Aang took Katara by the hand and led her to Appa. "You have no idea how happy I am to have you with me again," he whispered to her. "I wish I had been able to do the honour myself." Katara smiled and nodded. She was distracted, thinking of how, in a week's time, her father and friends from around the world were going to be arriving in Ba Sing Se to be at her wedding, for once she hated the advancements in speedy travel, the airships made the dreaded date approach too quickly.
Appa flew swiftly to Jasmine Dragon where Toph and Iroh waited for them.
"Here they come," Iroh told his young friend, looking down at her. She had grown so much over the years, not in height, she still barely reached his shoulder, but in personality. Toph had become a wonderful young woman yet she remained oblivious to the young men who were interested in her. He could tell by the smile on her face that she still had feeling for Sokka of the Water Tribe even though he was married and expecting their first child. He held back a sigh and turned his eyes again to the sky bison, now landing gently in front of them. Toph ran forward to greet them as they climbed down. Iroh stayed back and watched. His nephew seemed tired and stressed, he wondered if it was responsibility of being Fire Lord wearing him down.
"Uncle," Zuko said pulling the old man out of his thoughts and into a hug. "It's good to see you. How is Azula?" He asked taking a step back and glancing in the direction of his sister's "home".
"Much better than I expected, she has finally learned to forgive, though she still has trouble trusting people. Her loss of anger has also made her lose her firebending and this scares her more than she's willing to admit."
Zuko sighed and nodded, he would go and visit her. Perhaps this time she would see him, and it would get his mind off Katara. I might even go and visit her during the wedding.
Iroh led the group inside and listened to Toph catch up with the others. As he looked back he caught a flash of gold on Katara's wrist. He frowned, thinking the image was oddly familiar, but he let it be.
They passed the time catching up and trading gifts and souvenirs, most of them looking forward to the ceremony that was going to be done combining both Air Nomad and Water Tribe tradition. But for Katara and Zuko it was coming all too fast. Guests were beginning to arrive, and everything was being prepared.
The night before the wedding Zuko sat in his room looking down at the small gold bracelet he wore. It matched Katara's and he had a feeling he would soon have to go to a lot of trouble to hide it from Mai. With a sigh he took a scroll out of his bag and put it on his dresser to take to his sister the next day. His mother had come home one day after the war and it was as if all those years she was gone disappeared. She stayed with Zuko, but had plans to move to the Earth Kingdom again with Iroh and to rebuild a relationship with her daughter. The letter was for Azula asking her if she would see Ursa again. Zuko looked out the window and was trying to remember if there was anything else he needed to bring his sister when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said turning to greet them. He was surprised to see Aang in the doorway.
"Zuko, I just wanted to thank you again for what you did in the South Pole for me." The Avatar said awkwardly, even after all these years he was still the same kid at heart.
"Don't mention it," Zuko replied trying to keep the sullen tone out of his voice as he turned back to watch the sunset so Aang wouldn't see the pain on his face.
"I was hoping you'd be willing to do me one more favour," Zuko tensed wondering what else the kid could want or take from him. "Would you be my best man?" He asked coming to stand next to him, his hand resting on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko froze and struggled to keep the shock off his face. He glanced towards the boy, though he was really more of a man now, and wondered if he knew what was going on between Katara and him. All these things he was being asked to do as a test to see where loyalties lay. But looking into his eyes Zuko knew. Aang wasn't trying to be malicious or cruel, he was just being Aang. Happy, go lucking and trusting everyone Aang. He sighed and broke eye contact looking back out the window to watch the darkening sky.
"You should ask Sokka, you and he have been friends longer. And I'm sure it would mean more to Katara and Hakoda to have Sokka at your side," Zuko told him as he tried to think up more, believable, reasons that someone, anyone, else would be a better choice.
Aang shook his head, "Sokka will understand. It's because of you that Katara and I will be getting married tomorrow." He held up his hand to stop Zuko's protests, oblivious to the pain he was causing the man. "I won't have anyone else. I'll see you tomorrow at sunset so make sure you visit Azula early in the day. And, if she's up to it, she's welcome to attend as well." Zuko didn't say anything as he watched his friend and enemy leave, starring at the closed door he wondered what he did to deserve such punishment. He slammed his fist down on the window sill leaving a black scorch mark. He turned away from the window and sat on his bed, his head in his hands he did something he hadn't done in quite some time. He cried.
Suki and Toph helped Katara get ready, though Katara knew she should be excited for her wedding day she found herself looking at the gown with disgust. It was a soft blue with darker blue Air Nomadic style embroidery around the hem of the skirt and on the long, draping sleeves of the dress. The belt matched the same darker blue with a lighter blue design and white trim. As Suki helped her dress she found herself thinking of how it could have been. She wouldn't be wearing blue, she'd wear his colour, and she wouldn't have to wear such heavy makeup or have her hair done so elaborately. She could be on a beach…
Her hair was done up in an elaborate half bun leaving the bottom half of her hair to cascade around her shoulders and back. She had a more elegant version of her "hair loopies" as Sokka called them and she wore a headdress that her mother had worn at her wedding. Her makeup felt lighter than the last time she had it done in the city but she still preferred having a bare face.
"You look beautiful," Suki said as she finished and stepped away so Katara could see herself in the mirror.
"I look better in red," she mumbled. Suki frowned and looked to Toph who only shrugged.
Aang spent his time meditating alone, he wore his formal clothes with blue instead of the usual orange trim to show his respect for Katara's heritage. Sokka sat outside the room praying that Zuko and Katara had ended whatever it was that they had.
