A/N: Sorry for the delay, guys! Had this chapter done several days ago, but with the site's issues I couldn't put it up until now. With that apology out of the way, all I can say is... please don't hate me for this chapter!

Summer Air

Chapter Six

"I can't believe they still perform that awful play at the theater here. You're the Fire Lord; can't you forbid it or something?"

The journey to Ember Island had been wholly uneventful. They'd arrived early in the morning, and Katara found the house Zuko owned had been fully renovated and refurbished -- the epitome of luxury. It was clear the young man had spared no expense. When she'd asked the reason for the redecoration, he had offered nothing more than a cryptic "for old time's sake" before pointing her in the direction of a hot bath and a closet full of Fire Nation clothes she could change into in order to blend in.

Two hours later they were enjoying ice cream – at her request – and staring at the latest poster advertising the Ember Island Players' latest performance: The Haunted Pond.

"I did force them to change the ending," Zuko admitted with a chuckle, in reference to her last encounter with the terrible acting troupe.

"Just the ending? What about the fact that Aang was played by a girl? And Toph was played by a man! Or that the actor had a scar on the wrong side of his face? Or…" She was about to mention the romance in the caves of Ba Sing Se but for some reason it stuck in her throat.

Thankfully he didn't seem to notice, as all he had for a reply was a shrug. "I actually enjoy some semblance of anonymity here because of that misplaced scar. I left the rest up to artistic license."

"Artistic license, if you say so. I'd hate to see what they're completely ruining with this latest play."

That prompted another laugh from him. "Be careful what you wish for. We're attending that play tonight."

She almost choked on her latest mouthful. "What?!"

"Ever since we left Kyoshi Island I've been trying to think of anywhere here on Ember that could have been the home of one of the Immortals. Well, the lotus pond that play is about is the closest thing I can think of." He pointed to the poster, and the pond depicted on it. "Some say it's holy, some say it's haunted. Either way we'll find out."

"A pond?"

"It's the best lead we have for now. Besides, we might be able to gather some information spending the day mingling through the crowds. I know most of them are just wealthy tourists, but some of the folks are locals."

Unfortunately, that proved easier said than done. They did come across a few locals, but their attempts to pry for information came to nothing. Not only were the Ember Island residents tight-lipped, they seemed scared of the pond in question. It led Katara to wonder whether it truly was haunted.

Several hours later they were seated in the very back of the theater, a section Zuko told her was reserved for only the wealthiest of patrons, but was guaranteed to keep them out of sight of the masses. "Wear something nice just in case," he had told her, and thus she was decked out in the best that closet had offered, and she'd even piled her hair on top of her head in the style she'd noticed throughout the day. It wasn't wholly unbecoming, but she felt incredibly strange without her hair looped in the front.

He said nothing about her appearance – hairstyle or otherwise – so she could only assume she'd done enough to mostly blend in. Obviously if anyone were to investigate they'd see bright blue eyes staring back at them and tan skin peeking above the collar of her gown that always gave her away. In accordance with the last time she'd needed a Fire Nation disguise, she had in fact left her mother's betrothal necklace behind at the house. They couldn't afford to lose precious time over something as silly as a piece of jewelry.

Luckily they did blend in. Despite the acting being as awful as Katara remembered, the audience actually seemed intent on watching—and there was quite a crowd that night. It was a packed house, and all the better for them to remain virtually unnoticed where they sat in the back. In fact, it was so packed and they went so unnoticed that when Katara swore she saw a familiar face seated a handful of rows in front of them, Zuko didn't seem to share her observation.

All the better, Katara told herself, intent on doing what she could to ensure their paths didn't cross the young woman's who sat in front of them. After all, it was none other than the infamous Mai.

She was seated beside another young woman that looked eerily like Ty Lee but older, and from what she vaguely remembered hearing of Ty Lee's past, she had to assume it was one of her sisters. Every once in awhile the women would whisper amongst each other, laugh, and when the play was over, Katara realized she'd spent more time watching them than the actual performance. There was something that seemed strange about the way they interacted but she couldn't put her finger on it. In any case, she was more determined than ever to steer Zuko in the opposite direction of the way the other pair went.

Her plan worked perfectly. As the crowd shuffled out the double doors of the theater, she pointed out the back door they could use to make an easy, hassle-free escape. One of the stagehands gave them a glare, but otherwise they were able to get out into the bustling street before anyone was the wiser.

