Sorry about the wait, guys, things have been pretty darn hectic. Please review more.

This chapter is dedicated to firelily1228 for her amazing review, and for not being afraid to pick apart my grammar and spelling. Also, big thanks to everyone who has reviewed or favorite- as well as the person who messaged me and told me they were working on a drawing of Katara fighting the Blue Spirit! I'm so excited, please finish it! And if anyone else wants to, that's great, just send me the link!

Chapter Seven
Anniversary

Aang patted her shoulder as they came out of the slums and into the center of Fool's City. Everywhere she looked there were people laughing and celebrating the three year anniversary of the war ending, and small shops that had been set up overnight, selling little trinkets to commemorate the event. She was nervous anyways, but having to look around and see Zuko's face everywhere- it was killing her.

He stared up from paintings set out on tables. He stood with his arms outstretched in a bending pose, frozen in a brass statue. He was in every cherry tree they passed, the gnarled, beautifully twisted branches looking so much like the scar she'd memorized. And she couldn't forget Azula's newest indignity- she'd had a huge tapestry unfolded in the town square, hanging from the library.

An artist had been commissioned months ago to depict Zuko's face in profile, his eyes downcast as he stared moodily off into the distance. His scar was emblazoned across the fabric in harsh reds and heavy pinks, outshining everything else. People who passed looked up, touched their own face subconsciously, and left, looking down in shame as they imagined what life would be like to have such a hideous injury.

Azula had gone even further, putting an inscription on the bottom of the portrait- "Fire Lord Zuko was proud of his scar, and believed that everyone should look at it as a badge of his honor and sacrifice for his country. On this day, please remember him fondly, though he had so little time as your leader."

Katara thought back to the few minutes she'd had with Zuko in the Crystal catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se. He'd accepted his scar, he knew that it didn't choose his destiny, but he hadn't liked having a constant reminder of his father's cruelty on his face. She'd spoken with him later, asking if she could try to heal it anyway, but he'd laughed.

"As the new Fire Lord, I think my main focus should be leading a country right now." She'd looked down, knowing he was right and wondering if she'd been foolish to say something. Seconds later, she'd felt his fingers pulling her chin up as he had looked her in the eye. "Thank you, Katara," he'd murmured.

She swallowed hard and let Aang lead her past the tapestry, ignoring the part of her that demanded the chance to summon water from the soil and slice the monstrosity to ruins. And then she would fight her way through the guards, into the palace, and show Azula she could still kick her scrawny, royal little-

"Katara, you're kind of crushing my arm," Aang whimpered, and she immediately let go of his forearm, noticing faint crescents from where her nails had dug into his skin. "I didn't mean you had to let go entirely," he said hastily, but she just smiled weakly and looked away awkwardly. He fell silent, and they made their way up to the gates of the palace. Azula was making a speech in a few minutes, when the sun was highest in the sky to symbolize the 'power of her superiority'.

Katara snorted. Aang gave her a strange look.

"Sorry," she muttered, and searched the crowd for the hundredth time since she'd left that morning. Just in case something happened, she'd told Lani to stay close, and the little girl was clinging to the back of her robe, her eyes as wide as tea cups.

There was a loud groaning, and she instinctively moved closer to Aang, watching as the brass gates swung open slowly. People began to migrate into the courtyard, but she stayed behind for just a moment. The last time she had been in this damned place, she'd been watching Zuko's coffin smoldering. The world seemed to grow narrow, and she took a deep, shuddering breath, wondering why she suddenly felt the need to be the only living thing around for miles.

The moment broke when Lani squealed in excitement and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Kata- um, miss. I wanna see her!" Lani was still young enough to be excited by royalty, even if it was a tyrannical crazy woman. She pulled her through the gates and looked up at the balcony, eyes shining. Katara exchanged a glance with Aang, who raised his eyebrows and knelt next to Lani.

"Do you want to see a trick?" he asked her quietly, and Katara once again marveled at how deep his voice had become over the years. Then, she giggled quietly as he pulled out a few beads and spun them around in a circle between his hands- something he'd done ages ago, the first time they had met the Kyoshi warriors. Lani giggled in delight and jumped up and down, clasping her hands together.

"Charm bracelets for sale- one for every occasion and person- hello sir, would you like a charm bracelet for your wife, your little girl? Very affordable and durable, a keepsake for-" Aang interrupted the vendor, blushing.

"She's not my wife, and this is… my niece," he improvised, but she didn't miss the sidelong glance he threw her way. It was longing, embarrassed- something she took to mean as she hadn't been wrong in her suspicions. He still had feelings for her, even after all this time- something sweet and tenacious, like hard candy whose taste took hours to fade.

