily and the mirror.

Zuko picked up the mirror and handed it to Katara. She saw that there was an inscription along the edge: If anything you long to see, speak your wish, and look in me.

"Just say what it is you want to see," he told her. "It'll show you anything."

Katara held it delicately and saw her reflection in the glass. "I'd like to see my brother, please," she said hesitantly.

The glass on the mirror shone brightly; Katara had to turn her face away as colors and shapes swirled to form an image. But she had to look back.

Katara gasped. "He's in the forest! But he's hurt—he looks lost …" Tears started to form in her eyes.

Zuko glanced at the wilting fire lily, deep in thought. The flower only had two petals left, and one of them looked ready to drop. His hand gripped the edge of the table, threatening to dent the wood.

When Zuko spoke, his voice was quiet. "Then you must go to him."

Katara looked up from the mirror, not sure she'd heard right. "What did you say?"

"I'm releasing you," he clarified, assuming something that resembled formality. "You're no longer my prisoner."

Katara looked at him in amazement. "You mean … I'm free?"

"Yes."

"Oh, thank you!" She held up the mirror and spoke to her brother's image. "Hold on, Sokka. I'm coming." She started to leave, but then turned back and held the mirror out toward Zuko.

He looked at her tenderly and pushed the mirror back. "Take it with you, so you'll always have a way to look back and remember," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Katara glanced at the mirror, and then back at Zuko's sad expression. "Thank you for understanding how much he needs me." She started to turn away again, but then she hesitated. She had never thought she'd be sorry to leave the castle—to leave the man who had imprisoned her. But now she was.

"Zuko?"

He turned slowly, and Katara threw her arms around his neck. He stiffened in surprise, but then hugged her back, pressing her form against his. He could feel the soft skin of her cheek move up against the scars on his neck and face. "I'll never forget you," Katara whispered in his ear. Then she gently pulled away from him. "Good-bye." And with those last words, she turned and ran out of the room.

Arnook, who had been waiting in the corridor outside, came in looking delighted and satisfied. "Well, Your Highness, I think this worked wonderfully," he began.

"I let her go," Zuko said sullenly.

"I hate to admit it, but Iroh was right from the start, and –"Arnook frowned, slowly registering what Zuko had said. "You what? Why?"

"Because," Zuko said, looking sadly at the dying fire lily, "I love her."

"He did WHAT?" Iroh and Aunt Wu couldn't believe the news.

"I'm afraid it's true," Arnook said regretfully.

Aang was distraught. "She's leaving?"

"After all this time, he's finally learned to love," Yue realized, her voice and expression tender.

Ty Lee brightened at this. "Well, that's it, then! That should break the spell!"

But Yue shook her head. "It's not enough. She has to love him in return."

Aang and Meng exchanged glances. No one noticed the two of them slink away.

"Love." Iroh sighed. "It's like a delicate flame. And once it's gone, it's gone forever."

"Are you all right?" Suki was concerned when Katara came into her room with the mirror and started bustling around the room.

"I'm fine," Katara said tonelessly. She didn't have very much to pack, as she hadn't brought anything with her when she came to the castle. She changed out of her formal gown and into the warmest clothes that Suki had to offer. She made sure she had the Spirit Water that Yue had given her a few weeks ago; she put the chain around her neck and tucked the amulet under her shirt, keeping it safe in case Sokka should need it.

She took a good look at the bedroom, remembering how surprised she had been when she first came here. The room full of Water Tribe furnishings actually felt like home now.

Katara turned to look at Suki. "I have to go. Will you tell Aang and Yue and the others good-bye for me?" She remembered that she hadn't gotten to say good-bye to Sokka. But then again, she wasn't good at saying good-byes.

"I—alright," Suki said, looking bewildered. "But where are you going? You know what happened last time you left, and the time before that—"

"This is different," Katara said shortly, strapping a bag over her shoulder. "I have Prince Zuko's permission, and I'm going to save my brother."

Zuko watched from his window as Katara led Appa out of the stables and flew away. He could not see the tears that threatened to blur her vision. Katara wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her parka, trying to focus on the task ahead. But she could not resist looking behind at the castle. She had never thought that she would be sad to leave it. But now the castle held a new meaning to her, because of the people who lived in it, and the events that had transpired in it. She wasn't the same person she had been when she came here. Now, she felt as though she was leaving a part of herself behind in the place that she had called home for those months.

If this was her home, were the people who lived there her family?

She could not afford to think that way—not now. She had to save Sokka, her blood brother, the person she had loved longer than anyone else.

At Katara's command, Appa pushed off from the ground and rose into the air and away from the castle. He thought he saw her look back at the castle, and wanted to believe she was looking at him in particular, but then she turned to look ahead, toward her destination. A moment later the bison and his lone passenger disappeared in the late-winter fog over the Foggy Swamp.

Zuko felt like breaking something. His eyes fell on the book that Katara had given him as a Winter Solstice present; he thought about seizing it and burning the pages to a crisp; but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was one of the last things that Katara had left here.

Angry, and not knowing what else to do, Zuko sat on the floor and wept.

It had been hard enough living—no, more like merely existing—before she came, when he was just a phantom haunting the castle that had been given him. How was he going to live now, without her?

He had given her a choice, and she had chosen against him. That hurt more than the knowledge that his hope of breaking the enchantment was gone.

And yet, as much as it hurt, it almost felt good just to know that he was feeling something.

Disclaimer: Iroh's comparison of love to a flame is taken from the Once Upon a Time episode "Skin Deep".

Music: "Evermore" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2017)