"That was a waste of time," Zuko commented once they joined the still milling crowd as it slowly began to disperse down the road. "Maybe we should go check out the pond ourselves and see if we find anything."

As if on cue, a peddler a few yards away was on a crate, hollering over the crowd, "Tours of the haunted pond all night! Want to see the ghost for yourself? Get yourself a tour guide right here, folks!"

They both looked at each other. It was only a minute before they also both busted out laughing.

"Let's go when there aren't a bunch of bumbling tourists and ghost hunters," was their consensus.

"You there, young lady! You want to take a tour, don't you?" the vendor was shouting. While the crowd was helping mask them, the downside was actually getting through it in order to call it a night.

"It sounds incredibly dull," said an all-too familiar monotone.

She winced. Hopefully Zuko hadn't heard that, and she could just gently nudge him in the other direction.

No such luck.

"Mai."

Katara was trying to find the positive spin on what would more than likely be an awkward encounter. At least they'd cleared most of the crowd and no one would be in earshot—save the salesman, who had already moved on to his next target. However, that was only a small consolation.

"Zuko?" That was from the Ty Lee-lookalike, who had immediately turned with an expression of shock on her face.

"Unfortunately," surmised Mai, who wore the same bored expression Katara remembered her being known for.

The lookalike was about to bow and knowing the eyes of the few passers-by could still turn on them at any moment, it was Katara who stepped forward to stop her. "Don't—"

Mai's sharp gaze quickly snapped to her, narrowing before she took matters into her own hands—literally. Before the other woman could move again, Mai wound an arm around her waist in a way that made Katara's jaw nearly drop. "Yes, dear, listen to the peasant waterbender because even she knows there's no need to bow."

Her jaw nearly dropped again at the bitterness lacing Mai's tone. After the war had come to an end, they'd all gotten to see a different side of the typically dour young woman. The behavior she saw here only reminded her of the days when Mai still considered Azula one of her best friends.

Zuko must have agreed, for he finally spoke again with a simple, "Mai, stop."

"Should I be surprised, Zuko? Because I'm not. Although it's comforting to see someone is getting good use out of my clothes."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mai. You chose to leave it all behind."

Suddenly it all made sense to Katara. The refurnished house, the grim expression he'd worn when they first learned they'd be visiting the island, it was all because of her. And with the way Mai was acting, their break-up had been anything but pleasant. No wonder he'd dreaded coming back.

"True. And I definitely don't regret it." It came complete with another telling squeeze of her companion's waist. "Come on, Lan. Let's not let the entire evening go to waste."

Despite how badly the reunion ended, honestly Katara was just glad that it was over and the crowds were gone so no one witnessed it. Zuko was silent as a result, and though she gave his sleeve a gentle tug to set them back on the path toward the house, she didn't bother trying to excuse or explain away what just happened. It was usually better to let things lie, she'd learned.

At last he spoke, as they set foot on the stretch of beach that acted as a natural and over-lengthy front walk to the royal mansion. "Don't worry; I know what you're thinking. My ex-girlfriend leaves me for a woman. The jokes make themselves."

She frowned. "I wasn't thinking that at all…"

"That's because you're actually kind."

"Not really. I did want to water whip her across the face at one point."

He tried to smirk, but the expression didn't quite take, leaving his mouth in a grim line she was growing more accustomed to seeing than she liked. "She's entitled to treat me like that, but not you. We parted on bad terms, to say the least."

"You don't have to tell me."

"And if I want to?"

She bit her lip and merely offered a small shrug. Of course she would listen, the gesture said. At least he seemed to get the message, for he was veering off the path to the house and taking a seat on one of the logs that circled a fire pit. She took the hint and sat down beside him.

With a puff of air he'd already lit a fire, hunching down with his elbows on his knees as he let his head hang between them. "Do you know why I never hunted for fire lilies with Mai?" Her silence invited him to continue. "Because I don't want kids."

"I thought—" But she clapped a hand over her mouth and made a mental note not to interrupt again. Whatever she thought, she was obviously wrong.

"Oh, I'm supposed to want children, and a family, to carry on the line indefinitely. But I can't help but think of how we turned out. Azula and I. Even my father… Do I want to pass that sort of legacy on? Of course not."