She wondered, then, why her mouth suddenly tasted so bitter.

Lani squealed and pointed up at the balcony as flames erupted and flickered violently. Azula stepped out, staring down at her citizens with satisfaction in every line of her face. Every move she made was confident, from flicking back her heavy bangs to grasping the edge of the balcony, ready to speak.

"People of the Fire Nation," she began, "today marks the three years since the Hundred Year War ended. Such a small amount of time, really, but filled with so much change that I barely recognize my own nation. We have always been a proud people, and have prided ourselves further with never lagging behind- not in war, and not in peace."

Her voice rang out as if it had been amplified by the grounds themselves, and Katara shivered, searching for the double meaning in her words- it was there, she just needed to remember- Azula always lies.

"So citizens who pride themselves on holding honor and morals in the highest regard, I have more to ask of you- what can you do for your nation? There are still war criminals everywhere- no doubt you have heard their names and the stories which accompany them. And while they still live, our nation is not yet as strong and wholesome as it could be. Taxes will be raised, and sacrifices will be made, but it is for the good of the nation, and in the end, we will be more powerful than before. We will seek out the traitors in the other nations, and we will exterminate them."

"No!" Katara gasped, shooting a look at Aang. He was horrorstruck- after so many years at war and so little time for peace, she was already planning on invading other nations for 'war criminals'? Had she forgotten that she'd been one as well? Murmurs rose up around them, ominous signs of conflict. Only one man leapt up onto a platform, shaking his fist openly at the monarch.

"Higher taxes? We have barely enough for our own lives, and certainly not for your foolish expenses! Make the rich pay, make them live like us!" His words were greeted with terrified glances and only a few brave people cheered. Azula smirked cruelly, and with one small twist of her wrists, guards were racing through the crowd towards the protestors, and people began to scream.

The world around them exploded when the first bursts of flame erupted.

"We should get out of here," Katara said urgently, trying to keep Lani from looking at the scene. The little girl just stared on with her big brown eyes, as if she couldn't tear her gaze from the men being hauled from the crowds. Fire blasted into existence, and the crowd moved as one long, chaotic wave- people moving back from the fight, others moving forward to join in, a sea of discontent. A man screamed as his arm was burned, his skin bubbling as he tried to put it out. Women cried and babies wailed, and Katara resorted to picking Lani up and muscling her way through the crowd, trusting Aang to follow. Lani buried her head in Katara's neck, sobbing quietly and pushing her fingers into her ears to block the sound of agony.

"It's okay, shh, it's okay," she soothed, frantic to leave. Aang put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back just in time- flames singed the place she'd just been standing. He stepped in front of them and began to move his hands, sending spurts of air through the crowd. Not enough to hurt anyone, just enough to make them move out of the way. Cries went up as people recognized him.

"It's the Avatar! It's him, he's here to help!"

"Save us, for the sake of Agni, please help!"

The young man looked torn, then took in a deep breath. His tattoos flashed for just a moment, and he crouched down. Suddenly, he blasted up into the air, aiming straight for Azula's balcony.

"No!" Lani screamed, reaching out for him wildly. "Come back- Aang! Come back!" Her hysterical cries shook Katara loose from her panic, and she put her hand over the girl's mouth.

"He'll come back, he's stopping the fight- be quiet Lani, you'll get us discovered before we get the chance to…" Her voice faded into nothing as she watched Aang land at Azula's side. He was gesturing wildly, and she was just staring at him with an amused little smile. She nodded once, and before Katara could even comprehend what had happened, Aang was back at her side, grabbing her arm tenderly.

"We need to move," he said, then grinned tightly at Lani, whose hand was wrapped in a death-lock around the fabric of his robes. "Did you miss me?" he asked easily, and held his arms out. Katara transferred the child into his grip, and he hoisted her onto his hip.

"I'll take her back to the house, Katara. But get over to the wall underneath the balcony, there will be a couple guards there and they'll keep a watch on you until I come back. We're going to have to change the plan a little bit." She nodded tightly, then leaned forward and kissed Lani on the forehead. She knew from experience that the girl wouldn't forget the terror of this day.

Katara only hoped that she also remembered strong, loving arms around her, keeping her safe.

As soon as she lost sight of the pair of them in the crowd, she turned and began the trek towards the front of the courtyard. The balcony was situated on the north wall, perpendicular to the burial platform which had stood two years ago. The fight had died down, the guards dragging injured or dead men from the courtyard as women and children lamented the loss. There were far less people in the space than there had been, but every time she saw someone pass her with a mild burn on their leg or a cut above their eye, she longed to stop and help them.

