Title: Forces of Attraction
Rating: T
Genre: Romance/Angst
Pairings: Multiple, explicit and implied.
Summary: Aunt Wu saw a great romance, and the man she would marry. The Fortuneteller never specified they would be the same man.
Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, the Katara action figure would have come out way before "Water Nation" Aang and Roku. Alas. I do not own Avatar, and must content myself with writing fanfiction for it.
Author's Notes: This was absolutely not the direction I wanted to go in. However, I'm not unhappy with it; although the format was probably mostly inspired by Jimmy the Gothic Egg's story, Ashes Come Back to Me. Katara may seem a bit OOC at bits, especially around the middle. I have no excuse, except that losing Zuko, and then having to basically rule the Fire Nation must have hardened her. I tried to actually stay true to Aunt Wu's predictions, although you may judge for yourselves how well I did so.

Part Two: Gravitation
It all comes crashing down

It's pitch black and for the first time in her life, Katara wishes she were a Firebender. But she manages to find her way to Zuko's tent somehow. The prince is a light sleeper and it doesn't take much insistence on her part to wake him.

"Katara, what is it?" He asks, reaching for his swords in case of danger.

"I had a nightmare," she confesses, crawling into his sleeping bag.

"Scared of the dark?"

"I'm terrified of it," and it's true, because now she knows what darkness really is. Suddenly she hugs him, tight. "I'm so scared."

"Don't worry," he says, producing a bit of fire, "I'll fight off the darkness for you." And Katara begins to cry.

The sun is rising now, and Zuko hasn't slept a wink. For some reason he feels that it is imperative that he remember perfectly every last detail of the dark little Waterbender, finally sleeping in his arms.

The instant it happens, everyone knows. Aang feels the spirits cry; Toph feels the earth shake; even Sokka feels the world change. Katara feels it most of all. Before his body hits the ground, she is huddled over him, blue water glowing around her hands, but there is nothing she can do but cry.

Ty Lee feels her aura go grey. Mai feels her heart break. Azula feels nothing. Zuko is dead; now there is nothing left between her and the throne. In her moment of pride, she forgets about the old man.

The instant Zuko is hit with blue lightning blue fire erupts from Iroh's hands. It's overkill, but that's exactly what he wants to do. Mai is in his way and suffers the consequences—she doesn't die, but she'll never throw another knife. Ty Lee is more fortunate, she has only to deal with the wrath of Toph and Sokka.

Azula is shocked; her own blue fire is now attacking her. She fights as best she can; it isn't good enough. Now burned and bleeding badly, she finds herself on her knees in an uncanny pose, begging for her uncle's mercy. Were he to spare her life her father most certainly would not… No one is sure to this very day whether Iroh showed the girl mercy in her final moments, but the melted flesh over her left eye leads to speculation.

Amidst this all, Aang is frozen. He is after all, a child.

In the days that follow, Katara barely eats or sleeps. She cries and cries, and doesn't bend at all.

Iroh is teaching Aang firebending. The eclipse is fast approaching, and his presence is required at Earth Kindom war meetings. In his spare moments, he does however manage to share a cup of tea with Katara.

Aang manages to put on an impressive display of bending for Katara. For the first time since Zuko died, she smiles. It's a sad and broken smile, but it is a smile nonetheless.

It has been a month and a half since Zuko died. She looks up at the moon, realizing it's been too long, and she starts to cry again. She cries herself to sleep, and Iroh carries her back to camp.

The next day Iroh presents Katara with a necklace. She feels the thing weigh heavily in her hand, and puts it around her neck.

The wedding is a hasty affaire on the eve of the eclipse. The Earth King himself presides over the ceremony. Sokka cannot believe what is happening, but there is no way of talking Katara out of it, Toph has an idea why, and Aang looks like he wants to die. Of course, he can't, he is after all, the Avatar.

What comes next is a blur. Katara is not allowed on the battlefield, and many men will die without her help, but she does not object, because she knows that she is in no condition to go out and fight the Fire Lord. The Allies are victorious however, and suddenly she'd wearing red, and a golden crown weighs heavily on her head.

Prince Zuko is born a happy healthy boy. This one will be Fire Lord.

The Fire Lord is dead; Long live the Fire Lord!
(He is only twelve.)

Aang asks for Katara's hand. She declines; her son needs her help, as once the Avatar did.

Fire Lord Zuko has turned twenty-one. Never has the Fire Nation seen such magnificent fireworks. This gives him the cover he needs to seize the reins of the government. "I am the Fire Nation" he declares as he tells his mother that she is no longer required to rule the Fire Nation.

Katara disappears. Aang finds her lost in the Spirit World. She learns the same lesson Iroh learned years ago. Now she owes Aang her life, but she still won't marry him.