There were so many things she could say, and she was biting her tongue in order to keep silent. She briefly wished Iroh were present to knock some sense into his nephew since she knew he would.

"Mai wanted to get married, to settle down, and I knew that would just lead to more and more expectations. She started getting pushier, so I started pushing back. The house here on Ember is practically all hers, and in the last year of our relationship I doubt I visited even three times. I stayed away. I don't know why I did. I guess because of course I'd be destined to ruin my chances with the only girl who has ever cared about me like that." He paused to run a hand through his hair, giving it a slight ruffle as he did. "So now I'm alone. I've accepted it. I just concentrate on making sure everyone else is happy."

At that she couldn't help but throw in her two cents, placing a hand on his knee. "Zuko, it's not like you have to be alone forever. You're attractive," and though he gave her a skeptical look at that she pressed on, "and young and… well, I mean, Mai can't be the only girl who ever liked you. Right?" She desperately hoped she was right.

His silence wasn't very encouraging. But then he cracked a faint smile. "There was this girl in Ba Sing Se…" He leaned back, sending his gaze skyward. "Her name was Jin. She asked me for a date, actually. But I was Lee then, and when she kissed me, I realized that everything she thought she liked about me was a lie." His smile was gone. "With Mai, at least she knew all the worst about me."

All she could do was frown. "What about the best?"

"It's a lot easier to love the best of a person."

Unfortunately she couldn't argue with that. In fact, she was left without anything more to say, staring at his profile and knowing that the scar that marked the side of his face she could see was just one of those 'worst's he was counting against himself. She was immediately taken back to their own moment in Ba Sing Se, when she had a hand on his face and the water of the spirit oasis between them. What she'd give for some of that healing water now.

But she didn't have healing water. Even her touch to his knee seemed to pale in comparison to the comfort she wished she could give. And finally, on a whim, she leaned in and pressed a quick, chaste kiss to that scar.

Surprisingly, he didn't flinch. "What was that for?" he simply asked when he looked at her as she drew away.

"I wanted to make you feel better." It sounded incredibly lame when she said it aloud.

Apparently he thought so, too. "Sure. Getting a kiss from my friend out of pity really makes me feel so much better."

He'd caught her red-handed. She did feel bad for him, but more than that, she was convinced he didn't have to be alone. He was attractive, in the ways that really counted. He was honorable, honest, hard-working, determined to make a difference and make the world a better place. It wasn't pity.

Without another word, her hand left his knee to catch his face, and she was leaning in to give him a proper kiss. But it wasn't meant to be; he jerked away and had an arm up to keep her at its length. "Katara, don't."

She didn't know what to say. She was suddenly ashamed that she'd even tried that, but more than ashamed she was angry that he'd stopped her. It wasn't as if she was a child and didn't know what was good for her.

Before she could say anything he was releasing her shoulder with a gentler, "Don't complicate things."

"As if things aren't complicated enough," she growled, getting to her feet. There was no helping her temper anymore. "We still don't have any idea where the next Immortal can be found." She knew she was grasping at straws but it was the only concrete thing she had to throw at him.

He got to his feet as well. "The two issues are completely unrelated," he pointed out gruffly. "You're being completely irrational. Just because I don't want your pity doesn't mean we can't find the next piece of the map."

Unfortunately all she heard was 'You're being completely irrational.' "It's not pity. But fine. I'll stop pitying you. There's no point wasting energy on such an obviously hopeless cause right now anyway."

That made him flinch, and she instantly regretted it. Her temper wouldn't allow her to take it back, and before she could even try to make amends, he was waving her off. "Just go back to the house. Tomorrow we'll go to the pond and see what happens."

"Fine."

The entire walk back to the house she was flooded with feelings of guilt. She shouldn't have said what she did; she shouldn't have done what she did. He'd opened up about his past – even above and beyond what happened with Mai – and she'd pushed and ruined the whole evening.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she chastised herself.

Her pride wouldn't let her go back and apologize. Instead, she camped out on the couch in the living room, working out an apology in her mind, over and over, planning to deliver it the moment he walked through the door.

The minutes ticked by and the door never even creaked. Before too long her eyes were drooping, and there on the couch she fell fast asleep.

When she woke the next morning, there was a pillow beneath her head and a blanket covering her legs. But there was no sign of Zuko.