How had this happened? As Katara, she had healed villages and conquered discrimination. Then, she had acted as the Painted Lady, and had healed those who came to her for help. Now, she was once again the Master Waterbender and Princess of the Southern Water Tribe. And she could not heal those she passed, because someone might recognize her as the Painted Lady. She longed for just a moment to throw off the complexities and just help people. But times were different- she had a mission, and a little girl depending on her for a future.

In short, she had too much to lose by acting as a savior.

When had her life been turned so inside out, and cast in shadows? She had the answer, but she couldn't think about that now.

Katara hadn't been waiting at the wall long before Aang was back at her side. "I put Lani to bed for a little while and made sure she knew to stay in the house and act like no one was home. I also put some broken glass right after the front door, just as a precaution."

She was surprised- since when did Aang booby-trap places? Then again, he really did care about Lani. She watched as he stepped forward and bowed formally to a guard. "Avatar Aang and Master Katara respectfully request an audience with Fire Lord Azula." The guard looked them over once and then nodded, walking away for confirmation. They waited without talking, and though she felt his eyes on her, she only stared at her hands, trying to memorize the path her veins made beneath her skin. Soon the guard was back, and leading them into the palace.

They travelled down a dark hallway, dimly lit by torches, then climbed a set of spiraling stairs. She only realized how close she was to Aang when he reached down and slipped his hand into hers. It felt wrong, so Katara pulled away, trying not to notice the hurt look in his eyes, not even when he turned away with his shoulders hunched.

She began to recognize the hallways as they walked further into the labyrinthine palace, noting the small alcove where Zuko had told her everything he knew about his mother, tracing her fingertips over the banister they had once slid down only to be caught by a very disgusted Mai.

She giggled at the memory, but stopped when Aang turned and looked at her as if she had bugs crawling out of her ears. They entered the throne room, leaving the guards outside, and she was overcome by a tsunami of recollections.

"I can only guess that this next list of supplies is going to be even longer than the last one." Zuko smiled wryly and slipped the ornament out of his hair, letting the dark locks cascade over his forehead. She smiled and ruffled his hair, gasping when he singed her wrist lightly and smacking him upside the head with a little block of ice to keep him in line.

"Well, Dad sent another letter about what the tribe needs, so yeah." Katara pulled out a weathered note from the South Pole and showed it to Zuko. He read the contents swiftly, noting what should be sent on the next shipment to her homeland. His brow furrowed, and his mouth twisted up as he finished up the letter.

Her cheeks heated, remembering that her father had written a very personal end to a very business-like letter- 'We miss you Katara, and hope that you and Aang will further your relationship soon- it's about time I got a wedding invitation in the post. Love, your father.'

"So you and Aang are getting married? Why wasn't I invited?" Zuko teased, but she could tell the amount of effort it had taken for him to try to fool her. She knew he was engaged, knew that Mai was always going to be the one at his side, but she couldn't stop her mind from showing her scene after scene of her and Zuko together forever. The guilt washed over her, a familiar scent, but she needed to let him know that her feeling hadn't- and would never- change.

"Because it's not happening," she said quietly, and the grin faded from his features. He brushed a piece of hair from in front of her eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly, and she felt her heart crack just a little bit more.

"Katara?" Aang whispered, and she noticed that he was bowed slightly in front of Azula. The room that had once been warm and majestic with Zuko's flames was now eerie and uncomfortable. Azula's blue fire flickered around them like the tongues of beasts, lapping at their resolve and making her feel as if she was disappearing, bit by bit.

"Katara!" Azula echoed, standing up from her gilded throne and smiling down at them. Aang straightened up, but the Fire Lord's golden eyes were boring a hole through her own cerulean orbs, daring her to look away. "Where have you been for so long? There have been a great many... injuries in the palace. I would have been happy to give you some business."

I bet you would, Katara seethed silently, but tilted her chin up and stood proudly. "I've been doing fine, actually. There isn't a shortage of work for me, especially not with your citizens."

Azula smirked as if she'd just won a game, and she knew she'd said too much.

"Exactly as I presumed," she purred, and Katara froze- she knew. Her Painted Lady disguise hadn't been enough- what if she knew where her home was? Lani was there, all alone- broken glass wouldn't deter someone for long.

She looked up into the eyes of her enemy, knowing suddenly and for certain that nothing had changed since that night three years ago, when she had beaten Azula at her own game.

She was going to have to proceed very carefully.

I'm serious about the reviews, people. They are like constant reminders to keep working on this fiction, instead of setting on the back burner like I have with some of my others. That's not a threat, by the way, just an explanation of how my little crazy mind works. Let me know what you think.