Zuko walked alone to his sister's home carrying the scroll under an arm. He sighed as he reached the door. The place was modest, about the same size as the apartment he and Uncle had shared when they lived in Ba Sing Se together. He knocked on the door and listened to the sounds of movement on the other side. Finally Azula opened the door, they both looked at each other in shock for a moment but Azula recovered first.
"It's good to see you, Zuzu," she told him pulling him into a hug. She welcomed him in and told him to make herself comfortable while she made tea for them. Zuko looked around the room and noticed there was nothing Fire Nation visible. Her walls and furniture were all white and, he noticed as she sat across from him at the small table so were her clothes. Her face was bare of makeup and her hair was worn in a single lose braid, her eyes looked tired and for the first time in so many years free from anger. "How have you been Zuzu?" She asked taking a sip of her tea.
"Alright I suppose. Busy. And you?" He asked not answering her question in detail. It was obvious she was trying to keep the fire Nation out of her mind, he didn't need to bring it up.
"Better than I have been in a long time," she replied looking down at her drink. "Zuko, I'm sorry for what I've done in the past. I hope you can forgive me."
"Of course, and I have something from someone else who wants to see you." He handed her the scroll and watched her face as she read it. Her expression didn't change but she was good up until the end about hiding her true feelings, a small part of him wondered if she was really better or if this was just another lie. Azula always lies...
"When you see Mother again tell her I would like to see her," was all she said after putting the scroll away.
"Also, the Avatar has asked if you want to attend his wedding. I'll be his best man so you would have to sit with Uncle and if you don't want to I understand."
"No, I'll go. I'm told that it's good for me to get out and be with people sometimes. The wedding is today right? I read about it the other day. I'll change into something nicer when we need to leave, until then tell me, how are Mai and Ty Lee?"
The water benders that had been invited had decorated the place with ice crystals and made and archway out of ice to keep with the Water Tribe traditions. Zuko watched as people slowly arrived, the each nation was present he could see the blues, greens and even a few reds mixing. Aang caught his eye and the pair walked to the arch where a sage waited for them. The crowd hushed and turned to watch as Toph, followed by Katara. Zuko watched her, trying to keep his face neutral, he didn't want to look upset and he didn't want to smile at her beauty either. Aang on the other hand beamed at her, Zuko saw her smile back but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. She reached the altar and Toph stood a few paces behind her like he did with Aang, the bridal party being made up of each of the four Nations added to the cultural unity the Avatar was promoting.
As the sage read the vows Zuko found himself watching Katara and noticed she wasn't looking at Aang. She was looking at him.
"I take you to be my husband," Katara said, repeating the words the sage gave her, her eyes never straying from Zuko's. "My partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live." And for a brief moment they could almost believe they were marrying each other, but when Aang leaned in to kiss Katara the illusion was broken. The sage interwove two strings of beads around the couples' hands.
"The beads symbolize the joining of your two families into one, may you live faithfully and happily till the end of your days." The audience clapped and Katara and Aang turned to face them, their bound hands in the air. One by one each of the guests came to greet the new couple in a long receiving line that had to be at the very least 500 if not 1000 people.
During the party afterwards Katara slipped away from Aang's side and found Zuko alone on the balcony. She glanced back at Aang, hesitating for a moment before going next to the man she couldn't love, he looked away from her as she laid her hand on his.
"If things were different. If we lived in a place without duty... would you be with me?"
"That place does not exist," Zuko replied pulling his hand away from her, Katara sighed and moved to his other side, holding his face in her hands so he couldn't turn away again. She gave him a small kiss on the lips, just the slightest touch.
"I'll pretend it's you," she told him trying to keep the tears from her eyes as she went back to the party. Zuko sighed as well and headed back to the party, as the best man he was obligated, with Toph, to escort the newlyweds to their chamber.
He didn't notice Hahn watching him or the look Azula had on her face as she left her hiding place. She had seen Katara heading towards her a Zuko on the balcony and had hid being a curtain after excusing herself. She wasn't eavesdropping she had told herself, she just didn't want to face the Water Tribe girl. Hahn caught Azula's eye and they shared the look of someone who knew a secret. And while Azula wanted to forget about it Hahn was already planning on how to use the Fire Lord's sister when the time came.
After leaving Katara and Aang, Toph went back to the party. Zuko told her to tell his uncle he was going to spend the night at Azula's. He watched the shadows moving in Katara and Aang's room for a few moments then left to find his sister, his mouth filled with the taste of bile.
"Azula, can I stay at your house for a few nights?" He asked prepared to tell her that he only wanted to stay to spend some time with her before he left for home in three days, but she didn't ask why.
"Of course, we'll go say good night to Uncle then," was all she said.
"You're trembling. You don't have to be scared," Aang told her as he watched Katara removed her makeup and take down her hair. "It's both of our first times. I promise I'll be gentle so I don't hurt you," he smiled and kissed Katara helping her to undress and then making love to her
The next morning Katara lay on her side, her back to Aang remembering. It had been so different with Zuko. It had hurt with him, it was their first time and she knew that it was supposed to. She knew the blood was normal too. And yet, despite the hurting and the blood the night with Zuko had been perfect, with Aang it didn't feel right. Aang rolled over and wrapped on arm around her, using his other to keep himself propped up.
"That's pretty.," he commented lightly touching the golden bracelet on her wrist and interrupting her memories. "Where did you get it?"
"It was a present," she said softly returning to her daydreams.
AN: So for once I'm actually going to put one of these in here lol. So here's the latest chapter, I hope I stayed in character with Azula. I mean she was rehabilitated, probably by the Dai Li, so it would make sense for her to be different but please, review i live for the feedback :)