"It wouldn't be fair," she says. Aang tells her it doesn't matter: he'd be alright with pretending.

Katara kisses him, with all the chastity of a sister. "I'm sorry," she says.

Not as much as Aang.

It's a good year for romance. Toph and Sokka give birth to their second child and Aang finally finds someone who will love him in return. Even Zuko has found himself a bride. When Katara finds out who it is, she is furious. Her son cannot marry Mai's daughter.

Zuko will hear nothing of it.

"She helped to murder Zuko!" she yells.

"Cousin Zuko's death was a tragedy, I'm sure, but that is all in the past."

For the first time ever, Katara strikes her son, and the sting remains upon his cheek long after his mother has left the room.

Zuko has no tomb and her mother's ashes are out at sea, so Katara of the Water Tribe contents herself with Iroh's grave. Instead she hears Lord Ozai's voice: "Avenge my son."

Katara accepts her son's wedding and invites his intended along for tea. With cruelty befitting of Azula she raves about "my beloved Zuko." Both she and Mai know of whom she speaks. She presents Mai with a lovely set of knives; they are of very little use to her, and she drinks her tea in silence. It is good tea, one can hardly taste the poison through it.

Mai's daughter takes ill that night. The doctors are baffled and the Fire Lord wears white the next day.

Katara falls ill. Sokka, Toph and Aang come immediately. Zuko is very much concerned. Despite all appearances to the contrary he loves his mother more than anything in the world.

In her fever Katara cries, "Zuko, don't leave me in the dark!" and her son orders that her room be kept well lit all through the night. Still in delirium she cries "Zuko, Zuko, Zuko…" Never once for Aang, although he never leaves her bedside.

Katara doesn't die, although she does have trouble with her bending afterwards. She loses her taste for tea.

For her birthday Zuko takes his mother to the South Pole. He discovers snow and a blue-eyed girl. For the first time ever, he wishes he were a Waterbender, but soon discovers he can sculpt the ice with fire.

Katara becomes a grandmother. The fortunetellers foresee that she will be a most powerful bender, and Katara thanks the spirits when she learns that the child has inherited her mother's blue eyes. Katara is afraid she wouldn't quite know what to do with a golden-eyed granddaughter. She still has nightmares about Azula's eyes.

The child is almost named Katara, but at the last minute the name is changed to Ursa, and Katara figures that it's alright.

Next comes Sokka, and some years later Aang. The children grow, and Katara's hair begins to fade. Her eyes grow weak, and her hearing begins to go.

Mai is ill, and the healers do not think she will recover. She calls for Katara, and when Katara comes, Mai apologizes. Katara is tired, and she too apologizes. It's an awkward moment, but Mai is dying, and finally Katara can forgive her. They could have been friends, they realize. It's too late, but for once neither is sorry. Mai's eyes close one last time, and then that's that.

When she is fourteen, Ursa decrees that she will wed any man who can best her in Agni Kai. She waits for seven years, and finally such a man comes. The funny thing is that he isn't even a Firebender. He is however, the Avatar's son, and one of the most powerful Airbenders around (not that there are many).

Every one of Aunt Wu's predictions has come true. Katara realizes that she hasn't much time left when her little Ursa gives birth to her first daughter. This time, she is named Katara.

The Avatar is dead. Long live the Avatar.

Katara goes looking for him in the South, where she met him the first time. The Avatar this time is a lovely little girl. Katara knew her mother as a child, and arranges to be her Waterbending instructor until a better one can be found in the North.

Next is Toph. Katara understands Sokka's pain, and arranges for him to join her in the Fire Nation, just in time for him to witness his namesake's marriage. Within a year, the Fire Nation's Prince Sokka's son is born, and Katara feels death approaching. Ursa is now with child.

Katara dreams of Iroh. He is wearing that ridiculous tea-server's garment, and invites her to a tea party. "My nephew will be there," he winks.

It is another girl, Ira. Katara holds the child tenderly, and bestows upon it the Master Pakku's parting gift of Northern water. Ira is a Firebender, but it makes little difference.

The Fire Lord is reading by candlelight. His mother comes, and for the first time he realizes just how old she is. "Zuko," she begins, "your father…" But he cuts her off, and places a kiss on her forehead.

"My silly Uncle and his tea." Zuko complains.

Katara's at the tea party. Iroh didn't lie; Zuko's definitely there. So are Aang and Toph, and Sokka will be a while, but it's ok. Sokka was always late for everything. All that matters really is that Zuko's here, and as he places an arm around Katara's waist, she knows that he will
never ever leave.

A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Tell me in a review. It's unbetaed, and I will go back and edit it sometime this week, so any comments that you could make would be infinitely helpful. Should anyone be confused by the plot, say so in a review, and I'll certainly do my best to explain it, and make it clearer in the story. Thanks.

Lost out